Rushmoor Schools PlusSteering Group
Notes of the meeting at the BlenheimBuilding – 10thNovember 2011
Mark Sammes (MS)- ManorJuniorSchool (Chairman)
Jane Armstrong (JA)-Farnborough Grange Infant School and LCP Chair
Amanda Rowley (AR)-Wavell School
Richard Lane (RL)-Autodesk Ltd.
Jo Riglar (JR)-St. Bernadette’s Catholic Primary School
Marilyn Penman (MP)- Manor Infant School
Fiona Hodgson (FH)-St. Mark’s CE Primary School
Liz Beckwith (LB) -The Linden Education Centre
Corinne Martinez (CM)-Cove Junior School
Tony McGovern (TM)-Rushmoor Schools Plus
Paul Baker (PB)-Connaught School
Don Cook (DC)-Cove School
Matt Smith (MSm)-First Wessex
Debbie Wall (DW)-Rushmoor Borough Council
Sue Hathaway (SH)- Rushmoor Voluntary Services (from item 8)
Richard Mann (RM)- Rushmoor Schools Plus
1. Welcome and apologies
MS chaired the meeting and thanked Wavell for hosting it and providing the refreshments. Apologies were received fromLisa Hogg (Wavell School) and AR was attending in her place. SH had notified TM that she would be arriving late due to attending another meeting.
2. Notes from the last meeting
These were in 2 parts and were agreed as accurate. MS said that significant progress had been made since the last meeting.
3. Matters arising
These would all be dealt with as part of the agenda.
4. Local Children’s Partnership (LCP) update
JA provided an update. There is no more funding as yet but JA was hopeful that there would be in the future.Tenders have been published forThe Youth Support Service funding and expressions of interest received. The Children's Services Integrated Grant Programme will be continuing for the time being.
5. Strategic Action Plan
MS reported that the strategic plan is being reviewed, in particular to establish better links with the LCP. There is a need to avoid duplication and provide value for money and, with the work done to date, TM is well placed to do this.
TM said that in discussions with Karen Evans of the Domestic Violence Forum it had been highlighted that there is a lack of awareness about all the changes and cutbacks and which services are still in place. TM is meeting with Liv Stokkanat Hart todraft an audit review of current services in schools so that there is a clearer picture of what is still in place and any emerging gaps in provision.
The proposed celebration event (see below) will also be used to gather information for the strategic plan.
6. Funding update
i) Balance
MS reported that the current balance within the Cluster Fund is £25,851. The Paul Hamlyn Foundation funding is being allocated through different schools depending on the project involved.
ii) Subscriptions update
Outstanding contributions will be made by the end of November. MS said that one school had offered its contribution in kind and AR clarified that this school was Wavell. AR offered to quantify what this in kind support was and said that it greatly exceeded the subscription. MP said that any in kind contribution needed to be clear and quantified as, if other schools offered their contribution in kind, this would affect the cashflow. JR said that this should not set a precedent whilst FH commented that this possibly negated the time that was being given by MS and Manor Junior. JA said that it was onerous for Wavell to manage the building and to be on call at all hours if needed and that she would not like this responsibility as the Chair of the BlenheimBuildingGroup. AR queried what this responsibility was worth in cash terms whilst DC commented that Wavell’s position was unique because of the building. MP suggested that this be seen as a trial year and the situation be reviewed in the next year.
Action – it was agreed that AR would quantify Wavell’s in kind contribution.
As a result of this discussion MS highlighted the need to be clear about what collaboration means and involves.
iii) Grants
There is no further feedback on applications. RSP will hear at the end of November about the School Support Fund application which is related to PSA work with military families. AR said they had made a bid for £215,000 to the Military Covenant for the community programme at Wavell.
iv) Partner contributions
This work will be developed as part of the Strategic Action Plan review. Until it is known what is planned for the future it is not possible to decide who to approach.
7. Community Interest Company (CIC)
The application will be posted as soon as possible. Thanks were offered to MSm for agreeing to be a director. The other directors will be MS and TM.
