The John Warner School
Headteacher’s Report to
Personnel Committee of the
Governing Body
Date: Friday 15 February 2013
Report to Personnel Committee
Date 15 February 2013
Introduction
The Senior Leadership Team is in the process of undergoing training specifically designed to
support their work in personnel terms. Key staff are taking a refresher course on safer
recruiting which is obviously key to their work. In addition to this, the Company Secretary
Dave Allman and the Clerk to the Governing Body, Fran Cacciatore, together with myself are
being trained on employment issues by Stone King.
This seminar will cover recent developments in employment law with practical discussion as
to how they may impact on your organisation. It will also refer to matters which you should
look out for, as well as providing an opportunity for questions and discussion. The key topics
covered will be the wide ranging important developments which affect employers and which
we should be aware of.
This event is an opportunity for all employers, including in particular bursars, HR managers,
Trustees of Charities, all those involved in personnel issues and other interested parties to be
updated on current employment law as well as issues which are on the horizon.
All delegates will receive a printed copy of the presentations plus any additional support
literature.
Dave Allman and I recently met with Tamsin Wilkinson, Solicitor and Sarah Turner, Human
Resources Professional of Stone King and had an extensive meeting which allowed us to
develop good working relations with our immediate contacts. We reviewed all past
significant issues in order to provide an opportunity for catch up with colleagues of Stone
King and to have a chance to learn lessons from those previous cases. We then went on to
discuss issues of concern to us at present. The meeting was most successful and both Dave
and I felt very supportive and confident in the relationship.
Fran Cacciatore, PA and Clerk to Governing Body also has access to Stone King, together
with Jeremy Scott, Deputy Headteacher and Sally Pringle, Bursar should they need to use
them. Fran will also be undergoing further training in respect of recruitment and other issues
to keep her up to date.
School Teachers’ Review Body (STRB) Report
The 21st STRB report published in December makes some radical proposals about teachers’
pay.
A summary of the main recommendations are as follows:
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Replacement of increments based on length of service with differentiated progression
through the main scale that rewards excellence and performance improvement.
Pay progression linked to annual appraisal for teachers (already established for more
senior teachers). Appraisal to be against a single set of teacher standards and
individual objectives, with a strong emphasis on professional development.
Abolition of mandatory pay points for classroom teachers, with retention of points for
reference only in the main scale, to guide career expectations for new teachers.
Retention of a broad national framework, including bands for London and fringe areas
and an upper pay scale for experienced teachers who make a wider contribution in the
school.
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Replacement of the detailed threshold test for progression to the upper pay scale with
simple criteria based on one set of teacher standards.
Local flexibility for schools to create posts paying salaries above the upper pay scale.
More discretion in the use of allowances for recruitment and retention and freedom to
pay fixed-term responsibility allowances of up to £2,500 a year for time-limited
projects.
Reinforcement of the responsibility of heads to manage staff and resources and of the
responsibility of governing bodies to hold school leaders to account for managing and
rewarding the performance.
On the basis of the above, a much simplified School Teachers’ Pay and Conditions
Document.
This review forms part of an ongoing debate between the government and the teaching
profession and the local authorities on how teachers are to be remunerated and their terms of
conditions.
Maternity Leave
The following staff are taking their maternity leave:
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Helen Hill, Head of Middle School, took maternity leave from the 14 January 2013
Lauren Morbey, Joint Head of Sixth Form, took maternity leave from the 28 January
2013
Samantha Cove, Mathematics Teacher will take her maternity leave from 28 February
2013
Sarah Douglas, Psychology Teacher will take her maternity leave from June 2013
Appropriate measures have been taken to cover their classes. Each of the members of staff
concerned will be taking varied amounts of maternity leave but all will have ‘keep in touch
days’ which are required by law and which allow them to remain part of their faculty and to
keep in touch with their year groups. This is beneficial both to the school, the children and to
the members of staff concerned.
Staff Promotion
Miss Charlotte Bone, BSc, has been promoted to Head of Humanities Faculty. Charlotte
underwent a very rigorous interview process including written tasks and panel interviews and
did extremely well. Charlotte has a clear sighted vision of the future of humanities and has a
good working relationship with all of her staff. She will be supported by Mr Jonathan
Watson, the previous Head of Faculty through a process of induction. I am sure governors
will join with me in congratulating her on this promotion.
Staff Promotion
Miss Claire Hammersley, BA will be leaving us to take up a promoted post at Broxbourne
School where she will be in charge of KS3 Food Technology. We are very pleased for her as
this is a significant promotion and wish her well in her new role.
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Staff Joining Us
I am delighted to say that we have been able to appoint a number of key staff for next the
next academic year.
Miss Maeve Price, BA is a joint appointment to the Faculties of English and Humanities
from January 2013. Miss Price was educated at the National University of Ireland Galway
where she graduated in a 2:1 degree in History. Miss Price also has a post-graduate Diploma
in Education and has previously taught in Ireland and Australia.
