SPELTHORNE SCHOOLS TOGETHER

Enhancing Achievement for our Children and Young People

SST CONFEDERATION MEETING

Friday 4 October 2013 at 8-11.15am at

The Thames Club, Wheatsheaf Lane, Staines, TW18 2PD

SST Members and Partners

Alexandra Williams* (AW) / Spelthorne Schools Together
Ceri Bacon / St Paul’s Catholic College
Colin Franklyn* / Stanwell Fields Primary School
Kay Scott* / Kenyngton Manor Primary School
Caroline Dyer / Ashford C E Primary School
Caroline Marden* / Area Schools Officer
Ceri Bacon / St. Paul’s Catholic College
Darren Harrison* / Spelthorne School
Denise Fleckney* / The Matthew Arnold School
Fiona Neal* / Manor Mead School
Gail Murphy* / Spelthorne Schools Together
Janise Marillat* / Thomas Knyvett College
Alasdair Nicol / Matthew Arnold School
Jane Sweeney* / Town Farm Primary School
Karima Mould* / Buckland Primary School
Rachel Barton / Littleton CE Infant School HT from Sept 12
Maggie Roberton * / Knowle Park Infant School
Mary Ellen McCarthy (MEM)* / The Lumen Learning Trust
Bonnie Davies* / Saxon Primary School
Myra Neves (MN) / St Ignatius RC Primary School
Louise Duncan / Springfield Primary School
Peter Rodin* / Thamesmead School
Sarah Tarrant* / Ashford Park Primary School
Neil Meehan* / Laleham CE Primary School
Sue Jackson (SJ)* / Chennestone Primary School/Beauclerc Infant School
Liz Felsing* / St. Nicholas C of E Primary School
William Neale / Clarendon Primary School
Joe Davies* / Hawkedale Infant School
Toby Miller* / Bishop Wand CE School
Ursula Beirne / St Michael’s RC Primary School
John Lane* / St. Michael’s RC Primary School
Sarah Vernon* / Echelford Primary School
Liz Borthwick / Spelthorne Borough Council
Jill Routledge* / Clarendon Primary School
Clare Quinn * / St. Ignatius RC Primary School
Debra Myers / Surrey School Improvement
Jonathan Roddick / Primary Director of The Howard Partnership
Karen Bos* / Town Farm Primary School

Speakers:

Carmel Barros, Volunteer Strategy Manager, British Airways

Wendy Rochester, Recruitment and Training Executive, Beanstalk

Joanne Jones, Community Development Officer, Spelthorne Borough Council

Suzanne Stafford, Primary Mental Health Worker, CAMHS

Bob Searle, Court Presentation Officer, Surrey Education Welfare Courts Office

MINUTES
1 / Apologies for absence
Toby Miller, Bishop Wand CofE Secondary School
Ceri Bacon, St. Paul’s Catholic College
William Neale, Clarendon Primary School (but Jill Routledge represents Clarendon)
Caroline Dyer, Ashford C of E Primary School
Liz Borthwick, Spelthorne Borough Council
Myra Neves, St. Ignatius RC Primary School (but Clare Quinn represents St. Ignatius)
2 / Minutes of the Confederation Meeting of 11 July 2013
Approved
3 / Matters Arising
No matters arising that are not covered under the agenda.
4 / SST Finance and Administration
GM took the group through the FMR
5 / Spelthorne Borough Council
Joanne Jones updated the group: Surrey Supporting Families programme is going well, with 70 families on their books.
Spelthorne Borough Council is investigating setting up a multi-faith forum.
MEM asked about Spelthorne councillors and how best to support the to understand the issues faced by Headteachers currently. She is attending a meeting with councillors at the end of the month. Schools links with local councillors can be looked at by the confederation after this meeting.*
*Please note that subsequently, Cllr Richard Walsh has been invited to the 14 January Management & Projects Team Meeting to progress the issue of councillors having better links (and therefore understanding) with their local schools.
Carmel Barros spoke to the group about the British Airways Volunteering Strategy. She outlined their current projects with young people and the local community. She told the group that British Airways are very happy to go into schools to work in particular projects for example if re-decorating is required, landscaping the grounds etc. usually, BA provide the volunteers and the school or organisation provides the materials either through budgets or from fundraising.
Carmel also told the group that their volunteers can come in to schools to give talks to pupils to support career aspirations.
AW to distribute Carmel’s contact details to schools so that they can contact her directly.
Carmel Barros, Volunteer Strategy Manager, British Airways
Email: mobile: 07789 613 649 / AW
6 / CAMHS Update
Suzanne Stafford, Primary Mental Health Worker from CAMHS updated the group:
SS reminded the group about TaMHS training. They have training on Mental Health Awareness and Attachment. SS urged schools to take advantage of what TaMHS (Targeted Mental Health in Schools) has to offer.
SS reminded schools that she is always happy to come in to schools when needed.
SS reminded schools that the CAMHS Advice Line is still in use currently and can be used by schools for consultation about cases. Primary Mental Health Consultation Number is 01784 884817.
She told schools that CAMHS is going through some changes, and a new referral pathway will be in place in the near future. The new CAMHS will involve a ‘single point of entry’. Information will be distributed about this when it has been launched.
7 / Secondary Schools update
AW updated the group:
The SST has taken over co-ordination of the 11-19 Learning Network meetings.
The budgets are kept separate from the SST – they are hosted by The Matthew Arnold School.
GM has formulated a 2 year plan to encompass the two main projects the secondary schools require (East to West workers in school and Innervate Careers Ltd giving careers support to students).
The SST will review their part in the 11-19 Learning Network in February 2014.
8 / Fix Penalty Notices for Absences – a Confederation Agreement?
Bob Searle, Court Presentation Officer for Surrey’s Education Welfare Courts Office addressed the group.
Bob said that the notices had been served around the county, with more being served in West Surrey than East. 40 were issued in the first year of the notices; 900 were issued in Surrey last year. One Confederation (Ash Confederation) had taken a hard line, and issued notices for every instance.
Bob confirmed that it is the school’s decision as to what they consider ‘Exceptional Circumstances’.
‘Exceptional Circumstances’ experienced so far were:
·  Time together with family for service personnel
·  Time together with family where there has been a traumatic event.
·  When an employer says that the employee may not take time off other than in term time. (School may wish to request evidence of this).
·  London 2012, for families with servicing police officers were considered, since the police were unable to take any time off over the summer of 2012.
Below 5 days of absence cannot be issued with a fixed penalty HOWEVER the 5 days could be CUMULATIVE over the year – if days are taken off without explanation here and there.
Bob told schools to be very clear with parents so that if they do need to issue penalties, there is no surprise. He recommended reminding parents on a regular basis about the schools policy (which should be very clear).
The group discussed whether as a confederation we could come to an agreement on a collective policy. No conclusion was reached at this time.
MEM asked what the impact has been where the penalties are used regularly. Bob said that in NW surrey they have been used regularly over a number of schools and it does show an improvement in attendance.
9 / SST Projects and Activities Update
Karen Bos (KB) outlined the activities of the Deputies Network. The hope to set up a ‘Skills Bank’ to support CPD from within the confederation. KB asked headteachers to list on post-it notes skills they think their school staff could share.
AW reminded the group that they should all have received information about:
·  A Second Round in the Raising Standards in Children’s Writing project
·  Maths & Literacy Outreach ‘Testers’.
·  Anti-Cyber Bullying Spring 2014
·  Beanstalk Reading Volunteers
She asked all present to ensure they read and considered the SST offers, and returned bookings in time for deadlines.
AW said that we will be inviting the primary School Overview Partners to the Headteachers’ Residential, following a discussion at the Management & Projects Team meeting.
10 / Spelthorne Family Forum – now a cross[phase local resource
AW reminded the group about this forum:
22 October at 2pm at Riverbridge Primary School would be the next forum, which would look at primary cases only as we shape this newly organised forum.
The meeting on 3 December (deadline 27 November) will include secondary cases if received.
11 / Beanstalk Reading Volunteer Programme
Wendy Rochester, Recruitment & Training Executive, Beanstalk gave a presentation to the group about their work in schools.
AW encouraged schools to consider signing up to the SST subsidised project if they have not already. This project is currently only available to primary schools as the charity only works in primary currently.
12 / CPD Update
GM updated the group on the CPD activities so far provided by the SST which are particularly numerous this term.
GM asked the group if Zippy training was required. Clarendon & Hawkedale said it was. They said the training could be condensed into 1 session however.
GM told the group that an online fundraising resource Grants4Schools has been arranged and paid for by the SST for the use of those schools who attended the fundraising course.
13 / Primary Liaison Time
MEM fed back from Primary Council regarding data about FSM pupils and attainment in Spelthorne. MEM suggested that as a confederation we could share ideas about what schools are doing to support FSM pupils to reach their learning potentials. This is again a big issue in Surrey, since the gap is widening once more.
The group suggested the SST find someone to speak at a Confederation Meeting about closing the gap. The suggested Chris Burn (Byrne?). MEM to make the contact and invite Chris to a Confederation Meeting. / MEM
14 / Date of Next Confederation Meeting: Wednesday 29 January, 8am to 11.15am, The Thames Club

Signed: Date: