Minutes of Parent Council Meeting – 15.02.2022

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Crossmichael Primary Parent Council Meeting 15/2/22 7-7.35pm.

Attendees: Ben Wild, Chairperson, Shani McMicken, Treasurer, Sarah Cooper, secretary, Mary Cruickshanks, Headteacher, Jackie and Dereck Carnochan, Hannah Green, Amber Dunlop-Pajo, Louise.

Apologies: Debs Nelson, Natalie Richards.

Minutes of last meeting: proposed by Ben and seconded by Shani

Chairperson’s report:

Online parent council meetings to continue until more advice

D&G parent council meeting coming up if anyone would like to go ask Ben for details. Feedback from this forum on what is happening in parent councils across the region similar to what we are doing: online meetings, representing parents views, fundraising, involvement in school direction and values.

Treasures report:

Opening balance £1751.21

Income: £76 Halloween Quiz, £180.20 D&G council (payment from last year), £177.60 D&G council

Expenditure: £47.26 Halloween party, £132.50 and £53.45 for Christmas parties, crackers and presents, £176.47 Lockerbie Manor Bus

Closing balance £1773.33

 

Headteachers report:

Updates

Approaching Christmas, the number of confirmed cases was increasing but we were still able to enjoy Christmas parties and our Christmas dinner.   We wish to thank the Parent Council for donating tubes of sweets to the children and for paying for Christmas crackers and party prizes.

 

Our pupils across the partnership schools created a ‘Christmas Around the World’ performance that was shared with parents via a link to the recording.

 

School re-opened as normal on Friday 7th January.  By the middle of the month, Gelston Primary was impacted by an increase in positive cases.  Luckily, the school did not have to send any classes home.

 

By the start of February, pupils and staff at Crossmichael Primary began to test positive and several classes were sent home for a few days as we struggled with staff shortages.    On Thursday 10th February, 9 members of staff were absent and supply staff were in high demand so it was not always possible to find cover for teachers or Learning Assistants.

 

Pupils continue to engage in instrumental tuition lessons via computer – guitar, saxophone.

 

Active Schools have been running lunch clubs and are scheduled to work with some classes.

 

Feis Rois have been working with our P2-4 children completing a programme on body percussion, jigs and reels.

 

 

Lockerbie Manor re-Scheduled

Over a third of pupils across the partnership had Covid and would have missed out on the trip to Lockerbie Manor so we arranged for the trip to be re-scheduled from 7th-9th February to 2nd-4th March.  Although we are unable to attend with Lochruttn, Hardgate and Springholm there are plans for us to engage in transition activities later in the year.

 

 

Staffing

In Term 2, Mrs Marscheider became Acting Principal Teacher (PT) at Gelston from Mondays-Thursdays to cover Miss Reid’s absence.  She continued to teach P1/2 at Crossmichael each Friday.  Miss Holman taught the children on Fridays.

 

In January, Miss Reid returned to Gelston but Mrs Maxwell had retired leaving a vacancy for a PT every Friday.  For the first half of Term 3, Mrs Marscheider taught P1/2 for four days and was Acting PT at Gelston on a Friday.  Miss Holman taught P1/2 Monday-Thursday.

 

This week, Mrs Marscheider has agreed to return to teaching P1/2 at Crossmichael on a full-time basis.  It is hoped that this will give more continuity for pupils.  We thank Miss Holman for teaching P1/2 and wish her well as she swaps to teach P4-7 at Gelston each Friday.

 

I have taken the decision not to appoint a PT at Gelston on a Friday for the rest of this session.  There are several reasons for this.  Firstly, the recruitment process would involve offering the position to an existing teacher within our partnership schools which would cause further upheaval to classes.  If no one was interested/ suitable then we would need to advertise externally.  This process would take several weeks and would mean the P4-7 class at Gelston having a supply teacher for that time.

 

One permanent supply teacher was appointed to the Stewartry Cluster schools – Dalbeattie, Castle Douglas and Kirkcudbright.  We have allocated Miss Ross a Cluster each day and then timetabled her within those schools over the weeks until July 2021.

 

Snapshot of Attainment Data for D&G Council

On 11th February, D&G Council asked us to submit data to show which pupils were on track/ not on track to achieve their expected Curriculum for Excellence Levels by June 2021.  The national expectation is:

  • Most pupils in P1 will achieve Early Level by June 2021
  • Most pupils in P4 will chieve First Level by June 2021
  • Most pupils in P7 will achieve Second Level by June 2021

(It takes approximately three years for a child to achieve each level.)

 

 

 

 

 

 

Our data shows:

Crossmichael Achievement of a Level

Predictions for June 2022:
Numeracy On Target

 

 Not on Target

 
P1 7/8 88% 1/8 12%
P2 17/19 89% 2/19 11%
P3 14/17 82% 3/17 18%
P4 4/11 36% 7/11 64%
P5 9/15 60% 6/15 40%
P6 10/16 63% 6/16 37%
P7 8/11 73% 3/11 27%
Listening & Talking On Target

 

 Not on Target

 
P1 6/8 75% 2/8 25%
P2 16/19 84% 3/19 16%
P3 15/17 88% 2/17 12%
P4 11/11 100% 0/11 0%
P5 9/15 60% 6/15 40%
P6 12/16 75% 4/16 25%
P7 8/11 73% 3/11 27%
Reading

 

 On Target

 

 Not on Target

 
P1 6/8 75% 2/8 25%
P2 16/19 84% 3/19 16%
P3 12/17 71% 5/17 29%
P4 8/11 73% 3/11 27%
P5 7/15 47% 8/15 53%
P6 11/16 69% 5/16 31%
P7 7/11 64% 4/11 36%
Writing

 

 On Target

 

 Not on Target

 
P1 6/8 75% 2/8 25%
P2 15/19 79% 4/19 21%
P3 13/17 76% 4/17 24%
P4 8/11 73% 3/11 27%
P5 5/15 33% 10/15 67%
P6 10/16 63% 6/16 37%
P7 8/11 73% 3/11 27%
  • It is heartening to note that the percentages are generally higher in P1-P4. These pupils have experienced more consistency (despite Covid) in curricular programmes and approaches to learning and leaching since October 2018.

 

  • 41% of our pupils have additional support needs.  (We have 11 Child’s Plans and 14 Individual Education Plans.) This has a significant impact on overall attainment percentages but individually each child is making good progress on their own learning journey.

 

  • Many pupils in P5 require targeted support for individual needs.

 

  • We have targeted several individuals in with ‘Closing the Literacy Gap’ and ‘Fastlane’ interventions.

 

  • Some staff have been trained in the ‘Closing the Numeracy Gap’ intervention and all staff are now trained in the universal ‘Developing Number Knowledge’ approach to raise attainment in numeracy. (This is a priority on our School Improvement Plan this year.)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Parents’ Evenings

We plan to have telephone consultations with parents in March.  Parents will be allocated a ten minute appointment to discuss their child’s progress.

 

Fundraising:

Still unclear when could hold physical events, ? Term 4. Shani felt it may be good to hold an Easter egg hunt or similar in community woodland. Ben and Shani to discuss egg hunt/orienteering event.

AOB:

Mary was approached by council re speed limit at Gelston School being reduced to 20mph, she enquired re Crossmichael but was informed not on the list. Mary outlined previous parent council discussions about road safety at school pick up and drop off. No further contact since.

Shani asked about Bikeability as needing help with this, Ben offered to pass contact details for Al and Rose who also have training.

Next meeting date: AGM and meeting 9th May 7pm.

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