Academy Trust Board Minutes 3rd July 2020 9.30am – 11.30am Halsford Park Primary School

Attendees:

J Faulkes J Abbott R Thorne P Brooks S Martin G Livingstone B Woollard N Heslop B Gatton (Clerk)

Item No Agenda Item

1. Apologies for Absence The meeting opened at 9.37am. No apologies received. M Osivwemu absent.

2. Declaration of Interest Board members must declare an interest in any item on this agenda and this will be recorded in the minutes

No declarations were received

3. Review of ATB minutes from last meeting & Action points

Agree and sign off Minutes from previous meetings

Review of Action Points

The minutes were reviewed and agreed by the Trust Board and signed by the Chair. The action plan was reviewed. Growing Great Teachers action point to be updated with an Autumn review and staff questionnaire. ACTION - Clerk to update action plan.

4. Standards Committee Summary Update Committee meeting met on the 1st July to review the KPI’s for Spring and presented their findings to the Trust Board. It was confirmed that the Exceptions were agreed and challenges had been made regarding the recording of physical and emotional incidents and Year 3 interventions which the Executive Principal raising with the Headteachers. It was also highlighted that limited data was available due to school closures due to Covid-19.

The Trust Board also reviewed a commercial key performance indicator document which was agreed to show a clear format. However, the Board were made aware that data was not being produced and that some of the report would not be usable. It was agreed to finalise in the autumn term when there may be further clarification regarding what data will be produced and available. Q – Has there been any guidance or expectations from the Government? It was confirmed to the Board that there was no collection of data from primary schools, nor was there any expectation of any data to be produced. The Board were advised of the planning to date, which has been a collaboration effort across four schools (Baldwins Hill, Blackwell, Halsford Park and St Mary’s) in the development of a recovery curriculum to include identification and closure of learning gaps. These key principles were then further refined by the Headteachers for their own school curriculum intent for their communities. Further information regarding ‘catch-up funding’ was discussed but due to no forthcoming guidance, the schools were unable to plan for any possible funding.

5. School to School support update Everychild Trust commissioned the Executive Principal for a second year at the same effort as the last contract. MoU has agreed an increase in income and an increased notice period. School to School support to Blackwell is currently pending due to Lead Practitioners being unable to work across schools. However, the Board were advised that the Headteacher of Blackwell was fully involved in the planning of the come back curriculum and other key areas, including Risk Assessments. It was acknowledged by the Board that the recovery curriculum planning was being driven by the Assistant Headteacher at Blackwell. The Aspire programme currently being outsourced is to return to Partners in Learning due to the additional capacity built into the leadership team. Q – If in September, as all schools are returning full time and the conversion of Blackwell, will it affect how much time you can give to supporting Everychild Trust? The Executive Principal confirmed that there was more capacity in the system so there will be no additional impact, compared to the current year, in the ability to support the Trust’s own schools. The Executive Principal requested approval for the Director of Operations from Everychild Trust to observe a Partners in Learning Trust Board meeting citing the first meeting in autumn. The Trustees agreed to the observation.

6. Review of phased re-opening plan The Executive Principal reviewed the information that had been provided to Trustees, highlighting that schools were close to capacity. There had been a successful transition which met with the government

guidance and parental feedback had been positive. He went on to summarise that new September guidance had been issued and the Leadership Team were reviewing this and working on a new risk assessment. Q – How will social distancing with teachers and children be managed? Teaching and learning would not be in the same manner in September and there would still be caution around PPA and swapping of classrooms. Q – Is there Covid-19 testing taking place? It was confirmed that testing was taking place following the guidance. Q – In terms of children return, any noticeable difference in attitudes or attention levels? Teachers and staff have been delighted at how well children have coped with the changes and taken it all in their stride. Q – Has home learning continued for those year groups that have not been eligible to return? The Executive Principal confirmed that this has continued and work set, but highlighted that parents had been advised that feedback would be on a weekly basis due to teacher efforts working in classrooms and supporting childcare provision on site. Q – Has consideration been given to bringing children back for some contact time? Consideration was given, however, groups would have to be shut down for seven days before re-opening again due to all teachers leading their own bubbles. Teachers will be recording videos for both outgoing classes along with a range of activities to support the transition to new classes. The RSC meeting raised the concept of primary schools closing cohorts for a week and re-open but it was made clear that would not be following Government guidance regarding the priority year groups.

