Netherlee Primary School Parent Council

Netherlee Primary School Parent Council
Minutes: Wednesday, April 2, 2008 at Netherlee Primary School


Present: Ailsa Crum; Sara Lang; Val Graham; Sandra Mitchell; Lisa Bullen; Margaret MacDiarmid; Karen Hussain Liz Grant, Brenda Williams, Vivienne Wilson, Cress Maher, Tim Adams, Margaret Kyle; Cllr Ralph Robertson, Cllr Gordon McAskill, Cllr Mary Montague


Apologies: Steve Galloway, Kirsty McNeil, Lesley McKenna, Margaret MacDiarmid, Sue McMillan

Doctors Surgery - To date no further detailed planning application is thought to have been received by East Renfrewshire Council.

Disclosure Scotland checks - Cress Maher would pursue the possibility of receiving free checks via the CRBS website

2. Communications received since the previous meeting
At the Parents’ ‘drop in’ a parent asked about the possibility of providing liquid soap in the toilets. After discussion, it was felt liquid soap could prove more hazardous than the existing provision.

The former School Board has £23 in a Bank of Scotland bank account. Following the change in legislation, the School Bard no longer exists and has been replaced by the Parent Council. The Parent Council would like to take over the bank account and the previous signatories, who are no longer members of the Parent Council (nor indeed had been members of the School Board in its final days), should be removed. The operating address for the account should be care of Netherlee Primary School and the signatories should be Ailsa Crum and present treasurer, Sue McMillan.

 
4. 75th Anniversary details
On behalf of the sub committee, Karen Hussain reported that the artefacts handed in included dozens of photos, jotters, report cards, attendance certificates, a watch, a hat and a scarf. The school had also passed over some retained artefacts from the 50th Anniversary event. KH had sourced information from the Council’s heritage website which included ‘then and now’ photographs, that had originally appeared in historian, Douglas Nesbitt’s book “ Old Netherlee & Clarkston”. Val Graham had spoken with Douglas Nesbitt (now circa 83) who expressed a willingness to answer any Qs in advance of the exhibition and to Sir Teddy Taylor who gave a quote that could be used. Steve Galloway had visited the BBC props dept and been given permission to borrow a desk and chair a satchel and a gas mask. Margaret Kyle had drafted a flyer/poster to highlight the date of the event. VG, in liaison with KH, had drafted a letter looking for more contributions of people’s memories.

Kirsty McNeil had organised the children’s activities to centre around “Future School” and the “Time Capsule” leaving the parents a history corner of the Atrium to fill for May 21, which would make about six sides of the display boards.

During discussions it was apparent that as much preparation should be done ahead of the event as possible with particular attention to be paid to uniformity of headings and mountings. Many volunteers would be required for this task out with the confines of the PC committee.

It emerged that Vivienne Wilson was eminently experienced in mounting exhibitions and offered her help and guidance in creating a ‘look’ and suggesting quantities of mounts and stationery that needs to be pre-ordered. Sandra Mitchell would order materials. Brenda Williams distributed copies of the 75th logo.

 

Actions:
Photographs Cllr Ralph Robertson and Cllr Mary Montague to investigate the ease of taking up to date ‘like for like’ images of up to six sites. Once taken these can be arranged for the projector/plasma outputs. RR/MM/KH/BW

Memory Letters VG to update letter and pass to SM for start of school term April 21. VG and KH to liaise to distribute letter to database by post. Sue McMillan to put on website SM/VG/KH/SMcM/ school office staff

Mounts & Boards KH & VW to collude with sub group and suggest best route, passing stationery & fixings list to SM. Sub committee VW /SM Flyers MK to add logo and distribute. Friend Reunited message Lisa Bullen to explore.

Arranging volunteers prior to exhibition to help in lead up to May 13-20, ALL

5. Communications with parents and carers.

It was agreed that during May the PC would provide parents with an update of the PC activities in the form of a newsletter and signpost potential new activities for next session (such as healthy eating as previously discussed), including highlighting the PC email address and website. This would be sent out with the May school newsletter. Action AC to draft and send to SM


6. Reclassification session 2008-9
The school’s new DHT, Bryan McLachlan takes up his post from April 21 which everybody agreed was excellent news.

However disappointingly for session 2008-9, ERC has reduced the school by one staff member and has reduced the budget by £12.5k. SM reported that, in an effort to make this saving, Mr McLachlan’s current principal teacher’s post will not be replaced for at least 12 months and the vacancy caused by Mrs O ’Duffin’s departure in April will not be filled.

There will also be a number of changes to the number and structure of classes. For session 2008-09 the school will operate with 26 classes.

P1 will have x 4 classes max 25

P2 will have x 3 classes max 30

P3 will have x 3 classes max 30

There will be x1 composite P2/P3 class max 25

P4 will have x 3 classes max 33

P5 will have x 4 classes max 33

P6 will have x 4 classes max 33

P7 will have x 4 classes max 33

It was noted that many schools, including other schools in ERC, have much smaller class sizes than Netherlee.


In addition to the class changes, three pupil support assistants who were on temporary contracts have not had their contracts renewed and have left the school. They are being replaced with one full time appointee with a permanent post who has transferred from another school.

After receiving this information from the headteacher, a discussion took place on the challenges such a situation will bring: disruption to pupils and the anxiety of parents; stress for teachers; including for the school management team who will be required for another year to cover unfilled posts; less funding or time available for continuing personal development (CPD); and a potential lowering of staff morale. It was noted that it was particularly useful that all three local councillors were present at the meeting to hear first hand, the effects of the local authority budgetary cuts.

 
Action : At the end of the discussion it was agreed Ailsa Crum would raise some of these points at the next ERC PC Forum meeting. It was also noted that the PC could write to the local MSP, Ken Macintosh, and to the Cabinet Secretary for Education and Life Long learning, Fiona Hyslop, MSP. It was thought there may be value highlighting the impact of local authority cuts to these MSPs once the matter had been raised with ERC.


7. Other activity

Pupil Council A Duvet Day is planned for Fri, Apr 25

PTA Cress Maher reported that the PTA’s AGM takes place on Wed, Apr 23 at 7pm. The final round of school discos will be held shortly. Ladies ’night raised over £500 in March. A treasure hunt and sausage sizzle are planned for June 14.

Joseph Primary 3 had given several very successful and enjoyable performances of their own version of Joseph, including two in one night to which parents were invited.


8. Next meeting

It was agreed that there would be no further meeting this session. Should the need arise PC members should communicate via email regarding any additional matters such as the budgetary cuts or the doctors’ surgery developments. The sub-group focussing on the 75th Anniversary had a further meeting scheduled before the open evening. It was agreed that there would be a PC meeting early in the new school year, a key focus of which would be organising the PC AGM.