DownsJuniorSchool

FGB

DATE OF MEETING:Tues 16 Sept 14 / CHAIR OF FGB: Karen Preston
MINUTES RECORDED BY: Giulie Ankers (GA) / DATE OF NEXT MEETING: Wed 15 Oct 2014

PRESENT: Karen Preston, (KP) (Chair);Lauren Clowes, (LC); Giovanni Franceschi, (GF); Emma Hearn, (EH); Jan Mathew, (JM); Rachel Cooper, (RC); Rosie Reekie, (RR) (Vice Chair); and Malcolm Dawes(MD); Emma Green, (EG); Amy Hett, (AH); Claire Noakes (CN); and Rachel Attwell, (RA);

Quorum required:7

The meeting started at 6.30pm

Apologies:
Apologies received and accepted from Caroline Taylor, (CT); RA will be arriving during the meeting.
Welcome and Election of Chair and Vice Chair
Two nominations were received:
KP as Chair.
RR as Vice Chair.
Both nominees left the room.
Governors unanimously elected KP as Chair and RR as Vice Chair.
KP and RR were invited back into the meeting.
Discussion of Committee Structure and Appointments of Committee Members and Committee Chairs
KP thanked governors for support, welcoming governors to the meeting. KP explained to governors that this year was going to a busy year and a year of change as all governing bodies had to reconstitute by September 2015. Over the summer holidays governors had been looking at restructuring committees and governors continued this discussion.
Examples looked at examples of Governing Bodies:
1/ No committees with governors meeting as a Full Governing Body at least twice a term and using working parties to take on specific tasks.
2/ Full Governing Body meeting once a term with 2 committees streamlined structures
3/ Full Governing Body meeting once a term with a number of small committees
The current structure has four committees - Curriculum, Staffing, Building and Finance. The governing body is made up of 17 governors with 4 vacancies (2 Parent Governors and 2 Authority Governors)
Governors discussed decreasing the number of committees with either individual and/or small working parties leading on specific areas. By reducing the number of committees meeting there would be a better mix of different types of governors present.
Governors discussed how the committees would be made up if the number of committees were reduced to 3. Governors agreed that it was important to review the makeup of the committees each year as priorities for the governors and the school changed each year.
Governors agreed on considering 3 Committees:
Resources: Staffing, Finance, Buildings, Pay Review, Pay Policy, ICT, CPD, Health and Safety Policy, Lettings Policy - Committee Members - KP, CT, RR, RC (possibly), MD, GF, CT
Curriculum and Standards and Closing the Gap: Equalities as a subcommittee, SEN, Inclusion, Teaching and Learning - training / support for staff, PPG, Achievements (Assessments) - Raise Online, SIPD. Committee Members - RA, AH, EH, JM, CN, LC, JF, KP
Children, Families and Community: Attendance, Safeguarding, Behaviour, Community Partnership, Sex Education, Anti Bullying, E-Safety, Peer Tutoring, After School Clubs. Committee Members - EG, RC, CN (possibly) GF, JM.
Governors will consider what areas best ‘fitted’ in each committee, KP will draft for consideration and governors will agree the committee restructure at the next FGB meeting. Governors would meet as a FGB again this half term as committees had not been formed.
Chairs will be appointed at the first committee meetings.
Link Governors/ Governors with responsibilities
Inclusion Link Governor - JM
Safeguarding/ Child Protection– JM/RC
Training - KP
PPG – RA/JM
FODJ - EG
Year Group Links
Year 3: EG, CN
Year 4: MD
Year 5: JM, RR
Year 6: EG, AH, RC
Performance Management: RA/KP and RR
Opportunity to declare business interests
Pecuniary Forms to be signed.
LC declared business interests. Pecuniary forms were circulated and signed.
Committees’ Terms of Reference to be ratified at first committee meeting / Comm
Minutes of last meeting12 June 2014 and Matters Arising
The minutes of the meetings held on 12 June 2014 were agreed.
Chair’s Business
There was no Chair’s Business.
Head Teacher’s Update
GF highlighted - there are 508 children on roll. SLT are completing the SIDP. There has been a good start to the year with consideration of the possible recruitment of an additional teacher to work with larger groups and the recruitment of an additional INA. There are currently 4 vacancies for MDSs.
Progress and Attainment
The school's end of year assessment was sent through with a summary. Generally the results are positive. 100% of FSM children achieved Level 4 in reading, writing and maths in SATs.
