Annual General Meeting 2018

Broughton Primary School Parent Council AGM 18:30-20:00 5/9/18

1. Welcome and apologies for absence
Catherine Evans, Sandra Rathjen (Chair), Matthew Boyles, Ross Gibson, Suzanne Gibson, Jo Harfield, Anna Hatton, Chris Knowles, Ailsa McMullan, Fiona Vacher (acting Deputy Head), David Borthwick (principal teacher), Samantha Rushforth (acting Headteacher), Jennifer Longstaff (vice-Chair), Richard Smith, Rachel Blythe, Naomi Sandilands, Sandra Bagnall, Oscar Mesalles-Maranjo, Rob Noronha, Lorraine Sibisi
Apologies: Kate Moir (Treasurer), Anne Hay (PSA Chair), Vassiliki Fotaki

2. Minutes & matters arising of the previous AGM
● Matthew Boyles and Richard Smith proposed the 2017 AGM minutes were accurate
● Update requested on a soap dispenser height issue in the toilets
○ Action: Mrs Rushforth to follow up

3. Chair of PC Report – Sandra Rathjen
● 2017-18 was a very busy year
● 154 McDonald Road - community meeting well attended. Now has short term residents.
● Proposal for Gaelic Medium Education to move to Drummond Community High School. We supported DCHS Parent Council with their campaign to remain open to local children as a community high school which was successful.
● Leith Chooses - we applied for a grant to improve our green spaces, unfortunately unsuccessful, but lots of ideas generated.
● Powderhall consultations - these are ongoing.
● Regular meetings with the head teacher and North East Locality meetings.
● Sandra thanked all Parents and school staff for their support, guidance, ongoing enthusiasm and ideas over the last 3.5 years as Chair.
● Mrs Rushforth presented Sandra with a bouquet of flowers and a card from all of the staff, parents and children of the school to say thank you.

4. Treasurer’s Report – see attached from Kate Moir.
Report handed out for all to read.
 Clarification asked for cultural fund spend “of which less than £300 is currently accounted for” – Mrs Rushforth explained every class has spent their share of the Cultural Fund. No Business Manager in school since January, so office are still to update Treasurer on receipts/what money was spent on.
○ Action – school to update Treasurer regarding spend on Cultural Fund.
● Question regarding if there had been resolution with the locked bank account – there still isn’t access, but Kate continues to pursue this. Difficulties started due to quick succession of handovers for the Treasurer role.
○ Action - Kate to continue to pursue; accounts to be audited. Promote the need for an accountant
● Sandra advised that Kate is keen to stand down and provide a hand over once the accounts have been
audited.

5. Chair of PSA report and proposed dates of future events - Jennifer Longstaff reported on Anne Hay’s behalf:
● PSA Parent survey - small response rate (30), comments and suggestions will be used for planning the events this year.
● Mrs Rushforth explained following janitorial review janitor cover reduced to 32 hours/year for out of hour lets such as events and meetings (eg. discos + PC meetings). More than this would require paying for a let – there is an hourly rate. PC to contact council if this is required – would need further discussion and agreement if funds should be used for this purpose.
● Proposed change to meetings - Parent Council meetings will continue to be held in the evenings from 6.30-8pm with a short PSA report at the PC meeting. PSA meetings will take place as Planning meetings during school hours on a Friday morning. Meeting with Chairs prior to the evening or day meetings will continue.
This ensures that there is no additional charge for meetings and events.
● Agreed dates for all events and planning meetings:
○ 7th September 11am - Planning meeting for lunchtime cafe
○ 28th September 11.30-1.30 Lunchtime Cafe (in the lunch hall)
○ 5th October 11am - Planning meeting for Halloween Disco
○ Thursday 25th October 6pm-8.30pm - Halloween Discos (in Drummond High School – to be confirmed)
○ 9th November 11am - Planning meeting for Christmas Cafe
○ 7th December 11.30am - Christmas Cafe
○ 18th January 11am - Planning meeting for International Cafe
○ 8th February - Planning meeting for Spring Disco, International Café – to be confirmed
○ Friday 8th March 6pm-8.30pm - Spring Disco
○ 22nd March 11am - Planning meeting for Health Cafe and Summer Fair
○ 26th April - Health Cafe (to raise funds for Health week in May)
○ 1st June - Summer Fair
● Promoted the need for helpers at events to all.

