15th January 2008
Ormiston Primary School Parent Council
Minutes of meeting held in the school on Tuesday 15th January 2008
Present Scott Gillies (Chair), Lynne Archibald, Jim Blane, Tracey Jefferies, Jill McCaul, Claire Pedder, Linda Stirling, Gail Walshe
In Attendance Cllr Jim Gillies, Alex Mackay (Clerk), Angus MacRury (Acting Head Teacher)
1. Welcome and Apologies
Scott welcomed everyone to the meeting. Apologies were received from Angela Kinnear, Tina McAvoy, Mark Malcolm, Cllr Ruth Currie, Cllr Donald Grant and Cllr Kenny McLeod.
2. Approval of minutes (20.11.07 and 08.01.08) and matters arising
Minutes approved by Parent Council and signed by Chair. Due the ongoing recruitment process for the new head teacher it was agreed to leave maters arising from previous minutes for the next meeting on the 11.03.08.
3. Spring Fayre
The Spring Fayre will be held on the 15th March 2008. A meeting to discuss and organise the Spring Fayre will be held on the 5.2.08 (this has now been changed to 6.2.08).
ACTION: Alex to arrange school let for this meeting
Angus to speak to Joyce Marlow regarding the kitchen
Angus/Linda to ask Wilma to send out letter to parents advising of the meeting next month
4. AOCB
Scott asked for an update regarding the opening of a bank account. Gail advised that this should be completed soon.
5. Head Teachers Report
5.1 Angus informed the Parent Council that every head in East Lothian has been asked to put a proposal together to show the effect that a 3% budget cut would have on each school. 3% for Ormiston is around £19k and as the budget for capitation (i.e. materials etc) is only £12.5k this could possibly mean a reduction in staffing. Staff development/ absence cover or resources are other areas that are most likely to be affected by any budgetary cut. However Angus did stress that while this was the figure that he had been given to work with and allowed to share with the Parent Council, the final figure has not been confirmed. The Education Committee will make final decisions on the 12.2.08.
Claire asked for confirmation that submission of proposals by the head was not the same as acceptance of the proposals. Angus agreed that it was not.
Angus went on to say that Ormiston is one of the few schools that has an increase in its Predictable Needs Budget (for Learning Support) to approximately £7k which could help offset any general budget cuts should they occur. He advised the Parent Council that the formula for the Predictable Needs Budget in the future has not yet been devised. Angus also advised the Parent Council that until now many schools were holding lots of carry forwards in their budgets. This is set to change with the likely figure being a maximum of 1.5% of the school’s budget that can be carried forward. Any surplus left would be recycled within the general Education budget.
Claire asked if parents had the opportunity to feedback on these proposed changes but Angus advised that this was not possible at present.
5.2 The nursery now has 30 places available both in the morning and afternoon on a permanent basis. The Council have agreed to this after looking at birth rates in the Ormiston area. There will soon be an advert placed for a permanent Nursery Nurse (17.5 hours).
5.3 Sheila Howat will be leaving at the end of term. As she was Acting Principal and Dawn Taylor (the Principal Teacher) is on maternity leave, Sheila will not be replaced. Due to the reduction in class sizes from 8 to 7 this will leave the school at its natural staffing level.
5. Questions for Interviews
Angus, Linda, Jim and Cllr Gillies left the meeting in order for the parent members to discuss and devise questions to put to the candidates at the forthcoming interviews for the Head Teachers post.
6. Date of next meeting
11/3/08 - Tina to chair meeting.
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