FEBRUARY 2014 Governors Volunteer Awards Orientation Session.
Parayhouse Governors Handbook 2014-2015
-
Upload
parayhouse-school -
Category
Documents
-
view
214 -
download
2
description
Transcript of Parayhouse Governors Handbook 2014-2015
For more information about the school, it’s policies and a record of events and activities, please visit: pa rayhouse .com
GOVERNOR HANDBOOKDelivering on Our Mission Each and Every Day
2 | PHS Governor Handbook
First Edition 2014-15
CONTENTS
3. MissonOur Mission statement and how Parayhouse delivers on it.
4. Chair of Governors Welcome A message from the current Chair of Governors.
6. Headteacher Welcome A message from the Parayhouse Headteacher.
8. Key DefinitionsOur terminologies, technologies, tools and educational standards are explained.
13. Student Journey Who we accept, and the options available to students at PHS.
21. Twenty Questions20 questions for Governing Bodies. Sources of evidence, and how to improve.
30. Governors Skills AuditParayhouse Governing Body skills and knowledge audit.
31. Useful Links
32. Important Forms & PoliciesForms/Policies you may need as a member of the Governing Body.
36. Glossary of TermsKey terminologies you may encounter as a member of the Governing Body.
40. Performance DataThe most recent reported data.
HEADTEACHERSarah L. Jackson
DEPUTY HEADTEACHERMichael Clegg-Butt
KEY TEACHERSam Croyle
SPEECH THERAPIST (SLT)Laura Tobin
LEAD LEARNING SUPPORTASSISTANTPhoebe Buret
CHAIR OF GOVERNORSRandall S. Peterson
PARENT GOVERNORSCatherine SukmonowskiClaire DurtnallJohnnie Wraith
COMMUNITY GOVERNORSRobert LintonRosanna SaffellSamantha Cordey
We would very much like to acknowledge the invaluable assistance provided by the School’s Trustee’s, whom you will come to know in your tenure as a Governor.
Governor Handbook PHS | 3
PARAYHOUSE SCHOOL MISSION
We focus our work on preparing students with special needs for the challenges they will meet when leaving school.
We recognise that it is the development of social, language and thinking skills which enable our students to express themselves, to understand and to function optimally in the world.
We also believe in the power of collaborative practice. Together, we face challenges, celebrate achievement and aspire to do our very best.
PHS | Mission
Secondly, we create a highly specialised and individualised cur-riculum with speech and language at its heart, empowering students to learn.
Thirdly, we establish close working relationships between parents, carers, students and staff to support learning and behaviour at home as well as at school.
WE DEL IVER OUR MISSION IN THREE ESSENTIAL WAYS.
Firstly, we provide a safe and nurturing environment where students feel secure and are confident and eager to learn.
TOGETHER, WE FACE CHALLENGES, CELEBRATE ACHIEVEMENT AND ASPIRE TO DO OUR VERY BEST.
4 | PHS Governor Handbook
WELCOME TO THE GOVERNING BODY OF PARAYHOUSE SCHOOL.
Parayhouse School delivers on our mission in three essential ways.
1) Firstly, we provide a safe and nurturing environment where stu-dents feel secure and are confident and eager to learn.
2) Secondly, we create a highly specialised and individualised cur-riculum with speech and language at its heart, empowering students to learn.
3) Thirdly, we establish close working relationships between parents, carers, students and staff to support learning and behaviour at home as well as at school.
Parayhouse School is a non-maintained special school. That means that we are a registered charity rather than a state owned or maintained school, so our Finance Committee is also a Board of Trustees that is responsible for the running of that charity as a business, including finances, fundraising and premises (i.e. things the state does for maintained schools).
WELCOME
RANDALL S. PETERSON, CHAIR OF GOVERNORS2011 TO PRESENT
The school is a very special organisation, entrusted to teach children with moderate to high levels of special educational needs. We are committed to ensuring that each and every one of our students reaches his or her full potential.
BOARD MEETINGS ARE HELD QUARTERLYOUR SEPTEMBER 2013 MEETING IN THIS PHOTO
Governor Handbook PHS | 5
SET VISION AND AIMS
EVALUATE SCHOOL
ENSURE ACCOUNTABILITY
CURRICULUM MONITORING
FOCUSSED LEARNING VISIT
ATTEND SCHOOL EVENTS
ATTEND MEETINGS
The Parayhouse Governing Body exists to be a critical friend to the Head teacher in running the school to maximise student learning and achievement. School Governing Bodies all have three broad objectives:
• Setting the school’s vision and
strategic aims, including agreeing plans and
policies and making creative use of available
resources;
• Monitoring and evaluating school
performance and acting as a critical friend
to the head teacher to support and challenge
them in managing the school;
• Ensuring that the school is
accountable to the children and parents
it serves, and to its local community and to
those who fund and maintain it, as well as to
the staff it employs.
The Governing Body is comprised of 5 staff (i.e. the Head Teacher, Deputy Head Teacher, a Key Teacher, a Speech and Language Therapist and a Learning Support Assistant), up to 5 parents of existing or recent students and up to 5 community Governors. All Governors other than the Head and Deputy Head serve a 4 year term. The Governing Body itself selects a Chair from amongst the non-employee Governors annually.
The Governors engage in a variety of activities, including:
• Monitoring and evaluating, the national
curriculum and other pupil performance
data; the progress of pupils within specific
groups; pupil behaviour; pupil exclusions;
school vision and values; staff morale; and
the partnerships with parents and the wider
community.
• Making a focussed learning visit to the
school at least once a year to see the school
in action.
• Attending major school events to be
visible and talk to concerned parents (e.g.,
School Birthday Party, School Christmas
Show, etc.).
• Attending meetings of at least one of
the committees of the Governing Body:
Finance and Trustees – responsible
for school finances and ensuring value for
money.
Teaching, Learning and Achievement –
responsible for driving student learning and
achievement.
Leadership and Management – respon-
sible for ensuring the school is managed in
accordance with best practice.
Behaviour and Safety – responsible for
ensuring the school provides a safe learning
environment.
We anticipate that this will take a minimum of 40 hours per year of your time.
THANK YOUfor committing to help a remarkable and brave group of special needs children and to supporting the work of an inspiring group of educational professionals.
I am proud to be associated with the School and delighted to have you be a part of the Parayhouse School Board of Governors.
If you have any questions or concerns about your role, or cannot find something in this Governance handbook, please do not hesitate to get in touch with either me or our Headteacher, Mrs. Sarah L. Jackson.
[email protected]@parayhouse.com
6 | PHS Governor Handbook
Since becoming a registered
charity in 2001 Parayhouse
has had a Board of Trustees,
responsible to the Charity
Commission, and overseeing
finance, staff and premises.
When we became a Non-
Maintained Special School
in 2005 we had to create a
Board of Governors, and it
was then a very small affair
indeed, with just 7 Governors
meeting 3 or 4 times a year.
Looking at our [large] Board
of Governors now I am in
awe of the time they commit
WELCOMEFROM THE PARAYHOUSE SCHOOL HEADTEACHER
VIEW THESE ONLINE:
Parayhouse Prospectus
Our Latest Ofsted Report
SARAH L. JACKSON
Governor Handbook PHS | 7
to our school, the knowledge
of Parayhouse that they have
amassed, and their belief in
the value of our community.
Our Community and Parent
Governors have a clear
understanding of what we
are doing, how we do it
and why we are doing
it. This is knowledge that
they have built up through
their involvement with the
School Development Plan,
key policies, visits to school
to observe lessons, watch
assemblies and join in with
the Christmas Disco – and all
this on top of their day jobs!
The idea behind this
Handbook is to make building
that knowledge a little easier
and faster – if you are a new
or prospective Governor
please let us know if this is
what you need to know –
and thank you!
KeKeKeeeyy StStagagagee
OOOOOONNNNNNNNEEEEEEAgeAgegAgeeAggessees 5s – 7
YeaYeae rs 1 to 2
AAgeAAA ss 77– 1– 1111
YeaaYeYeYeYeY rsrs 3 t33 o 6oo 66
AgeA s s 11– 14
YeaYe rs 7 to 9
Ages 14 – 16
Years 10 to 11
KeKeeeey y y y StStStStagagagageeee
TTTTTWWWWWWWOOOOOOKeKeKeKeeey y y StSttagagagee
TTTTTHHHHHHHHHHRRRRREEEEEEEEKeKeeeeeeey y y yy StStStStagagaga eeeeee
FFFFFFOOOOOOOOOOUUUURRRRR
8 | PHS Governor Handbook
WHAT IS A NON-MAINTAINED SPECIAL SCHOOL?Given their small number across the UK it might be useful to explain the status of Non-Maintained Special Schools [NMSS] - there are over 70 NMSS in the UK approved by the DfE’s Secretary of State under Section 342 of the Educa-tion Act 1996. Non-maintained special schools are not maintained by the local authority, they are non-profit making schools run by charitable trusts.