6. Appointment of Independent Examiner
● Sandra Rathjen proposed Bence Solomon to be this year’s independent examiner. Rob seconded this
motion.
○ Action - ask Bence if he can audit the accounts this year

7. Appointment of Committee members
a. PC Chair – Jennifer Longstaff. Proposed by Sandra Rathjen, seconded Chris Knowles. Elected unopposed.
b. PSA Chair - Anne Hay. Proposed by Sandra Rathjen, seconded by Ailsa McMullan. Elected unopposed.
c. Treasurer PC & PSA – Kate Moir to remain as treasurer until accounts audited. Proposed Sandra Rathjen, seconded Sam Rushforth. Agreed unanimously.
d. Vice Chair PC & PSA – vacancy as no proposals
e. Secretary PC & PSA – Rob Noronha. Proposed by Ailsa, seconded David Borthwick. Elected unopposed.
● Our paid clerk, Lesley, has resigned. This is a paid role at either £40 per meeting or £240 for a whole year - there are to be 5 meetings this year.
○ Action: anyone willing to be our Clerk to contact PC Chair.
● Mrs Rushforth confirmed that Ms Katie Blair will be the staff representative on the Parent Council for this school year

8. Review of the Parent Council constitution
● Discussion by those present. Agreed amendments of the Constitution – see attached document.

9. Future PC meeting dates:
● Wednesdays, in the Link from 6.30-8pm on the following dates:
○ 7th November
○ 16th January
○ 24th April
○ 19th June
● Discussion regarding night of the week for meetings; vote by all - Wednesday night agreed.
● Clarification asked for how are issues taken forward that are raised at PC meetings? Suggestion regarding minutes with clear action points. Previous minutes and actions should be reviewed at subsequent meetings.
○ Action - Mrs Rushforth to check insurance to see if children are allowed on site during the meetings (so children could come with Parents if they don’t have childcare)

10. School Update - Mrs Rushforth
● Building work is ongoing with complete school refurbishment - Mrs Rushforth keen for Parents to see the completed work during the Meet the Teacher events. Already completed during the summer - whole building re-wired and roof glass replaced. Refurbishing 1 classroom at a time - new lighting, fire alarms, re-painted and new sink units. 1 st classroom completed. Outside pointing work should be finished by October.
The pool is still closed - new drainage and ventilation fitted, will hopefully reopen on Monday. Lunch hall is included in the work. Nursery will have new lighting during October half term week. Scaffolding is planned to be down by November, but the compound of contractor huts will be here for 18 months. There are currently 3-6 different contractors on site at present working 5-7 days a week from 4pm until 2am. All lets have been cancelled for the duration of the building works as the whole school technically becomes a building site from 4pm. Both the Council and contractors have expressed that no children should be on site at all for H&S reasons. No-one should be in the bottom playground for the duration of the building works.
● Recruitment has been challenging, and 1 temporary vacancy remains, with 2 other temporary staff still awaiting PVG clearance (they are contacting Disclosure Scotland weekly). As soon as vacancies weren’t filled through the Council’s central recruitment the vacancies were advertised. Mrs Rushforth and Ms Vacher have spent considerable time on recruitment, and will continue to do so until posts are filled. They are striving to maintain a continued consistency for the children even though half of the staff members are now new. Discussion on how we can support the school and feedback to the CEC?
o Action: PC Chair to raise these concerns at the NE Locality meeting.
● Janitor moved to another school, interviews completed on Monday for replacement. Agency janitor in place until permanent replacement starts.
● Business Manager on long term sick leave has also increased workload of Mrs Rushforth as she is covering that post as temporary staff can’t be supplied. There is occasional help.
● Ailsa asked Mrs R about her acting posistion. Mrs R explained that Gillian is due back in May but there are lots of unknowns about whether her secondment post will be made permanent.
● Weekly head teachers blogs will summarise the progress on building works, as well as things that have happened in school during the week. Classroom pages on the website should be updated soon. The school also uses Twitter to share news with families.
● Mrs Rushforth reassured everyone that even with everything going on disruption is kept to a minimum for the children, and there are great things happening within school. She will text when her blogs are on the website. This is a positive step in communication with the parents, children and staff. The Parents present gave her and the school their continued support.

11. Any Other Business
● Suggestion regarding how to decide on what funds should be spent on. Mrs Rushforth has already
discussed with Anne Hay regarding “Broughton Decides”. Plan at the Meet the Teacher event on 14th
September each classroom will have a table asking for ideas on how they would like funds to be spent. All ideas to be voted on by pupils and Parents once a shortlist has been created.
○ Action - Mrs Rushforth will inform parents prior to parent drop in about the Broughton Decides tables in each classroom
● Suggestion regarding a playground tidy up between 3.15-4pm one afternoon – agreed by Mrs Rushforth and Mrs Vacher. Mrs Vacher has already planned to meet with Corylus Horticulture, who have recently helped Stockbridge Primary School with their playground. She has a list to start with the planters, create play areas, tidy the nursery garden. A full school grounds clear up can be discussed and planned.
○ Action - Mrs Vacher to discuss with Rachel Blythe and Corylus Horticulture to set list in motion.
● Football teams – only 1 team running at present (P7) due to lack of volunteer coaches. Practice would have to be at Drummond which will cost for the let unless a free location can be sourced, PVG is required for those volunteering. Mr Borthwick reported that the P7 coach is happy to be contacted for support and advice. Some Parents expressed willingness to volunteer.
○ Action – volunteers needed for P5 and P6 school football teams