Kinlochbervie High School Board

 Minutes of Meeting on 26 September 2006

1.  Present

Fiona Belbin, Sandra Macfarlane, Gordon Robinson, Ian Smith

Apologies    

Francis Keith, Mary Mackay

2.  Minutes of Last Meeting

These were approved.

 3.  Matters Arising  

There were none.

4.  Standards and Quality Report 2006

For reading and writing, level E is the level that 75% of pupils should reach by the end of second year.  So in 2005, Kinlochbervie did well compared to the national level.  There are five levels over 9 years of schooling from primary 1, so some children with special educational needs may not progress by a level in high school.  With small numbers of pupils there are going to be big variations from one year to the next.

5.      School News and Rector's Report

a)     School Roll

The school roll was 68 on 18th September which was census day, down on March predictions. However, the roll should stay about this level for a few years. There should be no problem maintaining staffing levels at present.  The number of classes has not changed even though the number of pupils has.  Highland Council will not pay for transport to Ullapool from north of the Kylesku Bridge but at the moment there is someone south of the bridge who is a pupil at Ullapool so there is space in the car transport that Highland Council provides.  This has an effect on the roll.

b)     Staffing

There have been no applicants for the Home Economics post so there will be no teacher after the October break.  Parents will be written to, in order to inform them about what the plans are.  A good number of S3 are taking practical cookery, but they were warned that there might be a problem.  Hopefully some arrangement can be made for an alternative course or certification.  There is not an obvious option for S5 and S6.  S1 and S2 will continue learning Home Economics without any practical work.  The Board consider the subject very important, especially regarding nutrition.  Health aspects will be covered by PSE.  Practical cookery was one of the few vocational subjects the school could offer.  Other schools have an advantage by having a college nearby.  Local people may be able to help on an occasional basis but this would not be for a certificated course.  The job was advertised as Home Economics part-time, then as RE and Home Economics combined, but there are many vacancies for Home Economics teachers in Highland Region.  The job will be advertised again with Art.

The pupil support teacher and the school nurse have gone, and there are no replacements for them.  

Marina Lockery and Jane Morrison (Polin) were employed at the end of June as learning support auxilliaries.

c)     Minibus

The school minibus is off the road due to rust on the roof.  Some money (from the Soup and Sweet) has been raised for the repair, with more to come.

d)     Electricity Meter

An electricity meter has been found in the Primary School.  This year's budget is reasonable so the school should manage, and costs for the High School and Primary School can now be separated.

e)     Highland Promise

The five local schools are being given £20,000 for the Highland Year of Culture.  There will be meetings of all five schools to plan a Highland Games, a Ceilidh and an exhibition.  The next meeting is to decide how the money is to be spent.

f)     Results

There were some very disappointing, and some very good, results this year.  Compared with other schools we have done quite well.

h)     Sole Teachers

The Board asked if there was any monitoring of how sole teachers are doing.  The Rector explained that it is not possible to check everything all the time when there is no other subject specialist.  Line managers are encouraged to have regular formal or informal meetings with the staff they line manage.

6.    Special Needs

The Board asked if there was a saturation point at which there were too many pupils with special educational needs for the High School to cope with - for example, medical issues that teachers do not have the training to deal with.  Is there so much attention on this that it is to the detriment of the other children?  The rector explained that sometimes it is a battle to obtain the required support but Highland Council has always, in the end, provided what was needed.  There is growth in the number of needs.

At the SLG meeting recently, there were 19 pupils under consideration (rather than one, 6 or 7 years ago).  There is a shortage of speech therapists, and health workers are overstretched.  Learning support teachers and auxiliaries cannot be specialists in all the different conditions.  The Board asked if school trips will be affected.  The Rector gave assurance that the school can only adjust things where practical and other pupils will not be disadvantaged.  The Pitlochry trip may not happen because of the centre closure, but it will not be cancelled because of some pupils not being able to do all the activities.  Pupils will be enriched by contact with mixed ability groups.  A small school is able to give each pupil individual attention which is a great advantage.  Kinlochbervie is able to withstand extra pressures.  The Board asked why the school had so much difficulty in obtaining the required provision.  The Rector said that the Scottish Executive does not give Highland Council anything like the money Highland Council actually spends on special educational needs, and Highland Council is under pressure to control budgets.  The area is being seen as  a better place to live, so people do move in.  The school is not struggling financially or staff-wise, but it is not a bed of roses.  Problems are being dealt with.

7.    Discipline on School Buses

The Board asked if bad behaviour could be a distraction to the driver.  There are no sixth year pupils on the buses to help.  Pupils are still part of the school on the bus and the ultimate sanction is that they will not be allowed on the school bus.  For school trips (rather than for transport home) a second adult is on the bus where needed and an appropriate risk assessment is done.  Highland Council spends much more on school transport than the Scottish Executive gives them.

8.    Alcohol Under-Age/Drug Use

There is a problem in Durness with noise in the night, and members of the community feel threatened.  A letter has gone to parents about children being able to source alcohol.  Some parents don't know where their children are.  The Board recognised that the school was active in PSE, but asked it it was possible to get hard-hitting material from outside agencies with which to warn the children.  They don't seem to know the harm that can be done or the long term effects.  Some parents consider that alcohol abuse among children is acceptable, and also that providing alcohol to children is acceptable.  Parents have a responsibility.  It is difficult for the police to catch people under-age buying alcohol.  There is a risk of accidents or even fatalities.  Until the adult population in general takes a different attitude there is a limit to what the school can do, but it would be immoral for the school not to try.  The police are aware of the school's concerns.  The school has not picked up anything about drugs other than alcohol, but it is thought that they can be accessed in the community.  There is also a concern that some pupils are working more that the regulation 12 hours per week and as a result come to school tired, not having had enough time to do homework. 

9.    A Group/Club for the More Academic

There are very few clubs in the school apart from sporting activities and the Duke of Endinburgh's award for S3s.  There have been opportunities to develop radio skills, a book club has been started, and there is a possibility of a school magazine.  Many pupils are involved in rehearsals for a pantomime.  It was asked if there are any parents who would like to organise a debating group.  The Highland Promise ideas can come from the children and there should be a legacy from this that would continue.  The Pupil Council have been asked about what they would like during lunchtime, but there has been no sustained interest in anything, and after-school activities are difficult.  It is a struggle with small numbers to keep things going and to find people with real enthusiasm.  Ideas from parents are welcome and can be put to staff.

10.    Parent Forum/Council

The Rector is going to a meeting in November about this so the Board will wait until then for further information.  Sandra Macfarlane is going to approach someone interested in becoming a Parent Member of the Board.  Fiona Belbin is going to speak to someone else to confirm their interest in joining the Board.

11.    AOCB

There was concern that not many responded with help for the Soup & Sweet until the last minute.  However the even was a success in the end.  It was noted that letters need to be carefully worded.

12.    Date and Time of Next Meeting

The next meeting is planned for Wednesday 29th November at 7:30 pm in the High School.

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