Shrivenham Road, Highworth, Wiltshire, SN6 7BZ
Head Teacher: Nicola D Anderton / Minutes of the Full Governing Body Meeting
held on 28th January 2015
at 7.30 p.m. in Classroom 5
Attendees: Sue Morison SM (Community Governor and Member), Gillian Miller GM (Community Governor),Mark Le MasurierMLM (Acting Chair and Parent Governor),Lucy Cox LC ( Parent Governor), Kim O’Sullivan KOS (Staff Governor), Nicola Anderton NDA (Head Teacher and Member) and Sue Else SE (Clerk).
In Attendance: Michelle Tkocz, MT Senior Leadership Team (SLT),
Agenda
1.Apologies.
2.Declaration of interest in any agenda item
3.Welcome the new member and assign to a committee
4.Minutes of previous meeting held on 26th November 2014
5.Matters arising (see actions on minutes)
6.Chairman’s Report including SDP the Future, Governor Skills, Training and Visits, Any Other Urgent Business, (KH Resignation), Governors Action Plan 2015-16, Policies.
7.Head Teacher’s Report including SEN Report, Public Sector Equalities Duty, New Food Standards.
8.Committee reports
- Curriculum and Staffing
- Finance
- Risk and Premises
10.Any other urgent business
11.Future dates of Full Governing Body meetings and AGM
1. Apologies / Actions
1.1Approved apologies:Maureen Penny MP (Chair and Community Governor), Keith Williams KW (Community Governor and Member),Marion Cook MC (Community Governor and Member), Chris Ougham CO (Staff Governor),Andy Topp AT (Parent Governor),
1.2Absent: Martyn Kelham MK (Community Governor), Matt Ford MF (Community Governor),
2. Declaration of interest in any agenda item
2.1None
3. Welcome new member and assign to a committee
3.1Lucy Cox was welcomed to the governing body.
3.2 SM stood down as vice chair to allow MLM to take on the role. Her term of office expires in March and she was re-appointed as a community governor nominated by NDA, seconded by MLM.
3.2 GM agreed to transfer from the Finance Committee to Curriculum and Staffing and LC was appointed to the Finance Committee.
3.3 MP intends to have a full review of the sub-committee memberships and appoint members to the committee most appropriate for their skills set. / Review Committees March meeting (MP)
4 Minutes of the previous meeting held on 26th November 2014
4.1 The minutes of the Full Governing Body on 26th November were APPROVED and SIGNED as a true record.
5. Matters arising (see actions on minutes)
5.1Survey Results to be published (5.2) the results are still to be published.
5.2 School Development Plan (SDP) and SEF (5.5)Reviewing governor input in to SDP & SEF.
5.3 Review the outcome of governance (5.7)See agenda item 6.6
5.4Scheme of Delegation update (5.8) The scheme has been updated
5.5 Exclusion Appeal and letter to the Regional Commissioner for Education (5.12)There has been no response from the Regional Commissioner. The school has submitted written statements and is waiting to hear if the exclusion case will go to court in March.
5.6 Leave of Absence Policy(8.1)The policy was reviewed by the Curriculum and Staffing Committee. The policy was APPROVED
5.7 Condition Survey (11.5)Information from the survey was emailed to governors to prior to the submission of the capital bid to replace the mobile. The full report was reviewed at the Risk and Premises meeting on 21st January 2015 agenda item 5.
5.8 Safeguarding Training Dates (12.2.1)Training is up to date.
5.9 Leaflet (12.3.4) Eastrop and Warneford head teachers to be approached about a joint promotional leaflet
5.10 Governor Training Skills and Visits (13) Following his resignation Ken Hooper passed the training and skills data to MLM. It will be reviewed at the March meeting along with the format for governor visits. / NDA to complete
Review March meeting (MP)
Closed
Review at March meeting (MP)
On-going
Closed
Closed
Closed
Heads to be contacted (NDA)
Review at March meeting (MP/MLM)
6. Chair’s Reportincluding SDP the Future, Governor Skills, Training and Visits, Any Other Urgent Business, (KH Resignation), Governors Action Plan 2015-16, Policies.
A written report had been distributed prior to the meeting
6.1 MLM thanked Ken Hooper for his time on the governing body and his contribution to the Finance Committee.
6.2 MP would like the governors’ permission to contact SGOSS, Governors for Schools with a view to filling the current vacancies. SE reminded governors Swindon Governor Support also has names of people willing to be community governors. At present there are only three parent governors which is the minimum permittedin accordance with the Articles of Association. The governing body usually has five parent governors. The two vacancies are to be advertised once the structure of the governing body and the skills set required has been defined.
