Governors of Fairisle Junior School
Minutes of a meeting of the Whole Governing Body
Tuesday 8 October 2013, 5.00pm
Governors present:
Associate members present:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Bev Bessey
Rebecca Shergold
Peter Howard (Head)
Robin Hayes
Jackie Meering (Chair)
Phil Chapman
Nikki Webb
In attendance: Sophie Lee (Clerk)
1) Welcome
2) Apologies
Apologies were received from DS and KS.
3) Declarations of Interest
JM reminded governors that they should declare if they have any personal or financial interest in any
item on the agenda and absent themselves from the meeting during the discussion of that item. The
annual declaration of business interests form will be added to the agenda for the next meeting.
4) Minutes of the Last Meeting
Minutes from the meeting held on 16 July 2013 were agreed and signed as an accurate record.
4a) Matters Arising
 Item 4.4: We need to have a working group looking at subject management and position
statements as OFSTED will expect governors to have knowledge of this area.
 Item 4.7: The rules regarding penalty notices changed from 1 September; we do not know
what impact this has had yet as we have never authorised September absences.
 Item 5: JM, NW and BB met with Rob Atkinson about the pay policies. It is now
recommended that we adopt the SCC model policy. The policy is still going through the
unions. We need to ratify the policy once we have the final draft and it will need looking at
each year.
 Item 7: A contract meeting was held with the LA to discuss the contracts of PH and the
senior leadership team. Contracts are in place until Christmas. Glenda Lane said that we did
not need a meeting this half-term.
 Item 9.2: FJS has won another football cup.
5) Election of Officers
The clerk reported that she had received two nominations for JM as chair and three nominations for
DS as vice-chair.
Before she accepted the nomination JM said that she wanted to address issues raised in a letter
received from Mike Dant and was not prepared to accept the position if, as the letter implied, some
governors were not happy with the way the GB was operating. JM showed governors the letter, which
said that Mike had been asked by two governors to return but, having been asked by FJS governors
to write a short piece explaining his desire to rejoin the governing body, he has now decided not to
return. He also strongly criticised JM’s work as chair and the way the GB was operating.
JM reminded governors that she had taken on the post of chair following Mike’s resignation. She
explained that she considers the chair first among equals and that governors make corporate
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decisions. She thought the letter personally offensive and factually wrong. She was not aware that
Mike had been asked to return, she had had been told that he had asked if he could return. She also
stated that she had kept governors informed at every point in the process, that discussion had taken
place and that this had been minuted showing timelines, correspondence etc and also that the
timeline had been extended as she waited for replies to emails – again reported in the minutes. She
offered to leave the meeting so that governors could discuss their options and the way forward. PC
stated that he had told MD that sending the letter would not be helpful but that he had sent it
anyway.
Governors decided it was not necessary for JM to leave the meeting and briefly discussed the letter.
They voted unanimously to re-elect JM as chair and DS as vice-chair, both for one-year terms. NW
will shadow the vice-chair post.
We are several governors short and may need to look at reconstituting to give us a smaller core of
governors and allow us to be quorate more easily. PH indicated it would be useful to have some
current parents as well as parents of former FJS pupils. We could ask Glenda Lane or Nigel Ash to talk
to us about the reconstitution criteria and process.
6) Terms of Reference
The WGB terms of reference were examined. “The WGB shall meet twice per term” will be changed
to “twice each half term”. “Sub-committees” will be changed to “working groups”. The sentence “If
unable to hold quorate sub-committee meetings then the WGB may convene such meetings as
deemed necessary” will be deleted. “Monitoring the use of the pupil premium and its impact” will be
added to the responsibilities of the governing body.
The terms of reference previously used for the sub-committees will apply to the working groups.
7) Election of Working Groups/Sub-Committees
Working groups will be drawn from any governors who are eligible/available. DS is unable to continue
with the HT performance management group so JM will join as long as another governor can act as
appeals officer; DS could fulfil this role. We need to appoint a new external adviser.
Headteacher’s Performance Management Group: JM, PC, NW
8) Appointment of Appeals Committees
Appeals Committee (Children): PC, DS, NW
Appeals Committee (Staff): PC, vacancy, parent two (DS or NW)
Health and Safety: KS
SEN: NW
Attendance: DS
Gifted and Talented: PC
Safeguarding: JM
9) Progress Report/Attainment Summary
9.1
A handout showing FJS data to be published in 2013 performance tables was distributed. The
KS2 cohort contained 66 pupils eligible for assessment. The KS1 cohort average point score was 14.5,
equivalent to approximately 2B, just under the national average.
