Councillor Paterson; G McKinlay, Head of Schools and L McAllister Acting Head of Early Years and Broad General Education) (both Children’s Services); and L Mullin, Principal HR & OD Advisor (Finance & Resources).

K Fella, JP Tonner, M McGlynn and J Welsh (all EIS); S Dargie (SSTA); and S McCrossan (Adviser to Teachers’ Side).

D Low, Senior Committee Services Officer (Finance & Resources).

In accordance with the terms of the local recognition and procedure agreement, which stated that the Chair of the Committee should alternate between the two sides comprising the Renfrewshire Council Joint Negotiating Committee for Teaching Staff, it was agreed that Councillor Paterson would chair this meeting of the Renfrewshire Council Joint Negotiating Committee for Teaching Staff.

DECIDED: That Councillor Paterson chair this meeting of the Renfrewshire Council Joint Negotiating Committee for Teaching Staff.

Provost Cameron; S Quinn, Acting Director of Children’s Services, M Dewar, Head Teacher (Parkmains High School), G Hannigan, Head Teacher (St Charles’ Primary School), A Hall, Education Manager (Development) and A Howie, J McCusker and H Whittle (all EIS).

There were no declarations of interest intimated prior to the commencement of the meeting.

There was submitted the Minute of meeting held on 13 November 2018. 

DECIDED: That the Minute be approved.

The Joint Secretary (Management Side) advised that an updated version of the report should have been submitted for circulation reflecting that it was a report by the two Joint Secretaries.

The report intimated that Monitoring and Evaluating the Learning and Teaching Experience (MELE) policy guidelines, first introduced in 2005, had been reviewed between September and December by a working group comprising teaching staff, promoted teaching staff and peripatetic teaching staff from across primary and secondary sectors and teacher union representatives.  The reviewed guidance, Sharing Good Practice through the Evaluation of Learning Experiences was attached as Appendix 1 to the report and it replaced the existing MELE policy guidelines.  The supporting documentation was attached as Appendix 2 to the report.    

DECIDED: 

(a) That the revised guidance and associated support materials in appendices 1 and 2 to the report be approved; and

(b) That the revised guidance and associated support materials be issued to all Head Teachers and applied consistently across Renfrewshire.

There was submitted a report by the Joint Secretary (Management Side) relative to the class size in Renfrewshire’s primary schools.

The report, which had been approved by the meeting of the Education & Children’s Services Policy Board held on 17 January 2019, intimated that the Council operated a model where the maximum class size in Primary 2 was 25 compared to the statutory limit of 30.  However, this maximum class size could be challenged as a result of the level set down by statute.  The report proposed that, as a result of these challenges, the local arrangement be replaced with those set out in national regulations.  Changes would come into effect in August 2019 thus ensuring that all current classes were unaffected.

The Joint Secretary (Teachers’ Side), while recognising the difficulties faced by the Council in implementing the existing model, expressed concern that this would result in an increase in early years class sizes.

 DECIDED: That the report be noted.

There was submitted a report by the Joint Secretary (Teachers’ Side) relative to the outcome of a questionnaire which had been issued by the EIS to its members, seeking theirs views on a range of issues affecting their working conditions.

The report intimated that workload, Additional Support Needs provision and behaviour and discipline were the most pressing issues raised by the more than 12,000 respondents.

The Joint Secretary (Management Side) advised that he would continue to work in partnership to address issues such as those raised by the EIS members.     

DECIDED:  

(a) That the survey be noted; and 

(b) That it be noted that the Management and Teachers’ Sides would continue to work in partnership to address the particular issues raised in the survey.

There was submitted a report by the Joint Secretary (Teachers’ Side) relative to the assessment moderation exercise to be conducted across all Renfrewshire primary schools and involving all primary school teaching staff.

The report intimated that, while not objecting to the principles of moderation underpinning the exercise, the teachers’ side had concerns relative to the workload intensive nature of the exercise, its timing in the school year and the use of a teacher identification code on the template.

The Acting Head of Early Years and Broad General Education advised that she had met with the Joint Secretary (Teachers’ Side) and it had been agreed that clarification would be provided at the next primary schools’ head teachers’ meeting that the teacher identification code section on the template need not be completed although it was recognised that some teachers would wish to be identified to allow them to receive feedback.  

DECIDED: That the position be noted.

There was submitted a report by the Joint Secretary (Teachers’ Side) relative to the lack of clarity around the documentation to be used in support of the Managing Violence and Aggression in Educational Establishments policy.  The Joint Secretary (Teachers’ Side) also referred to confusion over the availability of the supporting documentation electronically.

The Joint Secretary (Management Side) acknowledged the confusion and advised that he would seek to re-establish the working group with a view to either agreeing new proposals or developing further clarification.  

DECIDED: 

(a) That the working group which oversaw the Managing Violence and Aggression in Educational Establishments policy be re-established with a view to either agreeing new proposals or developing further clarification; and

(b) That the position be otherwise noted.

It was noted that the next meeting of the Renfrewshire Council Joint Negotiating Committee for Teaching Staff would be held on 19 March 2019 at 2.00 p.m.