Governors have an important role to play in the life of the school. They have the job of seeing that the school promotes high educational standards. In particular they have to set targets for pupil achievement in year 6. They must make sure that the range of subjects taught is broad and balanced. Legally they must ensure that appropriate religious education is given. They have a duty to report to the community and to government on assessments and examination results. They must agree the policies by which the school should be run. Legally they are responsible for agreeing how the school budget should be spent. They have to decide the number of staff, the policy on staff pay and how this is applied. They are responsible for appointing the head teacher and the other staff. They have to decide on matters of pupil and staff conduct and discipline. When the school is inspected the governors have to respond by drawing up an action plan. It is all important and interesting work. It sounds demanding but lots of help is available. To be effective the most important things are that governors know and care about their local community and are willing to work hard to help the school.
How do people become governors?
As the table above listing our governors shows, there are four types of governor. The Head Teacher is automatically entitled to one place and our constitution has one governor elected by the teachers and another elected by staff who are not teachers. Four of our governors must be parents who are elected by our parents. Sadly not many parents ask about being governors so we don’t often have elections. Our local authority, Calderdale, now nominates 2 governors but they too find it hard to get volunteers so we can suggest people to them who might make good governors. Finally our governing body can elect 3 more willing volunteers as community governors. If you think you might like to be a governor (normally for four years) please ask for more details at the school office.
Achievements 2002 - 2003
Pupils’ rates of absence
Frequent days off school can seriously harm a child’s education and can disrupt the work of the whole class. Governors and staff are pleased that, as the graph shows, the total percentage of school days lost to children through absence has fallen again this year. Our target was less than 6% and the final absence rate was 5.3%. Much of our authorised absence stems from extended holidays abroad, e.g. in Pakistan. It is also because some families take long holidays for Eid. The fall in our absence rates is partly due to work done by school staff, particularly our Home School Liaison Officer, in making sure that school days are not missed by pupils unnecessarily. A few families have caused an increase in unauthorised absence this year. Could all parents please make sure they let the school know if children are unable to attend school?
Attendance figures for all year groups
Year group On roll % attendance % authorisedabsence % unauthorised absence
Year 15295.04.5 0.47
Year 2 6490.98.9 0.23
Year 3 6093.16.70.21
Year 4 5694.65.10.32
Year 5 6194.55.30.20
Year 6 6795.64.20.15
Yrs 1-6 360 94.05.7 0.26
Type of GovernorNameAreaAppointedExpiry Date
Ex officio Mr G Ahmed
Community Miss L Smallman ICT19/03/07 18/03/11
Community Mr P Smith Chair 22/04/06 21/04/10
Community VACANCY
LEA Mr G Burn Health & Safety 23/12/05 21/12/09
LEA Mr J Harber 30/11/06 29/11/10
Staff Mr K Moran Child Protection, Inclusion 01/09/06 31/08/10
Staff Mr P Khangura 01/09/06 31/08/10
Staff Observer Mrs R Stanger
Parent Mrs T Hussain Literacy 16/05/05 15/05/09
Parent Mrs N Akhtar Governor Training 20/09/04 19/09/08
Parent Mr A Ayub Numeracy 19/03/07 18/03/11
Parent VACANCY
Chair of Governors Mr P Smith
Vice Chair Mr A Ayub
Clerk to the GovernorsMrs J Hanson
We were sorry to lose Nadeem Afzal and Karen Trueman-Smith during the year due to pressure of other work and Maggie Handsley who retired at the end of the year. All three worked hard for the school and will be sorely missed on the governing body. We welcomed Adib Hussain in 2003-04. The Governing Body appiled to Calderdale LEA under new regulations to amend our constitution. From September 2003 we have had 2 rather than 3 LEA nominated governors. We have kept the 4 parent, 3 community and 3 staff governors.
If you want to contact the governors:
THE CLERK TO THE GOVERNORS: Sandra Armitage, Parkinson Lane CPS, Parkinson Lane. HALIFAX. HX1 3XL
THE CHAIR FOR 2003/04: Peter Smith, Parkinson Lane CPS, Parkinson Lane. HALIFAX. HX1 3XL
During 2002/03 the Governing Body had 8 Committees:
Cm CURRICULUM SDA STAFF DISMISSAL APPEAL COMPLAINTS PANEL
SF STAFFING & FINANCE APPEALS FOR PERFORMANCE MANAGEMENT
The governors have made no claims for travelling expences in this academic year.
