Transcript Document

Parents’ Forum
10 March 2014
Tonight’s agenda.
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Welcome and Introductions
The concept of Parents’ Forums
Protocols
Updates on agenda items from 19 November
2013
• Issues for discussion
• Next steps
• Date of the next forum
What is a Parents’ Forum?
• A group of parents and carers who meet once a
term to discuss school-related issues.
• A Parent’s Forum provides a valuable way to
listen to the ideas and concerns of families and
seek their views, helping to make sure the needs
of children and their families are met.
• Meetings led by school staff and governors,
usually by the Headteacher and the Chair of
Governors.
• A genuine opportunity for open discussion
according to a pre-published agenda.
Why hold a Parents’ Forum?
• Regular, open communication and
consultation with parents and carers are
important elements in informing school
improvement.
• This is another mechanism through which
parents and carers can feed into the life and
development of our school.
Sharing information.
• Parents and carers are encouraged to share
information from Parents’ Forums with
parents and carers of other children.
Protocols for
The Parents’ Forum.
• Agenda items should be tabled before the forum
• The agenda for each meeting will be published in the
school’s newsletter.
• Parents & carers will be asked to register their interest in
attending the next forum via
[email protected]
• Please note that all issues, whether you raise them yourself
or on behalf of other parents/carers, should be general
issues, not related to a specific child, teacher or incident.
• If you have specific concerns about your child your first
point of contact should always be their form teacher/ head
of year or the subject leader/head of department.
Issues for discussion.
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2.
Updates on discussion topics at the last forum:
School Meals
Values Education
Engaging Parents in School Life:
Using ‘Parent/Carer Power’ to support School Improvement.
3. Linslade looking back looking forward:
Raising Achievement Plan/School Improvement Plan.
• Where are we half way through the three year plan?
• What are our planned next steps?
• Is there anything we are missing?
Updates:
School Meals
Comments
Actions to date
The queues are too long
and food runs out if pupils
are at the end of the line
We have changed the queuing system to allow packed
lunches and hot food pupils to eat together. Queues are
monitored, but we serve ?? lunches per day. Choice may
be limited towards the end of the service
Portions are too small
The portion size is based on CBC guidelines - but we are
visiting other middle schools to make comparisons.
No idea what the pupils
are eating – Please can we
have menus?
These will be in place by Easter
Break time snacks e.g.
bacon rolls are too filling
and are eaten too close to
lunch.
They are eaten at 10.15 a.m. and we do offer alternatives.
We will consult with the children via School Council
Updates:
School Meals
Comments
Actions to date
Children enjoy their
dinners
Good!
Snack choice – good range
/not such a good range.
We will consult with the children
Value for Money
We are competitive with other middle schools – to
increase portion size, we will need to increase prices.
(Other schools charge £2.10. We charge £2.00)
Updates:
Values Education
Comments
Feedback/ Actions to date
Values Education is not clearly explained or
properly understood by some parents.
We have alluded to this in more detail in
recent newsletters e.g. introducing the
‘Thought For the Week’ and when referring
to the arrival of our new logo. We will go into
more detail in the next newsletter when the
Values’ logo will take pride of place.
Parents would like more clarification
/explanation of Values Education.
Inconsistency in getting Values Points/ What
are Values Points given for?
This was an issue but should have been
overcome by the introduction of the new
Behaviour Policy, which outlines the VP tariff.
Bucketful of Joy: Some pupils don’t like
standing up in assembly.
It is true some don’t but others do and we are
looking towards a culture of taking pride in
positive achievement.
Could pupils give Values Points to teachers?
An interesting idea. We already have ‘Tutor of
the Month’ in Year 8. This could be worth
extending.
Discussion Item 1:
Engaging Parents/Carers- At Present:
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Transition Evenings
New Intake Assembly
Consultation Evenings
Reports
Fixtures
Events e.g. plays/Talent Show
SATs Evenings
Literacy and Numeracy
Sessions
• Growing Pains Evenings
• Parents’ Forum
• LSPTA
• Walking to Church at
Christmas
• We have our first ‘official’
volunteer in place
• Newsletters
• Emails
• 1:1 Meetings
• Staff at the gate in the
morning and the evening
• Parental questionnaires – but
only really successful in
school.
Key Observations
• The relationship between school and families changes greatly
during the middle school years.
• Children of parents who take an active interest in their education
make more progress than other children.
• In the primary years, family influences have more effect upon
children’s attainment and progress than school factors.
• Gains in pupil achievement stemming from parental engagement
initiatives tend to be permanent.
• Parents’ aspirations for their children strongly predict their
achievement, as does the parents’ own self-beliefs.
• Reading achievement is best where parents engage in activities that
involve putting words into broader contexts, read to the child and
listen to the child reading.
• In parenting it is what you do (not who you are that counts).
How can we engage parents & carers
more effectively in learning and in
school improvement as a whole?
Feedback from Parental Questionnaire
Discussion item 2: Half Way Through
the Three Year Plan.
Year 1:
Year 2:
Year 3:
Year 4:
Building a culture for school
improvement.
The Year of Teaching and Learning
The Year of Progress
The Year of Excellence.
Strategic Intentions (the next 5 years)
• To improve standards and outcomes for all pupils in order to
become an ‘outstanding’ school based on high performance and a
broad range of learning opportunities.
