Netherlee Primary School Parent Council

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This report was submitted to East Renfrewshire Council

 

 

Netherlee Parent Council: Annual Report session 2007-08 

Introduction 

  1. This annual report has been prepared following a request made by ERC to Netherlee Primary School. Because of the timing of the request, the report has been drafted by the chair of the Netherlee Parent Council (PC) and distributed to PC members by email.
 

Meetings 

  1. The PC held five formal meetings during 2007-08, including the inaugural AGM on 3 October 2007. In addition, the PC formed a sub-group to work on arrangements for supporting the school’s 75th anniversary celebrations.
 

Members & office bearers 

  1. Given the size of the school, the notional maximum membership is 24, not including co-opted members (of which there may be up to four). During 2007-08, the PC had a total of 17 members comprised of 14 parent members and three staff members, the latter including the headteacher. The PC chose not to co-opt any members during the year. All three councillors for the ward attended meetings at various points, and one of the councillors attended all meetings. Attendance by PC members during 2007-08 was good, with an average of 14 members in attendance at each meeting. One member was unable to attend the evening meetings but was nonetheless active in providing support and assistance with projects.
 
  1. The PC had four office bearers: a chair (Ailsa Crum), vice chair (Steve Galloway), minute secretary (Val Graham) and a combined post of webmaster & treasurer (Sue McMillan).
 
  1. Continuity of membership from the former School Board to the PC was assisted by three parent members (including the former School Board chair) and two staff members who had been School Board members joining the PC. While it is anticipated that considerable continuity of membership will be achieved for the PC between 2007-08 and 2008-09, the membership and office bearers will be confirmed at the AGM on 21 October 2008. It should also be noted that new members may join the PC during the year, and will be encouraged to do so.
 

Communication with Parent Forum 

  1. The PC communicated with the Parent Forum in a variety of ways including:
 
    • Holding an inaugural meeting incorporating an ideas exchange/focus group session
    • Establishing the PC email address and website
    • Issuing PC newsletters (including highlighting the email & website) with school newsletters
    • PC members attending school meetings and events such as parent drop-in sessions and the coffee morning for P1 parents
 
  1. Links between the PC and other school groups were facilitated through the PC membership: the PTA chair and the member of staff responsible for coordinating the Netherlee Pupil Council were both members of the PC.
 
  1. In addition, communication was enhanced by the PC taking measures to establish an ‘identity’ within the school, for example at the inaugural meeting the PC selected a logo (see above) from a sample provided through a pupil competition. The PC also chose to issue all correspondence to parents on pink paper (mirroring the PTA approach of using orange).
 

Links beyond the school 

  1. The PC has kept itself informed of key issues in parental involvement through attendance at the ERC Parent Council Forum and regular reference to the material made available through Learning and Teaching Scotland and the Scottish Government (eg Parentzone). During 2007-08, the PC was in membership of the Scottish Parent Councils Association. For 2008-09, the PC has agreed that it will not renew its membership until the new national body for PC representation has been agreed by the Scottish Government. The school continues to have membership of the Scottish Parent Teacher Council through its PTA.
 
  1. The PC has retained links to the community through the wider involvements of its members, the participation of the councillors for the Netherlee ward, communication with the local residents’ association, and specific contacts with residents and local places of worship in pursuit of the school’s 75th anniversary celebrations.
 

Areas of involvement 

  1. In addition to the work of establishing the PC, such as taking over responsibility for a bank account held by the former School Board, the PC has been active in promoting parental involvement. Key areas of interest and involvement for the PC during 2007-08 have included:
 
  • School anniversary – working with the school and PTA on celebrations for the 75th anniversary, specifically significant involvement in the organisation of an open evening and ongoing work to produce a commemorative booklet.
 
  • Doctors’ surgery – following developments and communicating with relevant departments of ERC regarding plans for a doctors’ surgery in the school vicinity.
 
  • Polling station – communication with ERC in the hope of ending the use of the school as a polling station. Unfortunately, despite receiving the written support of over one hundred families with children at the school, the PC was unsuccessful in persuading ERC to find an alternative location.
 
  • Internet safety and technology – working with the school in this area which resulted in the school organising two events one specifically on internet safety and the other on the use of interactive whiteboards. While the first of these events was not well attended by parents, those who did attend highlighted how useful it had been.
 
  • Promoting communication – working in a range of ways including establishing the PC email and website as indicated above.
 
  • School resource – communicating with the Parent Forum, senior staff of the school and the Director of Education concerning proposed staffing resource for the school in 2008-09.
 
  1. A number of these topics will be carried forward to 2008-09. In addition, the PC has already agreed to establish two sub-groups to focus on: healthy eating; and organising a sports event.  Both of these projects will involve close working with the school and the PTA.
 

Budget 

  1. Despite the ambitious and varied programme of work, the PC did not use the entire budget provided by ERC. Some PC activities were cross-subsidised by others including the PTA (for example a modest monetary prize for the winner of the PC logo competition) and PC members (for example stationery and postage being provided by PC members). The PC minute secretary was also a member of the PC (and of the Parent Forum) and, therefore, the role was fulfilled on an honorary basis. The budget provided by ERC in order to pay an external PC clerk was unused and returned for the benefit of the school at the end of the 2007-08 financial year. 
 

 
 

Ailsa Crum

Netherlee PC chair 2007-08