Minutes
RATHO PRIMARY
SCHOOL
PARENT COUNCIL &
PTA
Minutes of joint meeting on Tuesday 2nd
September 2014 at 7pm & PC meeting following
Present: Neil Langhorn (“NL”), Mrs
McGlynn (“CM”), Annette Wilson, Chris Cartwright, Lisa McCarthy, Ruth Gillan,
Miss Hazel, Mrs Humphries, Mrs Smith, Joanne Simpson, Elaine Martin, Jackie
Wake, Leanne Horsburgh, Emma Hughes, Morag Dalton, Sarah Chisnall (“SC”), Kay
Somerville, Stacey O’Flaherty, Karen Borthwick, Kirsty ? & Christine
Paterson.
Apologies:
Councillors Bill Henderson, Ricky Henderson & Dominic Heslop & Melanie
McAllan.
Joint meeting
1. PC Update (NL)
NL thanked everyone who helped
with the Family Fun Day, which seemed to be very successful. The PC/PTA newsletter is progressing and now
needs input from the PTA.
2. PTA update (SC)
The next major events are the
Race Night on Saturday 25th October and the Christmas Fair on
Saturday 6 December. The PTA meet
monthly.
3. Head Teacher Update (CM)
- School
Improvement Plan: CM spoke about this as contained in the Summary issued
to parents & carers. Some highlights
of the Standards and Quality report for the session 2013-2014 are: ongoing
assessment of the children’s progress; introduction of a values system; the
Food & the Environment project; a whole school spelling policy; the
revised school reading policy; revised Personal Learning Plans; progress made
on maths learning last year; the modern languages project; RAG work, led
by Miss Hazel; new after school clubs including needlecraft & ski-ing;
raising attainment in literacy, maths and reading.
- Some
initiatives for the current session (ie the Improvement Plan for session
2014-2015): continuing with the revised reading policy; raising attainment
including through SEAL strategies (Social and Emotional Aspects of Learning);
ipad minis for P7s (1 per child, which can be taken home); seeking to
achieve level 1 UNICEF Rights Respecting School; creating class charters
and house charters; a whole school assessment framework; a progressive
programme in listening and talking; enhanced transition and trials of portfolios
for P7s to take to High School; continuing with the Food and the
Environment project; developing science teaching; implementing the Bounce
Back resource (about building resilience in pupils).
- Enhanced
transition: CM has made the point that there should be equality of
consultation and of opportunity for our children. A senior Council person
is now involved in managing the pilot project and CM has been pressing for
an update.
- Rising
roll: there will be an open evening at school on Thursday 25th
September at 6.30pm for parents to come along and see what the plans are, and
to meet with Council architects & planners. The plan is still for a two storey
standalone building containing four classrooms. The decision to proceed or
not is to be made in January 2015, on the basis of the projected roll for
2015/2016 at that point. If approved construction will start in March 2015
over 20 weeks to be ready for August 2015.
- Nursery
capacity: the nursery may be full by January 2015 meaning that some 3 year
olds living in Ratho may in future not be offered a place here (there’s no
legal requirement for that to happen). If concerned about this the PC could
write to the Council. Nursery
capacity at Ratho is unlikely to be increased.
- Congestion
around the school gate before start of school in the morning: could an expanded
waiting area be created for parents, within one end of the infant
playground? CM will look at doing this.
- Fridge
for milk: to avoid warm/lumpy milk!
PC meeting
4. Enhanced transition
NL
will email the Council contact about this.
5.
Dog fouling
CM is waging another war on dog
fouling, involving a visit from the Dogs Trust, putting up more posters and
bringing in the Council Dog Warden. Councillor Bill Henderson is looking into
providing more signage.
6. Class Dojo
CM explained that this is a positive
behaviour mechanism used by the class teachers. The system can also be used for
contact between the class teacher & parents/carers, although that is not principally
what the school is using it for. NL asked that the school provide more
communication about initiatives like this when they are introduced so that
parents understand why they are being used and how they should work. CM will add some information to the Friday
note.
7. Homework
Having done a straw poll among
parents, NL asked for more information from teachers about the school’s expectations
as regards homework. All teachers confirmed that homework should not be
burdensome and if there’s a problem, parents should get in touch with the class
teacher (the simplest way is to write a message in their child’s homework book). CM will reissue the school homework policy
and will put some information about homework and this discussion into the
Friday note. She will also speak to class teachers to make sure they
communicate expectations clearly to parents.
8.
AOB
- The PC hopes
to be involved once more in Book Night, scheduled for Thursday 13 November.
- Anyone
with suggestions for the PC agenda going forward should get in touch with
NL.
9.
Date of next meeting
Thursday 23rd October at
7pm.
