DERBYSHIRE COUNTY COUNCIL
CHILDREN AND YOUNGER ADULTS DEPARTMENT
Controlled
SCHOOLS’ JCC MEETING
Minutes of Meeting held on Friday, 17 October 2014
Committee Room 2
Action
077/14 Present:
Kathryn Boulton (CAYA) (Chair),
Cllr Jim Coyle (attended part), David Allen (NAHT),
Brian Allsopp (NAHT), Michelle Jenkins (GMB),
Cathy Tattersfield (ATL), Ian Robinson (ATL),
John Crofts (NASUWT), Deborah Turner (NUT),
David Wood (Unison), Emma Crapper (CAYA),
Teresa Potter (CAYA), Louise Flack (CAYA),
Roxanne Hardman (CAYA)
Apologies:
Sue Boyd (GMB), Ailsa Cooling (GMB),
Chris Wayment (ASCL)
078/14 Pre-Meeting Notes from Trade Unions, Minutes of the
Previous Meeting held on 19 September 2014 and
Matters Arising
043/14 – Corporate Policies – it was agreed that
management would contact unions to agree dates for a
working party in the new year.
Management
053/14 – C of E Diocese – Management reported that there
was no expectation for schools which are not C of E to have
a SIAMS inspection..
070/14 – School Budgets – unions accepted that from the
LA position Section 188 notices were always seen as the
last resort. However, they feel that schools don’t necessarily
always see it this way.
071/14 – Schools Update – Agenda item.
075/14 – Facilities Time – management agreed to circulate
suggested arrangements prior to the unions’ November premeet.
Management
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Minutes agreed.
079/14 Ofsted Framework
David Heald attended for this item. A briefing paper was
circulated which covered the key changes to section 5
inspections.
Ofsted is planning to introduce short one day inspections for
‘good’ schools. This is currently being piloted, Derbyshire
schools will be involved.
Ofsted are asking for people to consult on the future of
inspections and the consultation document is on the Ofsted
website. Management and some unions confirmed they
would take part in the consultation. Management agreed to
share the LA response.
Reference was made to a useful FAQ on the Ofsted
website: http://www.ofsted.gov.uk/resources/schoolinspection-policy-some-faqs. The meeting specifically
discussed guidance given relating to ‘marking’ and that
Ofsted did not require schools to provide ‘deep marking’.*
There has been an increased focus put upon the role of
governors, it is seen as an essential part of the leadership
and management of the school. It was highlighted that there
was a need for governors to understand the boundaries of
their role, e.g., governors should have no remit to make
professional judgements on lessons or carry out formal
observations.
Ofsted will check school websites prior to inspection for a
curriculum statement. No notice inspections can be
triggered by:
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Data which indicates rapidly declining examination
standards
safeguarding issues
concerns about leadership
serious complaints
lack of breadth in the curriculum
The school website is becoming increasingly important and
it is a useful vehicle for communicating key information
about the school.
It was advised that schools should raise any complaints with
the inspection process with Ofsted as soon as they arise
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*to be
confirmed by
David Heald
and not wait until the end of day two.
The update was interrupted for 15 minutes by a fire drill.
Unions thanked David Heald for his update.
080/14 Health and Safety Policies
Jerry Sanderson attended for this item to discuss two new
policies
Personal and Intimate Care Policy has been through
Community Health and Special Schools and Health &
Safety sub-committee. It was now coming to Schools’ JCC
for agreement.
There was a discussion around the definitions of ‘personal
care’ and ‘intimate care’ and how they impacted on the
Teaching Assistant Framework levels of work. Unions
favoured using ‘personal care’ as a general term which they
felt was more of a catch-all and avoided problems where
TA’s might refuse to carry out certain duties. However,
some Unions felt that employees should be in a position to
voluntarily accept duties subject to appropriate training and
any protective equipment, as in the situation with the
Administration of Medicines Policy. Management were
concerned that this approach could lead to employees
putting themselves ‘at risk’ if it resulted in a new member of
staff being employed to support a child with particular needs.
