Our Academy Committee play a vital part in delivering high quality education for your children. They work in partnership with a range of people and organisations, including the parents of pupils, the schools staff, the Salisbury Diocese and the local authority. All these partners contribute to ensuring that children benefit from their education, that they acquire knowledge and skills and develop the insight and attitudes needed to be healthy and safe, to enjoy and achieve, to make their contribution and in time to play their part in society.

The Academy Committee is constituted, in line with current legislation, to ensure representation from the groups of people with an interest in the way the school works: parents, staff, the local community, the local authority and the church.

The Strategic Role

The Academy Committee acts strategically to raise standards in the school. This involves setting aims for the school and agreeing policies, plans and targets for improvement to match those aims. More specifically the strategic role is concerned with:

• Raising standards by setting targets for pupil achievement
• Establishing high expectations
• Promoting effective teaching and learning

These decisions will be made collectively by the Academy Committee, though aspects of the detail work may be delegated to a specific committee. No individual committee member may act alone without the consent of the whole committee.

The Critical Friend

The Academy Committee will monitor and evaluate progress towards the targets and priorities it has set in its strategic role. In this area of its work, the Academy Committee is concerned with:

• Supporting and challenging the school
• Agreeing policies for the conduct of the school and monitoring progress
• Planned improvements and evaluating the impact of efforts

The Accountability Role

The Academy Committee accounts for the school to parents and children, the community and the local authority and it does this by publishing the schools results and explaining the schools strengths. It must be prepared to explain its decisions to anyone with a legitimate interest.

Other Responsibilities

Curriculum and Standards – This includes ensuring a broad and balanced curriculum is taught that meets statutory requirements and is appropriate for all the pupils in the school, including any special needs.

Staffing – The Academy Committee is responsible for appointing the head teacher, assistant heads and all teaching and support staff. The staffing responsibilities also include determining the number of staff and their pay levels. The Academy committee will keep under review the staffing policies, including agreeing staff conduct, grievance and disciplinary procedures.

Premises – This includes ensuring the premises are safe, properly maintained and suitable and sufficient for their purpose.

Finance – The Academy Committee determines how to spend the budget allocated to the school

Conclusion

The Academy Committee, along with all other school staff are always willing to discuss or listen to a particular question of concern and if they do not know the answer they will certainly be able and willing to find out.

The Academy Committee is very active and supportive. Each committee member has ‘adopted’ a base so that they can closely monitor the national curriculum and get to know children and staff, often working alongside. The Academy Committee meets at least twice a term. A file of certified copies of minutes is kept in the Jubilee Room and may be inspected at any time. Please enquire at the school office for an appointment.

The following documents are attached below for your information

• Academy Committee Appointments and Terms 2022-23
• Summary of relevant interests of Academy Committee Members 2022-23
• Academy Committee Meeting Attendance 2021-22
• Academy Committee Meeting Attendance 2022-23 (coming soon)