Welcome to the School Standards Committee

St Columba’s Catholic Primary School is part of the Lumen Christi Catholic Multi Academy which comprises of eight Catholic schools in Birmingham. (seven within the south west area of Birmingham)

· St Columba’s Catholic Primary School

· St Brigid’s Catholic Primary School

· St Paul’s Catholic Primary School

· St Joseph’s Catholic Primary School

· St James’ Catholic Primary School

· St John Fisher Catholic Primary School

· St Thomas More Catholic 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 (SSC). The  SSC's primary role is to oversee the strategic management of the school on behalf of the Lumen Christi Multi Academy Board of Directors. They check that the aims and objectives of the school are being delivered, discuss and approve policies, check that the budgets and spending plans are all correct, highlight any areas of concern and act as a “critical friend” to the Principal.

A SSC is ideally made up of 12 members.

· 7 Foundation members who are practicing Catholics appointed by the Diocese.

· 2 Parent members who are nominated and elected by the parents of the school.

· 1 Staff members who are nominated and elected by the staff of the school.

· School Principal

Our current School Standards Committee is:

Mr. David Holmes                      (Foundation member)        Chair

Mrs Sarah Farrow                         (Foundation member)           Vice-chair

Mrs Hayley Bradbury                 (Foundation member)        

Mrs Helen Thompson                 (Foundation member)

Mrs. Zoe Sharman                      (Parent member)

Mrs Lyndsey Sirrell                     (Staff member)

Mrs. Linda Southerton                  Principal

Mrs. Jeanette Foster          (Clerk to the SCC)

Contact details for the School Standards Committee

Chair of the School Standards Committee,

St Columba’s Catholic Primary School,

Lickey Road,

Rednal,

Birmingham

B45 8TD

e-mail :j.foster@lumenchristi.org.uk (Clerk to the SCC)

The School Standards Committee

The Committee meets six times per year - once each half 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/ Section 48  inspection report.  

The committee focusses on the curriculum element of the School and how it is progressing against its targets as laid out in the School Development Plan.

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.

A focus is also made on ensuring that the specific funding to help improve the achievement of disadvantaged pupils is being effectively targeted and delivering results.

As a Catholic school, the committee has a deep interest in ensuring the Catholic Life of the school is reviewed and is delivering the required impact on the school.

Following the committee meetings, a summary of the achievements of the school plus any recommendations or requests for support are escalated to the Board of Directors via the termly Chairs report.

Terms of Reference for the School Standards Committee is 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 School Standards Committee members 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 pupils 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 Committee member 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.