Stockbridge School Board
- Parents' Room Online
DRAFT MINUTES OF MEETING ON 27TH AUGUST 2003 AT STOCKBRIDGE PRIMARY SCHOOL, AT 6.30PM.
STOCKBRIDGE SCHOOL BOARD MEETING
1.Welcome and Apologies
PRESENT: Board members: Anna Beynon (Chair) John Burton and Alan Thomas.
In Attendance: Susan MacInnes (Clerk to the Board), Jacqui Horsburgh (Head)
Apologies: Moira McGovern
2.1 Minutes
There were no formal Minutes to agree from the AGM as this had been principally an AGM for the PTA and had been separately minuted by them.
2.2. Matters Arising
AB undertook to find another external member to be co-opted onto the Board. She will write to both Joan Cook and Moira McGovern regarding the end of their terms of office this November and to ask them if they wish to stand for re-election. Another staff member is required to replace Ms Hobbs who also retires by rotation this year.
3. Standards and Quality Report
JH explained that this was retrospective and that the final version should be issued to parents by the end of September.
The Report refers to those Development Priorities set last session which have now been completed. Examples of these were given:
(i) Development of the science curriculum Þ the creation of boxed kits for experiments and the use of a science development officer
(ii) Improvement of quality of Continuing Professional Development (CPD) of staff Þ a learning centre for all staff has been set-up to include on-line learning.
4. Development Plan for 03/04
JH explained that the detailed Planning Overview would be placed in the parents' room and only a summary of the Development Plan would be issued to parents. She further explained that the HMI publication "How Good is our School?" is used as a guideline by staff to assess the school's priorities for development.
Some factors that influence the plan include the Pupil Panel, the availability of development time (with the result that at Stockbridge teachers have opted to spend more of their own time on this), and the five national priorities, which are very broadly based.
JH expressed a view that sometimes the timing of new initiatives by the Scottish Executive was not always ideal as then there is a pressure on the school to react quickly to benefit from money which has been "ring-fenced" for certain activities. However, generally there was an awareness of ongoing developments at the Scottish Executive level so that the staff can adapt the planning process to take the likely changes into account.
AB suggested that it would be a good idea for the board to look at some particular areas over the coming year to tie in with the Development Plan. Some issues to be considered would be Citizenship, Homework, Health Education and Personal Safety.
AT enquired as to whether there are any areas that staff were concerned about. JH responded that the Council funding was generally very good. With regard to staffing levels, the school was starting from a position of advantage as a training place for a probationer had been allocated (Mrs Burton in P4). This would allow Ms Hobbs to focus more on IT development this session. The school had also been provided with a certain level of special needs' auxiliaries.
5. AOB
AB indicated that she intended to attend the Council-run School Board training courses on Chairing a Board and Recruitment.
6. Date of Next Meeting
15 October 2003 at 6.30 in the School Library.
Susan E MacInnes (Clerk)
3 September 2003
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