MINUTES OF MEETING ON TUESDAY, 29 FEBRUARY 2000 AT STOCKBRIDGE SCHOOL LIBRARY, AT 7:00PM.  

Present:                  Graham Bodenham (Chair), John Burton, Helen Cox, Maggie Darling, Fiona Fraser, Gregor Henderson, Kate                               Jones. 

Apologies: 

In Attendance:        Jacqui Horsburgh (Headteacher), Elizabeth Duncan (Clerk), Susan Currie (Teacher),  Joanne Franceschi (PTA)                              Karen Wigham (parent) and Graham Jones (parent).  

1.0                   WELCOME and apologies:  Graham Bodenham (Chair) thanked those present for attending and welcomed Joanne Franceschi as the representative of the PTA, in addition to two parents and a member of the teaching staff. 

1.1            Minutes:  The minutes of the meeting of 18th January 2000 were approved subject to a minor amendment in item 2.1 where it was agreed the second paragraph should have the wording 'and by extending this into' deleted to ensure that it is clear that the School Development Plan and the proposed Standards & Quality Report are entirely separate documents.  Helen Cox pointed out that the Links Sub-Committee report was not attached and Maggie Darling agreed to forward this to the School Board Chair for inclusion.                                                                                                     top

2.0            MATTERS ARISING

2.1            Membership of the SSBA/Section 2A

It was agreed that no action should be taken to renew the Board's membership.   Graham Bodenham (Chair) advised that the first publication of the School Board Newsletter had included a brief questionnaire for parents to express their views on Section 2A.  33 replies had been received to date showing 79% in favour of the repeal of clause 28. 15% wanted to see the clause retained in its current format and 2% thought there should be a newly worded replacement clause.  The questionnaire was based on the wording suggested by the SSBA. In view of the very short timescale allowed by the SSBA for consultation, the publication of the questionnaire in the School Board Newsletter was the quickest method found to reach the wider parent body.

Graham Bodenham suggested there may be a need for more than one Board Newsletter per term but this would require input from more Board members.                                                                                                 top

2.2       Pelican Crossing

John Burton reported the outcome of his recent meeting with Mark Lazarowicz, convenor of Edinburgh District Council.  The proposals for Central Edinburgh currently under consideration stop short of the Stockbridge area and the Transport Committee will have to review and analyse any knock on effects to the surrounding area, such as Stockbridge.  Their report is due in April and the recommendation of a crossing outside Stockbridge Primary school may or may not be included in the report.  John Burton asked Mr Lazarowicz if the issue of the crossing could be dealt with as a separate issue from the general traffic measures being proposed and whilst there is no aversion to this idea, Mr Lazarowicz pointed out that this would not improve the chances of a crossing being provided or speed up the process involved. By linking the crossing to the general traffic flow concerns of Glenogle Road and Raeburn Place the formula used to calculate the various factors produce a higher grading. Previous assessment of the need for a crossing on its own merits had not produced a sufficiently high grading. However, there is no reason to believe that once the effects of implementing the current proposals are assessed, the knock on effect would increase the grading.

John asked if the plans for a crossing could be fast tracked once approval had been given. The budget for 2000/1 having already been allocated, means the earliest date for a crossing would be tied to the 2001/2 budget. The cost of installation could be as much as £50,000 and although Scotmid have previously indicated an interest in making a contribution, the extent of their financial commitment is not known. Mark Lazarowicz was not aware of Scotmid’s potential involvement and he agreed that the Council would contact Scotmid in this connection. Meantime, we must await the report which is due to be published in April and hope that the need for a crossing has been graded highly enough to warrant a strong recommendation from the Transport Department.                                                                        top 

2.3        Review of Co-opted members

Graham Bodenham confirmed that Scottish Life and Tesco have been approached.  To date no reply had been received from Scottish Life but the Personnel Manager of Tesco, Maggie Thompson had expressed a personal interest.  She intends to attend the next Board Meeting.  Further possibilities have not yet been explored but it was agreed that the response had been encouraging.  The Board agreed to accept Rev Anne Logan's retirement following the end of her term of office and the Clerk agreed to draft a letter of thanks to her 

2.4        Review of School Board Budget

It was agreed this item would be heard in conjunction with item 3.0 the Treasurers Annual Report. 

2.5            Attainment Figures

Graham Bodenham (Chair) circulated the recently available 5-14 Attainment in Primary School figures.  There had been insufficient time to fully analyse these but even a brief evaluation of the raw data for Stockbridge Primary School indicated the results were very good.  Of the 112 school listed, Stockbridge Primary were placed 12th in Reading, 24th in Writing and 26th in Maths.  These placings did not make any allowance for the FME (Free School Meals Entitlement) which would provide a more accurate analysis by comparing schools on a closer like for like basis.   This more detailed analysis would show the results to be even more pleasing.  If the targets set for the coming year are achieved, this could put the school in the top 10% of those listed.  By comparison to the City of Edinburgh average, Stockbridge Primary are currently attaining: 22% above average for Reading, 17% above average for Writing and 12% above average for Maths.                                                                         top

A copy of the Attainment Levels will be available in the Parent's room for anyone who wished to see the full details.  Mrs Horsburgh confirmed the FME was 18.3% but the actual take-up rate might be very much lower than the entitlement rate. 