NMSS schools were previously funded by fees charged to the placing Local Authority [LA] and also some DfE grants. Since the funding arrangements were restructured from April 2013, pupils are funded primarily through £10,000 per pupil from the Education Funding Agency [EFA], plus top-up fees from the LAs concerned.
NMSS schools are subject to the provisions set out in the Education (Non-Maintained Special Schools) (England) Regulations 1999, which deal with the initial and continuing conditions for approval by the Secretary of State. These cover such issues as governance, health and safety, welfare, non-profit making status, premises, and so on, and the underlying principle of the regulations is that NMSS should be treated in broadly the same way as maintained schools.
KEY STAGES The National Curriculum is divided into 4 Key Stages (see table
above).
The curriculum at Parayhouse is tailored to each student taking into
account specific areas of need. It is a national requirement that as-
sessments are made at the end of each Key Stage, but in practice they
are made more frequently (half termly) at Parayhouse.
ACADEMIC ASSESSMENTAcademic achievement is assessed and future progress predicted using a combination of SOLAR (Special On-Line Assessment Records), Progression Guidance and CASPA (Comparison and Analysis of Special Pupil Attainment).
PERFORMANCE (P) SCALESThe use of P Scales is statutory when reporting attainment for pupils
with special educational needs who are working below level 1 of the
National Curriculum (More P-Scales Information Here).
They are used at the end of Key Stage 1, Key Stage 2 and Key Stage 3
for reporting teacher assessment in English, mathematics and science
to the Standards and Testing Agency (STA).
P LEVELSThere are 8 P levels (P1 to P8) which describe skills that
students should have before they reach the beginning (Level 1)
of the National Curriculum. Some of the P levels are subdivided
e.g. P1(ii) etc.
PHS | Definitions
EEEEEENGLLLLIISSSH
KS2 KKKKKSKS3LLLQLQLQ
KKKKKS3KS3S33UUUQUQQQUU
KKKSKS3KSKKMMMMMMMMeedian
KS2 KKSKSKSSKS3LLQQQ
KS3UQ
KSKSKS3KS3S3S3333Meeeeeedddddidid ann
MAMAAAAAATTTHTHTHEMAAAAAATTTITITITIIIICSCSCSSCSS SSCS IENCCEE
P1(i) P1(((ii) P1(P1(i)i) PPP1(i)P1(ii) P1(iiiii) P1(P1(1 ii)ii) PPP3(i)P2(i) P2(ii)))) P2(P2(ii)ii) PP2(ii)P2(ii) P2(2 iii))) P2(P2(i)i) PP3(i)P3(i) P3(i)) P3(P3(ii)i PP4PP3(ii) P3(ii))) P4P4 PP4PP4 P4 P4P4 PPP5P5 P5P5 P6P6 PP6PP6 P66 P7P7 PP8PP7 P77 PP8P8 LL1CP8 L1CC LL1BL1B L1AL1AL
P1(i) P1(ii) PP1(P1(i)) P1(i)P1(ii) P1(iii) PP2(P2(i)i) P2(ii)P2(i) P2(i)) P2(P2(ii)ii)ii)) P2(P2(P2(P ii)ii)ii)P2(ii) P2(ii)) P2P2(ii)ii) P3(33(ii))ii)P3(i) P3(P33 i) P3(PP3((ii)ii) P4P44P3(ii) P3((i) P3(P3(PP (ii)ii) P4P44P4 P4P4 PPP4P4 P5P5P5 P5 PPPP6 P7P7P6 P6P P77 PP8P7 P7P7 P8 L1CL1CP8 L1CL1C1 LL1B L1AL1AA
KS2 KKSKS3LQQ
KS3UQQUQ
KSS3Meddian
P1(i) P1(i(i) P1(i) P2(i)P1(ii) P1(i)i) P1(ii) P2(ii)P2(i) P2((i)) P2(i) P3(i)P2(ii) P2(ii)i)) P2(2 ii)) P3(ii)P3(i) P2(2(i)) P3(P3(i) P4P3(ii) P3(P i) P3(ii) P4P4 P4P4 P5 P6P5 P5 P6 P7P6 P6 P7 1LBP7 P7 P8 L1BP8 L1BL1 LL1A L2B
Key Stage-Two to Stage-Three Quartile Tables
Governor Handbook PHS | 9
PROGRESSION GUIDANCEThe Department for Education (DfE) has produced a document
called Progression 2010-11 (Advice on improving data to raise attain-
ment and maximise the progress of learners with special educational
needs) which provides tables indicating how much progress by a
student between Key Stages will equate to better than average, aver-
age or worse than average progress.
It is a DfE requirement that Progression Guidance is used for English,
Maths and Science but there is no such guidance for the other sub-
jects, for which CASPA is used (see below).
To give an example, the tables below summarize the progress made
in English, mathematics and science of the lowest 25% of learners
(LQ), the middle 50% (Median) and the top 25% of learners (UQ) in
the 2009 cohort. (The DfE use of ‘quartiles’ to describe these 3 groups
is confusing but we are stuck with it).
NATIONAL CURRICULUM LEVELS AND EXAMSNational Curriculum Levels run from Level 1 to Level 8 (and beyond
that is a top level of ‘Exceptional’). L1 to L8 are subdivided e.g. L1C,
L1B, L1A etc, with L1A being higher than L1B. L1 for reading is:
PUPILS RECOGNIZE FAMILIAR WORDS IN SIMPLE TEXTS. THEY USE THEIR
KNOWLEDGE OF LETTERS AND SOUND-SYMBOL RELATIONSHIPS IN ORDER
TO READ WORDS AND TO ESTABLISH MEANING WHEN READING ALOUD. IN
THESE ACTIVITIES THEY SOMETIMES REQUIRE SUPPORT. THEY EXPRESS THEIR
RESPONSE TO POEMS, STORIES AND NON-FICTION BY IDENTIFYING ASPECTS
THEY LIKE.
At Parayhouse students with MLD (Moderate Learning Difficulties) will
probably achieve between Level 1 and Level 4 by the time they leave
at the age of 16 years. Where appropriate, Year 11 students are en-
tered for OCR Entry Level exams (www.ocr.org.uk) in Maths, English,
Art, Physical Education, Design & Technology. They also take OCR
Functional Skills exams in Maths and English and ICT (Information and
communications technology).
SOLARSOLAR is an online assessment tracker that allows teachers to record and monitor students’ progress across various assessment frameworks, uploading evidence as they go along. As well as using the P Levels and National Curriculum Levels to monitor student progress, the Department for Edu-cation’s (DfE) Progression Guidance materials is also used to make predictions of and to measure progress. In addition, SOLAR has the capacity to record students’ assessment and progress against any number of measures, programmes and commercial schemes. For example, students who are working towards taking Entry Level or GCSE qualifications are able to have their attainment at different levels or grades recorded, which allows predictions to be made as to the final level or grade that they are likely to achieve.
When using the P and National Curriculum (NC) Level descriptors as a measure of progress on SOLAR, the programme provides detailed lists of abilities required for students to qualify to the next P or NC Level for each subject. For example at English Writing Level 2B, one of the requirements is to demonstrate that ‘There is evi-dence of some sentence punctuation’. Three pieces of evidence are needed for each requirement and a useful feature is that evidence such as photos can be added to the SOLAR record. This evidence is also used for Mod-eration exercises.
10 | PHS Governor Handbook
CASPA is a computer programme designed to analyse attainment and progress for pupils with Special Educational Needs and covers P scales and National Curriculum levels up to Level 8.
Unlike SOLAR, CASPA only has the facility to measure students’ progress against P and National Curriculum Levels. However, CASPA’s prediction and measurement of progress is based on the achievements of over 50,000 special needs students across the country, with more data added each year and allows the opportunity to compare the rate of progress that our students make against that of their peers.
When a student first enters the school an initial assessment using SOLAR allows his/her P level in each subject to be identified and recorded. In the example below, percentiles for ‘reading’ are plotted for all CASPA students in the category of Moderate Learning Difficulty (MLD). To give an example - a student who is in year 3 (so would be aged about 8) might be assessed as being at P level 6 which would put him on the green line which is the 25th percentile.
