COYLTON PRIMARY SCHOOL PARENT COUNCIL MINUTES OF AGM 25TH AUGUST 2020 AT 7PM VIA ZOOM

COYLTON PRIMARY SCHOOL PARENT COUNCIL
MINUTES OF AGM
25TH AUGUST 2020 AT 7PM VIA ZOOM

                                                                                                           ACTION
1. Welcome, attendees & apologies
   Attendees
   Lorna McIntyre (Chair), Fiona Donnelly, Donna Shimmons, Ali Watkins, Ann Kennedy, Heather
   Kerr, Lynsay Murdoch, Libby Pollock, Pamela Campbell, Shala Montgomery, Margaret Howat,
   Bonita Rathore, Louise Dempster, Hazel Murray, Joanne Neil (Minutes)

   Apologies
   Rachael Madeley, Michele Martin, Kayleigh Martin, Elisa Mackie, Kirsty Murdoch, Kay Clark.

2. Minutes of last meeting
   The minutes of the previous meeting on the 22nd June were circulated prior to the meeting and no
   amendments have been received.

   Minutes Approved by – Shala Montgomery
   Minutes Seconded by – Heather Kerr

Chairperson’s Report

End of Year Chairperson Report 2019/20
I took over as Chair of Parent Council this time last year and it’s definitely was a year none of us
could have predicted for the school. I’m privileged to be part of the group which has support the
school so well in the past year, through the challenges of school closure, home schooling and the
restrictions and getting the children back to school. I want to thank the full committees for all their
support in the past year, Fiona and Donna for your leadership and direction for the group and the
school and the parent forum who have support our fundraising throughout the year.
I appreciate we have new parents join this group tonight for the first time so welcome, although in
these strange times we are all virtual I do hope you will enjoy being part of the committee and see the
benefits it brings to school life. PC role is to represent the parent and carers of the school
community, help, support school improvements, communications and partnerships, Improve links
between parents, school, local authority and community. We are a group to be a “critical friend” to
the school management. We are a welcoming, inclusive and proactive group aiming to make a
positive contribution to school life.
Last year I set our 4 objectives to overall develop and support the school through the PC group. I
was looking to increase parent participation and the attendance tonight speaks volumes on how the
interest and growth in this group has developed over the past 12 months. Develop parent guidance
on appropriate social media use, this leaflet was developed and distributed to all parents and I’m
delighted to report the engagement with the parent forum and social media is improving, this is also
thanks to the increased use of the PC Facebook page and School Twitter feed. The third objective
was to address the traffic management issues around the school, a long standing objective for the
committee. The installation of the traffic lights throughout he village have helped in some way to
address this issues but I’m fully aware this issue still needs to be considered going forward as further
improvement could be made in the village for the road safety of the children. Finally the objective
of fundraising to support the school was a key work of the group. The success of the bouncathons in

Oct, the xmas calendar and fair all pre COVID has resulted in the group still manging to raise a
considerable amount for the school. Which can I thank Shala for her help and dedication to the role
of Treasurer.
In addition, PC has strengthened its role with the wider South Ayrshire Parent Council Group, in
which I attend 4 meeting as year with others chairs and the Director of Education to make sure the
parent voice is heard and considered at senior, council levels. This group is continuing to meet and
actually I’m missing the first meeting as its tonight, but we have a strong alliance with our feeder
school PC and they have agreed to feed into the group on our behalf tonight.
This year also saw us open up the group to Ayr Academy HT and DHT for improve links to the
secondary school for Coylton which was very successful and probably something I would like to
repeat again this session.
But clearly COVID brought an abrupt end to school life as we know in in many ways back in March,
but PC quickly adapted and we held three zoom meetings through till June to ensure a clear 2 two
communication between the school and the parent body. Although chairing a zoom meeting was
never on the remit when I took over this time last year, we managed and I’m proud of how we
supported the school at that time. The positives to come from the experience is the virtual meeting
method moving forward with the group for the time being due to restrictions but perhaps to be
considered in “normal” times too. In addition, Connect, the national body which represent parent
voice at policy level have put a lot of their training and webinars online, which have been very
useful. Ove the past few weeks I have attended an “Our role know” webinar and a “welcoming new
parents” webinar.

The other positive has to have been the link to the foodbank at the Coylton Community Association,
who set up a new and nearly new school uniform bank on our behalf, thank you to committee
members who picked up and washed uniforms and dropped them off. I have been informed by
Sarah, 25 families used the service which is fantastic.

So a quick summary on the 2019/20 year and onwards to the challenges of the year ahead. Thank
you for attending tonight and I do hope you will continue to come along and be an active member of
the committee going forward.

