Staffing Commission - Meeting Minutes

Staffing commission - meeting minutes

MINUTES

Staffing Commission Meeting

Monday 6 October 2008

1.00 pm – 3.00 pm

Venue: Knowsley CVS, Nutgrove Villa

Present:
Name / Designation / Name / Designation
Rosemary Hawley / Chair / Colin Rowling / Vice Chair
Karol Grabowski / Principal, Christ the King Centre for Learning / Fr Fintan O’Driscoll / Christ the King Centre for Learning TGB
Peter Bradley / Principal, Kirkby Catholic Centre for Learning / Fr Nick Wilde / Kirkby Catholic Centre for Learning TGB
Pam Jervis / Principal, KirkbySportsCollege Association of School & College Leaders
Ann Behan / Principal, Halewood Community Centre for Learning / John Cooper / Halewood Community Centre for Learning TGB
Madeleine Cotson / Principal, South Huyton Centre for Learning
Martyn Campbell / Principal, Prescot & Whiston Catholic Learning Centre / John Robson / Prescot & Whiston Catholic Learning Centre TGB
Marion Farrell / Principal, Prescot and Whiston Community Centre for Learning
John Mayes / Teachers Union (NUT) / Jeff Bowe / UNISON on behalf of the Single Status Unions
Simon McEneny / Future Schooling in Knowsley Director, KMBC / Elaine Ayre / Service Director – Schools and Early Years Services
Julie Young / Children’s Services Manager, KMBC / Maria Taylor / Lead Education Change Partner, KMBC
Jane Janaway / FutureSchool in Knowsley Communications Officer, KMBC / Jason Woodruff / Human Resources, KMBC
Claire McNally / Children and Family Services, KMBC (Clerk) / Steve Stewart / Service Director, Standards Taskforce, KMBC
Apologies:
Name / Designation / Name / Designation
Cllr Dave Friar / Prescot & Whiston Community Learning Centre TGB / Cllr Graham Morgan / South Huyton Centre for Learning TGB
Dave Barkley / Parent Governor / Cllr Jayne Aston / Kirkby Community Centre for Learning TGB
Bill Morris / Kirkby Sports College TGB / Alan Bell / Liverpool Archdiocese and Diocese
Damian Allen / Executive Director of Children’s Services, KMBC / Dave Norton / Human Resources, KMBC
Nathan Horum / Youth Parliament
AGENDA ITEM /

KEY POINTS

ACTION

Minutes of Previous
Meeting
Matters Arising / The minutes from the meeting of 8 September 2008 were agreed as an accurate and true record.
Julie Young advised the Staffing Commission that there had been no outcome received from Central Government in relation to the Primary Strategy for Change and that it would therefore be inappropriate for the small working group to meet. Upon receipt of information, the structure would be determined and reported back upon to Staffing Commission.
Karol Grabowski confirmed to Staffing Commission that he had already met with Diana Forrest, Director of Public Health and Chris Mimnagh, Medical Director at the PCT to take forward ideas and was waiting for information to come through which would then be fed back to Staffing Commission.
Rosemary Hawley formally welcomed Jane Janaway, Communications Officer, Future Schooling in Knowsley, to the Staffing Commission. Jane has taken over the role and will update at future Staffing Commission meetings. / JY
KG
JJ
Communication
- Update / Jane Janaway provided feedback to the Staffing Commission on the secondary open evenings, which had all taken place recently. There had been good attendance at all the meetings and comments had been very positive.
An overview of the generic noticeboard prepared for display in all primary and secondary schools, libraries and the One Stop Shops in Knowsley, was outlined by Jane Janaway. The noticeboard would be displayed at the forthcoming Celebration of Achievement Event and updated on a termly basis.
Primary visits had commenced and DVDs which provide the fly through of the Centres for Learning had been distributed to all. Following the opening of Chris the King Centre for Learning, a new DVD would be created and distributed.
An ICT bus would be travelling around the borough as a Roadshow. The equipment on the bus would be the same as that within the Centres for learning and the DVD fly-through would also be playing inside the bus.
AGENDA ITEM /