INTRODUCTION
SETTING TARGETS
CASP
A
CASPA STANDS FOR “COMPARISON AND ANALYSIS OF SPECIAL PUPIL ATTAINMENT”
Governor Handbook PHS | 11
The average student would continue on this percentile line in which case in year 6 you would expect him to reach Level 1C. Of course he might do better or worse than this. The numbers in the small boxes above show the data points for our MLD students.
These percentile charts are the main predictor of future progress that is used. Once the school has made the predictions, subsequent SOLAR assessments and CASPA analysis will show if they have been achieved.
DATA POINTS
IF ‘PERCENTILES’ ARE A
RATHER DISTANT MEMORY
VISIT THIS LINK
FOR MORE DETAILS & OTHER DATA DISPLAYSCLICK THESE: PERCENTILES, PROGRESS VS EXPECTATIONS
12 | PHS Governor Handbook
CASPA(CONTINUED)
DATA CAN BE PRESENTED IN SEVERAL FORMATSCLICK HERE FOR USEFUL INFORMATION
Data Presentation: Using CASPA, the data can be presented in several different formats.
The example chart above shows results for all our students (43) and indicates how many have exceeded, achieved or fallen below the predicted level of progress. In this case the subject was reading and the period over which progress was measured was Summer 2011 to Summer 2012.
Data Presentation: The green block in the chart above represents those 23 students whose progress has exceeded the expect-ed level by at least 5 percentiles. The orange block represents 19 students who made ‘expected’ progress, that is to say they remained within ±5 percentiles of the one they were on at the start of the period. The red block represents the 1 student whose progress failed to follow the percentile curve he started on and he ended up at least 5 percentiles lower than this curve.
HOWTO
READ THE DATA
Governor Handbook PHS | 13
PARAYHOUSE SCHOOL CATERS FOR A MAXIMUM OF 46 STUDENTS, AGED FROM 7 - 16 YEARS AND COVERING KEY STAGES 2, 3 AND 4. STUDENTS MAY ENTER AT ANY STAGE OF THEIR SCHOOL CAREER, SUBJECT TO THE ADMISSIONS POLICY AND WHERE VACANCIES ARISE.
STUDENT JOURNEYFROM APPLICATION TO TRANSITION
PARAYHOUSE SCHOOLParayhouse provides a specialist education for students with special educational needs that may include the areas listed below.
LANGUAGE AND LEARNING FOR LIFEFor us, it’s a lot more than a few meaningful words strung together for effect. We recognise that our work truly matters to the lives of our students, well beyond their school years.
Speech & Language:Speech, language and communication needs.
Learning difficulties: moderate to severe learn-ing difficulties.
Conditions: Syndromes/conditions such as Down’s, Sotos, Asperger’s, Fragile X, Tuberous Sclerosis and Prader-Willi.
Commonly Related: Associated medical conditions might include diabetes, epilepsy and asthma and hearing and visual impairments.
Motor Control: Fine and gross motor difficulties, dyspraxia and sensory integration problems.
Behaviour: Social, emotional and behavioural difficulties & delay, related to learning and language needs.
*Parayhouse is not able to meet the needs of students with Social, Emotional and Behavioural difficulties or Autism as their sole special educational need.
PHS | Students
APPLICATIONProspective students are referred from a variety of sources
LOCAL AUTHORITY SPECIAL EDUCATIONAL NEEDS DEPARTMENTS
PARENTS
INDEPENDENT EDUCATIONAL PSYCHOLOGISTS
INDEPENDENT SPEECH AND LANGUAGE THERAPISTS
OTHER SCHOOLS
Once a referral has been made and it has been judged that the school may be an appropriate provision for the child, an invitation to attend a two day observation in the most suitable class is arranged. During this time, the child takes part in all lessons with the class and also spends some time with the Speech and Language Thera-pist (SLT) and if relevant, the Occupational Therapist (OT). During the observation days, staff look to see if the child’s academic needs can be met, but also whether any behavioural and social needs can be catered for within our setting. Once the observation days have been completed, the class staff team and other teachers who
have spent time with the child, feedback to the Head Teacher and make a recommendation. On occasion, where it is felt more time is needed to make an accurate assessment, the child will be asked to return for further observation.
Information from the child’s last Annual Review may also be used to assess the needs of the child and the ap-propriateness of our provision in meeting those needs. If further information is required, the Family Support Man-ager and the appropriate Class Teacher and/or SLT, may visit the child’s current school.
Once a decision has been made to offer a place, the parents are informed verbally in the first instance and are then sent a formal written offer which is also copied to the Local Authority (LA). This is followed by a ‘home visit’ meeting with the Parents/Carers and the Family Sup-port Manager to offer any further advice and help that the Parents/Carers may need.
Beginnings
Depending on the circumstances of the application, an accepted student may join the class at the start of, or part way through an academic year. Although the student will immediately join their class and take part in all lessons, during the first few weeks they will undertake assessments across English and Maths to determine their placement in groupings and also to inform their bench-mark for academic levels.
APPL ICATION & INIT IAL ASSESSMENTSTUDENT JOURNEY (CONTINUED)
Governor Handbook PHS | 15
INITIAL ASSESSMENT FOR MORE INFORMATION PLEASE SEE THE ASSESSMENT POLICY OR SPEAK TO MICHAEL CLEGG-BUTT.
Within the first few weeks, Teachers and Therapists carry out further assessments and provide Performance (P) and National Curriculum (NC) Level benchmarks for input into SOLAR and CASPA– a large data base that compares the progress of a large number of SEN students nation-ally. An Individual Education Profile (IEP) is created for each child with an objective for each of Communication, Learning, Social/Behavioural and Physical/Sensory. These are allocated a timeframe for completion and assessed accordingly. These targets are shared with the student and displayed in the class room so they can be moni-tored. Once targets are achieved new ones are set.
Staff also complete a student profile document for the child, outlining their learning needs and preferences, any key information around medication, home-life etc and any behavioural concerns and strategies. This is fol-lowed by a second home visit from the Family Support Manager.
Classes
Students are placed into a class, dependent on age and assessment levels. The class structure is as follows:
PLUTO (LOWER KEY STAGE 2 AND KEY STAGE 3) – THIS CLASS IS PR IMARILY FOR OUR YOUNGER KEY STAGE 2 STUDENTS AND IF APPROPRIATE OUR LOWEST ACHIEVING STUDENTS IN KEY STAGE 3
SATURN (UPPER KEY STAGE 2 AND KEY STAGE 3) – LOWER ACHIEVERS WITHIN THESE KEY STAGES
JUPITER (KEY STAGE 2-3) – HIGHER ACHIEVERS WITHIN THESE KEY STAGES
NEPTUNE (KEY STAGE 3-4) - LOWER ACHIEVERS WITHIN THESE KEY STAGES
MARS (KEY STAGE 3-4) - HIGHER ACHIEVERS WITHIN THESE KEY STAGES
16 | PHS Governor Handbook
If a student joins part way through a year, a meeting is arranged with the parents and teaching staff within the first few weeks. After this, staff meet with parents (or have phone contact) at the beginning of each academic year in October and then again in March to discuss the child’s progress. Towards the end of the academic year, parents/carers are invited to attend their child’s Annual Review, to which all the appropriate LAs are also invited and expected to attend.
Further opportunities are also avail-able for parents/carers to meet and discuss their child. Parents are free to call at any time, to make an ar-rangement to talk with their child’s Key Teacher and Therapist.
Parent Contact
PARENTS OF ALL STUDENTS ARE INVITED TO A ‘NEW-START’ MEETING WITH CLASS STAFF AT THE BEGINNING OF THE ACADEMIC YEAR, SO AS TO FORM A RELATIONSHIP AND DISCUSS HOW THEIR CHILD IS SETTL ING IN AND TARGETS SET.
Parents are also encouraged to at-tend the weekly ‘drop-ins’ with the Family Support Manager on Friday afternoons. In addition, the Family Support Manager maintains close contact with all parents, so as to pro-vide further support at home where necessary.
A home-school book is kept for each student to allow ad-hoc communi-cation between parents and staff.
FOR MORE INFORMATION ON HOME/SCHOOL L IAISON PLEASE SPEAK TO BEVERLEY ROUTLEY
PARENT CONTACTSTUDENT JOURNEY (CONTINUED)
Governor Handbook PHS | 17
The Curriculum
THE CURRICULUM AT PARAYHOUSE SCHOOL IS TAILORED TO OUR STUDENTS AND THEIR SPECIF IC AREAS OF NEED.
Due to the nature of our students’ needs, there is a significant emphasis on developing the students’ speech and language skills in order that they can access the wider curriculum. We currently have 4 dedicated Speech and Language Therapists who work extremely closely with teachers to plan and deliver the full curriculum in a way that is accessible to our students who have a wide range of communication needs.
