Board of Governors meeting
16 May 2014
13.30- 16.00
MINUTES 06
ATTENDEES
Chair: William Braid (WB);
Stephen Cox (SC); Nick Deacon (ND); David Donaldson (DD); Tiph Fedor (TF);
Stephen Holland (SH); Carol Kirk(CK); Justine Lee (JL); Lyn Rushbrooke (LR);
Harry Rouse (HR); Sylvie Sklan (SS); Denise Stevens (DS); Jill Tate (JT); Mike
Whitfield (MW)
Clerk: Niki Nakamura (NN)
Apologies: Stuart Askew (SA);
AGENDA
1. Minutes of the last BGM were approved (Steve Cox, Nick Deacon)
2.
ACTIONS from previous meeting
Action
By whom
By when
1. Principal’s report to show SEN comparisons excluding eurythmy
SC
Each meeting
therapy, & staff absences in context
2. Discussion on appropriate level of annual contribution to SWSF
ALT
Next meeting
3. Strategic Intentions – review Item 7 & wording of Item 2
Subgroup
Next meeting
4. Amend Communications Policy to include “All press enquiries
AC
By next
should be directed through the Principal in the first instance.”
meeting
5. Proposal on Parent & Child provision - look at after half term
LR
By next
meeting
6. Liaison with other funded Steiner Schools
WB/SC
Next meeting
7. Keep board informed of training opportunities
Clerk
As & when
8. SEN Governor required
T&L
Next meeting
9. Discuss raise in staff salaries
ALL
Visioning day
3. Update from the Principal
a. Teacher’s website – concern expressed by parent; website has been
taken down. Communications Committee looking at policy on use of
social media, particularly with respect to photographs to be ready for
next meeting of board.
b. Personnel – Spanish/ICT/Games post to be made redundant. 0.6
Spanish post will replace. Present teacher will not be able to apply as
he has not passed the maths element of his teaching qualification.
New membership of the group urgently required.
c. Admin review – NN leaving at end of term. Proposal that
communications & HR go to KR, and she will relinquish Premises
element. Premises/maintenance to be combined. HG to extend role
to take on exams officer role; maintenance role to be made redundant.
SC has spoken to PS today. Currently on teaching practice & he is
invited to apply for new post after that.
d. Stroud MP’s (Neil Carmichael) visit today went well. Students in U/S
to be thanked for good singing. Any feedback will be shared with
students.
e. GCSEs = we may fall below the 40% bar; JL asked for the school to
have a prepared statement ready for any media interest.
f. VP post – 1 applicant – interview on Wed; Class 1 interviews - 1 this
week, 1 next week; 2 other applicants are in Alaska & Costa Rica & not
available until June. Judgement to be made next week whether to
wait. Little interest in U/S maths post – to be advertised in TES; SEN
coordinator – 2 applicants short-listed. Governors’ Clerk to be
advertised in FF
g. Open Day – all invited
h. New timetable for classes 1 – 3 will start next September.
UNANIMOUSLY APPROVED
i. Priority Objectives for next year. Attention drawn to strengthening
SEN provision. Attendance needs to increase to 95%. Welcoming new
parents; empower all staff to apply behaviour policy consistently.
j. STRATEGIC INTENTIONS – we should not pull back from using the
word
anthroposophy but we should be clear on what it means. DD to
circulate suggested statement. Wording of Item 7 -
viability changed
to
well-being. Item 1 –
academic standards changed to
standards of
work; academic achievement changed to
all-round achievement.
UNANIMOUSLY APPROVED
4. Committee items needing urgent attention – dealt with in Principal’s update.
5. AOB
a. Clerk to produce all paper copies for meetings
b. Hay Festival presentation by British Humanist Society – SS to send
details
c. RHI has been endorsed
d. Insurance for schools all to come under one umbrella bringing a saving of
£9,000 p.a.
e. Peter Johnson formally thanked for his valuable work. Replacement for
the T&L Committee required.
f. W Braid’s term as a parent governor finishes in October 2014. If the
Board wish W Braid to remain as a Governor he will need to be co-opted
on, and an election for a new parent Governor would need to take place.
6. Date of next meeting – June 27th
Meeting closed at 14.20
General discussion of future options for the growth and financial sustainability
of the Academy