7. Risk Register Review The Risk Register was reviewed with Covid-19 entries highlighted as having a detailed Risk Assessment for both schools underpinning the risk register entries. Action - Build the integration of Blackwell into the Risk Register to include further information through due diligence.

8. Finance/HR/Premises including Final Budget sign off The documents were shared and the TBM led the item. It was confirmed that a Finance committee meeting had taken place prior to the ATB and this item was headline reporting for the Trustees who had also received the financial information prior to the meeting. New formula funding for Baldwins Hill at only 2%, Halsford Park formula funding at 8.9% Savings were highlighted and discussed around staffing.

Q - Assuming when Blackwell comes in the combined resources will allow flexibility where costs sits? Confirmed that there would be flexibility across three schools. Halsford Park was awarded one of the CIF bids for the fire alarm system. New build will be resubmitted at the next tranche. The Board were advised that the list of successful bids showed only one school receiving funding for a similar project. Further conversation regarding internal audit whereby the external auditors made recommendations that a Trustee be utilised to carry out an internal audit on behalf of the Finance Committee (when social guidance allows) in order to give further scrutiny. Ben Woollard, who holds a place on the Committee agreed to the nomination. It was confirmed that the Finance Committee had reviewed the financial position in detail, including providing strong challenge to the Trust Business Manager and their findings were that the budgets are sensible and robust with sensible forecasting. The Board thanked both the TBM and Ben Woollard for agreeing to the internal audit role. The Trust Board approved the budgets set out by the Trust Business Manager for Partners in Learning, Halsford Park and Baldwins Hill.

9. Blackwell Conversion: Documents were shared to Trustees, which included the Local Authority Recovery Plan and budget plan presented in April/May and a report from Edufin who were commissioned to carry out due diligence. It was highlighted to the Trustees that the representatives from Edufin had been unable to visit the school during lockdown until Monday Unable to visit the school until this Monday. Working remotely throughout all of it. Recovery Plan prior to interventions was reviewed. It has been presented and accepted by West Sussex. 3 year budget plans were reviewed line by line with Trust Business Manager explaining all contents including highlighting any savings and strategies that have been implemented. One of the actions to reduce the budget deficit was to reduce leadership time by returning the Assistant and Deputy Headteachers to some teaching commitments in September 2020. One Trustee raised concerns that the Headteacher would be stretched, along with the Senior Leadership Team when returning to school from Covid-19, particularly in a school requiring rapid improvement. This concern was shared by other Trustees. Discussion and agreement was made that the Trust may have to approve an in-year deficit to support Leadership and continued improvement at Blackwell. Q – Will Leadership across the Trust be involved? It was confirmed that staff have been made available to support them.

Trustees agreed that the financial due diligence is such that allows the Board feels confident to proceed with the conversion. Action – add as standard agenda item.

10. Blackwell Conversion Review and approval of Scheme of Delegation and LGB structure, from the conversion date, as part of conversion approval process. The proposed scheme of delegation which had been circulated to the Trustees was presented by the Executive Principal. Proposal was for Blackwell, having a good LGB that was acknowledged by the HMI to retain, and that the Headteacher had been in place for a year, to manage a self-supporting model with the exception of three elements to include: LGB appointments, structure and clerk which would be agreed at Trust level but still held in consultation with LGB. The Trust Board agreed Blackwell to start on a self-supporting Scheme of Delegation with the exception of the three points highlighted.

11. Agreement of two Governor Ratifications The Trustees reviewed the two biographies and the LGB Chair’s recommendations. The Trust Board agreed the Chairs recommendations and Governor appointments.

12. Policies for Review: Admissions Policy The Admissions Policy was approved by the Trust Board.

13. Items for the agenda for the next meeting/AOB

Highlight items of interest for further meetings Peter - Come-back curriculum details Glenn - final sign off of conversion for Blackwell. Proposal for an ATB of the 31st July 2020 for a 9.30am start. This proposal was agreed by the Trustees.

Signing off of ATB Pecuniary Forms

14. Date of next meetings (all to be held at Halsford Park) 31.7.2020

31.07.20