Parents Forum
Minutes of meetings will appear here
Parent Forum Constitution
1:The Parent Forum is an organisation which is created by the Governing Body and resourced by the school. Its purpose is to discuss and communicate the views and ideas of all Cathedral School parents and to bring them to the attention of the Governing Body. The Governing Body is responsible for its creation but carries no further role, except to provide their views on specific issues.
2:The term “parent” in this context covers any person who has legal responsibility for a Cathedral School pupil.
3 Each class, including Nursery, shall be represented on the Forum by a maximum of two representatives per class. If more than two parents put themselves forward for one class, two representatives shall be elected by parents from the relevant class from the pool of candidates. Those offering to be parent representatives should be prepared to serve for a minimum of one academic year.
4:Of the representatives, a Chair and Vice-Chair are to be elected to serve for a period of one year and other posts may be created as necessary.
5:No governor of the School is to be a parent representative of the Forum.
6:There are to be a minimum of two meetings of the Forum per term. One meeting will be for representatives only and one open to all parents/carers. Meetings are to be held at a suitable location and at times convenient to, and agreed by, parent representatives.
7:Minutes of all Forum meetings are to be kept and circulated to all parents and the Governing Body.
8:Forum meetings are to consider any issue save those relating to an individual parent, pupil or member of staff and the specific content of the curriculum.
9:The Forum is a constructive, positive body of parents and not a vehicle for complaints about the school. It is not a fundraising organisation per se but will support and stimulate fund-raising activities for school-related projects.
Topics that have been on the agenda so far include:
Marlborough playground redevelopment, updating the uniform policy, after-school activities, sports provision, tips for new parents, cake sales to raise money for charities and school facilities, school fete, mini-Olympics in Marlborough Playground, parent reading rota, second hand uniform stall and involvement in community matters.
We welcome all contributions from parents. We know that parental involvement and cooperation has a significant and positive impact on children’s development. Please come along to a meeting to find out more! See the newsletter for details on where and when.
Members of the Parents Forum are listed below
Nursery – Ian Sutherland, Shaida Kwapong
Reception - Claire Cassidy, Maitri Arya
Year 1 – Anna Karin Aksberg, Harry Ades
Year 2 – Denise Eaton, Nicola Murrel
Year 3 – Megan Greenwood, Zuleika Carter
Year 4 – Emma Barrington, Amy Cervantes
Year 5 – Julie Nelson Rhodes, Liz Bird
Year 6 – Michelle Myer, Kristina Thiele
Secretary – Megan Greenwood (yr 2 and 3)
Vice Chair – Veronica Palmer Davies (yr 1 and 4)
Chair – Ruth Ashby (nursery and yr 2)
Minutes for Parent’s Forum meeting
09h20 Friday 07 December 2012 at Cathedral School Hall
Parent Forum Representatives: Nursery – Ian Sutherland, Shaida Kwapong, Reception – Claire Cassidy, Maitri Arya, Year 1 – Anna Karin Aksberg, Harry Ades, Year 2 – Denise Eaton, Nicola Murrel, Year 3 – Megan Greenwood, Zuleika Carter, Year 4 – Emma Barrington, Amy Cervantes, Year 5 – Julie Nelson Rhodes, Liz Bird, Year 6 – Michelle Myer, Kristina Thiele, Secretary – Megan Greenwood (yr 2 and 3), Vice Chair – Veronica Palmer Davies (yr 1 and 4), Chair – Ruth Ashby (nursery and yr 2).
• Apologies: Amy Cervantes(y4), Zuleika Carter(y3), Nicola Murrel(y2), Ian Sutherland(N), Shaida Kwapong(N), Megan Greenwood(yr 2 and 3), Denise Eaton(y2), Veronica Palmer Davies (yr 1 and 4).
• Attending: 20 parents/carers. 9 parent representatives. Thank you to all who attended.
Mrs Scott’s responses are in italics.