Governors asked how the results compared to last year?GF said that results could be said to be the best results the school has had in terms of closing the gap and all pupils achieving at least Level 4. However other schools have higher numbers of Level 5 readers - although these schools have a large PPG. DJS's priority this year was maths and the school has improved from 88% to 95% of children showing 2 levels of progress.
Governors asked about PPG money? Other schools get substantially more due to the number of FSM children; these schools are better placed to close the gap.
Governors asked why children are entered for Level 6 Maths and not English? EM said that the level of emotional maturity expected for Level 6 was at a level expected of GCSE readers. There have been Level 6 readers in previous years. The decision was taken not to put any Year 6 through for Level 6 English. Governors are aware that Level 4 is secondary ready. There can be an amount of stress put on children when putting them forward for Level 6.
There were no exclusions last year and the children have returned to school demonstrating good behaviour.
GF is looking at the Behaviour Policy with SLT.
Attendance was very good at 97.1%.
During the summer break, internal work included the creation of an additional teaching space for larger group work, and additional work space for computers in the Computer Room.
After School Clubs (EG)
This item was brought forward as EG would be leaving earlier.
EG has been looking at After School Clubs with regard to value for money. James from SkiL is keen to meet with Governors to talk to them about the provision of After School Clubs.
Class Of Their Own (COTO) is the regular after school care provider. A committee will be directed to look at this provision.
FODJ is looking for new members for the new year. FODJ funded, together with the school, coaches and tickets to enable all students to go to Kingston and watch Albatross free.
DJS Child Protection and Safeguarding Policy
Governors agreed the Downs Junior Child Protection and Safeguarding Policy, with amendments on pages 2 and 8, page 9, and references to CRB to be amended to DBS. EH has carried out a Safeguarding Audit and Safeguarding will be part of every FGB agenda and be part of Head Teacher's update.
RA arrived at 8.12.
ICT
JM asked that another governor take up the lead on ICT, a governor with ICT skills. Possibly one of the new Parent Governors might have ICT skills. EH thanked JM for all her work on ICT and her supportive role on moving the process on.
Closing the Gap
EH said that the school performed well in Closing the Gap last year. This year’s funding will be used for Maths in Year 6, funding additional support in Year 3, funding 1 to 1 tuition, there is an initiative for peer tutoring training, and the school will be working collaboratively with the Infant's.
EG left at 8.20.
Black and Minority Ethnic Children
JM attended a conference from which it was discussed that BME staff doesn’t have the same outcomes in teaching and this is something as a school we should be considering.
The governors should consider different vehicles for recruitment, and ensure that advertising demonstrates that we are an equal opportunities employer welcoming BME applicants.
The Resources Committee will review adverts.
Governors agreed that staffing did not reflect the school's population.
Governors asked about attainment for all groups, BME included. / GF
Dates of Meetings for 2014/15 and AOB
HTPM is scheduled for Wednesday 22 October with RR and RA.
Governors discussed how they could improve communication with parents and vice versa. This will be an agenda item for the first committee meeting of Children, Family and Community.
Next FGB dates Wednesday 15 October 6.30pm andTuesday 13 January 6.30pm
GF asked that if governors wanted to see any particular information to let him know.
KP asked for a one page summary of information that would be useful for all governors especially new governors e.g. results, priorities, and statistics.
The meeting finished at 9.00pm.
Items carried over to next FGB
Set objectives for the governing body for 2014/15
Governors’ Self Evaluation
Governors’ Training and Training needs Analysis.
Review of Governors’ School Priorities for the previous year. / Agenda for CFC
GF

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To be Ratified at FGB on Wednesday 15 October 2014