• To be the school of choice in our local area, respected by our pupils,
parents/carers, local community and learning community.
• To enjoy an excellent reputation as a safe and caring school, where
excellence in teaching and learning and high achievement are the
norm and pupils enjoy ‘a whole learning experience’ in preparation
for their next steps and future life.
• To present well –resourced facilities in order to ensure the best
learning opportunities we can provide.
• To establish ourselves as a lead partner in uniting through-schooling
in 0 – 19 education in our local area.
• To be a lead partner in providing joined-up services to a partnership
of schools.
Overarching Strategy
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Focusing upon Teaching and Learning: Development of existing staff and ensuring
new staff are at least ‘good’ practitioners and committed to the drive and ethos of
our school.
Succession Planning: Developing and appointing leaders at governor, senior and
middle leadership levels who are committed to our drive for excellence via:
- High levels of effective monitoring and quality assurance, which inform
and deliver improvement
- The modeling of inspirational and effective strategies for teaching and
learning, which produce enjoyment of learning and outstanding outcomes
for all.
A commitment to relevant and effective continuing professional development for
all adults within our school community.
Recognising and celebrating success.
Challlenging underperformance.
Maintaining the incredible spirit of community that exists within our school whilst
looking to extend and develop this within our local area and beyond.
Developing effective partnerships with local schools and schools further afield as
we continue to drive forward our pursuit for excellence.
Summary of targets 2013 - 14
Target
Improving the quality of
teaching to improve learning
outcomes
Improving achievement
Overall Effectiveness
Success Indicators
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By the end of December 80% of teaching will be at least good.
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By April 2014, 85% of teaching will be at least good.
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By July 2014, 100% of teaching will be at least good OR plans to support improvement will be in
place.
At least:
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92% of pupils will achieve L4 or above in Reading at the end of KS2 (FFTB) . FFTD= 94%
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87% of pupils will achieve L4 or above in Writing at the end of KS2(FFTB). FFTD = 92%
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88% of pupils will achieve L4 or above in Maths at the end of KS2 (FFTB). FFTD = 92%
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82% of pupils will achieve L4 or above in Reading, Writing and Maths at the end of KS2(FFTB).
FFTD = 87%
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63% of pupils will achieve L4b or above in Reading and Maths including a L4+ in Writing. (in line
with national figures for 2013)
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All groups in Year 5 will make at least 3.5 points of progress in all subjects during the year.
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All groups in Year 6 will have made at least 3.5 points of progress during the year and at least 7
points of progress in all subjects since entry.
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All groups in Year 7 will have made at least 4 points of progress in all subjects by the end of the
year and at least 11 points of progress since entry.
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All groups in Year 8 will have made at least 4 points of progress in all subjects during the year, 8
points of progress since the start of KS3 and 15 points of progress since entry to Linslade.
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We aim to be good in all four areas by July 2014:
Teaching and Learning
Achievement
Behaviour and Safety
Leadership and Management
What we have achieved/ are in the
process of achieving.
• Buried the past!
• Established a plan for recovery
based on our strengths and
recognising where we need to
improve.
• Re-discovered our positive ethos.
• Made key appointments – HOD
English, Finance and Business
Manager, Data Manager.
• Re-structured the management
systems of the school.
• Middle leaders are being trained.
• Consulted more with families
• Moved Y5 back into the Y5 block.
• Re-structured the school day.
• Reviewed our consultation
evenings.
• Reviewed how we market
ourselves (prospectus – but
website still needs some
attention).
• Re-established relationships with
our community – including the
press.
• Our children are happy and feel
safe
• We undertook a Benchmark
Inspection.
The inspection told us we do the
following well:
• The school cares for the children, the relationships across the
school are very good. Pupils treat each other with respect and
pupils are very respectful and polite to adults.
• Progress in Maths and Science, and in general, in foundation
subjects, is good across the four year journey at Linslade.
• There are some examples of outstanding teaching in Music and PE
• The energy and drive of the Headteacher, and her knowledge of the
pupils, sets a good example to both staff and pupils.
• The pastoral care, values education, caring ethos and a strong
assembly show the school to be caring and inclusive.
• Literacy across the curriculum is very strong, and other subject are
responding well to the initiative.
But what remains to be done?
Raising standards and outcomes.
• We have set ourselves and the children
challenging targets.
• We need to have higher expectations of the
children.
• There needs to be more pace, stretch and
challenge in lessons.
• Marking needs to inform next steps.
• Pupils need to have time to reflect on learning.
Discussion Points:
• How far does this correlate with your
expectations of and aspirations for our school
as we move forward?
• What aren’t we doing that we should be
doing?
• What isn’t in out plan?
What can parents and carers do to
support the school?
• Ensure pupils attend regularly.
• Encourage pupils to take a pride in their work –
second best is not an option!
• Encourage punctuality – to school and to lessons.
• Supporting reading, writing and numeracy at
home.
• Maintain a balance by telling us when we get it
right ( as well as when we could do better!).
• http://parentview.ofsted.gov.uk/
Tonight’s agenda
•
•
•
•
•
•
Welcome and Introductions
The concept of Parents’ Forums
Protocols
Updates on agenda items from 19 November
Issues for discussion
Next steps
Next Forum
• Date: Wednesday June 11
• Topics for discussion
– Format /content of newsletter
– Life after Ofsted
Thank you for coming this evening!
[email protected]