Feedback to the school
• Coffee morning – parents found Dr Emua Ali’s workshop most informative and useful.
• Parents’ evening was a welcome opportunity to meet teachers and find out more about the school.
• Parents are appreciative for access to purple mash.
• Thank you to Mr and Mrs Scott for their invitation to their wedding. It was a great honour to be there.
• Parents have found the newsletter very informative and interesting. We appreciate understanding more about the school, the approach and what our children are up to.
Many thanks for your positive feedback, we really appreciate it and will use it to inform future decisions.
Requests, suggestions and queries from parents
• Library – Parents are interested to find out how the new library is proceeding? Are their any needs? Could Mrs Rees tell parents what type of books would be welcome?
Many thanks for book donations and library gift list purchases so far, please see school website for more details. We are also very grateful for all donations of second hand books, the next step in the development of the library is the purchase of bean bags and rugs to make the library more inviting. There will be an opportunity for parents to have a ‘stay and read’ session in the library with their children in the Spring Term.
• After-school activities – When children require kit for their activity, is it possible to send children in with it? A member of PF to tour the school with Mrs Scott to look at where this can be stored.
• Second hand school uniform – Is it possible to have regular sales at Parents’ Evenings, Fete’s and importantly at the July meeting for new parents with pre -notification to them. Yes, absolutely.
• Raising money – we are keen to focus on the areas suggested by the school, it would be helpful to have targets to work towards to plan fundraising events, could the school give us some guidelines? This would be most helpful to the Parents’ Forum. To be discussed at the next Senior Leadership Meeting and feedback will be given to PF in January
• Could we hear about lunchtime games and what’s on offer to whom through Southwark Schools Partnership?
Website will be updated in January, with a page for lunchtime activities. There is information on the school blog which relates to SSP activities the school has taken part in.
• Could the school give a few suggestions for dates for the proposed “10 bridges sponsored walk”?
How about a weekend in March?
• Would a Parents skills audit be helpful / useful to the school to know what our skills are and experience is?
Yes please, this would be very useful.
• Is it possible to set a date for Year 6 (possibly even ex yr 7) parents to share experience of secondary school application (and transition) with year 5 and 4 parents? Yes, this is an event that PF organise as school has a separate meeting. We are happy for PF to use the hall for this.
• It was agreed that 2 PF meetings per term is enough with working party meetings for projects such as fundraising, the fete or Christmas fair in the interim.
• PGL bake sale money from last academic year, Y6 parents confirmed that subsidised places were available to those who applied. PF would like to know whether there is a need to top up the fund for next year? As a number of families met the criteria set by the finance committee, the fund needs to be replenished. Cathedral School are very grateful to PF for raising this money.
• Parents who pick up children from the KS1 and KS2 playgrounds find it difficult to communicate with KS2 teachers, (especially y5 and y6), is there another way they can get in touch with teachers? They are mindful not to waste Janice’s time and don’t necessarily want to schedule a meeting with the teacher out of hours when a quick exchange will suffice. Perhaps a quick e-mail to the office school.admin@btconnect.com or through the website, which can be forwarded on to the class teacher.
• In future, for KS2, might it be possible to put the homework set, on their class page on the school website?
If there is a homework query in future perhaps a quick e-mail to the office school.admin@btconnect.com or through the website, which can be forwarded on to the class teacher.
• When a teacher changes mid academic year or term, is it possible to inform parents of the change and give information about new teachers? Mrs Scott acknowledged and apologised for this and will inform parents.
• Could parents know who cover teachers and TA’s are? Perhaps via a notice in the classroom window?
A note will be put in the January newsletter to remind parents of non-class based staff.
• Parents want to minimise being away during term, is it possible to announce term dates further in advance?
We announce term dates as soon as they are agreed by the Governing Body
• After formal notification from Southwark, could new parents to the school possibly have word from the school before July to reassure them that a place is confirmed? And might they have notification of the meeting in July, home visit and start date with as much notice as possible. This would enable a smoother family transition, holiday planning and finding childcare cover. Thank you for this feedback, we will take this on board.