3.0        END OF FINANCIAL YEAR - TREASURERS REPORT

Fiona Fraser reported that of the budget of £175 much of the expense had been incurred in administration i.e. £72.60 on photocopying and £75 had been spent on training courses for Board members.  The balance in hand of £62.40 did not include the cost of producing the recent Newsletter which is estimated at £50.  The Board are permitted to carry forward 10% of budget i.e. £17.50 and it was agreed that should there be any balance this would be vired to the School for the purchase of books. 

4.0               REPORTS 

4.1               Resources Sub-Committee.

John Burton advised the Board that a proposal to install a multi-media suite within the school is being considered, and it is hoped this could be funded by donations via the Friends of Stockbridge Primary School.  The resources would need to include hardware, software and any related training.  The objective would be to give access to pupils and possibly parents to computer facilities for pleasure and this could be provided in a variety of ways e.g. Cybernet cafe or as an after school activity.  The initial suggestion that these facilities could be located in the top-floor of the annexe is undergoing a feasibility study but Alison Blamire has already indicated that this may not be possible due to restrictions in the wiring required and the fire/safety regulations.                                                                                                        top 

4.2        PTA Meeting 19th January 2000 

Fiona Fraser reported that discussion took place regarding the Christmas Disco, the Christmas Party and the school outing to a Christmas Show.  The Ceilidh plans and the proposed After School Activities were also discussed.

PTA Meeting of 16th February 2000

Joanna Franceschi reported that this short meeting had included further details regarding the After School Activities and Ceilidh plans.  In addition, it was noted that a further meeting of the After School Club steering group would be held soon.

It was agreed that Kate Jones would attend the next PTA Meeting, to be held on 22nd March. 

4.3        School Board Annual Report

Graham Bodenham advised that Pat Langridge-Smith expected the report to be concluded in time for the next meeting of the Board, which is scheduled for 2 May.  Graham Bodenham has already made a start on the preparation of this year's report.                                                                                                                                     top

5.0               OTHER BUSINESS 

5.1            Playground Supervision, Care & Welfare

Mrs Horsburgh confirmed that for about a year the school had 2 Playground Supervisors and that the current level of adult supervision at break time and lunchtime meets the required statutory level.  However, because of the size and shape of the playground the school were considering the possibility of viring money to allow for one more adult supervisor.   Some voluntary parental involvement would be welcome and this could involve the encouragement of playground games.  The school has also considered the introduction of themed games based around a craze activity e.g. skipping or ball games.  Mrs Horsburgh noted that the majority of children are involved in fairly complex games in which they make their own rules, developing strategies and themes and interacting well with one another.   

Mrs Clark and Mrs Chappel have discussed with the school the monitoring of the children's behaviour during break times and since half-term, a notebook has been located in the Staff Room where Mrs Clark and Mrs Chapel can record details of any misbehaviour as well as nominations for children who have been well behaved or particularly kind or thoughtful towards others.  It was agreed that older pupils should be encouraged to set a good example and report any incidents of unacceptable behaviour.  In addition younger children should be encouraged to approach older children for support when they feel the need.  Mrs Horsburgh gave brief details of a scheme called Come And Talk (C.A.T.S.) operating in a secondary school and this type of scheme could provide useful training or guidelines for monitors.  It was recognised that the older pupils may respond well to the additional responsibility of being a monitor but they would need support and a defined period of responsibility as they would still need free-time of their own.  

Mrs Cox confirmed that pupils do report and discuss behaviour related issues in circle time in class and that there are new resources becoming available with regard to personal social development which she hopes the school will be able to invest in.  Mrs Horsburgh advised the Board that issues of behaviour need constant review as the composition of classes may vary and children's individual behaviour varies too.  

Some Board members and the parents present at the meeting expressed concern that there appeared to be an increase in the number of incidents involving a small number of children.   Mrs Horsburgh advised that at times there are more noticeable peaks of incidents but these are usually quickly identified and addressed.  Some children are reluctant to report incidents of unacceptable behaviour but the school advise the pupils to adopt a policy of "Tell an adult".  Mrs Horsburgh confirmed that there were a range of strategies and procedures already in place which included parental involvement when appropriate.  However matters of this sort must be handled with confidentiality by the school and as a result, classmates and other parents are often not aware of the extent of the school's efforts in dealing with specific issues regarding unacceptable behaviour.                                                                                                         top 

When necessary, parents will meet with the Headteacher or Educational Psychologist but it was important that each individual case was dealt with on its merit and this required the exercise of professional judgement. It was impossible to say what level of misbehaviour would warrant exclusion from school but causing persistent physical injury would be an example of this. 