Core subjects at Parayhouse are Maths, English and PSHCE (Personal, Social, Health and Citizenship Education which includes Sex and Relationship Education).
Other subjects taught are:
MATHS FOR L IFE
SCIENCE
ART
DESIGN & TECHNOLOGYLIFE SKILLS
DRAMA
PE (PHYSICAL EDUCATION)
MUSIC
ICT ( INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY)
Religious Education is covered through individual days of celebra-tion. Modern Foreign Languages are taught over a single Module and allow students the opportunity to ex-perience a different language and to learn about a country and its culture.
MATHS
ENGLISH
PSHCE
History and Geography are explored through week long ‘celebrations’ of a related topic, which allow staff to bring these subjects to life in a more meaningful way.
CURRICULUMSTUDENT JOURNEY (CONTINUED)
CURRICULUM
18 | PHS Governor Handbook
CURRICULUM
More About Subjects Foundation subjects (in this document, all those that are not Maths, English and PHSCE) are taught through a set curriculum at each level which is grouped into skills and then delivered through a creative topic decided by the teaching staff.
Maths is taught by key teachers through daily lessons which cover number, length, capacity, mass, direction and position, pattern and shape across the year. Time, Money and Data Handling are taught through weekly Maths for Life lessons which are planned and taught by one member of staff.
In line with our needs-driven curriculum all students are streamed
by learning and language ability, with due cognisance given to providing socially appropriate peer groups. Students are assessed and then grouped by ability and follow a progressive skills curriculum.
The English curriculum at Parayhouse is delivered through the following lessons:
ENGLISH: WRIT INGENGLISH: WORD SKILLS ENGLISH: STORYTELL INGENGLISH: READINGENGLISH: L ITERATURE
In addition we see Drama as key to developing our students’ speaking and listening, story development and creative skills. Again, students
are assessed and then grouped by ability and follow a progressive skills curriculum. Each lesson is planned to ensure the development of the skills needed to meet the English curriculum.
Where appropriate, Year 11 students are entered for OCR Entry Level exams (www.ocr.org.uk) in Maths, English, Art, P.E, DT. They also take OCR Functional Skills exams in Maths and English and ICT.
FOR MORE INFORMATION ON EXAMS OR CURRICULUM PLEASE SPEAK TO VERITY CARNEVALE
CURRICULUMSTUDENT JOURNEY (CONTINUED)
Governor Handbook PHS | 19
Assessment
Students are assessed through formal assessment and teacher observations throughout each term and progress is logged onto SOLAR each module (each module is half a term and usually planned to be one block or topic of learning). This records a student’s progress, identifies any potential areas for concern and informs future learning.
A Student’s progress is also reviewed and assessed at the end of each module and reported on at Progress Meetings and Annual Reviews. The progress that a student makes over the year is included in the annual report.
In Year 11, students begin to prepare for Transition to their next provision. A Transition Evening is arranged every year for all parents who are interested but particularly parents of students in years 9-11 where representatives from a range of provisions give short presentations and answer parents’ questions. Our school Transition Manager then liaises closely with parents with regards to suitable provisions and both she and the Family Support Manager provide help with applications and attend open days with parents. Our Year 11 students spend one day a week in the summer term attending Hammersmith and Fulham College with a member of Parayhouse staff. Here they experience the college environment and take part in cookery classes. The Transition Manager also arranges and oversees a residential work experience placement for our Y11 students at a hotel that trains young people with a learning disability in all aspects of the service industry.
The school places great value on preparing our students for their
lives immediately after leaving Parayhouse and beyond. As students progress through the school, they are given more responsibilities and consequently expectations in terms of their increased maturity and level of independence are appropriately high. For example, where possible, our older and more able students are supported to become independent travellers making their own way to and from school. Training for this can be provided by the Local Authority but is heavily supported by the Family Support Manager.
While students are in Year 11 they are given additional responsibilities such as serving salad during lunchtimes, collecting the post from the school office and carrying out administrative errands for the School Business manager.
FOR MORE INFORMATION ON TRANSIT ION AND LEAVERS PLEASE SPEAK TO: SUE OSBOND
ON-GOING
TRANSITION
20 | PHS Governor Handbook20 | PHS Governor Handbook
At the end of Year 11 a student’s time at the school is celebrated with a Leavers Assembly. Students are supported by the Transition Manager to make a short presentation about their time at the school and they receive their Record of Achievement, which documents their experiences and success throughout their time at the school.
We maintain contact with our students after they have left. Questionnaires are sent out regarding the new 16+ placement and the help that they received in Y11. Where appropriate or requested, we visit students to further support successful integration into their new placement. Students are also invited to attend school social events and are welcome to visit on days off and for work experience placements.
WE VISIT STUDENTS
TO FURTHER SUPPORT
SUCCESSFUL
INTEGRATION INTO
THEIR NEW PLACEMENT
THE
STU
DEN
T JO
URN
EY C
ON
CLU
DES
LEAVERS
Governor Handbook PHS | 21
Have we completed a skills audit of our governing body?
01 EvidenceSkills audit completed each year
(September) and by each new governor.
Skills audit has identified needs
which will be met by new governor
appointments that are in progress.
01 How can we improve?Ensure skills audit is included in the
governor handbook.
Do we appoint governors on the basis of their skills, and 2. Do we appoint governors on the basis of their skills, and do we know how to find people with the necessary skills?
02 EvidenceLeadership and Management (LM)
committee discussed skills audit results in
detail. All agreed that we appear to have a
variety of skills but an area for development
is HR/legal skills.
Use the skills audit to inform training and
recruitment needs Aiming recruitment
at community governor with finance
specific skills.
Governor adverts and advert placements
relate specifically to skills required.
SGOSS also used for recruiting governors
Skills required are clearly outlined to
potential new governors during the initial
meeting with the chair of governors.
02 How can we improve?Each sub committee to complete
identified GEL training units.
DO WE HAVE THE R IGHT SKILLS ON THE GOVERNING BODY?
QUESTIONS 01-02SKILLS ASSESSMENT FOR GOVERNORS
TWENTYQUESTIONS
FOR GOVERNING BODIES
01
Sources of Evidence and How to Improve
02
22 | PHS Governor Handbook
Do we understand our roles and responsibilities?
03 EvidenceAll governors complete the ‘Welcome
to Governance’ linked to the NGA First
Certificate in Governance.
Induction checklist to be completed for
each new governor.
Parayhouse Governor Handbook supplied
to each governor.
Membership of Ten Governor Support,
NGA and GEL.
Headteacher logs training completed by
each governor.
03 How can we improve?Each sub committee complete identified
GEL training units.
Terms of reference for sub committees.
Briefs for nominated governor roles
(English, Maths link governors).
Check Governors’ Code of Practice is up
to date.
Governors’ responsibility regarding
Education Health and Care Plans will be
added to a future full governing body
meeting.
Do we have a professional clerk and run meetings efficiently?
04 EvidenceGovernors receive papers in advance of
the meeting.
Results from governor self evaluation
demonstrate that members are pleased
with how meetings are run.
04 How can we improve?Appoint a new clerk.
What is our training and development budget and does every governor receive the support they need to carry out their role effectively?
05 EvidenceAll governors have access to GEL training,
Ten Governor Support and NGA.
Each sub committee completes
identified GEL training units.
05 How can we improve?Headteacher will look into the training
offered by the new tri-borough.
Ask each sub committee to identify areas
of GEL training that they would like to
undertake to improve their knowledge
related to their committee.
Maintain this governor handbook.QUESTIONS 03-05SKILLS ASSESSMENT FOR GOVERNORS
TWENTYQUESTIONS
03
0405
ARE WE AS EFFECTIVE AS WE COULD BE?
Governor Handbook PHS | 23
Do we know about good practice from across the country?
06 EvidenceA number of governors attended the
NASS conference (10th-11th/10 2013).
Ten Governor has examples of good
practice from around the country.
Chair of governors circulates the NGA
newsletter to each governor as this often
has examples of good practice.