Headline indicators show the percentage of pupils achieving certain levels in reading/maths/writing
teacher assessments combined. The floor standard is 60% (65% next year). We had 73% of pupils
achieving L4+; this will be adjusted upwards as we have disapplied one child. Governors noted that
this result is 0.6% down on last year. L5+ was at 18% with reading letting us down.
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Progress measures from KS1 to KS2 show pupils who achieved 2+ levels of progress. In maths, the
result was 92% (above national average); reading 86% (in line with NA); writing 92% (above NA).
The spelling/punctuation/grammar test is not part of the progress measures/headlines but will
become part of this data from 2014.
In KS2 tests, reading L4+ was 85%, 29% L5+ and 0% L6. Grammar/punctuation/spelling L4+ was
74%, 41% L5+ and 0% L6. Maths was 83% L4+, 39% L5+ and 6% L6. The average KS2 point score
was 27.8; PH would like to see this over 29. The average point score difference between KS1 and KS2
was 13.3 (27.8 – 14.5) which equals just over two levels of progress.
9.2
The Government Dashboard 2013 for FJS was distributed. Attendance for Y3/Y6 was in line
with the national average, above the NA in Y4 and well above in Y5. The chair congratulated the
school on these fantastic attendance results and noted that they were much improved from just a few
years ago. Punctuality results have also improved and NW noted that she observed perfect
punctuality at a recent assembly.
Our 2013 Y6 had 41% of pupils with lower ability. A total of 62% of children received FSM in the last
six years (31% nationally); 38% had not received FSM in the last six years (69% nationally).
Our absence rate for Y3 to Y6 in 2013 was 4% (5% nationally). Children with SEN statements had a
rate of 4% absence (7% nationally). FSM children had 5% absence (nationally 6%). Persistent
absentees were at 3% (nationally 4%).
KS2 subject performance was as follows:
Reading L4+ 2011 = 86%; 2012 = 83%; 2013 = 85%
Writing L4+ 2011 = 71%; 2012 = 86%; 2013 = 77%.
Maths L4+ 2011 = 73%; 2012 = 82%; 2013 = 83%.
Pupil progress results show that children were in line with the national average in 2013 despite the
cohort having some difficult issues.
The final chart on the dashboard shows pupil progress (actual versus estimate) in average point
scores. RH noted that girls and SEN pupils should be our focus based on these figures. JM urged
governors to look at the six questions on the front of the handout. PH said that the key is that we do
not see the context of our school as a barrier to attainment.
(NW left the meeting at this point.)
9.3
A draft Pupil Premium Expenditure Report was distributed. This sets out the principles of how
we use the PP and the provisions that we make in order to narrow the gap. RH requested that on p1
“their more advantaged peers” is changed as PP pupils are not necessarily disadvantaged.
In 2011, the difference between the average points score of PP children and non-PP children was 2.1;
in 2012 it was still 2.1; in 2013 it was 1.1. Two levels of progress equals 12 points. We are now at 16
points of progress in our pupil tracker (1.33 points per term). We are aiming for an average points
score of 29-30 by pushing up L5s.
JM asked for the last line on p1 to be changed from “interventions at one time” to “interventions at
any one time”.
The number of PP children on roll has increased from 89 (29%) in 2011/12 to 153 (43%) in 2013/14.
We will receive £137,700 for deprivation PP in 2013/14 and another £1800 for looked after children.
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The PP report will go on our website; BB has shown it to Rosie McVittie. The PP statement and the
dashboard are valuable sources of information for governors to bring to OFSTED interviews.
BB would like to buy in a teacher one day a week under the PP to concentrate on L5s. JM said we
could afford another full-time teacher. The governors agreed to advertise for a full-time teacher to
undertake PP work across the school and levels.
9.4
We have two free places for the January RAISEonline data course, 1.30pm in the civic centre.
JM suggested we ask Ed Shackleton to go through our data and talk to governors for an hour before
a WGB meeting. RH reported that staff are working to improve the quality of assessment to make
sure data is more rigorous across the school.
9.5
We have invested in and installed Target Tracker software to track cohorts and year groups.