3. Head Teacher’s Report
      • Mrs Donnelly thanked the Parent Council for their support over the Lockdown period.
      • The Parent Council were also thanked for the end of year gifts given to Mrs Donnelly and
         Miss Shimmons, they were very much appreciated.
      • Current school Role – 268 Early Years Centre – 60 registered (To be increased to 64
         capacity)
      • Ali Watkins (Deputy Manager EYC) is now in post and was welcomed by the parent
         Council.

          Staffing
      •   Lynsey Gray (Classroom Assistant) – Currently on Maternity Leave
      •   Donna Shimmons due to commence Maternity Leave later this year.
      •   South Ayrshire Council are to appoint 16 Primary Teachers across South Ayrshire to aid
          COVID recovery
      •   Two Early Years Practitioners appointed – 1 working closely with each Primary One Class
      •   Day Cleaner, Alison now appointed (9.30-2.30). Touch points being regularly cleaned.

      •   Limited movement of children around the School.
      •   Staggered break times. (P1-P3 and P4-P7)
          Each group has the whole playground area available. (Increased area from previously)

•   David Strang (South Ayrshire – Health and Safety) visited the School and requested for a
            Journalist and photographer to visit the School from the Ayrshire Post (Attended after
            4pm), Story on plans implanted for Children returning to School Post Lockdown.

        •   Parent Survey – Closes 26th August. 134 responses so far. 100 School. 15 EYC and 19
            Families with Children in both the School and EYC. Positive responses. Weekly
            School/EYC Newsletter to reflect common themes on issues raised, ‘You said, We did’.

        •   IT support to be offered to those children who do not have access to a device at home. It
            is thought those children in P1-P3 will be given an Ipad, and for children in P4-P7 a
            Chrome Book is to be provided (1 device per household).

        •   Microsoft Teams is to be used as a platform for homework. This is to minimise items
            coming to and from School.
        •   Primary Ones are to have their glow accounts set up in September.

        •   Weekly Newsletters will continue. They will be e-mailed to Parents and will be uploaded
            to the Parent Council Facebook page, Twitter and School Website.

        •   Currently Scaffolding around the School as the flat roof is being replaced.

        •   Face coverings have now to be worn on School Transport. P1-P3 continue to be supported
            to School Transport at 3pm. The School have a supply of Face Masks and will ensure
            children have one prior to leaving the School.

        •   Indoor PE- Currently being discussed at South Ayrshire Council – Awaiting updated
            guidance.

        •   Lunch boxes – Currently lunches to be sent to School in a disposable bag, potential change
            to this guidance which will be included in Friday’s Newsletter.

4. Treasurer’s Reports
                                           Coylton Parent Council
                                      Treasurers Report to 30th June 2020
Accounts to 30th June 2020 have been examined by an accountant and confirmed as a true statement of account as per the
attachment sent.

Decision on the value of the donation to be given to the School to be finalised at Septembers              All
     Parent Council Meeting

5. AOB

     6.    Coylton AfterSchool Club (Activity Centre) – Lorna reported this service was currently not
          running. Parents left extremely disappointed with very little notice prior to school returning
          in August or communication from South Ayrshire Council. Currently unclear when this
          service will return.
          Sunrise Club (Breakfast Club and After School Club) remains available.

7.   New Members at tonight’s Meeting agreed to be added to the Parent Council Whats App Group,
     Pamela, Libby, Lynsay, Ann and Louise.                                                                     LM

     8.   Louise raised the possibility of Videos being created to allow Parents/carers to see inside the       AW/FD
          EYC playrooms.

     9. Fundraising – Hazel agreed to speak to the company who provide the Bouncy Castles. ?                    HM
        Potential for an outdoor Bouncathon event in September.

     10. Office Bearers 2020/2021
         No changes to current Office Bearers

          Chair – Lorna McIntyre
          Vice Co- Chair – Bonita Rathore & Michele Martin
          Treasurer – Shala Montgomery
          200 Club – Heather Kerr
          Fundraising co-ordinator – Hazel Murray

     11. Objectives 2020/21
     1. Support the school through the ongoing COVID restrictions and developments
            a.
     2. Continue to grow and develop parent and carer participation in the wider school activities
                - Initial ideas around promoting PC more on social media
                - Parent class reps on the committee to aid communication
                - Built on success of virtual meetings
     3. Fundraising and the challenges COVID restrictions will bring to this aspect as well as a down turn in
        the economy
                     i. Sub groups for specific events?
                    ii. School uniform provider (Just Jeans – Auchinleck have approached Parent Council
                        Facebook page)

Meeting dates 2020/21
   Wednesday 16th September
   Wednesday 21st October
   Wednesday 18th November
   Wednesday 16th December (provisional)
   Wednesday 13th January
   Wednesday 24th February
   Wednesday 24th March
   Wednesday 28th April
   Wednesday 26th May
   Wednesday 16th June (provisional)

12. Date of next meeting
    Wednesday 16th September at 7pm via Zoom