Teaching unions were concerned that some schools
expected the class teacher to take on the role which would
take them away from the education of children.
Management suggested that the policy and the TA
framework should be looked at together with a view to
ensuring that the TA job profile included reference to
‘personal/intimate’ care as necessary to avoid problems in
the future.
Unions requested further clarification around ‘personal and
intimate care. Jerry agreed to confirm if the Level 7
Teaching & Learning Assistant job profile referred to
‘personal care’ and the Level 8 Specialist Teaching &
Learning Assistant job referred profile to ‘intimate care’.
Non-teaching unions stated their intention of taking this
policy and the Administration of Medicines policy to their
legal department.
Jerry agreed to take the policy back to Health & Safety subcommittee on Wednesday 5th November. LF to let him have
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a copy of the TA framework. It will then come back to SJCC
for further consideration of the wider personnel issue. GMB
have provided a very useful response which is available to
inform both meetings.
Guidance for Dealing with Offensive Weapons has been
written at the request of Safeguarding. It has been to all
Headteachers for comment and it is now going to Schools’
JCC and DJC for union views. Management felt that the title
was a concern. It was felt that it linked closely to the Policy
on Physical Intervention and could perhaps be renamed
‘Managing Offensive Weapons’, for example. Unions
suggested that ‘keys’ and ‘sticks’ should we added to the list
of possible offensive weapons and that it was possible to get
plastic kirpans which are used in prisons.
Unions asked who would cover the cost of any training?
Support staff unions said that it would be helpful to provide
clerical staff with a crib sheet to support any call made to the
police to ensure. This was agreed.
Jerry agreed to take the policy back to Health & Safety subcommittee on Wednesday 5th November.
081/14 Governor Visits Protocol
Unions proposed two slight amendments to the Visits
Protocol which were agreed.
Management
082/14 Facilities Time
Management confirmed they were scrutinising spend on
Facilities time as there was a significant overspend. They
would put together an options paper for November’s meeting Management
with proposals on how to get the spend down. Management
wanted there to be a full two-way discussion rather than an
imposition of one view. They would know the pot available
following Schools Forum and could then look at the best split
based on membership. Figures for authority schools and
Academies would be separated.
Unions asked for early notice of the figures. They said that
they did not always know where their members were
teaching as members were not obliged to provide that
information. Management confirmed that at the moment no
Academies were buying back facilities time but they would
be written to on this issue.
Management noted that the current allocation does not take
into account the rate of pay of the representatives as this
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had not been part of the facilities agreement in the past.
Unions requested that management ensured any figures
they used were accurate as sometimes the accounting
period used may contain double year claims, etc. They
offered to notify management of the names of the
Academies who have already expressed an interest is
buying the service.
Non-teaching unions asked that they get the same level of
facilities time as their non-school colleagues. Management
were not sure whether non-teaching unions were covered in
the Facilities Time Agreement 2005.
Unions felt that a joint recognition agreement within the LA
for use in Academies would be helpful - management to
consider. Management said that the relation was between
unions and Academies, not the LA. One option would be to
include facilities time in the traded services brochure.
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083/14 School Term Dates
Management reported that Headteachers had raised the
issue of Derbyshire schools returning a week late in
September. They felt that they needed pupils in at the
beginning of the year, pre exams and SATs.
Unions raised the issues which concerned them when
setting term dates which were a basis for agreement in
2004. Historically these were:
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Christmas need not necessarily be of two weeks in
length
Maintain a summer holiday of at least six weeks
Accept the disaggregation of Inset days
Start the school year on a September date as near as
possible to the 1 September.
Equalise, as far as possible, teaching and learning
blocks
Also discussed was the additional Local Government
Association principles of:
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Establishing a two week Spring break in early
April,irrespective of the incidence of the Easter bank
holiday
Identify and agree annually designated periods of
holiday, including the summer holiday, where
Headteachers are recommended not to arrange
teacher days.
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Unions
Management raised that Headteachers have indicated their
desire for the beginning of the academic year to be the
earliest date possible in September to maximise preexamination teaching and learning time.
