Subject: / Minutes Taken By:
General Parent Council Meeting No.0550 / Margaret McCartney
Date: / Date Issued:
05/12/16 7:00pm – 9:00pm / 12 January 2017
Venue: / File Ref:
Gleniffer High School / GHS/PC/12/16
Present
Lesley Binning
Margaret McCartney
Lesley Gibson
Sandra O’Hare
Iain McKenzie
George Walker
John Phillips
Georgina Kent
Heather Prentice
Nicola Crawford
Jane Wilson
Georgia Porter
Dean Whitehorn
Apologies
David Nicholls
Brian Sweenie
Carolann Davidson
Caroline Young
Kevin Jose
Stuart Sinclair
Lorraine Carslaw
Craig Buttar
Lorraine Brodie
Alastair McGhee
Fiona Fairbrother
Councillor McCartin
Councillor Henry / LBi
MMcC
LG
SOH
IMcK
GW
JP
GK
HP
NC
JW
GP
DW
DN
BS
CD
CY
KJ
SSi
LC
CB
LB
AMcG
FF
EMcC
JH / Chairperson/Parent Member
Secretary/Parent Member
Parent Member
Parent Member
Parent Member
Parent Member
Parent Member
Parent Member
Depute Head Teacher
Teacher
Teacher
Head Girl
Head Boy
Head Teacher
Vice-Chair/Parent Member
Parent Member
Parent Member
Parent Member
Parent Member
Parent Member
Parent Member
Parent Member
Parent Member
Parent Member
Local Councillor
Local Councillor
Distribution List
All of the above plus: -
Peter Macleod / Director of Childrens’ Services
Mark McMillan
Marie McGurk
Lorraine Cameron
Eddie Devine
Paul Mack
Roy Glen / Councillor, Renfrewshire Council
Councillor, Renfrewshire Council
Councillor, Renfrewshire Council
Councillor, Renfrewshire Council
Councillor, Renfrewshire Council
Councillor, Renfrewshire Council
Moira Monaghan
Joan Dean
Graeme MacLean
Aileen McNair
Marie-Claire Temple / Head Teacher, Bushes Primary School
Head Teacher, Heriot Primary School
Head Teacher, Langcraigs Primary School
Head Teacher, Lochfield Primary School
Head Teacher, Brediland Primary School
1. Welcome and Introductions
LBi welcomed the group to the meeting.
2. Apologies
Apologies were received and noted as above.
3. Comments / Approval of previous Minutes
- Minutes Approved by – Lesley Binning
- Minutes Seconded by – George Walker
- Bins – LBi reported that DN felt this issue should now be retired as all that could be done regarding bins had been done. LB, DN, GP and DW met with Daniel O’Donnell regarding this and discussed progress or lack thereof. Three existing bins have been placed in new positions but DW reported that one of these is in the wrong place. Future complaints re bins/litter should be made to the Local Authority.
- Empowering Teachers, Parents and Communities to achieve Excellence and Equality - had pre-meeting re this. MMcC will prepare a response and send out for perusal. DN/LB/JW attended meeting in Glasgow re this too (Sam Marshallsay attended evening meeting). Meetings seemed to be mixed in terms of content and quality. SPTC have prepared a SURVEY MONKEY questionnaire – this is multi-choice PC will put out to parents.
- School Buses – problem with buses M & C Coaches – There have been 9 complaints to SPT regarding buses. Buses have been late getting to school and late from school, no guards on buses, bullying and unruly behaviour, harassment etc. Recently a bus drove past pupils and left them at the bus stop. LB to prepare a letter to SPT and LA outlining our concerns. (Also to coach company)
- S3 parents' evening. The final total was 81% which was up 10% from last year and up 2% from our best ever back in session 2012 - 2013.
- Dan McDougall came to speak to S5/6 pupils in November. Dan has worked all over the world investigating human rights stories. He was named foreign reporter of the year in 2009. He has worked for the Guardian, Observer and The Times and most recently for the BBC Panorama programme.
- 11/11/16 Remembrance services took place for all year groups
- The S4 report cards were issued on Thursday 17/11/16, P5.
- Our PTA held their annual Winter Fayre fund raising event on Saturday 26/11/16 in the Social Area.
- S1 Parents Evening took place on the 29/11/16. The attendance figure was 76% which is very disappointing and is ranked 10th in the last 13 years.
- Alison Brooks, our office Team Leader Allison Brooks has succeed Jane Elliot in the role of Business Support Manager.
- Substantive post of Depute Head Teacher; after four very competitive interviews I am delighted to inform you that the post was offered to Mrs McMunn.