10) Dates of Meetings for the Year
Dates of WGB meetings for the coming year were decided, starting at 5.30pm.
11) Executive Headteacher Update
11.1 Graham Talbot is dealing with a situation at Heathfield School’s Valentine campus and will
keep PH informed. PH is spending most of his time at Heathfield; his contract is signed until 31
December. HMI have visited Heathfield and FJS staff helped greatly with this.
Question from PC: How well are you coping at FJS?
BB: We are doing well.
PH: I cannot speak highly enough of the team.
Question from PC: Are you working as two separate schools or as partner schools?
PH: It is an external partnership.
JM: In the contract it says that as FJS is a good school with outstanding features we could offer
partnership and support to Heathfield.
11.2 There are 356 children on roll. There was a Y4 appeal which the city won so the child will not
be attending FJS. A Y3 appeal will be held on 14 October. We are almost full and the fact that we
have parents appealing to come to us shows the strength of the school.
11.3 We have set aspirational targets for Y6 in reading (86.4% L4+), writing (90.3% L4+) and
maths (92.8% L4+).
11.4
We have set up coaching programmes for our teachers.
11.5 We have observed some NQT lessons that require improvement; this is as expected as we
would want new teachers to improve.
11.6 Teachers have had zero days absent (sick days) and zero days without pay since September.
All other staff have had 65 days absent and three days without pay. Rob Atkinson is sending out our
absence policy to staff and we will call people in for return to work interviews after three days of
sickness. After a limited number of absences they will have an HR interview. A memo will go out with
the absence policy explaining this. BB has delegated responsibility for absenteeism to Holly Cleveley.
11.7
Salary review statements have been done and are ready for JM to sign.
11.8 A Budget Revision handout was distributed showing FJS finances six months into the current
budget. There is just under 50% of the budget left to spend across staffing; the teaching staff
expenditure has just passed 50%. There is a £82,445 projected end of year carry forward to 2014/15.
Gary Wooldridge has seen the budget and is happy with it.
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Some minor alterations were made to the budget today (not shown on the handout). We have added
in an extra teacher under the pupil premium, full-time and fixed term until July. They will start ASAP
after the post is advertised.
We have an ongoing surplus of approximately £99k; £103k (8%) is the DfE recommended maximum
ongoing surplus.
The budget for “indirect employee expenditure” has been increased due to advertising costs. The
supply staff budget has been increased to £40k.
RH commented that swimming is proving expensive but said it is offering a superb service as the
children have the pool to themselves and brilliant instructors.
(PC left the meeting at this point.)
We have £5943 as the first tranche of sports premium money for CPD, festivals, competitive sports
etc. We also have £39,611 from the LA for uplifts.
12) Training
PH, JM, BB and RH attended the federation support and challenge training on 17 September. JM and
SL attended the Newport termly briefing on 23 September.
13) Behaviour Policy
The behaviour policy had been circulated to governors in advance and FJS staff looked at it on the
INSET day. JM requested that “hierarchy of negative consequences” is changed to “hierarchy of
consequences” and the “extreme clause” is changed to “severe consequence”. Child-friendly and
parent-friendly versions of the policy will be made once it is ratified.
The clerk highlighted that we were no longer quorate at this point. Governors discussed the policy
and agreed to recommend ratification at the next meeting.
14) AOB
 PH thanked governors for postponing the WGB meeting at short notice due to Heathfield’s
HMI visit.
 Strikes are occurring next week and FJS will probably close.
 Cleaners are very pleased with the Henry Hoover tidiest classroom award.
 Support staff performance management currently runs from September to July but because
of their pay it should run from April to March. BB has asked Rob Atkinson about this issue
and he says the decision is up to governors. JM suggests leaving it alone as support pay goes
up automatically unless payroll is advised otherwise. It is still possible to do performance
management for support staff for an academic year with the recommendation for salary
increase in March/April where appropriate.
 Copies of the new School Teachers’ Appraisal 2012 regulations and School Governance
(Roles, Procedures and Allowances) 2013 regulations were distributed.
 Governors requested that papers from WGB meetings be kept in the staffroom for absent
governors to pick up later.
15) Time and Date of Next Meeting
The next WGB will be on 12 November 2013 starting at 6.00pm.
There being no other business the meeting concluded at 7.00pm
WGB 8 October 2013
Draft 20 October 2013
Final 6 November 2013
Signed:________________________________ Date:__ ________________
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