Chair of Governors’ Update – 5th November 2014

You will have received my letter dealing specifically with the process to elect two Parent Governors and I, and the other Governors, look forward to the outcome.

As you would expect, our attention has been and will continue to be focussed on those areas that Ofsted identified as requiring improvement, in its report last February and its letter following the monitoring visit last May. The most important of these is improving the rates of progress of the pupils who were in the (predecessor) School when these inspections took place. Our teaching staff are making considerable efforts towards ensuring all our pupils progress at least at the rate expected Nationally.

Another bit of good news is that last week our new management information system was delivered to the School. The IT system is used to record essential information about all our pupils and it makes it much easier to track the rates of progress of each of them. The job of entering accurately all the necessary data is nearly complete.

There have been three meetings with a group of parents/carers about the drop-off and collection arrangements at Mile End Park and I should add that we were grateful that they came to discuss such matters with us. We have been told that a large number of you are concerned about risks to both safety and health associated with these arrangements. Rest assured, the safety and well-being of the pupils at our School are paramount. In fact, the current arrangements were established because of concerns about the risks to the safety of the pupils posed by a drop-off/collection arrangement outside the School’s entrances and, in particular, road safety.

We decided that the proper course of action is to re-examine all of the risks (including those mentioned to us) associated with: (1) the current arrangements and (2) drop- off/collection at the School entrance(s). This includes, and would impact if implemented, on the safe and orderly management of the School.

We are making enquires that might throw light on how probable it is that the matters, giving rise to some of these risks, are likely to happen. We are also considering (with others such as LBTH Traffic & Highways) whether there are practical things that could be done to seek to reduce the level of certain risks to an acceptable leave – as it will not be possible to remove them entirely.

Part of the work that we are doing on this and in reviewing the School’s draft Travel Plan will involve seeking information from a number of you. Please see the attached form, which asks for your comments.
As you will appreciate there is a lot of work involved but it is important, for obvious reasons, that whatever we decide to do, it is in the best interests of all the pupils at the School. We will be in touch with you as soon as we have completed the tasks.

In the meantime, Amanda and the teachers will be hard at work giving your children the education they deserve.

Robert Neil
Chair of Governors