Events attended by
Parayhouse governors:
NASS SAFER RECRUITMENT TRAINING COURSE (31/01/2014)
MAKATON BEGINNERS COURSE(FEB-MAR 2014)
WEST LONDON SPECIAL SCHOOLS GOVERNORS COMMITTEE MEETINGS,
VISIT TO SPRINGHALLOW SCHOOL (16/10/2013)
NATIONAL GOVERNORS’ ASSOCIA-TION MEETING LONDON (08/09/2013)
Courses undertaken by
Parayhouse governors:
NGAFIRST CERTIFICATE IN GOVERNANCE 03/03/2013
GELEQUALITY AND DIVERSITY
THE GOVERNOR’S ROLE IN SCHOOL IMPROVEMENT
NATIONAL TRAINING PROGRAMME FOR NEW GOVERNORS 24/09/2013
GOVERNOR VISITS TO SCHOOL 24/09/2013
HEADTEACHER APPRAISAL AND CAPABILITY 21/05/2013
HEALTH AND SAFETY 24/09/2013
MONITORING PERFORMANCE DATA AND TARGETS 14/10/2013
NEW OFSTED INSPECTION FRAME-WORK FOR SCHOOLS (2013) 24/09/2013
SCHOOL TEACHER APPRAISAL AND CAPABILITY 21/05/2013
THE ROLE OF SPECIAL EDUCATIONAL NEEDS GOVERNOR 24/09/2013
UNDERSTANDING SCHOOLS FINANCE 26/09/2013
NASSCERTIFICATE OF SAFER RECRUITMENT IN EDUCATION
06 How can we improve?Governors will continue to undertake
training and be encouraged to attend
SEN meetings outside the school.
QUESTION 06SKILLS ASSESSMENT FOR GOVERNORS
FORGOVERNING BODIES
06
24 | PHS Governor Handbook
Is the size, composition and committee structure of our governing body conducive to effective working?
07 EvidenceSub committees focused on Parayhouse
development priorities.
Sub committees have a good spread of
parent, staff and community governors.
Ski l ls audit tel ls us that we have
a good spread of ski l ls across the
governing body.
Instrument of government reviewed
by LM committee and shared with al l
governors in January 2014.
School development plan is a standing
agenda item for all sub committees.
07 How can we improve?Terms of reference for sub committees
will be discussed at the next committee
meeting.
All sub committees will provide minutes
of their meetings.
Does every member of the governing body make a regular contribution and do we carry out an annual
08 EvidenceReview of governor effectiveness
undertaken in November 2013. Results
discussed in the full governing body
meeting in December 2013.
Our full governing body meeting minutes
demonstrate contributions from all
members.
Governors are committed to attending all
meetings and generally speaking do not
miss meetings.
08 How can we improve?Terms of reference for sub committees
will be discussed at the next committee
meeting.
All sub committees will provide minutes
of their meetings.
Survey results tell us that we need to
engage more systematically with other
constituencies, especially parents, but
also some questions raised about staff.
Chair of governors will write a summer
term letter to parents. The letter will
provide information on who we are.
Consider promoting our social media
to parents.
QUESTIONS 07-08SKILLS ASSESSMENT FOR GOVERNORS
TWENTYQUESTIONS
07
08
ARE WE AS EFFECTIVE AS WE COULD BE? (CONTINUED)
Governor Handbook PHS | 25
Have we developed long-term aims for the school with clear priorities in an ambitious school development plan which is regularly monitored and reviewed?
09 EvidenceSchool Prospectus developed by
leadership team and governing body.
All governors have a copy of the
Strategic Development Plan.
School Development Plan reviewed at each
sub committee meeting. This is then fed back
to all members of the governing body.
Survey results show that governors are
clearly focused on raising standards at
the school and that governors are clear
and focused on the strategic direction of
the school.
Teaching, Learning and Achievement
(TLA) and LM sub committees meet on
different evening to the main board
to allow for sufficient time to review
Strategic and School Development Plans.
School Development Plan had moved from
being focused on the response from Ofsted
to the long term development of the school.
School Development Plan and School
Strategic Plan are standing item on each
full GB meeting.
09 How can we improve?We shall ensure that establishing
Parayhouse in new premises will be
optimal for both students and staff
Build up greater detail of the long term
aims of the school.
Does our strategic planning cycle drive the governing body’s activities and agenda setting?
10 EvidenceSchool Development Plan had moved
from being focused on the response from
Ofsted to the long term development of
the school.
School Development Plan and School
Strategic Plan are standing item on each
full GB meeting.
10 How can we improve?Build up greater detail of the long term
aims of the school.
QUESTIONS 09-10SKILLS ASSESSMENT FOR GOVERNORS
FORGOVERNING BODIES
09
10
DOES THE SCHOOL HAVE A CLEAR STRATEGIC VIS ION?
26 | PHS Governor Handbook
Do we understand the school’s performance data well enough to properly hold school leaders to account?
11 EvidenceTLA subcommittee regularly reviews the
school’s performance data in detail and
they report back to all governors.
Performance data presented at full
governors’ meetings at various points
throughout year.
A typical ‘student journey’ will be
described in the Governors’ Handbook
so that new governors can understand
the entire process (initial assessment,
how targets are set and ongoing
assessments made, preparation for
placements when students leave).
11 How can we improve?TLA committee members complete GEL
training modules to improve their knowledge
Ensure that the performance data
is presented in a clear format,
that conclusions are drawn and
recommendations are made.
How effective is our performance management of the headteacher?
12 EvidenceChair of governors, chair of trustees and
external advisor on headteacher’s review
panel.
Members of this committee appointed by
LM committee.
This committee will report back to the full
governing body each year.
Pay review is linked to targets.
12 How can we improve?Mock Ofsted inspection report will
highlight areas needing improvement.
Are our financial management systems robust and do we ensure best value for money?
13 EvidenceTrustees have oversight of school
finances. Chair of trustees reports back
to the governing body at each governor
meeting.
Headteacher report reflects on number
of incoming and outgoing students each
year.
The annual accounts are shared at full
governors’ meeting.
13 How can we improve?Annual accounts to be completed and
agreed by the trustees.QUESTIONS 11-13SKILLS ASSESSMENT FOR GOVERNORS
TWENTYQUESTIONS
12 13
11 DO WE HOLD THE SCHOOL LEADERS TO ACCOUNT?
Governor Handbook PHS | 27
A trustee will attend the next full
governors meeting to go through the
budget in detail.
Recruit a new finance officer
Chair of governors circulates the NGA
newsletter to each governor as this often
has examples of good practice.
How do we listen to and understand our pupils, parents and staff?
14 EvidenceParent, staff and student survey shows that
all enjoy coming to Parayhouse school.
There is a good representation of parent
governors on the governing body.
School governors attend focused school
visits to learn in more depth the feel of the
school and to learn from speaking with the
students.
A community governor attends regular
assemblies and guided reading sessions.
Governors attend school events, such
as the school production, school
birthday celebrations.
14 How can we improve?Recruit additional parent governors.
Advert will be included in next
newsletter sent to parents.
How do we report to our parents and local community regularly?
15 EvidenceParents wi l l receive a bi-annual
le t ter f rom the chai r of governors .
The let ter wi l l update on the ro le
and object ives of the govern ing
body.
Social media are used to engage with
parents and the wider community.
School websi te i s mainta ined
with the cur rent governors ,
thei r background and reason for
becoming a governor.
Weekly school newslet ter
automat ica l ly uploaded to the
school websi te .
15 How can we improve?Consider adding governing body
minutes to the school website (removing
confidential information).
Consider adding governing body meeting
agendas to the school website.
QUESTION 14-15SKILLS ASSESSMENT FOR GOVERNORS
FORGOVERNING BODIES
14 15
ARE WE PROPERLY ENGAGED WITH OUR SCHOOL COMMUNITY,THE WIDER SCHOOL SECTOR AND THE OUTSIDE WORLD?
28 | PHS Governor Handbook
What benefit do we draw from collaboration with other schools and other sectors, locally and nationally?
16 EvidenceGoverning body receive reports on
school working with other sectors.
For example, the Shakespeare Schools
Festival.
Some governors attended NASS
conference and following feedback from
our headteacher they are going to offer
more governor specific agenda items.
16 How can we improve?Governors attend 2014 NASS conference.
Governors suggest topics for NASS
conference.
Do we carry out a regular 360° review of the chair’s performance?
17 EvidenceReview of chair carried out in
November 2013 and results discussed
during the December 2013 meeting.
Questionnaire completed by online
survey website.
All governors completed the review.
Positives of chair role:
1) A CLEAR VISION FOR THE SCHOOL.2) UNDERSTANDS THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN GOVERNORS AND HEADTEACHER.3) GOVERNORS HAPPY WITH THE AGENDAS AND HOW THE MEETINGS ARE RUN.
17 How can we improve?Results show that these are areas for
improvement:
1) NEED TO ENSURE A BETTER INDUCTION PROCESS.2) NEED TO MAKE MORE EFFORT TO HELP GOVERNORS UNDERSTAND THEIR ROLES AND THE EXPECTATIONS OF GOVERNORS.