It was felt that if the dates were changed then at that point it
would impact on the 6 week break.
Management confirmed that no recommended changes
could be implemented before September 2016.
Unions asked for clarification of the agreed and proposed
dates.
084/14 Part-time Teachers’ Pro forma
It was agreed that the amended pro forma submitted by the
unions would be discussed and be an agenda item in
November.
Non-teaching unions said that a similar form for support staff
would be useful.
085/14 Schools Update
Schools Examinations Data
A Performance Headlines paper was tabled by
management. They noted that all results were unvalidated
and therefore provisional, particularly KS4; it was a
Controlled document.
EYFS profile has improved by 12% and is now above the
national average. Derbyshire’s KS1 results are always
above the national average and continue to be so.
Derbyshire is making some progress in KS2 although
progress measures continue to be a priority. KS4 results
nationally were volatile, subject to significant changes during
the examination year National figures are not yet available
to be able to compare Derbyshire. There is still a challenge
at secondary. DCC is not complacent, it wants to be in the
top quartile, but there is significant work still to do. A level
performance was good.
Overall positives, with challenges.
Ofsted Update
Update circulated prior to meeting.
Belper School – from requires improvement to good.
Aldercar – from serious weaknesses to requires
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improvement
Both positive outcomes.
Harpur Hill – from good to requires improvement
The LA has revised its SCC procedures and has a protocol
for working with Academies. The LA has no statutory
powers with Academies but should notify any concerns to
the school and also inform DfE and Ofsted.
Schools Causing Concern
Inkersall – there has been a consultation meeting for staff
and parents only. Unions reported that they had heard
there was an issue with the new Head taking up post but
management believe that the new Head has taken up post.
The IEB is in place and is impressed with the Headteacher.
Their preferred sponsor is George Spencer Academy Trust.
The IEB want the consultation to be wide and independent.
Alfreton Grange – The Governing Body is considering a
formal Federation which is felt to be the best option for the
local community. They would remain as discrete schools if
they were ever put forward for academisation.
School Reorganisations
Newbold – Unions asked for a management response to
OGAT’s comments. The LA would need hard evidence that
OGAT were not an appropriate sponsor before it could make
any comment. Unions have been pleased with the
outcomes at school.
086/14 Policies Update
Maternity Policy
Management confirmed that this was not a policy, more a
document describing how government schemes worked. It
is mostly statutory. Unions would like to know the cost per
year to schools of paternity leave and how much it would
cost them to increase teachers’ entitlement to be in line with
non-Teaching staff. They are concerned for school and
local authority budgets. Management agreed to report back.
Temporary Variation to Contract
The document was written to meet a need and the majority
of unions want it published as a LA document. The
NASUWT was concerned that the document may be
unlawful and if so any redundancy payment should be based
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Management
on current salary. Management felt it was possible to be
given a temporary contract until end of July, or even 30
August and then revert to your substantive contract.
Management suggested making the document part of the
redundancy package and HR support. The NASUWT said it
would still have to object to the document and felt worried
that members would feel coerced to comply.
Management advised unions to advise their members as
they felt fit. For those unions who wish to draw on it it is
available as part of the toolkit.
Disciplinary Procedure
A working party has met, they need another meeting to
complete their discussions. It is working well. Management
to suggest further dates.
Management
087/14 Single Status
Document circulated at meeting. Management working with
unions on the appeals process. Management are asking for
representatives from non-signatory TUs to observe the
appeals panels.
No group appeals have been received.
Unions
088/14 Any Other Business
Karla Capstick to attend November meeting to report on
progress of introducing Framework-I into schools.
Some guidance on Special Needs Teaching Assistant
contractual arrangements was tabled. Comments were
requested by 24 October 2014.
Unions
A payslip insert about Credit Unions was circulated.
SJCC Meeting dates –proposed meeting dates for 2015
circulated. Please confirm in November as rooms get
booked up quickly.
089/14 Date of Next Meeting:
Pre Meeting – Friday, 5 December 2014 – CR2
Full Meeting – Friday, 12 December 2014 – CR2
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unions