6.3 MP has asked MLM to review the school policies.
6.4 MP is arranging a meeting in March for non-staff governors to review the School Development Plan; create an action plan for 2015-16 and re-evaluate governor skills and training. The date is to be confirmed.
6.5 MLM has completed a strategic risk register for the school and recommended setting up small working group to review it.
6.6 MLM has completed an analysis of the Review of Governance Self Evaluation Summary Sheet and identified twenty four points to action from the written report. He will discuss his findings with NDA prior to review by the governors at the March meeting.
6.7 NDA would like the governing body working party meetings to coincide with the Senior Leadership Team Meetings. / Discuss at the March meeting (MLM/MP)
Policies to be reviewed (MLM)
March meeting date to be confirmed (MLM/SE)
Working party to review strategic risk register (MLM)
Review at March meeting (MLM)
Meeting dates to be advised (NDA)
7. Head’s Report
A written report had been distributed prior to the meeting
7.1 GM agreed to attend the meeting with the School Improvement Partner on Monday 2nd Feb to look at the 2014 SATs data.
7.2Pupil progress meetings are taking place on 9th and 11th February. GM agreed to attend Year 4 reviews on 9/2/15 am, and SM Year 5 on 11/2/15 pm. MC will be invited to attend the Year 6 reviews on 25/2/15. The evaluation of Year 5 data will be particularly important because they are the first group studying the new curriculum and will sit the new SATs papers. The standard has gone up considerably and there is an assumption the children have a significant level of prior knowledge. EAL children will be disadvantaged by the changes. The key will be to report the information to the parents using the correct vocabulary.
7.3 NDA asked for volunteers to attend the parents’ evenings in February.
7.4The school has been asked to participate in the national campaign for Comic Relief and the BBC is filming at the school on Thursday 5th February. Governors were invited to attend. / MC to be invited to attend (SE)
Dates to be advised (SE)
8. Committee Reports
8.1Curriculum and Staffing, A copy of the minutes of the committee meeting on 15th January 2015 and a report from the chair had been distributed prior to the meeting
8.2 Any governors that have not completed the Hayes online safeguarding training will be provided with login details.
8.3 Eastrop recently lost an admissions appeal and consequently they have 61 children in Year 2. The school is therefore anticipating receiving more applications than spaces. If the school adheres to the published admission number (PAN) this will result in an Eastrop child being refused a place. This situation has never occurred before but admitting pupils over the PAN will make it difficult to win future admission appeals and as a consequence class sizes could increase to 32-33. The governors will have to make a decision on the course of action when the list of applications is received from SBC in March/April. MLM pointed out the outcome carries a reputational risk for the school.
8.4 At Eastrop the number on roll has fallen and currently there are 52 children in Year 1 and 51 in Reception. This will have serious consequences on funding and the aim will be to retain eight classes at Southfield.
8.5Finance A copy of the minutes of the committee meeting on 19th January had been distributed to governors prior to the meeting.
8.6The Committee reviewed balance sheet, cash flow and month end report to 31/12/14. Any variances were within acceptable limits.
8.7 The Review of Governance suggested there is a conflict of interested with SE clerking the finance meetings. The committeeconsidered the risk and agreed it was an acceptable risk.
8.8KW & MLM to re-attended Governor Support finance training.
8.9 Risk & Premises Meeting A copy of the minutes of the committee meeting on 21st January2015 and the Premises Audit from 12th November 2014had been distributed prior to the meeting. There were no further questions in relation to the minutes/audit. / Login details to be sent (NDA)
Agenda item FGB March 15. (SE)
Finance Training to be attended (MLM/KW)
9. Correspondence
9.1 This was minuted as a confidential item. Separate minutes are available.
10. Any other business
10.1 SM was appointed LC’s mentor.
10.2 The governors were asked if they would like the school to obtain quotes from alternative accountancy firms prior to the AGM in March when the auditors will be formally appointed. The governors expressed their satisfaction with the support received from Bishop Fleming and agreed to review after five years in 2016.
10.3 LC asked if it is possibleto claim back child care expenses incurred to attend meetings. This would only be on rare occasions. At present there is no provision to pay governor expenses but this can be investigated. / Investigate setting up expenses claims for governor. (SE)
11. Dates of full governing body meetings
11.1 The 2015-16 dates were reviewed and future meetings of the Full Governing Body will take place at 7.30 on:
–Wednesday 25th March 2015 and AGM
–Wednesday 15th July 2015
–Wednesday 30th September 2015
–Wednesday 25th November 2015
–Wednesday 27th January 2016 and AGM
–Wednesday 4th May 2016
–Wednesday 13th July 2016
The meeting closed at 9.30 p.m.
Signed ……………………………………………….. (Chair) Date ……………………………………
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