Month: November 2016

Minutes 17th November

November 17, 2016 / / 0 Comments

Apologies: Albion, Ms Lucking, Ms Murphy

Agenda

  • SIMS logs – KC will meet with Caroline tomorrow morning in order to learn how to generate the SIMS reports on behaviour.
  • Meeting Mr Bull – Follow up from JN. Mr Bull told JN that he would meet with him after discussing SIMS and Uniform issues with the Governors. Mr Bull has not done this, so JN will meet with him.
  • Charging Pupils for Trips – This was interrupted at the end of the last meeting. We will publish this section of the Staff Handbook on our website to explore if the trips policy is being adherred to.
    Dion: What is the policy for paying for transport during school hours?
    KC: If trips are around London and planned well enough in advance, TFL will pay for the transport fees.Aside: What provision does the school have in place for international trips that parents cannnot afford? How about students on Free School Meals?

    KC will approach Mr Curran for specific clarification on how students are expected to pay for trips during school hours and what provisions are put into place.

  • Equalities Statement – Has been passed to Mr Durrant by JN.
  • “This is LNS” – How is this project progressing? FS will be leaving and would like to return to this project in July.
  • Update on meeting with Ms Wilberforce from Jamal – As a representative for the Lambeth Youth Council. Jamal has met with Aston, the Senior Youth Organiser and Ms Wilberforce. The Lambeth Youth Council has expressed an interest in helping to showcase the achievement and progress of the group. Jamal will invite him to come to a meeting in a fortnight.
  • Thabit’s Sexist Issue (Thabit was absent and so could not report on this.  JN will speak to Thabit about this issue).
  • Ms Dearden’s resignation

Meeting with Mr Bull

November 10, 2016 / / 1 Comment

Present: JN, AB, Henry Howeld, Obai Ermak

Agenda

  • Hair Concerns
  • SIMS Categories
  • PSHE/SMSC
  • Halal Foods

Hair Concerns

Henry challenged the Head, asking specifically how a particular haircut might affect the learning that takes place in a classroom. Henry wanted to know what the school’s official stance on this matter was as all documentation in planners seems to be outdated.

Mr Bull’s response was that there are certain ‘legacy issues’ that he will look to bring up in due course with the Governors but that it was their decision.

When asked directly: ‘Will the policy be reviewed?’ Mr Bull agreed that Henry would be given the opportunity to present this issue to the Governors when the policy was reviewed.

Mr North pushed the point that the issue with hair was part of a bigger picture, where this leads to a suppression of identity and possible acts of discrimination (lines in hair and certain members of staff telling boys to ‘colour the line in’).

Mr Bull stated that he had worked in many schools and that rules regarding lines in hair (as an example) are reflective of ‘trends’ that ‘come and go’. His feelings were that uniform policy should not be beholden to those ‘trends’.

Mr Bull will be meeting with the Chair of Governors on Tuesday 15th November and he will feedback feelings about uniform policy review to Mr North.

Conclusion from Obai: hair issue is only smaller part of bigger picture, Obai’s concern is that the hair issue is a peripheral and that there are bigger concerns around the school.

Categories on SIMS

Mr Bull expressed that their were too many categories on SIMs.

Mr North stated that one of our goals for the Governors was to audit issues of discrimination, therefore we needed to be specific in our collection of data.

An interim measure was agreed that a ‘Discrimination’ would appear as a category, with a possible drop down menu that made it clear what form the discrimination had taken.

A time frame will be agreed to for this, it will tie in with the SIMS tidy up being done by Ms Wilberforce and Mr Atherton. JN will follow this up with them.

Obai expressed the concern that sanctions were more severe if a student acted inappropriately towards a member of staff in comparison to a student. Mr Bull’s response was that he hoped to see a ‘culture change’ and that it was something he was working to address.

After relaying Mr Bull’s SIMS suggestion to the Equalities Group, it was decided that his suggestion was unacceptable and that JN would feed this back to Mr Bull.

PSHE

In light of recent acts of discrimination around the school and the sexist assault of a member of staff, Mr North challenged further what is being done to meet the social, moral, spiritual and cultural(SMSC) needs of students across the curriculum.