KEY POINTS

ACTION

Communication
- Update
(continued) / Knowsley’s Celebration of Achievement would be held on Tuesday 7 October 2008 with over 500 young people obtaining awards.
There would be 4 awards for Building Schools of the Future:
- Best Design
- Education Transformation
- Innovation in Student Engagement
- ICT
A pull out entitled “Don’t Miss Out!” would be handed out to everyone attending at the Philharmonic Hall and would also be distributed inside the Knowsley News. Transform and Research Machines’ newsletters would also feature positive stories and messages.
The Marketing and Communication Campaign had moved into Phase 3 “we’re on the move” and was being promoted at the Celebration of Achievement by Knowsley Singers.
All principals provided feedback to the Staffing Commission on open evenings as follows:
Pam Jervis advised over that over 300 people were in attendance at KirkbySportsCollege and there was huge interest, some of which was from outside Knowsley.
Peter Bradley advised that there was lots of interest and excitement. All Saints currently lose over 20% of young people outside of Knowsley and therefore Simon McEneny would look into identifying how to attract those young people back into Knowsley.
Madeleine Cotson advised that South Huyton received positive feedback and that a small number of parents attended, 3 or 4 groups of which who do not normally send their children. Some parents came to view in the day and then returned in the evening with their children to look around and make judgements.
Marion Farrell advised that again there had been positive feedback with a number of Knowsley primary children in attendance. A series of meetings had been planned with schools.
Simon McEneny updated the Staffing Commission that initial feedback was that students were beginning to come back to the borough. / SMc
AGENDA ITEM /

KEY POINTS

ACTION

Communication
- Update
(continued) / Karol Grabowski advised that feedback included that the open evening was the best attended to date and went extremely well, with lots of positive comments.
Madeleine Cotson updated that there had been some concerns in relation to transport to the Centres for Learning and there being sufficient capacity, particularly for Year 7 students.
Ann Behan advised that feedback included that the open evening in Halewood had also been the best attended to date and had lots of positive comments.
Martyn Campbell reiterated concerns to the Staffing Commission in relation to ‘minding the gap’ and the reassurance that would be needed during the change over. Focus should now be moved to Year 4 in addition to Year 5 students.
Jane Janaway concluded to the Staffing Commission that the generic noticeboards would be printed and laminated, with distribution expected next week. Feedback noted by the Staffing Commission from Madeleine Cotson who advised that the noticeboards needed more academic input to achieve the right balance. / JJ
Future Schooling in Knowsley Programme
- Update / Simon McEneny updated the Staffing Commission that there was 35 working days until the opening of the first Centre for Learning. There had, and would be, further planning activity during this period. Staff would be preparing for the move and ICT kit would be installed.
Simon McEneny advised the Staffing Commission that he would now be the Chair of the Secondary Education Transformation Board.
A report on Community Access and a model that had been worked up had gone to Scrutiny. Upon consultation, the model would go back to Scrutiny in 2 months to agree how the access policy would work. Staffing Commission noted that there was a need not to disadvantage people moving across to the Centres for Learning and would look at discounts and free access. Simon McEneny to update Staffing Commission on a monthly basis. The model would be tested at Chris the King Centre for Learning when it opens early next year. / SMc
AGENDA ITEM /

KEY POINTS

ACTION

Future Schooling in Knowsley Programme
- Update
(continued) / The opening of Halewood’s Centre for Learning would be put back to 19 June 2009 despite control being taken from March 2009 to work around exams and to prevent disruption to young people. Between March and June 2009, there would be a further opportunity to test model in the Centre for Learning. Staffing Commission agreed this would be a huge advantage in getting used to the space.
Pam Jervis queried to Staffing Commission the transition for community access to the Centres for Learning and how this would work and what was being used at the moment? Simon McEneny advised the Staffing Commission that the Future Schooling in Knowsley team would work on what is in existence at the moment and would progress how the transition would work.
Jason Woodruff expressed concerns that there would be huge HR implications for Halewood if it became a legal identity from 19 June 2009. Staffing Commission agreed that Jason Woodruff and Ann Behan would meet with Elaine Ayre and Julie Young to resolve.
John Mayes queried when the Test Model Environment Handbook would be available for distribution? Simon McEneny confirmed that upon approval on Thursday 9 October 2008 at the Core Group, the handbook would be distributed. / JW/AB
EA/JY
SMc
Human Resources
- Update / Jason Woodruff confirmed to Staffing Commission that all Criminal Records Bureau checks at KirkbySportsCollege had been undertaken over the Summer of 2008. However, procedures had now been revised and agreed that as and when appointment letters are distributed, documentation would go out at the same time to staff for completion, hence there had been a few delays in letters going out. Knowsley had a rolling programme for checks to be completed every 3 years but had not instigated this requirement, purely recommended it.
The TUPE list was in consultation with legal advisers, mainly surrounding the phasing of posts. Jason Woodruff advised Staffing Commission that unions would be kept informed. Jeff Bowe raised concerns to the Staffing Commission that the first Centre for Learning was scheduled to open in 35 working days and that it was a very anxious time for staff involved due to the outstanding lack of clarity.
AGENDA ITEM /