8. Project Updates
i) ELSA / Supervision
There is nothing new to report.
ii) The PIER
There has been a lot of action around The PIER. Jen Hill is now in post and JA and FH are involved in their respective roles. Sharon Leney has been appointed as an LSA. The second LSA post (Grade D) needs to be re-advertised. There have been a couple of training sessions with Special Educational Needs Coordinators (SENCOs) and the leadership team and a follow up training session on Boxall profileshas taken place. JR said this would be very relevant in respect of vulnerable children. The building modifications are happening and should be completed by the end of term. There is now a phone in the office.
AR queried a couple of health and safety aspects, one of which had arisen when the builders had asked where to put some skips. There had also been a query about the installation of PIN pads for security. MS clarified that he is the main contact for Rushmoor Schools Plus and he would check his list as to who the main contact is with the contractors.
CM queried what the plan was with SENCOs and with regards to transport. MS clarified that the minimum intervention is for 2 terms and that the main contact is the ELSAs. Transport is an issue as all schools have their own protocols and will thus have to arrange their own transport. FH said that schools which have designated children for The PIER are already looking at transport. AR queried what the cost of transport might be and the setting up of a hardship fund. LB said she could look at the costs of their designated taxi provider to establish some ball park figures. LB also highlighted that the taxi drivers needed to be suitably trained.
TM said that Jen had been set up with an email address by Rushmoor Borough Council (RBC). This is . RBC are also designing a logo.
Autodesk have providedsponsorship of £1,000. They were thanked for this and MS also offered thanks to everyone involved for their sustained determination.
iii) Collaborative Leadership
MP provided an update. The work done to date had been shared at an event in Botley and the benefits of collaboration had been recognised. TM said that RSP was the only project that had been presented that involved as many as 38 schools. JR said there had also been a good presentation about a project in Brighton involving collaboration between governors.
MP said various ways of developing leadership had been talked about with the aim of retaining staff in Rushmoor and not losing them to neighbouring areas. Education and business links were an important part of this in order to provide different perspectives and to cross the public/private sector divide. TM said that he had proposed something along these lines to the Community Matters Partnership (CMP). A challenge group to look at Ofsted criteria was another suggestion. MP will take the ideas to Rushmoor Patch and then pursue them further with Carolyn Hughanin order to develop a more formalised network.
AR highlighted that Wavell develop leadership in various ways, for example through staff taking a masters at the University of Winchester. She also highlighted the possible use of the Blenheim Building as a training centre for staff.
It was explained that LLE means Local Leader of Education and SLE Specialist Leader of Education.
RL said he was happy to investigate informal mentoring or shadowing further and that Autodesk’s Global Head of Employee Development was based in Farnborough. He will also be talking to the CMP.
iv) Parent Support Advisers (PSAs)
The line managers of the remaining PSAs will be meeting next week. TM said he was looking at funding and that there had been successful bids in other parts of the county to the Reaching Communities fund. There might also be a bid to the Education Endowment Fund in the future.
v) Children’s Centres
MP reported that these are now out to tender and the expectation is that the changes will take place in April 2012. There is uncertainty amongst staff and it is a difficult time for the Centres.
vi) Business Links
TM noted the strength of the partnership with Autodesk and said that this can be used as a good example when approaching others in the future. The partnership will be highlighted at the proposed celebration event. Autodesk has also donated 100 leather bound A4 binders.
RL said that this was a busy time in his year. He reported on a range of activities:
- A very positive presentation at Manor Infant.
- The 3D printer and the robot will be available soon.
- The work in Rushmoor will be included in a corporate video which is to be presented at an event in Los Angeles.
- The donation of £1,000.
- Hosting the SENCO workshop.
- The WorldSkills London 2011 event at Excel in October.
- Meeting with TM about the CMP.
- The 2012 Rushmoor, Hart and East Hampshire careers fair.
- Animation work at Fernhill.
- Work experience placements.
- Curriculum work with First Partnership.
9. Celebration Event
MS said that the planning for this had drifted a little and that the scale of the event would depend on the level of sponsorship gained. It is proposed to hold it on Thursday 19th January as an afternoon and after school event.
10. Date and venue of next meeting
Tuesday 31st January at 11.00am, at the Blenheim Building.
Action – AR to book the room.
11. Any Other Business
MS said the Fun Days and the Motivating the Middle Years event will be continuing. He also said accessing speech and language therapy might become a priority need following the cutbacks.
Action – AR to circulate details of an SPLD open event at Wavell.