Mr Bull stated that there wasn’t a specific place for PSHE style lessons but that the intention of moving form time was to move towards introducing something like this. He wanted to ensure that a programme would be well structured and suggested we look at two initiatives (the Rights Respecting School Award by UNICEF and the EQualities award).

Henry expressed the concern that this looked good on the surface but wanted to know specifically why it was needed in comparison to making changes across the curriculum. JN and Henry also mentioned that they had trialled an optional curriculum for Enrichment lessons across key stage 3. We will be sharing that with Mr Bull.

Halal Foods

At this point in the meeting, we had been with Mr Bull for 45 minutes and he was apparently 15 minutes late for his next meeting.

Mr Bull suggested that we meet again within the next fortnight for a follow up meeting.

Minutes – 10 November 2016

November 10, 2016 / / 0 Comments

Apologies

Kate Critchley, Thabit (Nautical), Matthew (Nautical)

Agenda

  • SIMS logs
  • Meeting Mr Bull
  • Charging Pupils for Trips
  • Hair Issues
  • Equalities Statement
  • “This is LNS”

Minutes

SIMS Logs:

Obai reported that Mr Bull suggested that we specify in SIMS comments what the nature of the issue is. He claimed that there were already too many categories and he would rather something more simplified.

Chris proposed that we state that we don’t accept this means of recording information because this would not be in accord with the school’s need to be accountable for recording and tracking the action in relation to equalities in the school. This also relates to the Governors’ Equalities objectives and the monitoring that should be happening there.

Henry reported on this week’s equalities incidents. There were two occasions where students were called “Gay” people had used the “N” Word (after having been given a police warning). Henry and Ms Lucking are going to pursue the outstanding issues

Hairstyle issues

Henry presented his document about hair issues. Mr Bull had previously said it was to do with the “Nautical Ethos” of the school. HE said he would take it to the Governors and that the process would take a long time. He would not hold a review this year. His only concern is that he must be able to be appropriate for parade.

Mr Bull agreed to the Equalities group making a presentation to Governors about our concerns in this.

Charging Pupils for Trips

Ms Schuil read from the school handbook and brought to the group’s attention the school’s policy on School Trips requires us not to run school trips during school times that students have to pay for.

The meeting ended before the agenda was completed.

 

Minutes 03/11/16

November 3, 2016 / / 0 Comments

Apologies – Ms Critchley, Ms Lucking

SIMS logs and meeting Mr Bull – This meeting has now been arranged for Wednesday after school

Hair Issues

Equalities Statement

Stereotype Research – Lethanial Tuesday at 1:20 PM in FS’s room.  This is part of Lethaniel’s EPQ  but his research will

Those interested in attending (Caspar, Eden, Paolo, Alfie, Dewi, FS, HD, Obai, JN)

This is LNS – FS

Roles for the group

Curriculum Development – Mr North & Freddie

Workshops – Proposal of Ms Lucking to take on this job (student yet to be assigned)

Further Recruitment of staff and students – all would be responsible for this. Dewi has earmarked this also, he will also approach a teacher to work alongside on this.

Promotion of Ideas – Jamal & Ms Critchley

Events – Maya and Obai (with Ms Lucking?)

AOB

New members, please see JN and give him your email

Jamal has recently been elected to the Lambeth Youth Council and his friend, Maria Taylor, would like to arrange a meeting.

Thabit – are there double standards, meet with JN at 1pm

New email addresses:

Representation and Stereotyping – Research Meeting

November 3, 2016 / / 2 Comments

Hey Everyone!

I am currently on an Extended Project course where I am researching “How does musical theatre represent different groups of people”, part of my research is grasping a better knowledge of representation and widely held beliefs on different groups of people. Im hoping to find a group of people to explore some representations and stereotypes and find out some opinions on the matter whether positive or negative. The proposed time is next Tuesday lunchtime but I still need to outsource location. Im looking forward to hearing from some of you 🙂 🙂 🙂 (Meeting time and location should hopefully be confirmed by equalities meeting today).

Kind Regards – Lethaniel