Governors

Chair of Governors:  Mr Kevin Connolly - k.connolly@stedward.bham.sch.uk

Vice Chair of Governors: Mrs Mary Daniels - m.daniels@stedward.bham.sch.uk

Annual Governance Statement 

ST. EDWARD’S CATHOLIC PRIMARY SCHOOL 

Role of the Governing Board 

As the Governing Board of a Catholic School, our overarching responsibility lies in ensuring that the School is conducted in accordance with its Catholic character at all times, and this overriding duty (which is also a legal duty) permeates everything that we do. Further, in accordance with our legal obligations, the Governing Board endeavours to operate at a strategic level leaving the Headteacher and senior school leaders responsible and accountable to us for the operational day-to-day running of the School. It is by achieving these aims that we can be sure that our School has effective governance.

The three core functions of the Governing Board are: 

1. Ensuring clarity of vision, ethos and strategic direction; 

2. Holding the Headteacher to account for the educational performance of the School and its pupils, and for the internal organisation, management and control of the School, including performance management of staff; and  

3. Overseeing the financial performance of the School and making sure its money is well spent. 

As an integral part of the vision for the holistic formation of children and young people Canon law (Church law) also requires that Catholic schools (which includes academies) are “…at least as academically distinguished as that in the other schools of the area” and the Governing Board are mindful of this requirement in all that we do.

Scope of Governing Board’s Responsibilities  

The Governing Board acknowledges that we have overall responsibility for ensuring that St. Edward’s Catholic Primary School has an effective and appropriate system of control, financial and otherwise. However, such a system is designed to manage rather than eliminate the risk of failure to achieve our objectives, and can provide only a reasonable (as opposed to absolute) assurance against material misstatement or loss. 

The Governing Board has delegated the day-to-day responsibility to the Headteacher for ensuring financial controls conform with the requirements of both propriety and good financial management. 

Governance Arrangements  

Composition of the Governing Board 

The Governing Board is made up of 9 Foundation Governors, 2 Staff Governors (including the Headteacher), 2 Parent Governors, 1 Local Authority Governor and 2 Co-opted Governors*.   

ɫ Foundation Governors are appointed by the Bishop of the Diocese in which the School is situated.  The Bishop not only appoints his Foundation Governors because of their particular skills, but, more importantly, for the strict purpose of ensuring, on his behalf, the Catholic character of the School.  Foundation Governors are also under important legal duties to preserve and develop the School’s Catholic character.  In order to ensure that the School’s Catholic character is protected and that it is being conducted in accordance with the tenets of its Catholic designation, Governing Bodies of Catholic schools and academies must always have a majority of Foundation Governors.  

The Diocesan Bishop is Canonically responsible for his schools and academies.  He ensures that the Catholic ethos of the school is maintained, particularly through the appointment of Foundation Governors, but also through overseeing the appointment of members of staff and through Diocesan inspection, in order to ensure that the school is fulfilling the objects cited in its Instrument of Government/Articles of Association and the trust deed under which the school was established.  

• Co-opted Governors are appointed by the Governing Board and are people who, in the opinion of the Governing Board, have the skills required to contribute to the effective governance and success of the school.  

Governing Board's work undertaken by governors at full Governing Board meetings: 

• Our Health and Safety Governor visited the school regularly to check on the premises and that the risk assessments were being updated.
• The Staff well-being governor has set up a well-being team who represent all staff groups. Governors have had the opportunity to walk around the school on induction but also the meetings are held in different classrooms.
• Link Governor meetings have been held on two occasions whereby the staff subject lead and governors were able to talk about the plans for the subject area within school and to provide updates.
• The Head Teacher informed the governors about the curriculum, staffing, health and safety and budget considerations and any other issues through the Chair of Governors and Head Teacher reports.
• The School Business Manager updated the governors on the spending on resources.
• Outside visitors have presented to the Governors about the School of Sanctuary award and Cyber security. 

