Parents’ Forum 21 May 2013. Tonight’s agenda. Welcome and Introductions The concept of Parents’ Forums Protocols Updates on agenda items from 6 February.

Parents’ Forum21 May 2013

Tonight’s agenda.

• Welcome and Introductions• The concept of Parents’ Forums• Protocols• Updates on agenda items from 6 February• 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.

1. Updates on discussion topics at the last forum• Parents’ /Carers’ Consultation Evenings• Reports2. Behaviour Policy• Scenarios• What parents/carers would like to see:

3. Anti Bullying Policy: • What is bullying?• The perspective from home.• Interventions.• Support for families/victims/initiators.

Updates: Consultation Evenings

Your observations/concerns Progress to date

Form tutor evenings – good for Year 5 but not so effective in other years.

• We have a new intake parents’ evening scheduled for 27.6.13 and a coffee afternoon on Friday 13 .9.13.

• We are also looking towards calendaring an evening with Year 5 tutors. This is likely to take place in the Year 5 block and will allow families to see the pupils’ work

Subject evenings need to be earlier in the year (November/December) with a follow up meeting in March.

• We are looking towards evenings in late October. • Staff are not averse to a second series of evenings

later in the year.

First night : general – open/specific in the hall. Second night –specific and private.

• Accommodation is a problem. If teachers are in separate rooms, movement time will be needed.

• Is the compromise one worth making? • If children do not accompany parents/carers will

movement be achieved easily?

Your observations: Progress to date:One teacher in each classroom – it’s quieter and more private.

• If a more private setting is required – is it the case that a longer appointment time or telephone follow up is needed?

Taking action to make sure that appointment times are kept to.

• It’s the problem facing all schools. • One suggestion was for staff to have signs on desks

saying ‘This is my 5.30 p.m. appointment’

Which teacher? Which subject? Name badges.

• Names were marked on the staff desks.• Staff were in alphabetical order• We could add subjects, but some staff are

generalists.• We can accommodate this via the booking forms.

Five minutes insufficient • We understand the comment but if longer is needed, a separate phone call or meeting should be requested.

• The only way other schools get around this is to close early. Do we want to make this compromise?

Your observations/concerns: Progress to date:

No work to view • We asked staff to have books or work available where possible. How effective was this?

• We are looking at work viewing evenings ??????Difficulty in making appointments – especially for pupils with SEN.Make clear child is welcome. • This was mentioned in the letter that came home

about consultation evening.Part time and supply staff do not always attend.

• Supply staff are not contracted to attend – but some do.

• Part time staff are required to attend pro rata training days and consultation evenings. – we do try to work with them to arrange time off in lieu but unfortunately some colleagues have other commitments. Others will attend quite happily.

Updates: Consultation Evenings

Updates: ReportsYour observations/concerns Progress to datePossibility of misinterpretation of information.

• Hopefully the letter attached to the assessment reports make this clearer.

Can we find a different word to ‘satisfactory’?

• Ofsted would say ‘In need of improvement’, another suggestion would be ‘average’ or ‘acceptable’. It’s certainly something we can look at.

More explanation of terms e.g. Excellent is hard to achieve.

• Hopefully this message is getting through but we will keep reinforcing this.

Please don’t give effort grades as numbers – it confuses them with attainment.

• It’s a fair point butthe children are used to using numbers e.g. when E/U –ing their work at the end of a lesson or piece of work. We are looking towards being consistent.

No ‘management speak’ • Fair point !! It will be passed on to subject staff ahead of the summer reports.

Updates: ReportsYour observations/concerns Progress to date

Should comment on progress or lack of since last parents’ evening.

• We are looking to show a measure of progress over the course of the year as we move towards the end of year reports.

• We will look at assessment reports for next year. Should show targets and how to improve.

• This will be a feature in the summer reports – remember we can only have one written report per year.

• Hopefully feedback via consultation evening s and marking will help here.

Should show child’s progress against peer group.

• We will give national targets as a benchmark.

Please can we have historical levels shown on reports to help track progress?

• We are looking at this!

Written reports for Years 5, 6, 7 in March. Year 8 in the summer.

• We can look towards this, but would then move away from consultation evenings at this time.

Behaviour Policy

• The school is required to have a published behaviour policy, which has been produced in consultation with all stakeholders.

• We are currently reviewing our behaviour policy and have already consulted with staff and pupils.

• Ofsted have said behaviour and safety at Linslade are good. We agree but know that children do make mistakes from time to time.

Scenario 1

A pupil is disruptive in two teachers’ lessons; calling out and preventing learning. He completes very little work in his remaining lessons but is not disruptive. He is capable but produces little or no work.

How do you proceed?

Scenario 2

A pupil with a range of special needs loses control in a lesson. The behaviour displayed disrupts the learning of the other pupils and does cause them to feel concerned and worried.

How do you proceed?

Scenario 3

a) Two boys have an argument that develops into a fight. One punches the other. The other punches him back. When discussing the incident with their Head of Year, both accept they were in the wrong, apologise to each other (as they are good friends really!), shake hands and ask if they can move on.

How do you proceed?

Behaviour Policy:

• What principles would you like to see underlining our new behaviour policy?

• We are looking towards a series of stages – are there too many or too few?

• What do your children say about how behaviour is managed at Linslade?

• What would help you to support us on those rare occasions when things go wrong?

Anti Bullying

• We are also in the early stages of reviewing our anti bullying policy.

• One of the first principles is to establish what bullying is.

Scenario 1

A parent contacts the school to say that their child is being bullied. Five other pupils have made comments about his appearance and have been doing so for a number of weeks. He has had enough.Is this bullying? How should the school proceed?

Scenario 2

A pupil sends an image of another pupil via the internet along with an insulting comment. This happened in the evening. It’s the first time it has happened. Is this bullying? How should the school proceed?

Scenario 3

Two girls have an argument and call each other names.

Is this bullying? How should the school proceed?

New anti-bullying policy

• What would you like to see in this?• How can we support you and your children?• What is the perception of bullying and how it

is dealt with in school?• How can we use our new policy to address

these concerns?

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 22 October• Issues for discussion• Next steps• Date of the next forum: to be announced!!

Thank you for coming this [email protected]

Immediate Priorities 2012 - 13

Teaching and Learning

CPDPM QA

Leading to

Increased outcomes for

all

But without

losing track of what

makes us special!Staff morale & well-being

ALL

WILL

NEED

TO

BE

EVIDENCED