KEY POINTS

ACTION

Human Resources
- Update
(continued) / Jason Woodruff circulated a list of all teaching and support staff vacancies across all Centres for Learning to the Staffing Commission for information only. Lists of all those staff ‘at risk’ would be available upon request, at the moment the list stands at 82. However, this is not a true reflection of the real number of staff and not everyone applied for a position.
Jeff Bowe highlighted to the Staffing Commission that globally around the borough there are more vacant posts than staff on the ‘at risk’ register and that therefore skill sets needed matching against those posts.
Staffing Commission agreed that all Principals needed to check the vacancy list was correct and would contact Jason Woodruff as soon as possible if there were any queries/concerns.
The ring fencing of posts was discussed by the Staffing Commission and it was confirmed that the original ring fence agreement would stand, for example, in the first instance the 2 high schools and then in the second instance to be system wide.
Pam Jervis advised Staffing Commission that the Governors of Kirkby Sports College were keen to progress vacant posts as soon as possible with the view to commencement on 1 January 2009.
Jason Woodruff confirmed he would attend the Secondary Headteachers meeting to discuss vacancies within the Centres for Learning and to confirm the procedure for applications.
Julie Young advised the Staffing Commission that there was a number of vacant posts in English and Maths, plus there was more vacancies than practitioners in the borough. However, Knowsley Challenge and Firm Foundations would be available to provide capacity and a decision had been made to go to advert last week in the Times Educational Supplement for commencement on 1 January 2009. Those staff ‘at risk’ would also be able to apply. Chairs of Governors and Principals may be asked to look at staff to create a pooled resource. Recruitment and retention had been an element to the posts and therefore discussions had taken place surrounding additional incentives. / Principals
JW
AGENDA ITEM /

KEY POINTS

ACTION

Human Resources
- Update
(continued) / Julie Young updated Staffing Commission on a secured grant around the NationalCollege for a Business Manager post and that this had now begun to move forward. There would be a leadership model in-reach and outreach working with other partner schools looking at the model. It would be supported by the NationalCollege and be piloted to provide a model as part of leadership.
Knowsley Challenge / Julie Young updated the Staffing Commission on the National Challenge and that there was a meeting next week with the Department for Children, Families and Schools and the National Strategies to discuss Knowsley’s response. Knowsley’s stocktake in 2008 had a focus on attainment for the coming year and beyond.
There had been significant challenge to Knowsley and as a result Knowsley had approached the National Challenge by introducing the Knowsley Challenge due to the aspirations in terms of the transformation agenda. There had been a detailed but positive discussion and the outcome had resulted in recognition of the Knowsley Challenge.
There would be a level of external intervention placed on Knowsley and elements around system leadership and staffing structures for the new Centres for Learning. Focus would also be on professional development, governance, the pedagogical framework, Test Model Environments, the intervention programme and support packages and what Firm Foundations would bring.
Elaine Ayre advised the Staffing Commission that in order to bring about system transformation, there would be an agreed Pedagogical Framework and audit tool which needed to be used. It was vital that Maria Taylor introduced the Pedagogical Framework to staff in each Centre for Learning before they completed the Audit Tool.
Knowsley Quality Teaching Standards: Audit Tool / Maria Taylor circulated a document to the Staffing Commission for information only, which outlined the audit tool on Knowsley’s Quality Teaching Standards. In March 2008, the Pedagogical Framework had been discussed with 20 recommendations. It had been agreed to refocus so the criteria for judging what quality teaching would like in Knowsley but to also use it as a self assessment tool. There would now be a focus around 5 key areas of pedagogy (learning and teaching).
AGENDA ITEM /

KEY POINTS

ACTION

Knowsley Quality Teaching Standards: Audit Tool
(continued) / Support would be provided to all Principals in launching with all staff and undertaking the audit. All Principals agreed they were happy with the tool.
Any Other Business / None

NEXT MEETING:

Monday 3 November 2008, 1.00 pm – 3.00 pm, Knowsley Council for Voluntary Service (CVS) Nutgrove Villa, 1 Griffiths Road, Huyton, L36 6NA

Please send your apologies to Claire McNally on 0151 443 5689

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