Minutes : Wednesday, November 7, 2007 at Netherlee Primary School
Present: Ailsa Crum; Margaret Kyle; Sara Lang; Sue McMillan; Val Graham; Kirsty McNeil; Sandra Mitchell; Lesley McKenna; Lisa Bullen; Margaret MacDiarmid; Karen Hussain; Councillor Mary Montague (part); Councillor Ralph Robertson.
1. Apologies: Tim Adams, Vivienne Wilson, Steve Galloway, Cress Maher
Aida Santory Goslan, Brenda Williams
2. Minutes of previous meeting held October 3 were approved. John Summers has resigned and Liz Grant has joined.
List of contact details
3. A full list of PC details has been requested by East Renfrewshire Council. Most have been passed to Ailsa Crum already. Any outstanding ones should be passed to her ASAP.
Action: AC to send completed form to ERC
Use of the Internet & child protection
4. Anne McLean, Quality Improvement Officer from ERC is to be invited to next meeting, Dec 12, to discuss areas she can present to parent forum specifically on internet initiatives and safety. These won’t overlap the presentation organised by Bryan McLachlan on Jan 17. Action: AC to contact
Parent Council website
5. Sue McMillan presented website research. She had previously explored routes with Rona Kennedy at ERC and Tim Adams. It was agreed that the web address www.netherleeparentcouncil.org.uk and that the initial ISP host should be with Microsoft Office Live Basic. After 60 days this could be switched. There is no charge at present. Size and stability issues are important.
Action : SMcM and TA to liase and advance committing to an annual fee of up to £50 if required.
Use of school as polling station
6. Councillor Mary Montague advised the meeting that ERC has been carrying out a review of current polling stations and ERC has agreed to delay finalisation of that review to hear from members of the public. She told the meeting that if anyone had objections to Netherlee Primary School being used as a polling station it was a matter of urgency to raise this with the Council. A brief discussion followed. The strongest feelings were with regard to difficulties of finding childcare. Sandra Mitchell agreed on behalf of the school it was an inconvenience and she would prefer the polling station to be elsewhere. Councillor Robertson said that other local organisations could benefit from a rental income if their facilities were hired eg churches, halls, synagogues.
The PC as a body decided to invite individual parents to raise objections with ERC as well as writing directly. Karen Hussain to draft letter to be forwarded to all parents via pupil post.
Responses will be forwarded to school office where the PC will forward these to ERC’s Director of Central Services, Jeff Hawkins. The Parent Council email address can also be used to collect opinion.
Action: KH to liase with AC over drafting and collecting
New doctors’ surgery in Netherlee
7. The granting of outline planning consent for the new doctors’ surgery to be built near the school was raised. PC members agreed they were concerned how it might affect the school and wanted to follow matters closely as it progressed further through the planning process.
Action : Lisa Bullen to consider an approach liaising with SM
Parent Council work plan
8. Ideas from brainstorm at the inaugural PC meeting had been collated by Steve Galloway and circulated. It was agreed there were many worthwhile initiatives to pursue over time. The main challenge for areas which required feedback on the curriculum was that the school’s collegiate time until June 08 was already committed making it difficult for school staff resources to be committed specifically to these. SM said that it would be sensible to add some of the key ones into the planning process for collegiate times /curriculum for session 2008/9 and also to give consideration to producing/updating some curriculum leaflets. AC suggested the PC prepare a communication to all parents, hopefully to accompany the December school newsletter, informing the parent forum about where the PC is with its work and which ideas it’s pursuing in the coming year.
Action : All agree and prioritise with SM near school year end which initiatives to take forward into planning process for 2008/09.Val Graham,SG,AC to liase over newsletter.
Healthy eating
9. Kirsty McNeil gave details of a healthy eating initiative that was proposed for 2008 which would include a cooking club. Sara Lang interested to support. Funding still being sought so can’t yet be confirmed.
Action: KM to update at next meeting
75th anniversary
10. 2008 marks the school’s 75th anniversary. Staff and pupils are already coming up with ideas including a concert from May 7-9, and a group photo of Ps 1-7. The school asked if the PC could help with some community-led initiatives. A small sub-group was formed comprising Margaret Kyle, KH, KM and Margaret MacDiarmid although the task will be opened up for wider help.
Action: An initial brief to be formalised 75th anniversary committee
Quality & Standards Report
11. SM tabled copies of the school’s quality and standards report for 2006-07 and requested that this should be discussed at the next PC meeting.
Next meeting: Wednesday, December 12, 7.00pm Netherlee Primary School