National Curriculum Assessment Results at Key Stage 1 (children aged 6 - 7)
Teacher Assessment
Number of eligible pupils 55Working towards level 1 (%)1234+PDPA
(%) (%) (%) (%)
Speaking & listening 5 36 58 0 0 0 0
Reading 2 31 65 2 0 0 0
Writing 2 38 60 0 0 0 0
Maths 2 38 60 0 0 0 0
Science 0 36 64 0 0 0 0
Task & Test Results
% not req.Working towards level 1 (%)1234+NationalPDPA
to be entered (%) (%) (%) (%) 2 & above
Reading -215 84 0 0 83 0 0
Comprehension 16 - - 84 0 0 - 0 0
Writing/Spelling - 9 33 58 0 0 83 0 0
Maths - 2 38 60 0 0 89 0 0
Governors' Comments
We are somewhat disappointed by the results for Kesy Stage 1. They are less good than last year; for example, children achieving level 2 and above in writing fell from 74 to 58% and 2 and above in the maths test dropped from 74 to 60%. We will be monitoring the changes being made by the school to make sure the results for the year ahead are in line with the steady rise in standards that we expect across all areas of school.
National Curriculum Assessment Results at Key Stage 1 (children aged 10 - 11)
Statutory Teacher Assessment Results
Number of eligible pupils 60Working towards level 1 (%)123456PDPA
(%) (%) (%) (%) (%) (%)
English02 11 2 64 21 0 3 0
Maths 02 9 15 55 19 0 3 0
Science 0 0 2 9 62 28 0 3 0
Statutory Test Results
Not entrd. for test 3456PDPA
working below lev. 3 (%)(%) (%) (%) (%)
English9 966 17 03 1
Reading 9 11 60 21 0 3 1
Writing9 15 62 15 0 3 1
Maths 1115 53 21 0 3 1
Science 0 6 49 45 0 3 0
Governor' Targets for Key Stage 2
% achieving level 4 and above in statutory tests
2002National2003AchievedNationalTarget
results 2002 target by school 2003 2004
English 65 74 63 83 74 73
Maths 80 73 63 74 72 75
Science 96 86 94
Governors'Comments
Governors were much encouraged by these results. The assessments from earlier years for these children had led us to set a lower target than for 2002 in maths and only slightly higher in english. The results were at the levels we had hoped for. The target for level 4 was more than met but we also saw more level 5s, 45% in science. Congratulations to children and staff for their hard work.
Best Value
The school’s income increased by just over 4% compared with 2001/02, not a big increase given the higher staff pension costs. Best Value principles played a big part in our decisions; pupils, staff, parents and the LEA being consulted on a wider range of issues than previously and cost comparisons and benchmarks being used to review most major areas of expenditure. One result was changes to the way teachers and teaching assistants were deployed. New contracts were placed for security and for waste collection. These achieved some useful cost reductions during the year. These and other changes also prepared the ground for bigger savings in future.
Effectiveness of the Governing Body
Good progress was made on the targets set by the governors last year for their contribution to school life. Attendance at meetings increased from 66% to 79%. Substantial use was made of LEA governor training courses. The coverage of school policies was reviewed and 12 policies now written more simply and all school policies made more readily available.
Partnership with Bolton Brow School
This potentially hazardous project has proved extremely fruitful and should yield even greater benefits over the coming year partly thanks to the encouragement and practical help from Ann Seagar and Jayne Done from the LEA. Examples of the partnership in action have been reciprocal visits to special performances, meetings between governors, exchanges of staff, joint production of a poetry anthology and shared after-school and summer clubs. The Summer Club illustrated the way the partnership developed at all levels. Contacts began hesitantly and politely, became more vocal and sometimes tense as initial shyness was overcome and, after many hours of working together on different activities, developed into real mutual respect, support and friendship. The partnership has taken many hours of staff time and involves transport costs, but the sharing of skills and ideas and the breaking down of cultural barriers has been of incalculable benefit.
Parent Teacher Association
The revival of the PTA has been a major cause for celebration and has already done a great deal to enrich school life – the children loved the Eid Bazaar!
What the school offers
For Children with Special Educational Needs
In 2002-03 we reviewed the school’s policy for children with special educational needs to make sure we comply with the Government’s Code of Practice. The arrangements outlined in last year’s report have been working well. In a recent audit the LEA described them as “very good”. All children in school are now assessed every term. Those who are performing well below national average standards are placed on a confidential Special Educational Needs Register. The class teachers, helped by our Special Educational Needs Coordinator (SENCO), work out an Individual Education Plan for these children. The Plan gives attainment targets for the child together with details of additional help to support the child in working towards those targets. Where children need more support the school works with appropriate outside agencies and arranges a broader pattern of help for the child. A Statement of Special Education Needs is written for children with the greatest needs and they receive individual support, usually from a teaching assistant. The targets on the Individual Education Plans are monitored and updated by the SENCO at least once every term and parents are kept informed through a meeting every term. A leaflet on all of this is available to any parents from the school office. Our support for children with special educational needs represents a significant element of our budget, over 7%, but is a high priority in order to ensure that every child in the school has full access to the curriculum. The numbers of children supported in this way in 2002-03 were:
All children with an Individual Education Plan:166
Of whom the number receiving higher levels of support: 84
Number of children with a Statement of Special Education Needs: 8
For Children with Disabilities and Medical Conditions
During the year the governors and staff assessed the implications of the Special Educational Needs and Disability Act 2002 for the school. A new policy and an accessibility plan were then drawn up. The aim is that pupils with disabilities are not disadvantaged by the school’s layout or facilities and have access to the full curriculum. Steps have been taken to ensure
that written information in provided in suitable formats. We will review the policy and accessibility plan in 2003-04. The school also aims to ensure that medical conditions do not prevent children from enjoying any aspect of school life open to other children.
