School Standards Committee Introduction

 St Brigid’s School Standards Committee

An Overview

St Brigids Catholic Primary School is part of the Lumen Christi Catholic Multi Academy which comprises of six local Catholic schools in South West Birmingham. :

• St Brigid’s Catholic Primary School
• St Paul's Catholic Primary School
• St Columba's Catholic Primary School
• St Joseph's Catholic Primary School
• St James' Catholic Primary School
• St Thomas More Primary School
• St Thomas Aquinas Catholic Secondary School

The Lumen Christi Multi Academy is governed by a Board of Directors, who delegate certain responsibilities to each school through their School Standards Committees. The School Standards Committee’s primary role is to oversee the strategic management of the school on behalf of the Board of Directors. They check that the aims and objectives of the school are being delivered, discuss and approve proposals for various policies, check that the budgets and spending plans are all correct, highlight any areas of concern and offer advice and suggestions

School Standards Committee (SSC)

St. Brigid’s has a School Standards Committee made up of 12 members.

• 7 Foundation Representatives who are practicing Catholics and are appointed by the Diocese. They are usually members of St Brigid’s parish, often with direct links to the school.
• 2 Parent Representatives who are nominated and elected by the parents of the school.
• 2 Staff Representatives who are nominated and elected by the staff of the school.
• School Principal

Our current Local Academy Committee is:

Mrs Jane Hodgkinson             (Foundation)                CHAIR

Mr Chris Hughes                     (Foundation)                VICE CHAIR

Mr Noel Sutton                        (Foundation)

Mr Darlington Njere                (Parent)

Mrs Sarah Weston                  (Staff)

Mrs Laura Goodes                  (Staff) mat leave 

Mrs Rebecca Nash                 (Executive Principal)

Mrs Janet Raymond               Clerk to the Governing Body

The full SSC meets three times per year - once each term - plus any additional ‘extraordinary' meetings and training days as and when they are required, for example, to approve a new policy due to new legislation or to discuss an Ofsted inspection report.  

In addition to the full SSC there are 2 sub-committees who also meet three times per year. Representatives are required to sit on at least one of these sub-committees.

Sub-Committees

Finance and Resources

This committee meets to discuss and approve the annual budget plan and to check as the year progresses that funds are being spent correctly and within budget. They prioritise projects that have been identified by the school in the School Development plan, such as replacing ICT equipment, refurbishment of classrooms etc.

Standards & Pupil Welfare

This committee looks at the curriculum element of the School Development Plan and the School's Curriculum statement and reviews both on a regular basis. They ensure that the timetable offers equal opportunities for all pupils, including those with Special Educational Needs and monitors targets and performance levels. The committee also looks at staffing numbers and the procedures for filling vacancies when they arise, induction of newly qualified teachers and any requests for leave, secondment and retirement. They may also deal with any staff disciplinary issues and educational visits for pupils.

Following the sub-committee meetings, if necessary, recommendations are escalated to the Full SSC or the Board of Directors for approval.

Terms of Reference for each of the sub-committees are reviewed and approved each academic year.

Meetings are often attended by members of the school’s Senior Leadership Team to help inform the Committees of progress against key priorities. Although they attend the meetings, they are not eligible to vote in any decisions.

Other Activities

The Representatives are invited to get as involved in school life as often as they can. Individual Representatives are linked to a particular House or Subject which involves them coming into school and meeting with the teachers, getting to know the students through attending assemblies, Masses and other events thus supporting the school in any way they can. Through meeting 2 or 3 times a year with the Subject Leader they can get a really good idea of how it all works and offer advice and suggestions if required.

Being a member of the SSC is an enormously challenging but very rewarding experience. It provides an opportunity to develop new skills and strengthen existing ones. We each have the chance to increase our understanding of areas such as finance, personnel, and strategic planning, gaining a greater awareness of the education system as a whole and, most importantly, get a huge sense of satisfaction knowing the children benefit from our efforts.