Crossmichael Parent Council Meeting

Thursday 16^th January 2020 7pm

Apologies

Carly Wilson, Marcella Eakin-Watt, Emma McCracken, Jenni Wilson, Debs Nelson

 

Attendees

Head Teacher Mary Lidstone-Scott, Chair Gilli Hodson, Treasurer Shani McMiken, Secretary Susan Hall, Jackie Kernahan, Derek Kernahan, Kate Hunter, Sarah Cooper, Heidi Gunther, Ben Wild.

 

Matters Arising

Any matters arising from minutes – Mary did send a summary about the Transformation Meetings – firstly they are going to look at schools that are not at Full capacity, the rules around less populated schools have changed. We are still looking for new chairs for staffroom.

Proposed Shani McMiken

Seconded Jackie Kernahan

 

Head Teachers Report

Since Previous Meeting on 7^th November:

• Some Primary 7 pupils from Gelston and Crossmichael engaged in maths lessons with Miss Fulton, a maths teacher from Castle Douglas High School. This resulted in a trip to CDHS where pupils participated in a maths treasure hunt around the school.
• We also had Shalla Gray work with P5-7s on the Biosphere Explorers Project.
• We entered a team into the Stewartry Dance Competition and won the ‘Best Technical Dance’ category. Thanks to Mrs Glover for coaching the team.
• Pupils showcased their learning at our achievement assembly on 13^th
• Thank you for the highly successful Bingo Night in the Village Hall. It was well attended and feedback was extremely positive with many parents asking for a repeat performance!
• Thank you for funding our tickets for the pantomime to see Cinderella at the Fiullarton Theatre. It was a lovely evening.
• Mrs Wilson resigned so we now have a 0.4fte permanent vacancy for a teacher.

 

Attainment and Achievement:

• I held tracking and monitoring meetings with teachers where they reported on pupil progress. We are slowly beginning to see attainment rising as a result of having continuity in teaching (particularly in P1-3).
• We need to report on curricular levels achieved by pupils in P1, P4 and P7 by June each year. (We would expect pupils in P1 to have achieved Early Level of the curriculum by June 2020, P4s to  have achieved First Level and P7s to have achieved Second Level.)  The stretch aim is for at least 85% of pupils to be achieving their expected curricular levels.  In June 2019 our results in literacy and numeracy were not very good:

• In November, teachers reported the number of pupils who were on track to achieve their expected curricular levels. We then looked at individuals not on track and put interventions in place to support them and to help them to be on target.  In November, teachers predicted:

Crossmichael Achievement of a Level Predictions for June 2020:
Numeracy	On Target (June 2020)		Not on Target (June 2020)
P1	12/12	100%	0/12	0%
P4	12/15	80%	3/15	20%
P7	12/12	100%	0/12	0%
Listening & Talking	On Target (June 2020)		Not on Target (June 2020)
P1	8/12	67%	4/12	33%
P4	12/15	80%	3/15	20%
P7	12/12	100%	0/12	0%
Reading	On Target (June 2020)		Not on Target (June 2020)
P1	10/12	83%	2/12	17%
P4	13/15	87%	2/15	13%
P7	9/12	75%	3/12	25%
Writing	On Target (June 2020)		Not on Target (June 2020)
P1	10/12	83%	2/12	17%
P4	12/15	80%	3/15	20%
P7	9/12	75%	3/12	25%

• Teachers will meet with me again in March and this data will be updated.
• The general trend is that attainment dips around P4 but we know the reasons behind this and we are addressing this. We continue to target pupils in P2,P3 and P4 with interventions in literacy and numeracy to help plug the gaps in their learning caused by inconsistencies in teaching and learning, due to many changes of staff.  We are also improving our curricular programmes in listening & talking, reading and writing.
• Most pupils completed standardised assessments before the Christmas holidays and these results are heartening too.

Progress Against Our School Improvement Plan:

• I am delighted to announce that the ‘Closing the Literacy Gap’ intervention has had a positive impact on learners with two pupils making gains of at least 12 months in their reading and spelling ages. This is an eight week intensive course designed to improve pupils’ knowledge and skills in reading and writing and to enable them to slot back in to class at a higher level than before.
• All staff are being trained in the methodology so that they can adapt it as a whole class approach.
• Some pupils have also been targeted for a ‘Closing the Numeracy Gap’ intervention and all staff will be trained in this approach during the February INSET days. That way the methodology will have a greater impact on learners.
• Two of my Principal Teachers, Miss Reid and Mrs Glover spent a day looking at existing programmes in listening & talking, reading and writing. They looked at current research about how children learn, analysed our attainment data and made decisions about what works and what needs to be revised.  We plan to discuss this further at our collegiate meetings and hope that we will have consistency in the programmes in place by August 2020 leading to better outcomes for learners.
• Mrs Stevens has been involved in a working party at Cluster level looking at our positive relationships policy. The Cluster schools have come up with a draft policy and we will add our procedures in at the end.  I had hoped to share this with you tonight but it is not quite ready yet so I will be sending it home for feedback before the February INSET days.