For Children Out of School Hours
Our aims for the school talk of it being a happy and safe place for the children. One measure of success is the popularity of the various after school clubs. This year, supported by our governor and staff colleagues at Bolton Brow School, we took the bold step of planning and running these clubs jointly. Transport difficulties and the later finishing time at Bolton Brow have not made this easy but the benefits to the children in working with and making friends from children from another community have more than justified the efforts. 33 Clubs were run this year involving 210 of our children and 50 from Bolton Brow. Clubs included ICT, football, judo, parent and child, needlecraft, origami and Meccano. We are delighted to have secured funding from the Children’s Fund to enable us to offer a daily Breakfast Club for a limited number of children from September.
The school takes enormous pride in the Summer Club, like the after school clubs, run in partnership with Bolton Brow School. It was an exhilarating week for everyone involved this year with 93 children able to enjoy cinema, bowling, soccer, nature walks, kite flying, orienteering, courses on circus skills and safer cycling, and, as a fitting climax, an overnight camp complete with firework display. The learning value of the range of experiences offered on this year’s summer club is immeasurable. Both schools are fortunate in having staffs willing to make this additional commitment.
To Involve Children in School Leadership
Our school is perhaps not unusual in having a School Council with children representing every year group. We are perhaps bolder than most in giving those children a real taste of responsibility. The School Council is given a budget to use to improve school facilities. We aim to help the children become genuinely involved in work to improve and develop the school. Governors have attended School Council meetings to ensure that the involvement is a real two way process. The School Council this year
challenged the Governors with lists of things to celebrate and things to work on. Good progress has already been made on the second list.
To Involve our Community
One of the strengths of the school is the high level of community involvement. Once again the various community events were fully attended and wonderfully happy occasions. Parents supported a range of trips and outings. 330 parents and children visited Tropical World and the Deep. Other school groups visited Blackpool Zoo, Shibden Park, Knowsley Safari Park, Filey and Flamingo Land. A big thank you to the Halifax Evening Courier for showing some of our year 4 children how they produce our local paper.
To Keep our Children and Staff Safe and Protect School Property
Again this year the investment in protective fencing and security cameras has helped to prevent serious incidents of grafitti, vandalism, burglary or arson. More important though has been the vigilance and protective concern of our local community which we value enormously. We aim to foster this by building on the various initiatives which enable our community to enjoy some of the school facilities, the judo club in the school hall on weekday evenings and at weekends, and the adult education classes, for example. Plans are already being developed for a room that can be used for a variety of community events and functions as well as supporting the school curriculum.
The Staff of the School
A key factor in the happy atmosphere in the school, the improving attendance figures and the steady rise in standards achieved has been the team spirit and dedication of our staff. The school currently employs 20 full-time teachers, 32 teaching assistants and 16 other support staff. We are fortunate to have an experienced staff team able to provide quality teaching across all ages, all abilities and all areas of the curriculum, especially fortunate to have a headteacher recognised nationally for his leadership skills. We attach a high priority to making at least one teaching assistant available to each class. This is important to ensure that children with special needs or with limited use of English are fully involved in the work of the class. It is essential that our income keeps pace with pay settlements and pension commitments to maintain this level of support.
As a governing body we welcome the belated recognition nationally that the workloads of teaching staff have increased greatly in recent years. We take comfort from the way our staff volunteer for additional work like after school, summer holiday and breakfast clubs. We also see the staff attendance figures, 98% for teaching staff over the year, as healthy. Even so, as a governing body, we want to review our staffing strategy this year to ensure that the demands the school places on staff allow them to maintain a healthy work/life balance, especially for the staff in more senior positions. It was to recognise the growing burden of these roles that we agreed to the creation of a new 3 year fixed term contract for an Assistant Head. We know the school will benefit greatly from the appointment of Liz Simpson, one of our year 6 teachers, to this post.
In terms of turnover, Bobby Hill retired at the end of the year after a long period of illness. Akhtar Hussain has been appointed as a year 5 teacher.
Training and Professional Development of Staff
The school closed for 5 training days this year. They were used to help staff make the most of the new computer equipment and whiteboards, to develop plans for partnership working with Bolton Brow, and to review school strengths and weaknesses to plan for the future. Individual staff attended courses on most areas of the curriculum. The benefits of the training are subject to careful ongoing assessment.
The Governing Body of Parkinson Lane Community Primary School