Fundraising focus
• Julie Nelson Rhodes, Liz bird, Angela Camacho, Anna Karin Aksberg and Clare Cassidy are willing to create and to steer fundraising within the PF.
• PF are keen to bring together parents from KS1 and KS2 keen to create a fabulous school fete in the final term? Come forward volunteers. Year reps will be contacting parents about this.
• Junior Playground – Funds raised from the Christmas Fair will be to this end. We still welcome help, stalls and bakers. Contact Stephen Reilly, Clare Cassidy or Maitri Arya (reception parents) if you can contribute to the Christmas bake sale. Ingredients must be listed. Year reps will be contacting parents about this.
• Library – The Cake sale that Nicola and Denise (year 2 parents) organised raised £395. Thank you Nicola and Denise and all the bakers.
• Sports Coaching – Second hand uniform sale has raised £120 thus far and Paul Goode (nursery and y2) is proposing The 10 bridges, 3 mile Sponsored Walk for all willing participants, children, parents and teachers, on a Sunday afternoon next term. We will need parental participation to walk with children and also parents to help man ‘pit stops’ etc. Gift Aid and Match funding were talked about.
• Emma Barrington (yr4 & yr2) has taken on to research scooter cages; their size, cost, capacity and price. Thank you Emma.
• Other fundraising ideas – pub quiz, individual parents sponsorship to be discussed by the fundraising team.
Community
• Parent’s choir – all are welcome. Contact Anna Karin (yr1) or Rachel Norris (yr1& yr3). Year reps let your parents know.
• Marlborough Playgrounds project. BOST requested feedback from PF about space being used between now and Christmas. PF felt that they would like to have the space available whether organised sporting events or just access. PF in favour of submitting an application to a local grant provider to pay for BOST’s implementing of organised sporting events after school.
• Charles Dickens (CD) – The chair of CD and Ruth Ashby have met to discuss mutual support on community matters and of each school’s endeavours.
• Oasis Free School (North Lambeth). Applications to the school are being received and the school will open September 2013.
• Borough Music School (BMS) will be holding a concert in Southwark Cathedral on 15 December, 15h00 – 16h00. Many children from Cathedral School will be performing. As a local charity providing a musical education for children, BMS would be delighted to have your support. Tickets will be on sale shortly. Please bring family and friends.
AOB
• A parent asked whether the school choir would be singing at the Christmas Fair?
• A number of parents (predominantly KS2) have reported that their children are hungry after lunch and school pick up and wondered what the portion sizes are like? Parents are aware that they are able to come into school lunches and some may arrange to do so. We would be happy to welcome you in at lunchtime, please let the office know in advance if you would like to join the children for lunch. Please see following feedback from a parent following a lunchtime visit, “today I had the pleasure of attending Cathedral School to sample the school dinners. I am pleased to see that the children are given a sufficient amount of food and are also able to ask for more if they are still hungry. They have a selection of salad, a main, side, bread and desert. It was nice to see the children socialising but still eating their lunch. The children are encouraged to eat their food. It was also nice to see Miss Oguz in the dinner hall having lunch (school dinners) with the children. I would like to thank June for agreeing to my request to come in for lunch and would also like to thank her for answering my raised concerns.
• Ruth reported that she had had a conversation with Mrs Scott this morning about a concern some parents had brought to her via a PF rep, about the appearance of staff. Overwhelmingly, PF were eager to express that this is not our position or opinion. This is not the remit of the PF either. Staff dress code, is followed. The PF exists to support the school, staff and governors in their endeavours to do all that is good for our children’s education. PF suggests any management or educational queries are to be taken directly to the professionals – the school. I am very grateful to PF for their support and sensitive handling of this matter
Date of next meeting
• Provisional date: Tuesday 22 January after the morning school drop off.