• Safeguarding and Child Protection Policy and ‘Keeping Children Safe in Education’ updated to ensure that we have correct information to keep all of our pupils safe.  Safeguarding Governors visited school to check on safeguarding procedures in school and reported back to FGB. 

• Governors receive reports from the School on how the Pupil Premium and Sports Premium are spent to benefit the children 

• Governors looked at changes in the Curriculum, attainment and progress of the children, results of statutory tests.  Reports received from Senco re: special needs children  

• Curriculum Reports prepared for Governors 

• Premises reports reviewed 

• School Development Plan and the School’s Priorities for the year 

• All Policies updated including Admissions

• Performance management of the Head Teacher  

• Pay committee reviewed the Pay Policy and performance of all staff 

• The Full Governing Board has met seven times during the year. We have not cancelled a Governing Board meeting because it was not "quorate" (the number of Governors needed to ensure that legal decisions can be made).  Overall Governors have good attendance at Governing Board meetings.  There are Ad Hoc Committees that are held when required. 

Governors’ Plans for the School 

• Latest Safeguarding and ‘Keeping Children Safe in Education’ Policies to be approved.

• Safeguarding Review of the school 

• Review Catholic Life of the School, Mission and Ethos through CSI

• Set and review the Governors’ Vision for the School.  

• School Finances - ongoing monitoring.  Approved the budget in March 2025, according to the School Development Plan, for Financial Year 2025/2026.  

• Review Whole School Priorities 

• Monitoring pupils’ attainment and progress, curriculum changes, pupil premium, sports premium.  

• Staff performance management. 

• Staffing Structure 

• Review Statutory and School Policies 

• Approve Admission Criteria 2026/2027 and In-Year Admissions 

• Premises and Health & Safety Reports 

• Diocesan Plans for Academisation 

• Recommendations from Section 48 June 2019 ongoing 

• Updating Risk Assessment and Policies 

• Updating all School Policies when required 

• Ofsted recommendations 

Minutes of Governing Board 

Minutes of Governing Board meetings are public documents you can ask Mrs. J. Kennett, Headteacher, or Governance Professional if you would like to see a copy of the minutes.   

Review of Value for Money 

• The Governing Board has used its resources to provide good value for money during the academic year and has assessed where value for money can be improved including the use of benchmarking data where available. The Governing Board has delivered value for money during the year by  

• Best Value Statement/Value for Money Strategy 

• Quotes required for costs of £10,000 or more 

• Using Pupil Premium and Sports Premium to enhance the Teaching and Learning for the children 

• School Development Plan 

The Risk and Control Framework 

The School’s system of internal financial control is based on a framework of regular management information and administrative procedures including the segregation of duties and a system of delegation and accountability, where appropriate. In particular it includes: – 

• Comprehensive budgeting and monitoring systems with an annual budget and periodic financial reports which are reviewed and agreed by the Governing Body; 

• Regular reviews by the Governors of reports which indicate financial performance against the forecast and of major purchase plans, capital works and expenditure programmes; 

• Setting targets to measure financial and other performance; 

• Clearly defined purchasing (asset purchase or capital investment) guidelines; 

• Delegation of authority and segregation of duties; 

• Identification and management of risks – annual report. 

Capacity to handle risk 

The Governing Board will review the key risks to which the School is exposed together with the operating, financial and compliance controls that have been implemented to mitigate those risks. 

Review of effectiveness 

The Governing Board has responsibility for reviewing the effectiveness of the systems in place in the School to identify and manage risk and plan to address any weaknesses (if relevant) and ensure continuous improvement of the system is in place.

How to contact the Governing Board 

We always welcome suggestions, feedback and ideas from Parents, Carer’s, Guardians and the wider school community – please contact the Chair of Governors, Mr. K. Connolly C/o St. Edward’s Catholic Primary School on 0121 464 1730   k.connolly@stedward.bham.sch.uk

This governance statement is approved by order of the members of the Governing Board on September 2025 and signed on its behalf by: 

SIGNED                            SIGNED 

Mr. K. Connolly                Mrs. J. Kennett 

Chair of Governors           Headteacher