BASG Executive Minutes 27/7/2020

Apologies:

Bernadette Allison (Secretary)

Jo Pearce

Peter Lerner

Agenda Subject

Action

1.

Apologies for absence

Jo Pearce

Peter Lerner

2.

Notification of any other business

3.

Declaration of interest

Maggi Bull – Chair of NGA

Gwyneth Langley – BEP

4.

Approval of minutes from the meeting held on 7.07.2020

Minutes approved.

5.

Consultative Board

Anita Kramer, Simon James and Gareth Drawmer attended the last meeting on 16.07.2020.

Discussion took place regarding work linked to the disadvantaged.

Heads and chairs should discuss the use of ‘catch up money’ and ‘tutor money’ within their schools.

Education Endowment Foundation (EEF) has carried out considerable work in this area.

Richard Nash (Service Director for Children’s Social Care) is involved in the follow up.

It was considered that it would be helpful if this could be shared with a wider audience than just the Consultative Board.

Discussion took place with regard to increasing the awareness of all governors as to the different groups/communication routes within Buckinghamshire and how their work links together so as to improve the outcomes for schools and pupils across the authority.

6.

Communication with

Buckinghamshire County Council (BC)

Positive communications continue between BASG and BC which helps to move forward  the important role and information for governors .

PR, as chair of BASG, provides regular updates on new information relevant to governors which is circulated to chairs by BC across the authority.

7.

Networking Groups

Aylesbury Networking group met virtually on 13.07.2020

Discussion was based around:\

·         How the present COVID situation has tested the resilience and resolve of HT

·         How the importance of local networking groups becomes increasingly important especially with new HT’s/Chairs taking up appointments

·         How some schools have surveyed pupils to access overall level of anxiety with some responding very differently, even within the same family

·         How concerns have been raised by local HT’s about SEND support and how the responsibilities of officers have had to be spread thinly

·         Pressure within Buckinghamshire on how to close an increasing gap between the performance of most pupils and those disadvantaged and vulnerable

·         Some schools evidenced that relationships with parents had improved during the present situation and how this positive development can continue

·         Support for governors from BC appears to have reduced in the present structure and how important BASG and local networking supports remain

·         It is anticipated the group will ‘meet’ next in October 2020

AS suggested that the Resources page on the BASG website page could probably have some of the information archived.

AS will link with TP on this

TP was able to update the group on the increasing awareness of the BASG website/social media involvement:

·         176 signed up to the website (60%) actively engaged

·         From May 2020 – 27.7.2020 there were 370 users which showed access to at least 2 pages and spent on average 1min 33 secs viewing

·         Unusual spike of 64 people on 8.6.2020

·         Facebook shows 56 followers

·         Twitter has 115 followers

AS/TP

8.

School opening for more pupils

Considerable official guidance/information is available to schools from:

·         Buckinghamshire Council

·         DfE

·         NGA

·         The Key

A very helpful ‘Public Health for Governors’ training was provided by BC and held virtually on Wednesday 24^th June

9.

AGM 2020

It was decided that the BASG AGM should be held in Spring 2021

Possibilities for ‘visiting’ presenter:

·         Sam Henson (Director of Policy and Information NGA) He was due to lead the BASG March 2020 event on ‘Disadvantaged’ but it had to be cancelled because of COVID 19

·         Richard Nash (Director for Children’s Social Care BC)

·         Emma Knight – (Chief Executive NGA)

PR will link with MB regarding securing presenter/s

AS also said she may have some links to possibly presenters

PR/MB

10.

AOB

Discussion took place about  BASG website:

·         Mission statement

·         Strapline

·         More strategic

·         Regular newsletter – this could include overview of the groups in existence within BC., their roles and how it all dovetails

·         Strategic overview

·         BASG being a regular agenda item on governor board meetings

·         Increasing governor board diversity – how to increase governing board diversity to reflect the diversity of the school community. NGA (linked with Inspiring Governance) have highlighted why it is important to have a diverse governing board.

JM/PR

TP/PR

Date and venue of next meeting

Monday 17.08.2020 at 18.00

Meeting finished at 19.30