Ingleton Middle School

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School Council - Action

The School Council began in 2002/2003. It meets to discuss issues about school raised by Staff and pupils. Pupils vote for members of their form to serve on the School Council - usually two per class. Pupils can pass their ideas to these people or place requests in a 'suggestion' box. A member of Year 8 is Chairperson: a member of Staff attends the meetings to give guidance. Minutes are taken: form representatives discuss these with their forms and listen to feedback.

Some issues discussed in 2004/2005: Charity Work, Use of the yard, Improvements in the toilets, Extra-curricular activities, A bell in the canteen, Christmas and summer activities.

A small amount of money is allocated to the School Council each year.

 School Council  - 18th September 2009

• We would like to improve the garden first by extending the vegetable patch a little, placing the compost bins on the soil to enable them to decompose properly, having storage sheds for garden tools and by tidying the beds (drastic cutting in places) and making borders from the stone already there.
• We would then turn our attention to the pond area, cutting back shrubs, filling the pond in to make a bog area and then style a smaller, safer area of water for pond dipping (setting the edging so that is appropriate for children).
• Hopefully we will get a water feature for the pond which is solar powered.
• We would possibly use solar lights for our outdoor classroom, when dusk falls this will be a lovely area from which we would be able to watch the birds (bird tables and feeders to be installed - ultimately to have a bird-cam for us to watch birds nesting!)
• The 'classroom' will need a shelter for shade, benches to work at and a fan (solar powered) to keep us cool on very hot days, but one that is not too strong that it blows books and paper around.

 School Council Minutes - Meeting 2 : September 2009

The Meeting started at 3:15pm

Chairperson: ANNIE NEIL
Vice Chairperson: LIAM O'HAGAN

The Quad:
    We firstly looked at the ideas for the quad, which are; solar powered equipment, bird feeders and habitats, we need the quad attractive so we could have fish but we need a cover over the pond, so wild birds don't come. We could use the pond -need to be made shallower- for pond dipping.

    We have also looked at the letter for Mrs Parker (about permission for the re-designing, which is approved and will be sent.)
To get funding we need to apply for a grant (Miss Higham), we could also make money by going on sponsored walks, making cards for Christmas.

    For no effort on your part please encourage your class to bring in Morrison's 'Let's Grow' vouchers.
Morrison's are supporting local schools with a voucher scheme that could help us to buy seeds -with every £10 you spend you get a voucher which you can get up until 27th November 2009.

General issues:
    A request from Mrs Coates - could we have some longer skipping ropes for lunchtimes please?
    Year 8 requested football posts to be available for Y7 and Y8 use on a lunchtime -  ask Mr A - AN/LH.
    Year 7 requested frosted stickers on the girls and boys toilet windows, to help with privacy  - AN/LH to ask Mrs Parker.
    Y7 are using toilet roll to dry their hands, because the dryers are not drying your hands properly, so could they have paper towels as well as a hand dryer,
    Y6 requested a lunchtime Homework club ? it was thought that assuming the library is open then people could do it there - otherwise at home!
    All years were unhappy about the library not being as available at lunchtime as it was last year -  people want to do work there - request via the librarians to Mrs Best.

We would like to thank Mr A for doing football club on a Wednesday dinnertime.

The Meeting ended at 3:45.

 School Council Minutes - Meeting 3   10-11-08

1. A suggestion that was brought up was a Confidence club so people with problems could speak to some year 8. This is already available, you can always speak to your House captains, School Council representatives and buddies if you need to.
2. A Yr 6 asked if their year could have more school trips. Trips are available for year 6, as in other years, and it is up to the teaching staff as to when, and if, they are appropriate to the curriculum.
3. The Librarians have asked if they could have a new chair. School council requested this to be looked at and thanks to Mr.Faser the chair is fixed.
4. A year 7 asked if we could have school Prefects. We decided that having a house captains was enough.
5. There was another suggestion for the canteen. Could we have 5 chairs around a table as there is enough room? Kathryn and Edward to ask at the canteen.
6. The year 6 ask if we could have a boxing club. There is already Tae Kwondo and Thai kickboxing available.
7. Year 6 have complained about there being too much of a crowded cloakroom. There is not much that can be done, from our experience it is just down to common sense and working out a system, Y6 school council reps talk to Mrs Butcher to make it more efficient.
8. Each class will have five weeks to prepare a food hamper as a raffle prize for school. The hamper needs to have theme such as chocolate, Chinese, Indian and any other ideas that you may have. You need to be in the process of organising it now!   Each pupil in the school will soon get 2 raffle books holding 5 tickets. Your task is to get your parents to sell as many as possible. If they manage to sell your 2 books you will need to go to the office hand in the bits left from ripping off the tickets (remember they need to have the name and address or phone number of the person who bought them!)and ask for as many as you may require. Each ticket will cost 50p each, a whole book is £2.50. We have until December17th  for the hamper to be finished. Do check sell by dates!  Good Luck to every class and may the best class win!

