MINUTES OF THE GOVERNING BODY MEETING

TUESDAY 2 FEBRUARY 2016

PRESENT:

Tim Warner, Chair of GovernorsCarolyn Roberts, Headteacher

Asma AhmadShaun Brown

Kerry GibsonAshley Tomlin

Jim GillmanIN ATTENDANCE:

Bob JanesSusan Bolton

Mark TurnerSheila Maskell, School Business Manager

Emma WarrenVal Churchill, Clerk

Item / Agenda Item / Action
APOLOGIES FOR ABSENCE
Received and accepted from:
Cath Farrant
DISCLOSURES OF PECUNIARY AND NONPECUNIARY INTEREST
One governor is a director of a multi academy trust
CONSTITUTION
Governors welcomed two new parent governors: Asma Ahmad and Mark Turner. There were still vacancies for co-opted governors and the Headteacher mentioned that she had recently met with Natasha Meaney, Head of Compliance at Barclays Bank who was interested in volunteering and encouraging young women to aim high.
In conjunction with the pursuit of an Arts Mark Platinum Award, contact had been made with the Tate, Wellcome Trust, Barbican and the Design Centre seeking an arts professional – three responses had been received so far.
Governors believed that it would be useful to have conversations with potential candidates prior to any formal arrangement so that they fully appreciated the levels of commitment that would be required. They agreed that additional governors would spread the load especially with the subcommittees.
MINUTES
Appendix 0.4- Governing Body Minutes 8 December 2015
There were typographical errors to be corrected before these could be signed off; content wasagreed
MATTERS ARISING
None.
HEADTEACHER’S REPORT
Appendix 0.6 – Headteacher’s Report February 2016
Appendix 0.61 – Does It Make Sense?
Appendix 0.62 – Child Safety Online
Appendix 0.63 – Notes from the Parents Forum 11 January 2016
Appendix 0.64 – letter from Councillor Miranda Williams
Appendix 0.65 – ASCL Guidance Mathematics Teaching for Mastery
Appendix 0.66 – Edge Foundation Response to the DfE Consultation on the English Baccalaureate
The report and additional documents were taken as read.
Governors asked:
About the Ebacc consultation. This had now closed and the outcome was awaited. For the current Year 8 there was unlikely to be little alteration to their curriculum; almost all of them would have to take a language plus history or geography.
Is Tallis following Ebacc? For the purposes of Progress 8 careful consideration had been given to placing subjects within the ‘buckets’ and 90% of all students would be working towards P8. We have not made Ebacc compulsory, but have tried to increase taken up of Hi, Gg and languages.
Would the school wait for the results of the national consultation? Yes, governors would have seen the letter from the local RGB councillor which appeared to suggest that change should be managed positively.
The Chair of Governors and Headteacher had attended a meeting about the numbers of pupils on roll. The LA were reducing the banding system to three bands with a 40:40:20% split.
Why have RGB decided to retain the system when other boroughs have dropped banding? It sits well with the new national curriculum.
Without banding would intake be based on distance alone? Yes, so the LA had taken a pragmatic stance to retain banding and keep intake balanced.
Additional bulge classes had also been discussed at the meeting and it was unlikely that the school would be asked to take an additional class in 2016 or 2017 with expansions elsewhere in the borough.
Governors were pleased to note that funding had been made available for the additional science labs and one DT room would be converted into a food technology room.
There would be no further meetings for the Chair and Headteacher with the Director of Education before the results were published in August.
REPORTS
Pastoral Committee
Appendix 0.71 – Pastoral Minutes 12 January 2016
The 6th Form Behaviour Principles set out procedures and guidelines for students causing concern. This could be as a result of failing to attend; poor behaviour or a level of willingness to work that was below the school’s expectations.
A flowchart with five levels for each of the three strands set out the actions and consequences. It was thought unlikely students leaving Tallis as a result of the above would be able to gain access to another Level 3 course elsewhere at this point in the year.
There had been a recent High Court ruling that it was not illegal to take a child on holiday during school time however, there were no plans to alter the school’s attendance policy.
Learning and Achievement Committee
Appendix 0.72 – Learning and Achievement Minutes 19 January 2016
Four heads of Department of presented information about their subjects. Governors had been concerned that some of the GCSE/AS/A2 examinations had not yet, or only very recently, received final approval so teaching had been based on draft specifications.. Governors had been introduced to the micro and macro levels of a mastery curriculum.
Progress 8 becomes the key measure although the 5A*– C including English and maths would still be recorded. The DHT (curriculum) commented that subject results for entry to the sixth form would remain important.
Governors had learned that there was an enormous amount of work happening in maths and whilst the Pupil Premium gap continued so too did the range of interventions for these students. The relevant measure wastheir scores on arrival in Year 7 and what it was at the end of Year 11.
