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Stockbridge Primary School, 23 Hamilton Place, Edinburgh, EH3 5BA. Tel/Fax: 0131 332 6109
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DRAFT MINUTES OF BOARD MEETING / PARENTS' FORUM 
STOCKBRIDGE SCHOOL LIBRARY 16 OCTOBER 2002 @ 7pm

PRESENT: Board members: John Burton (Chair), Jacqui Horsburgh (Headteacher),
Alan Thomas, Wilfred Treasure, Moira McGovern, Anna Begnon.
PTA: Jeanette Veitch (Chair), Graham Bodenham, Bruce Gow.
Staff: Geraldine Hobbs, Sally Marshall
Parents: Janene Reid, Stella Auchinleck
In Attendance: Susan MacInnes (Clerk to the Board)

BOARD BUSINESS

1. Operation Christmas Child / Samaritan's Purse
GB raised his concerns about this organisation which the school has supported over the past few years. His impression from their website was that it was now being run on more overtly Christian evangelical lines and he suspected that it was being used to push fundamentalist preaching. His reading of their publicity material was that they were not simply explaining the Christian doctrine but using the gifts as an opportunity to convert the recipients. Others agreed that they were unhappy that the charity should be linking the donations of presents for children to the Christian faith, especially as many of the children live in Muslim countries.

JH agreed to speak to the Communications Department of the education authority to find out the current policy of schools supporting a charity with such aims. More research would have to be done before a decision is made.

2. After School Club
A query was raised by AT regarding the After School Club based on the school premises. It was explained that JH and JB had been co-opted as ex officio members of the organising committee. JH reiterated that the Club was entirely independent of the school.

3. Parking of Cars in the School Playground.
AB raised the problems of the playground being used as a car park. Several parents have stated that they are unhappy about the mix of cars and children. In particular people were alarmed at the recent incident when a scaffolding lorry was backing out of the playground at bell-time.

JH said that the problems had been exacerbated by the ongoing repair works to the school building and the effect the scaffolding was having on the available space in the playground. She would investigate why the lorry was being moved at that time because nothing should be moving whilst the children are leaving the school premises.

However, she said that historically the area of the playground next to the janitor's house had always been used for car parking. BG stated that he had raised this with the school about 15 years ago and had been told that this was a "teacher's perk". JH said that she thought the spaces were designated on the ground. She explained that the staff do not have individual rights to park there but arrange to park on a rota basis.

AB suggested the car parking area could be marked off by bollards but GH thought this would be likely to create more problems. WT said that we should recognise that it was primarily a playground not a car park and that pressure should be put on the local authority to reconsider this use of the space. It was agreed that this issue would be discussed again at a later meeting.

4. Standards and Quality Report
This is to be discussed at the next Board meeting.

PARENTS' FORUM - SCHOOL UNIFORM

There was a lively discussion on this issue. JH explained that as a local authority school it was not possible to compel pupils to wear uniform. However, the authority was keen to encourage the wearing of uniform and an example was given of the improvement in the ethos of Granton School who have introduced new school sweatshirts.

Some present felt that uniform suppressed a child's individuality and it was suggested that some parents chose the school because of a more relaxed attitude to uniform.

The majority view was that it did give the children a sense of identity and for new P1 pupils it was part of the excitement of joining the "big school". The staff agreed that from a practical point of view it was easier to look after children on trips out of school if they could be easily identified. Comments were made that a lot of other schools in the area have an almost total uptake of wearing uniform and it was discussed why this is. The consensus was that there must be a greater acceptance by parents at these other schools that uniform should be worn.

Those who supported the wearing of uniform appreciated the varied options of the existing "dress code" (ie choice of clothes in the school colours) and thought that this worked better than if the uniform were completely prescriptive. A few used the promise of "dress-down Friday" to persuade their children to wear uniform on the other days.

Particularly at the top end of the school where peer pressure is strongest, a concern was that those who do not wear uniform are then subjected to teasing by some children if they do not wear the latest "designer" labels. School uniform was seen as "neutral" and therefore those who still wore it were not teased. 

Reference was made to the new P7 sweatshirts designed and worn by the pupils at Flora Stevenson's and it was felt that it might be a good idea to suggest that this idea was copied at Stockbridge to give the senior pupils a sense of their unique position in the school. JH pointed out that this would link it well with the drive by Broughton High to encourage the wearing of school sweatshirts. This topic will no doubt be discussed again.

Susan E MacInnes (Clerk) 17/10/2002

DATE OF NEXT MEETING: Tuesday 26th February 2003. Click here for Agenda

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