School Council Minutes - Meeting 2   16-10-08

1. The school council discussed raising money for charities. We came up with an idea about raising it for cancer research and Children in Need. Work we do for Derian House includes some elements of these very worthwhile charities but if opportunities arise we will think of ways to help.
2. Last year the school put on a fun day to raise money. This year we would like to do a giant monopoly game around the school also to raise money. Staff need to be approached, particularly JS, it could also include enterprise ideas as it did before.
3. In the meeting a Halloween fancy dress was suggested but we have decided if this is going to happen you will have to pay a donation to dress up. No as it is in the holidays.
4. Even though our school lunches are great and we get three choices people still want more to choose from. Any suggestions for lunches are always welcome as long as they fit the Healthy School Agenda. JS will be working with some Y8 pupils alongside the canteen to suggest alternatives - any new ideas are closely monitored in the canteen and if take up numbers of certain food stuff has a low take up it is considered not viable for the menu.
5. We brought up the idea that two lunchtimes a week are given to people who would like to play netball or anything except football and the other three days will be given to people who want to play football. Agreed that Monday, Wednesday and Friday will be football days as from the beginning of next half term, Tuesday and Thursday - no football - any other games to be played. Trial period - half a term.
6. Request for more football balls. We need to look into this because of prices. JuH and Chair people to look at pricing up of footballs and other playground equipment (to see Mrs Coates to discuss what we need)
7. The librarians have also put in a suggestion for getting a new swivel chair in the library. Mr Facer to look at and repair.
8. A year 7 suggested that we bring old or unwanted videos and DVDs for the library. We thought maybe we could mention this on the end of term newsletter. JuH to write a piece for the newsletter.
9. A year 8 suggested that the newsletter should look more appealing to the parents and pupils. Discussed - it is an official document and as such needs to look the way it does.
10. The whole group suggested that we need more P.E. equipment but storage is a problem. We have plenty of equipment to satisfy our curriculum and the extra- curricular P.E. we do.
11. A year 7 suggested that we should have dinner time chess clubs. We will need to look into this. KB to run a chess club on Friday lunchtime, after half term. If people do not use this club then it will not run.
12. Most of the year 8 girls have been wondering for a while now if they could have a dinner time rugby club. We know this may not be possible as Mr Atkinson is all ready booked up with dinner time sports. Also girls active have discussed this to.  Girls Active will address this need.
13. Another idea which was brought up by us all was if we could have a class pet. We knew this is probably not possible but it was raised. No - health and safety, cost, everything your parents say when they don't want you to have a pet!
14. The year 6 members thought that having a gymnastics and ping pong enrichment would be a good idea. JuH to put these on the enrichment timetable for next term ? table- tennis on the carousel on Thursdays and gym as an option.
15. Another year 6 thought we should use the laptops more often. This could be possible but handwriting is also very important. Laptop use is up to individual teachers and they are used where it is appropriate in lesson.
16. Some year 6 pupils suggested that having air fresheners in the toilet would be a good idea. This is a good idea and the girls already have one in the changing rooms. MVP to investigate practicalities of this.
17. One of the year 7 members reported people trying to get into other peoples' lockers. Could we remind everyone that your locker is only yours and no one else's and that you have no right to try to get into other peoples' lockers. 
    
    

Next meeting 10th November Period 4 - suggestions in by Wednesday 5th so we can set an agenda.
* Note to council members - Mrs McKenzie will calling a meeting the first week of next half term to discuss a project that you will be responsible for!  

School Council Minutes - Meeting 1   18-09-08

1. We have decided that the suggestion/problem box will be move to outside the library so it is easily accessed by all pupils. Please can you make all suggestions sensible. 
2. Pupils in 7CB brought up the idea to take a trip to Alton Towers/Light Water Valley. The school Council decided that the possibility of such a trip needs to be discussed by the Teaching Staff and Mrs Parker, as it could be more directed to year 8 pupils as a treat depending on their behaviour. To be discussed.
3. Another suggestion from 7CB was to have longer play times. This could not be possible as we have a set time and the longer the playtime the longer the school day. Problem with coaches etc.
4. A year 8 pupil asked if one of the mirrors in the boy's toilets can be removed. Action point: ask Mr Facer. Done.
5. Also year 8 girls have been complaining about their toilet doors jamming.  Action point: Mr Facer needed for his expertise. In the process of being done.
6. Another problem that was discussed was friends in different forms could not talk during wet plays; can we have a room to chat in? Our answer was no, due to misbehaviour and trust issues. 
7. Should homework that is set on Friday be in for Monday? Action point: Miss Higham will discuss this with the teachers at the next staff meeting. To discuss.
8. A school council member brought up the idea of having a healthy vending machine. We will look in this at a later date as it is not one of out main priorities. Action point: KH was asked to investigate it further and come back to us. No - healthy and safety of siteing machine, problem of control, has been discussed and looked into before - cost too great.
9. We also thought a vegetable and herb patch in the school garden may be a good idea. Action point: EC to discuss with Mrs Wilding. Sounds good - Mrs Wilding has previously done this in the Spring term with her gardening enrichment.
10. We also thought it was time that the School Council had a new image. Action point:  at a later date we will be organising a competition for a new logo. Yes.
11. Next meeting 16th Oct period 5 - suggestions in by Monday 13th so we can set an agenda.