A Governor asked whether the gaps on entry were known. Some data was available from FFT (Fischer Family Trust) though this would not be the case for younger students. Governors were reminded that there were also high ability Pupil Premium students who also needed to be monitored.
The committee had learned about teaching quality and how the school ranked itself against 10-15 measures; only two were of concern. Departments were now responsible for judging teaching quality and triangulated evidence from learning walks, books scrutinies and pupil feedback.
Resources Committee
Appendix 0.73 - Resources Minutes 26 January 2016
The financial situation was better than predicted though the school still needed to take action. The Financial Procedures Policy had been updated using the RGB model.
Greenwich Leisure had not been pleased about the lack of access to the school building before 6 PM. Governors remained concerned about safeguarding and site security for the students and staff during the 4-6 PM slot. The Chair added that originally the early timeslot had been for younger children but Greenwich Leisure had taken advantage by adding all sorts of classes during that time resulting in more people wandering the building. The SBM added that RGB had now signed off all payments for improved security measures for the building. The car parking issues remained unresolved. Work would not commence before half term.
PROGRESS 8 UPDATE
Appendix 0.8 – Progress/Attainment 8 Summary for Governors
Progress 8 would be the main measure in August 2016. Last year the final score had been 0.7. P8 offered broader progress measures than 5A*-C GCSEs and counted the scores across eight subjects including a double count for maths and English (if Literature had been taken). Therefore, improvements in maths added double value. The vast majority of students were taking double science; those taking separate sciences, plus maths and English had almost ‘full buckets’.
There may be one set of students who would not fill all their’ buckets’; in terms of Ebacc an empty ‘third bucket’ would automatically get zero so the school took the decision students would follow either a language or one of the humanities.
Governors asked:
Whether students would leave saying they had achieved Progress 8. This was thought unlikely.
Would students get grades? No, there will be a numbered system. 4=GCSE grade C for next year only. Level 5 the equivalent to GCSE B3/C1 would be the new benchmark and based on last year’s results135,000 students nationally would not have achieved this standard. The highest grades will be based on an in-year calculation of achievement; this would make predictions more problematic.
Attainment 8 would be calculated against progress made since KS2 to provide a Progress 8 score which could then be averaged across the school to give a decimalised outcome. -0.5 is the floor standard so -0.25 to -0.5 would be Sig- and anything above 0.2 was likely to result in the school being Sig+
Data dashboard and unvalidated Raise online were inaccurate and needed to take account of the ICT remarks.
Governor asked:
Whether this would affect target predictions. The school was committed to improving maths so that it was better aligned to achievement in English. Analysis of student buckets had identified thosewith one-subject-only buckets; subject leaders had been alerted to monitor progress carefully. Following the mocks, the bucket list would be updated and a range of strategies including timetable reductions would be considered.
The best possible P8 score was needed now that GCSE was no longer the measure.
What about the PP gap, is it the same gap as GCSE? No the gap may look to be less but until the grade boundaries were known this could not be calculated. Students’ needs should be addressed as soon as they arrive in Year 7 by developing the missing skills rather than waiting until the examination years to provide interventions.
EFFECTIVE GOVERNANCE
Two governors had visited Year 7 lower ability groups and were pleased to find students concentrating on their learning. A science GCSE group were developing depth of knowledge. Governors were confident that the needs of the students were being addressed.
Governors decided that it would be useful to hold another Governor training morning where current issues could be debated and this would be arranged in the next few weeks.
DATES OF NEXT MEETING
22 March 2015

The meeting closed at8.00pm.

Signed:…………………………………………….Date:………………………………………

Appendix 1

Thomas Tallis School

Governing Body Delegation 2015 – 16

(October 2015)

Chair of Governors: Tim Warner

Vice Chair of Governors: Cath Farrant

Pastoral Committee / Learning & Achievement Committee / Resources Committee
Jim Gillman, Chair
Cath Farrant
Carolyn Roberts
Tim Warner / Emma Warren, Chair
Ruth Dollner
Cath Farrant
Kerry Gibson
Carolyn Roberts
Tim Warner / Bob Janes, Chair
Cath Farrant
Jim Gillman
Carolyn Roberts
Tim Warner

Headteacher’s review team: EW, JG, BJ

Appeals Officer: TW

Disciplinary Panel: ad hoc

Pay Committee: JG, BJ, vacancy

Appeals Committee: EW, TW, CF

Page 1 of 5Sig ………