Do we engage in good succession planning?
18 EvidenceLines of communication have been opened
between the trustees and governors.
The chair of governors only chairs the full
governors meeting. Other governors chair
the sub committees and trustees meetings.
18 How can we improve?Chair of governors to formalize
succession plan.QUESTIONS 16-18SKILLS ASSESSMENT FOR GOVERNORS
TWENTYQUESTIONS
16 17
18
DOES OUR CHAIR SHOW STRONG AND EFFECTIVE LEADERSHIP?PROPER ENGAGEMENT(CONTINUED)
Governor Handbook PHS | 29
Are the chair and committee chairs re-elected each year?
19 EvidenceChair of governors elected at the start of
each new academic year.
Chair of sub committees elected at the
start of each new calendar year.
19 How can we improve?Consider maximum time for chairs to serve.
How much has the school improved over the last three years, and what has the governing body’s contribution been to this?
20 EvidenceAchievement has increased over the last
three years.
Governors have agreed to a revised staff
absence policy for the benefit of the
pupils.
Governors have helped the leadership
team achieve the targets in the school
development plan.
TLA committee regularly reviews the
school’s performance data.
The external adviser regularly feeds back
to the governors about the quality of
teaching on the basis of her observation
of each teacher twice a year.
20 How can we improve?Ask more searching and probing
questions to the leadership team to
ensure the best outcomes for the pupils.
Governors to complete GEL training units
appropriate to their sub committee.
More governors required to visit the
school, and governors required to
make repeat visit to see improvements
throughout the year.
QUESTIONS 19-20SKILLS ASSESSMENT FOR GOVERNORS
FORGOVERNING BODIES
19
20
DOES OUR CHAIR SHOW STRONG AND EFFECTIVE LEADERSHIP?(CONTINUED)
ARE WE HAVING AN IMPACTON OUTCOMES FOR PUPILS?
30 | PHS Governor Handbook
PHS | Skills Audit
30 | PHS Governor Handbook
All members of the
Parayhouse governing body
have completed a skills audit
and knowledge audit. The
skills audit demonstrates that
the governing body have a
broad set of skills across all
areas that we consider to be
important.
SKILLS AUDIT PARAYHOUSE SKILLS AND KNOWLEDGE
GOVERNING BODY
Governor Handbook PHS | 31
PHS | Useful Links
PHS Governor Handbook | 31
USEFUL LINKSFOR PARAYHOUSE GOVERNORS
OFSTEDSUPPORT FORPARAYHOUSE SCHOOL GOVERNORS
School Inspection Framework Ofsted published a framework for school inspection in September 2012. The inspection guidance documents have since been up-dated, with the most recent versions published in December 2013, but the framework is still referred to as “The September 2012 framework”.
THE LATEST FRAMEWORK CAN BE DOWNLOADED HERE.
All Parayhouse School Policies are accessed via our documents library online: CLICK HERE.
The Key for School GovernorsAnswer your questions related to governance of a school. REGISTER HERE.
National Governors’ Association (NGA) The NGA is the representative body for state-funded school governors in England. LEARN MORE.
Governors E-Learning (GEL) provides essential training to governors enabling them to become more effective and demonstrate this with evidence to Ofsted. REGISTER HERE.
Compulsory GEL modules for all Parayhouse School Governors
ALLNEW GOVERNORS
OFSTED LEADERSHIP ANDMANAGEMENT
COMMITTEE MEMBERS
BEHAVIOUR ANDSAFETY
COMMITTEE MEMBERS
TEACHING, LEARNINGAND ACHIEVEMENT
COMMITTEE MEMBERS
National training programmefor new governors
New Ofsted inspectionframework for schools
Governors’ visits to school
Safeguarding –the governors’ role
Health and safety
Monitoring performancedata and targets
The governors’ rolein school improvement
Monitoring and evaluation –the role of the governing body
Headteacher appraisaland capability
Schools financial valuestandard
Pupil premium
Parayhouse School – Governors Code of ConductThis code sets out the commitment required from Parayhouse School Governors in order for the governing body to properly carry out its work
within the school and the community.
The purpose of the governing body
The governing body is Parayhouse School’s accountable body. It is responsible for the conduct of the school and for promoting high stan-
dards. The governing body aims to ensure that children are attending a successful school which provides them with a good education and
supports their well-being.
THE GOVERNING BODY: • Sets the strategic direction of the school by:
o Setting the values, aims and objectives for the school
o Agreeing the policy framework for achieving those aims and objectives
o Setting targets
o Agreeing the school improvement strategy which includes approving the budget and agreeing the staffing structure
• Challenges and supports the school by monitoring, reviewing and evaluating:
• The implementation and effectiveness of the policy frameworks
• Progress towards targets
• The implementation and effectiveness of the school improvement strategy
• The budget and the staffing structure
• Ensures accountability by:
o responding to Ofsted reports when necessary
o holding the headteacher to account for the performance of the school
o ensuring parents and pupils are involved, consulted and informed as appropriate
o making available information to the community
As a Governing Body We Strive to:
WORK AS A TEAMIt is important to recognise the strengths of members within the team. Not everybody will know everything but collectively the governing body
should be able to cover all key aspects of the work.
HAVE EFFECTIVE MEETINGS
Meetings will be chaired by a member of the governing body, elected by the governing body. Meetings are more effective when clerked by
someone with knowledge of the law and the procedures that governing bodies work to. The clerk is appointed by the governing body.
DEVELOP AND MAINTAIN A GOOD RELATIONSHIP WITH THE HEAD TEACHER
It is important to work well with the head teacher who is the lead professional in the school. Mutual respect and understanding of each other’s
responsibilities is vital to this relationship.
GET TO KNOW THE SCHOOL
Governors get to know their school by visiting the school, inviting staff to present reports to the governing body and its committees, attending
school events, attachment to a class, year group or subject, participating in school outings and social events.
The Governing Body of Parayhouse adopted this code of practice on 14 May 2014.
Governors will sign the Code at the first governing body meeting of each school year.
UNDERTAKING: As a member of the Governing Body I will always have the well-being of the children and the reputation of the school at heart; I will do all I can to be an
ambassador for the school, publicly supporting its aims, values and ethos. I will respect student, staff and parent confidentiality.
Signed Printed Name Date
Parayhouse School – Governors Instrument of Government
1. The name of the school is Parayhouse School.
2. The school is a non-maintained special school, approved by the DfE for the education of students from 7 – 16 years with speech, language
and communication needs, moderate learning difficulties and emotional, social & behavioural difficulties
3. The name of the governing body is “The Governing Body of Parayhouse School”.
4. The Governing Body shall consist of:
• 5 Staff Governors [Head, Deputy Head, therapist, teacher and LSA, elected]
• Maximum 5 parent governors [elected]
• Maximum 5 community governors [invited and approved by Governors]
• One member nominated by one or more local authority [vacancy]
5. Total number of Governors will be no more than 16.
6. All Trustees and Governors may attend any meeting of the Governing Body and/or Trustees Meeting.
7. The Governing Body will elect a Chair as and when required annually.
8. The term of office for Governors will be 4 years.
9. This instrument of governance comes into effect from 1st January 2014.
10. A copy of this instrument must be supplied to every member of the Governing Body.
ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIESThe Governing Body of Parayhouse School has the following roles and responsibilities:
Behaviour and Safety Committee
– responsible for ensuring the school provides a safe learning environment.
Teaching, Learning and Achievement Committee
– responsible for driving student learning and achievement.
Leadership and Management Committee
– responsible for ensuring the school is managed in accordance with best practice.
Finance and Trustees Committee
–responsible for school finances and ensuring value for money.
The Governing Body will report annually to the Board of Trustees; the Governing Body will report annually to parents/carers.
Signed Printed Name / Title Date
Randall Peterson – Chair of Governors
Parayhouse School – Governor Visits Policy and Pro-Forma
This policy is designed to provide the Governing Body of Parayhouse School with guidance on making visits into school.
Rationale OfSTED states that:
“If governing bodies are to monitor and evaluate the school’s work they need to visit the school. When handled well these visits build up trust and respect between staff and the governing body, and they allow governors to monitor the school’s work in a way that is far more supportive than if they just attend meetings.”
Visits to the school are one way in which Governors can increase their knowledge of the school. The knowledge and understanding gained during visits
enables Governors to carry out their roles of strategic leadership, monitoring and evaluation and holding the school to account for its performance.
There are two types of visits, formal and informal.
INFORMAL VISITInformal visits by governors are those on a more personal basis but must always be with the knowledge and approval of the Head Teacher.