Miss Louise Quinn, BSc will be joining the Mathematics Faculty from January 2013. She
graduated with 2:2 from the Heriot-Watt University in Scotland. Louise holds a graduate
Diploma in Education from Dublin City University. Miss Quinn has also been teaching in
Ireland at St Vincents Secondary School Dundork.
Miss Gemma Major, Bsc will join us in July to teach Chemistry, Biology and Geography.
Gemma graduated from the University of Plymouth with a 2:1 degree in Marine Biology and
Oceanography. She is presently completing her teacher training at the University of
Plymouth. She will be based in the Science Faculty.
Miss Fiona Rutherford, BA joins us in July to teach Italian, French, Mathematics and
Primary Liaison. Fiona was educated in Derbyshire and attended the University of Bristol
where she obtained a 2:1 degree in French and Italian. Miss Rutherford is presently
completing her PGCE course in modern languages at the University of Cambridge. She has
wide experience including being a voluntary teacher of English to Buddist monks in Nepal.
Mrs Mary Davies, BSc, MA joins us in February to cover a maternity leave. She will be
teaching English, Sociology and Media. She has a Certificate in Education from the
University of Liverpool, Institute of Education. She also has a BSc in Sociology from the
University of Salford and has an MA in Education from the Institute of Education, University
of London.
Miss Bryony Lang, a former pupil of our school, joins us as an Aspirant Teacher and is
presently completing her degree at Brighton University where she is studying Sociology.
Bryony will train to teach Sociology and Humanities at the beginning of next year.
Mr Andrew Houghton, BSc has been appointed to a post of responsibility within the
Mathematics Faculty. Andrew was educated at Birkdale High School in Southport and at
Corpus Christi College, University of Cambridge where he obtained a 2:1 degree in
Mathematics. Andrew has taught in two upper schools in Bedfordshire and was awarded his
PGCE by the University of Bedfordshire. Andrew will begin his work with us in September
but will be visiting us for two days in the summer term.
Governor Visit
Professor Bernard Barker, our newly appointed governor will be visiting the school on a
governor visit on 13 March 2013. A programme has been developed in consultation with
staff. This does not of course form part of the assessment of staff in any sense, it is merely
for information.
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Safer Recruitment
To date the following members of the Senior Leadership Team have completed the course
entitled ‘Recruiting Safely’ sponsored and validated by the Department of Education. This is
an online course and covers all aspects of recruiting and best practice. They are:
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Dave Allman, Deputy Headteacher
Jeremy Scott, Deputy Headteacher
Sally Pringle, Bursar
Jonathan Huddleston, Assistant Headteacher
Jonathan Watson, Assistant Headteacher
Paul Clarke, Assistant Headteacher
Tara Haddock, Assistant Headteacher
The following staff have safer recruitment certificates which were supplied by the
NCSL/DfE:
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David Kennedy, Headteacher
Dave Allman, Deputy Headteacher
Sally Pringle, Bursar
Fran Cacciatore, PA to Headteacher and Clerk to Governing Body
Paul Clarke, Assistant Headteacher
The following additional members of staff are due to take the ‘Recruiting Safely’ course:
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Jennie Rich, Officer Manager and Admissions Officer
Alison Sharman, Examinations Officer
Ian Cant, Assistant Headteacher
Angela Walker, Assistant Headteacher
Nigel Cook, Assistant Headteacher
Oliver Price, Assistant Headteacher
We will give further update at the meeting if the staff manage to complete by the 15th
February. Needlesstosay all interview panels at the school contain at least one or two people
who have completed this training. Fran Cacciatore also controls the administrative process
prior to the interview itself and ensures that all proper procedures are carried out.
We are currently going through the process of reaccrediting with new CRB checks staff
whose CRBs are now three years old.
Real Time Information
From April 2013 employers and pension providers will report their payroll information to
HM Revenue and Customs in a new way.
They will send HMRC information about any payments and deductions they make to
employees or pension recipients each time they are made, as part of the payroll process.
Payroll software will simply collect the information and send it to HMRC online.
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This additional requirement will be handled by our payroll provider Dataplan and Sally
Pringle is in detailed discussion with them to ensure a smooth transition. The Finance
Committee will take the lead in this.
National Professional Qualification for Senior and Middle Leadership
(NPQSL/NPQML)
I am delighted to inform you that the school has become involved in the National
Professional Qualification for Senior and Middle Leadership programme. This is one of three
new national qualifications offered by the National College for School Leadership. The
National College has been amalgamated with the Teaching Agency within the Department for
Education and this is their first new qualification. They are part of a modular curriculum
which offers flexible development opportunities to support leaders at every stage of their
carer. The curriculum has five levels, with each level offering a choice of modules that may
be combined to pursue a nationally recognised qualification or studied alone.
We have 17 teachers from The John Warner School who have shown an interest in obtaining
this qualification.
We are also inviting staff from our partner schools The Leventhorpe School and The E-act
Burnham Park Academy, together with some of our feeder primary schools with which we
are in negotiation to join the programme.
I have attached a more detailed description of the courses for governors to see.
I commend this report to you.
David Kennedy
Headteacher
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