- We held our second Energiser Stem Day Sponsored by the Smallpiece Trust. Organised by Miss Campbell, 142 S2 pupils enjoyed a day of engineering challenges led by STEM ambassadors including two former pupils Amanda Brotherstone and Holly Goodwin, both of whom are engineers working with national energy companies.
- Malawi Pub Quiz – Friday 25/11/16
- UK Standard Customer Service Excellence evaluation took place which we came through with flying colours and full compliance in all categories.This national award is open to all service providers in the UK with some notable names such as the Department of Work and Pensions, numerous Scottish and English Councils, Greater London Olympic Park, Lake District National Parks, Oxford University and many more.
- First curriculum reviews of the session where Principal Teachers met with senior managers to evaluate their progress against their aspirational targets set after our inspection back in 2011. We also took time to review the progress in assessments across the Broad General Education (BGE) following the Chief Inspector of Schools in Scotland’s guidance that Developing, Consolidating and Secure should not be used in BGE reports to parents
- Children in Need - £3,390 was raised which beat the target of £3,000. Great day – atmosphere in social area was really good. Poured water on DN/HP so the pupils feel lucky to have such supportive staff.
- Remembrance service was held in Paisley and HB/HG and HT from each school attended.
- Christmas dance nearly all organised – food now chippy/pizzas etc just ceilidh band to finalise.
- HB/HG forum at Gryffe. Most schools gave a presentation - Gleniffer presented on Malawi. There was information about how other schools conduct interviews where pupils are involved in the process eg focus groups of pupils at interviews asking things like “What’s your favourite book?” etc… Hope to have next meeting at Gleniffer in January. Lots of good info given – LGBT info was also good. It was interesting to meet the other badge holders. The gist of the meeting was showing the strengths of school to start with and subsequent meetings might be more discussion based.
- Bins – reinforcing earlier discussion
- Next week services and gladiator games.
- Update from Mrs Heather Prentice – YPI on 29 November – fantastic winning team.
- Germany trip all tweeted to say all safe in YH. DN keeps sending pictures.
- Nat 5 prelims going well. TT has to be tight so some pupils might have 3 in one day. SQA only 2 in one day.
- Christmas activities next week – S1/S2 dance, Carol Concert, Panto, Senior Dance. Friday – G Factor – Cash for Kids. Mon – Tues Christmas Karaoke 2.30 end.
- Staffing - Sad news M Walker’s mother died (6-8 weeks ill) – PC will send a card
- Outline of options from HP – S4 into S5 in January – prelims will inform these options. 5 January assembly. From 23 January interviews by pastoral support staff. S4 Parents’ Night in February. Work Experience week in middle of this. Close 15 February. Then S5 into S6 - 3 February assembly – same option form. 6 February interviews start and close 27 February. It is possible to roughly check numbers for S5/6 and these are finalised in August. Then S3. On 16 February – Planning for Choices and Changes – there will be stands with information. Each department shows information about subjects so pupils can make informed choices. Team building (Industrial Awareness Day) Assembly 17 February. Then S2 who will make Choices in PSE Class. S3 into S4 will choose 7 subjects from the 8 they had in S3. Pupils will experience some National course work in S3. Most courses match into Level 4 outcomes as part of BGE. On 22 February there will be an S2 assembly – booklets etc will be issued at this point. Pupils have to have a broad curriculum. From 27 February there will be one to one interviews.
- On completion of the interviews, Pastoral Staff will put the information into SEEMIS. Cross-setting is then done by HP. Hope to get re-negotiation done quickly if classes not running. Double ML problem. Double SS in senior school not running due to uptake.
- When this is complete it is then possible to see what can and cannot run. HP explained how this is managed when pupils have to be told a subject is not available. There is a LA policy on how this is done. If no one volunteers then names out of a hat. Never had to do that. LB pointed out that staff are very good at supporting pupils to get options.
- Consortium time – WCS are involved in this too – can put AH in these periods. AH good experience for University – move to other school etc HB/HG talked about their experience of AH this session.
- Have increased vocational courses in school this session in all departments from S4 onwards. Sam Marshallsay is working in this area – VG Princes Trust Achievement Award
- HP showed us option column take up. And talked about how options need to wait till all done before making decisions re what will run or not.
- Comments on Edmodo by member of staff last week was raised by several members. Thishas been addressed and is currently being dealt with.
- PC wanted to send our Best Wishes to Margery Walker
The next meeting will be held on 9thJanuary 2017.
Thank you.