What is Planned for This Term

• Pupils will be performing their Burns Poetry in class on 24^th January and there will be a School Burns Dinner on Tuesday 28^h
• We are having an open day for parents instead of an achievement assembly on Tuesday 4^th You are welcome to come and observe what and how your child learns in school.  You are welcome to stay for as long as you wish or you can join us for one chunk of the day.  E.g. 08:50-10:30, 10:50-12:30 or 13:15-14:55.  Parents are encouraged to contact the school office with their preferred time.
• We are having a school show on Wednesday 1^st April at 6.30pm called ‘The Bumblesnouts Save the World’ which encourages us to be eco-friendly and to look after our world.
• The Easter Church Service is at 9.30am on Friday 3^rd
• I will be advertising the vacancy left by Mrs Wilson for 2 days per week.
• We have £3500 in our school fund to go towards playground developments including an outdoor classroom (to be discussed separately).
• The Pupil Council have asked us to buy some mini goals and footballs for play time. They are involving all pupils in providing ideas before the next meeting.
• The Pupil Council have asked to participate in the RSPB Big Birdwatch from 25^th-27^th January so we are going ahead with this.
• The Eco-Schools Group have a letter that they wish to pass on to you.

 Playground Developments

• I contacted Twynholm Primary School about their outdoor classroom. It was built by James Smith fencing at a cost of £8,000.  The school got £12,000 funding from Castle MacLellan Foods Ltd in Kirkcudbright.  This enabled them to use the surplus for playground development.  I have contacted them and I am waiting for them to get back to me..
• Ben’s father has designed a bench in memory of Natasha and I have asked pupils and staff where to place this. They suggets in front of the P5-7 classroom as it will be in a sunny spot.  I suggest that it is concreted into place with a wider base around it so that it is not damaged when the grass is being cut using industrial machines.

Chairman’s  Report

Gilli thanked everyone for coming and wished them a happy new year.

We would like to thank Mrs Martin for the breakfast club and the book fair.

Also we would like to thank Andrew Wilson for helping with clear out.

A discussion was had about the transformation meetings if anyone wants more info or would like to go along to one Gilli will forward the info via email.

Gelston has had a reprieve they are to keep their hot meals for the moment.

Parent Council supplied the Christmas crackers, Christmas sweets and the panto, thank you to all parents and extended families for helping raise funds for these.

Thanks also to the kitchen staff, Wilma and Rosie the Christmas lunch was fantastic.

Gilli read a letter addressed to the parent council from the “Eco Group” it was a request for compost bins inside and out. A few questions were decided upon to as the Eco Group ie costings, how many and where, and what were they going to do with the compost.

 

 

Treasurers Report

 

16.1.2020
Opening Balance	£1490.43
Income
D&G Council Funding	£174.40
Bingo Income (includes float)	£851.15
Expenditure
Bingo Float	£200.00
Bingo hall hire	£25.00
Christmas gifts & crackers	£90.25
Christmas Panto	£553.00
Closing Balance	£1647.73

 

Feedback on paperless communication / school website

The general feedback was that most people were getting used to it and were happy with it. We don’t know who looks at website we may need to see if we can log the traffic on the site.  Microsoft office forms might also be a good way to communicate. It seems to be working well for the school too.

 

Outdoor classroom / playpark / bench

The wood has been bought (Elm) and the bench is just about to be built. It was agreed by the children that it should be sighted in front of the school but not under the tree.  A plaque for the bench will be added with wording chosen by Derek. The outdoor classroom was discussed during Marys report.  We are going to apply for Castle Maclellan grant and contact Craig Smith, Ian Smith and Alan Smith for costings. Blackcraig Windfarm funding opens again on 20^th January most of these applications need to be community based we may need input from Community Council and/or Youth Club.

 

P6/7 Trip

Various different options were discussed and Mary would do some research.

 

Sports / Daily Mile

Swimming was missed due to lifts, parents would be happy to take children if they knew these events were coming up.  Curling is usually about now, have we missed it.

Mary didn’t think the daily mile was having a positive effect on the children as it was disruptive to their day.  She is willing to try again with a small test group once everything else has settled in.  A discussion was then had about sports, school involvement and sports available to our children.

 

Subscription to magazine school would like

The school would like “First News” magazine, we would get paper copies there are digital activities, lots to read and news quizzes.  We do not have a price quoted yet possibly £100 per year. The PC asked for a copy of the magazine to have a look at and costings before a decision was made.

 

AOB

None raised

 

Date of Next Meeting

Tuesday 3^rd March 7pm

 

Meeting closed at 8.30pm