Stockbridge School Board - Parents' Room Online

Stockbridge Primary School, 23 Hamilton Place, Edinburgh, EH3 5BA. Tel/Fax: 0131 332 6109
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ANNUAL REPORT 2000 - 2001

THE BOARD

Stockbridge School Board comprises 4 parent members, a staff member, and two community members. Members are elected for a four year term of office:

Graham Bodenham (Chair), Parent member until November 2001
John Burton (Vice Chair), Parent member until November 2003
Wilfrid Treasure (Treasurer), Co-opted Parent member until November 2003
Andrew Glen, Co-opted Parent member until November 2001
Helen Cox, Staff member until November 2001
Joan Cook and Moira McGovern, Community members until November 2003
Emilia Knight is the Clerk to the Board.                                                                                                top

Fiona Fraser and Kate Jones stood down during this year, after many years of contributing to the Board. Their places were filled by Andrew Glen and Wilfrid Treasure, who were co-opted on to the Board.

We also have invited members such as Maggie Darling who contribute informally to the Board. The Board also has several Sub Groups which deal with specific issues and these can include additional members invited from the PTA, community and interested parties.

OBJECTIVES

The Board met seven times this year. The main remit, laid down by the Scottish Office, includes taking part in the selection of the Head Teacher and other staff, approval of the Head Teacher’s spending plans and Annual Report and promoting relations between the school, parents and the community. Each year the Board sets additional objectives. This year we resolved to:                                                                                        top

1.       Continue to be actively involved in the School’s Development Plan.

2.       Take an active stance in campaigning for more resources for Education.

3.       Act in the best interests of parents and the school, in dealing with and responding to National and Local Authority Educational policies.

4.       Continue to develop its general strategy for effective operation and communication between parents, teachers, the Board and the PTA:

·         To inform parents about relevant issues and seek their views

·         Publish a newsletter approximately twice per term

·         Promote the Parents’ Room as a resource for parents (with the PTA).

·         Review and develop the Board’s profile within the school community                                            top

·         Form links/share ideas with other School Boards.

·         We started the year with five Sub Groups and they each report their progress to the Board twice a year and have specific aims as follows:

Links Sub Group:

·         Continue to develop links via environmental studies topics.

·         Continue to build on cultural links.

·         Involve parents where appropriate.                                                                                                    top

School Meals Sub Group:

·         Campaign for healthy eating in general: help maintain the Fruit Tuck Shop to promote a healthier food intake at lunch and breaktimes.

·         Develop procedure for reviewing feedback on school meals from pupils, parents and staff on a regular basis.

·         This group has been disbanded during the year, having fulfilled its main remit.

Resources Sub Group:

·         Assist the School and improve links with the local community by encouraging appropriate business sponsorship and donations in kind.

·         Raise the School’s profile by means of active PR/fund-raising.                                                    top

·         Operate under the auspices of the Friends of Stockbridge School, a Trust with charitable status. The Trust may also approach Trust Funds and business sector donors to whom the School/Board would not otherwise be eligible.

Environment Sub Group:

·         Co-ordinate the campaign for the installation of a Pelican Crossing outside the School main gate.

·         Investigate mechanisms for providing greater access to sports facilities

·         Monitor the Council’s new traffic control measures; investigate and campaign on the pollution and road safety implications of these measures for the School

·         promote safe routes to school and methods of transport other than cars                                    top

Communications Sub Group:

·         This group became redundant during this year as the Board’s work became increasingly communicated by the Newsletter.

MATTERS ARISING

Some of the main issues which the Board dealt with this year included:

1.       Extensive campaigning and lobbying of the City Council for the installation of the Pelican Crossing, which has now been achieved.

2.       Sitting on interview panels for staff appointments.                                                                                top

3.       Establishing a link with Edinburgh Academy, resulting in the School gaining access to their playing fields at Portgower Place for weekly PE and Annual sports.

4.       Campaigning for the re-opening of the Nursery link door and subsequent closure of the Dean Bank Lane door, improving safety in the Nursery playground.

5.       Contributing our views to the City of Edinburgh Council and Scottish Office on matters such as: Safe Routes to School, Sex Education Guidelines, Tied Housing and Harmonisation of School Session Dates.

6.       Promoting the setting up of the new Multi-media IT suite.

7.       Furthermore, the Board assisted various PTA events including the very successful Summer Fair.

THE COMING YEAR:                                                                                                                    top

• John Burton will take up the Chair in August.                                                                                    
• There will be a vacancy for a parent in November when Graham Bodenham’s term ends.
• There will also be a vacancy for a staff member when Helen Cox’s term ends in November.
• The Sub Groups will be further streamlined by amalgamating the Links and Resources Group.
• With most of the Environment Group’s objectives achieved, this group is being re-organised to focus on Safe Routes To School Group.
• A new group has been established to oversee the celebration of the architect Rowand Anderson and the 125^th anniversary of the School.
• This leaves us with 3 core groups. Other issues will be dealt with as they arise.

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