Where one or more individuals within a class are causing longer term problems e.g. exerting undue peer pressure, there are circumstances where a respite system would involve a child being taken out of a class or referred to an Educational Psychologist.  However, before any such action was taken, various other means of support would be considered.   Mrs Horsburgh and Mrs Cox urged all parents to support the school by making the children aware that they are responsible for their own behaviour.  Mrs Horsburgh advised the Board that individual cases are dealt with on their own merit.               

A revised school policy, incorporating ideas from the newly published Anti Bullying & Anti Racist Policy & Guidelines for Educational Establishments is being drafted and this will soon be available for discussion by the Board. A special extra meeting will be organised to allow the draft policy document to be finalised as soon as possible. The final policy will be discussed with all pupils and a copy will be available in the Parent's room for anyone who wishes to read it.  Meantime, a copy of Anti Bullying & Anti Racist Policy & Guidelines for Educational Establishments will be placed in the Parents' room.  The method employed for monitoring the effectiveness of the new policy was discussed and it was agreed that a drop in the number of incidents reported would not be an accurate indication as increased reports could be interpreted as a favourable indication that pupils felt more able to communicate any such problems.  It was therefore agreed that consultation with the staff and pupils would be a more accurate means of monitoring the effectiveness of the new policy. A Pupil Panel was suggested and Mrs Horsburgh confirmed that the school already have in place a system of record keeping which would give details of the measures taken by the school to address any issues regarding misbehaviour.    top 

5.2        School Board Clerk position

The position of School Board Clerk will become vacant after the Easter Holidays, as a result of the resignation of the current Clerk, Elizabeth Duncan.  It was agreed that an advert should be placed in the next issue of the Board Newsletter. Applicants should be willing to take minutes at the Board Meetings, of which there are 6 per year at approximately two month intervals. Meetings generally last only two hours and no previous experience is required.  Shorthand skills are not necessary, although the ability to produce the draft minutes on a word processor would be an advantage. 

5.3        IT Infrastructure and policy

Mrs Horsburgh informed the Board that new iMacs are coming soon and the contract was in the process of being re-negotiated.  It was therefore decided to carry forward this item to the next meeting. 

5.4            Training Courses for Board Members

Graham Bodenham highlighted the training sessions available and asked any interested members  to see him at the close of the meeting for fuller details.                                                                                                         top

5.5       HMI School Inspection

Mrs Horsburgh confirmed that the HMI team, who are due at the School on Monday, will comprise 3 Inspectors led by Christine Roebuck plus one lay member.  The inspectors will speak to staff, parents and children, attend lessons in the classrooms and look at a wide range of documentation.  An option to look at PE or Social Studies had been given to the Inspectors and PE was the subject chosen.  Questionnaires have been distributed to a random selection of parents and some parents have been chosen by the Staff to attend discussion groups, although HMI Inspectors could ask for additional parents to attend.  Following the inspection, a draft report will be produced and this will be shared with the School, the Chair of the School Board and the Education Authority.  2 years after the report, a follow up visit will be made by HMI to re-assess the areas in which recommendations had been made in the initial report. It is HMI’s intention that each school should be inspected once per generation of pupils i.e. approximately once every seven years for Primary Schools. 

6.0            CORRESPONDENCE

Graham Bodenham read to the Board the Education Authority’s response to our letter regarding the loss of the Task Force Teacher in P2.

The following correspondence has been received since the last Board meeting: 

a)         CEC Education

1.       Issue 21, School Boards Information Update newsletter January 2000.                                                top

2.       Summary minutes of Consultative Committee With Parents meeting 1 February 2000.

3.       Improving Our Schools – Consultation Response.

4.       Summary of Revenue Budget meetings January 2000.

5.       Removal of Task Force Teacher – reply from Director of Education.

6.       Issue One, First Link, December 1999 

b)         CEC Education – Education Support Services

1         Removal of Task Force Teacher – reply from Education Support Services.

2         Use of funds for administration.

3         School Boards Budgets – Surplus Funds & transfer form

4         School Board Information – Glossary of terms, Cluster Groups, Meetings calendar, etc.                     top

c)          Scottish School Board Association

1         Grapevine newsletter Issue 27, February 2000

2         Section 2A questionnaire

3         Executive Board Nomination Form 

d)          McCrone Committee of Inquiry – reply to our submission 

e)          Scottish Parent Teacher Council – Clause 2A statement. 

f)            Scottish Executive Education Department.

1         Section 2A statement.

2         5-14 Focus, Issue 5 January 2000.

3         Standards & Quality Inspection notice.

4         An Equal Opportunities Guide For Parents. (requested 12 extra copies)                                                top 

g)          Kidzone After School Care Group progress report and draft proposals. 

7.0               ANY OTHER BUSINESS.

7.1        No other business was raised 

7.2        Meeting closed at 9.07pm 

8.0        DATE OF NEXT MEETING (Tuesday 2 May 2000 at 7pm, School Library)