Governors can gain knowledge and understanding of the school, develop relationships with the staff and pupils and foster trust and respect between them-
selves and the staff.
Informal visits may include:
• Attendance at assemblies and plays;
• Attendance at sports day;
• Assisting on a school outing;
• Assisting with a specific aspect of learning, for example, hearing students read;
• Volunteering at a school fete;
These visits should be an addition to the formal visits and should not be an alternative.
FORMAL VISITSFormal visits are important and should focus on any of the following:
• To increase Governors’ understanding of the strengths and weaknesses of the school;
• To develop Governors’ interests in the life, work and achievement of the school;
• To support the work of the school in its community;
• To enable Governors to evaluate policies in action;
• To develop the strategic role of Governors;
• To increase Governors’ understanding of the teaching and learning process;
• To develop Governors’ first-hand knowledge of the school to enable them to ask
informed questions in Governing Body meetings.
More formal visits are agreed by the governing body and require more careful planning. They should have a clear focus i.e.
• Linked to priorities in the School Development Plan;
• To see policies in action;
• Linked to subject areas, class or year groups;
• Linked to specific responsibilities e.g. Health and Safety, Looked After Children.
Visits for new Governors should form part of their induction programme. Formal visits are not just about visits to classrooms. Governors should famil-
iarize themselves with all areas and aspects of school life i.e. Health and Safety, parent consultation meetings etc. An annual timetable of visits should
be established.
Governors’ visits to classrooms are not:
• a form of inspection in terms of making judgments on the professional expertise of members of staff,
especially with regard to the quality of teaching;
• an opportunity to check the progress of an individual student;
• opportunities to pursue any personal agendas or issues.
PROTOCOL FOR VISITSBefore the Visit:
• The purpose and focus of the visit is agreed by the Governing Body;
• The format of the visit should be agreed i.e. classroom visit and tour of the school for
Health and Safety;
• The visit should be arranged for a mutually convenient time for all of those involved;
• A clear timescale for the visit is agreed;
• All parties to be involved in the visit are clarified;
• Any relevant documentation is provided for Governors;
• The level of participation during the visit is agreed.
During the Visit:
• Arrive in good time for the start of the visit;
• Don’t lose sight of the purpose of the visit and keep focused on the theme of the observation;
• Be courteous and not critical;
• If the visit is to a classroom:
o Listen and try not to distract the students;
o Ask questions sparingly during the classroom visit so as not to disturb the teacher or the lesson (additional questions can
always be asked outside of the classroom);
o Only get involved in activities or viewing students work if invited to do so;
o Observe discreetly and take minimal notes whilst in the classroom;
o Never comment to the teacher about the conduct of the lesson or individual students.
After the visit:
• If the visit has been to a classroom then:
o Discuss the observations made with the class teacher as soon as possible;
o Thank the teacher and clarify any issues or uncertainties;
o Thank any students involved in the visit;
o Discuss the observations with the Head Teacher or other appropriate delegated member of staff.
• Formulate a report to be fed back to the governing body
o This may be oral or written;
o It would be good practice for written reports to be presented to the Governing Body, usually in the form of a pro forma;
oThe content of the report should be shared with the staff involved in the visit and the Head Teacher prior to sharing with
the Governing Body;
o Ensure that the report does not name individuals.
Signed Governors Printed Name Date of Visit
Focus of Visit:
Classes Visited:
Sources of Information:
General Comments:
Summary of what was learned:
Points to take forward for
discussion at governors body meeting:
36 | PHS Governor Handbook
GLOSSARYPHS | Glossary
DISORDER WHAT IS IT? COMMONSYMPTOMS
STRATEGIES
Attention Deficit HyperactivityDisorder (ADHD)
ADHD is a group of behavioural symptoms that include inattentiveness, hyperactivity and impulsive-ness. Attention Deficit Disorder.
Some students with ADHD take medication to help reduce symptoms.
-A short attention span
-Restlessness
-Being easily distracted
-Constant fidgeting
-Ensure you get students attention before giving instructions -Keep verbal instructions short
-Use visuals to remind & focus attention rather than speaking
-Give the student regular breaks
-Fiddle toy can help students focus
-Student’s with ADHD often work best in a structured, calm and predictable environment.
Autistic Spectrum Disorder (ASD)
ASD is a social communica-tion disorder. It presents as a group of behavioural symptoms that can vary from slight to severe. Students can have difficulty with social interaction, communication and an inability to interpret and cope with changes in the environment. There are usually associated learning difficulties. Asperger’s is a form of ASD.
- Lack of social interaction and awareness
- Adherence to routine
-Restricted diet/ unwillingness to try new foods
-Sensory impairments
-Keep to routine as much as possible and prepare students for any unavoid-able changes
-A student with ASD works best in a structured, calm and predictable environ-ment
-Encourage new experienc-es in small steps
Behavioural, Emotional & Social Difficulties (BESD)
BESD is a broad category term which is used to describe children with a wide range of emotional and behavioural needs.
Pupils with BESD present with a number of challenges such as:
-being disruptive, aggressive, and difficult to support.
Some characteristics of BESD include:
-behaviour which constantly violates social rules
-Physical aggression-Destruction of property -Stealing
It is important to remember that pupils can display the behaviours without necessarily having BESD: -Persistently disruptive -Emotionally immature -Physically & verbally aggressive
Many pupils with BESD do not know how to behave and many not have any understanding of how their behaviour affects other people. It is important to show them appropriate ways to behave.
There are many triggers for undesirable behaviour:
-Moving around the room
-Sitting with a particular pupil
-Being unclear about what is required
-Not having support for the task they have been set
Governor Handbook PHS | 37
OF TERMSDISORDER WHAT IS IT? COMMON
SYMPTOMSSTRATEGIES
Cerebral Palsy Cerebral Palsy is a general term that refers to a set of neurological conditions affecting a child’s move-ment and co-ordination.
Cerebral Palsy is caused by damage to the brain which normally occurs before, during or soon after birth.
Symptoms depend on which form of Cerebral Palsy a student has:
Mild - Mild cerebral palsy means a child can move without assistance; his or her daily activities are not limited.
Moderate - Moderate cerebral palsy means a child will need braces, medications
Severe - Severe cerebral palsy means a child will require a wheelchair & will have challenges in accomplishing daily activities.
Down’s Syndrome Down’s Syndrome is a life-long condition that causes delays in learning and development. It occurs because the baby’s cells contain an extra Chromo-some 21.
Students with Down’s Syndrome can be fit & healthy and have no more medical problems than any other child.
-They may pick up coughs easier and get blocked ear/ nose passages.
-They may have associated hearingimpairment
-Half of children with Down’s Syndrome are born with heart & bowel problems.
-Make sure the student can see you when you are speaking.
-Make sure hearing aids are on & working.
-Allow extra time for students to process information.
-Sign key words
Dyspraxia Dyspraxia is a disorder affecting the planning & sequencing and/or execution of motor movement.
Verbal dyspraxia is a type of dyspraxia, causing linguistic or phonological impairment.
Body movements may be imprecise, slow, awkward & inconsistent. -Sensory Processing Disorder (SPD)
-Difficulties with fine motor control
-Disorganised & forgetful
-Poor timing -Low muscle tone & endurance
Verbal dyspraxia
-Difficulty sequencing sounds within a word & in formation of sentences
-Difficulty making speech sound, controlling speech organs, breathing & phonation.
-Step by step approach to completing activities.
-Visual cues & visual prompts
-Hand over hand for learning fine motor activities.
-Repetition of task in order to increase motor memory.
-Talking through tasks.
-Structured, orderly environment
-Sensory Integration approach to reduce any defensiveness.
-Sensory Integration approach to increase body awareness.
Verbal dyspraxia
-Diaphragmatic breathing
-Slow down speech
38 | PHS Governor Handbook
GLOSSARYDISORDER WHAT IS IT? COMMON
SYMPTOMSSTRATEGIES
Dyslexia Dyslexia is a learning difference, a combination of strengths & weaknesses which affects the learning process in reading, spelling, writing & sometimes numeracy, Dyslexic learners may also have accompany-ing weakness in short term memory, difficulties in sequencing & the speed at which they process information.
-Difficulties associating letters & sounds
-Difficulties sequencing
-Letter reversal – may be left/right and/or up/down
-‘Poor’ spelling – often to even approximate to word
-Difficulties remembering tasks & self-organisation
-Visual support e.g. letter shape linked to initial sound, ends of the bed etc
-Use concrete clues e.g. blocks, to represent sounds, syllables, words
-Tactile letters to reinforce orientation of letter shape
-Visual timetables
-Phonological awareness programmes
-Do not insist that student reads aloud in class
Selective Mutism An anxiety disorder in which a person, most often a child, who is normally able to speak in given situations, or to specific people.
Selective Mutism usually co-exists with shyness or social anxiety.
-Consistent failure to speak in specific social situations - in which there is an expectation to speak e.g. at school.
Besides lack of speech, other common behaviours & characteristics displayed are: -Difficulty maintaining eye contact -Blank expression & reluctance to smile-Stiff awkward movements-Difficulty expressing feelings -Excessive shyness, fear of social embarrassment -Desire for routine -Sensitivity to nose-Sleep problems
-Do not put pressure on student to respond with speech but expect communication through a different form, for example Makaton or gesture
-Do not demand eye contact
-Some practitioners believe that antidepressants may be helpful, as they can reduce anxiety levels
Specific Language Impairment (SLI)
Marked delays in the development of language function in the absence of any recognisable learning impairment.
However, there is often evidence of neurological dysfunction in other systems. It may be that development of language is most sensitive.
3 main groups
-Expressive & receptive language may be equally impaired
-There is a gap between understanding (receptive) and production (expres-sive) with latter usually more impaired
-Particular difficulties with aspects of language form e.g. phonology/pragmatic
-Visual clues
-Reinforce sequencing
-Check understanding of task
-Relate appropriate questions words to expected responses(when? – time, who? – person)
-Model correct language structure-tenses, word order etc.
Governor Handbook PHS | 39
OF TERMSDISORDER WHAT IS IT? COMMON
SYMPTOMSSTRATEGIES
Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD)
OCD means a child has recurrent and persistent obsessions or compulsions that are time consuming or cause marked distress or significant impairment.
Obsessions are persistent thoughts, impulses, or images that are intrusive & inappropriate.
Compulsions are repeated behaviours or mental acts that have the intent of reducing stress or anxiety.
Many children with OCD may know that their behaviours are extreme or unnecessary but are often so driven to complete their routines that they are unable to stop.
Most people with OCD fall into one of the following categories:
-Washers: they are afraid of contamination
-Checkers: they repeatedly check things that they associate with harm
-Doubters: they are afraid that everything isn’t perfect or done right
-Counters & arrangers: they are obsessed with order and symmetry
-Hoarders: fear that something bad will happen if they throw anything away
- Negative comments or criticism make OCD worse
-Do not tell them off
-Be as kind as possible
-Do not play along with their OCD rituals
40 | PHS Governor Handbook
PHS | Performance Data
Received and discussed with Headteacher Received by the Governing Body
Parayhouse Performance Data Measuring Pupil Attainment – Performance Levels & National Curriculum Levels The P Levels and NC Levels are used to measure students’ attainment and progress during their time at school. Performance (P) Levels
P1(i)
P1(ii)
P2(i)
P2(ii)
P3(i)
P3(ii)
P4
P5
P6
P7
P8
Etc National Curriculum (NC) Levels
L1 L2 L3 L4 L5 L6 L7 L8 Exceptional 1C 1B 1A 2C 2B 2A Etc
Each level is based on a descriptor of what a child should be able to demonstrate at each level. On the evidence of formal and informal assessments, the teacher makes a judgment (described as a ‘best fit’) as to the level that the child is working at. For example, L1 for Reading is:
Pupils recognise familiar words in simple texts. They use their knowledge of letters and sound-symbol relationships in order to read words and to establish meaning when reading aloud. In these activities they sometimes require support. They express their response to poems, stories and non-fiction by identifying aspects they like.
PARAYHOUSE SCHOOLL A N G U A G E A N D L E A R N I N G F O R L I F E
PERFORMANCE
Governor Handbook PHS | 41
PERFORMANCEEach level can also be divided into three sub-levels, C, B & A. ‘C’ means that the child has started to work at the level. ‘B’ means that the child is working well within the level. ‘A’ means that the child has reached the top of the level and is working towards the next level. Typically developing children will only be assessed against the NC Levels. At key points in their schooling, there are expectations of attainment for these children. School Year & Key Stage Age Average Level of Attainment Reception
5 Years
L1
Year 2 (End of key Stage 1)
7 Years
L2
Year 6 (End of Key Stage 2)
11 Years
L4
Year 9 (End of Key Stage 3)
14 Years
L5/6
Year 11 (End of Key Stage 4)
16 Years
L7 (GCSE Grade C)
For students who are working significantly below that of their typically developing peers, the P Levels are used to measure their attainment. Progress for these students is measured by how many P (and NC) Levels of progress each individual child makes over a period of time. For English, Maths and Science, the government has set out expectations of progress as:
2 levels of progress over Key Stage 2 3 levels of progress over key Stage3 & 4 combined
(see Progression Guidance document or speak with Michael Clegg-‐Butt for more detailed explanation). 2012-13 End of Key Stage 2 Attainment and Progress
For the 2012-13 academic year, we have three students in Year 6. Below is the Attainment Levels that these three students achieved in English, Maths and Science. Student English Maths Science 1 Level 1 Level 1 Working towards Level 1 2 Level 2 Level 2 Level 1 3 Level 1 Level 1 Level 2 Using the Progression Guidance data sets, we can analyse the rate of progress that these Year 6 students have made over Key Stage 2. The results are shown below:
• In English, 67% of students (2/3) were in the upper quartile, with one student being placed in the Median range.
• In Maths, 100% of students (3/3) were placed in the upper quartile.
• In Science, 67% of students (2/3) were in the upper quartile, with one student being
placed in the Median range.
DATA
Therefore overall, 78% of these Year 6 students made progress that placed them in the upper quartile. This demonstrates the extremely good progress made by this cohort of students.
2012-13 End of Key Stage 4 Attainment and Progress For the 2012-13 academic year, we have six students in Year 11. Below is the Attainment Levels that these six students achieved in English, Maths and Science. Student English Maths Science 1 Level 1 Level 1 Level 2 2 Level 1 Level 2 Level 2 3 Level 2 Level 2 Level 2 4 Level 3 Level 2 Level 3 5 Working towards Level 1 Working towards Level 1 Working towards Level 1 6 Level 1 Level 1 Level 2 For those Year 11 students who were working within the P Levels at the end of Year 9, we can analyse their progress over Key Stage 4 using the Progression Guidance quartile data sets. The results are shown below:
• In English, 75% of students (3/4) were in the upper quartile, with 25% (1/4) placed in the median.
• In Maths, 100% of students (2/2) were placed in the upper quartile.
• In Science, 100% of students (1/1) were placed in the upper quartile.
0
1
2
00
3
0
1
2
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
90%
100%
English KS1-2 Maths KS1-2 Science KS1-2
Key Stage 1 to 2 Progression Guidance Quartile Results
Upper QuartileMedianLower Quartile
PERFORMANCEPHS | Performance Data
PERFORMANCE
Therefore overall, 86% of this cohort of Year 11 students made progress that placed them in the upper quartile. This demonstrates the extremely good progress made by this group of students.
0
1
3
00
2
00
1
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
90%
100%
English KS3-4 Maths KS3-4 Science KS3-4
Key Stage 3 to 4 Progression Guidance Quartile Results (P Levels - L1)
Upper QuartileMedianLower Quartile
DATA
44 | PHS Governor Handbook
prospectus | 24
Parayhouse is located on the 2nd and 3rd floors of New King’s Primary School in Fulham and has access to the School’s outside playgrounds and indoor halls.
Par ayhouse has i t s own entr ance on the New King ’s Road , to the far le f t o f the school ’s f rontage as you face the bu i ld ing ; there i s a lar ge s ign for the school above th i s gate .
An entr yphone system al lows vis itor s access to the front playground. They should then walk directly ahead to the Parayhouse entrance , and fol low another sign on the left-hand wal l towards a shor t f l ight of stair s on the far left-hand side of the school bui lding. Another sign is located on the staircase rai l ings.
V i s i tor s should use the labe l led entr yphone system to access the bu i ld ing , then walk up to the second f loor where the School Of f ice i s s ignposted .
Parayhouse is equidistant from
Putney Bridge and Parsons Green
Underground Stations [District Line]
and directly on the 22 bus route.
AddressNew King ’s School AnnexNew King ’s RoadFulhamLondon, SW6 4LY
Telephone and Fax020 7751 0914
E-mail and Web a . su l l i van@parayhouse .com
www.par ayhouse .com
a non-maintained special needs school
© 2014-15 Parayhouse School. All rights reserved.
THANK YOU! FOR BECOMING A GOVERNOR
PHS | Location