Education leaders from across Warwickshire were delighted to welcome Minister for School Standards, Georgia Gould, to Southam St James CofE Academy on 5 February.
Minister Gould visited the school to see the huge improvements made over the past twelve months. During her visit, the Minister joined Headteacher and Deputy Headteacher, Miss Richards and Mrs Hothi, for a tour of the school where she was struck by the superb teaching spaces and spoke with children about their learning.
Miss Richards, Headteacher, spoke passionately about how the government’s RISE (Regional Improvement for Standards and Excellence) programme “has provided the school with additional resources and capacity, including support from the Messenger Education Trust, which have enabled targeted teacher professional development, inclusion initiatives, and improvements to the curriculum.” The Head of Education for the Diocese of Coventry Multi Academy Trust, Mrs Baddeley, supported this and said, “the enhanced school improvement support has provided teachers with the strategies to ensure all children engage with the new curriculum. Barriers to learning have been destroyed, behaviour has improved, attendance is above national average, and we expect the academic outcomes at Southam St James CofE Academy to continue to improve. It is lovely to come in and see our children learning, achieving, and thriving.”
Minister Gould then enjoyed a conversation with a small group of year 6 children, who told them all about the school’s vision “let your light shine”, and how this is central to everything the school does. “I don’t know what job I want to do when I am older”, said one year 6 boy, “but I do know that I want to keep all doors open so I can decide when I am a bit older”. A very sensible approach from a child who appears very well prepared for the next stage in his life.
Minister for School Standards, Georgia Gould said:
“A year on from the launch of the government’s RISE programme, this is an opportunity to recognise the collective work happening in schools around the country and to reaffirm our shared ambition: improving outcomes for every child, in every school. It was an absolute pleasure to see first-hand the impact the programme has had on children at Southam St James CofE Academy. The school's vision of letting children's light shine truly comes through in everything they do. I heard about the improvements in attendance, behaviour, inclusion and attainment the school were seeing and the commitment of teachers and leaders to embrace support for the school, and to go the extra mile to ensure all their pupils achieve and thrive.”
Following the tour, Minister Gould met with education leaders, including Miss Richards and Mrs Hothi, RISE advisor Kate Brunt and support partner from the Messenger Education Trust Andrew Taylor, the Director of Education for the Diocese of Coventry Board of Education, Rev’d April Gold, and Michael Cowland, Leah Baddeley, and Barry Cockcroft, respectively Chief Executive Officer, Head of Education, and Chair of the Board of the Diocese of Coventry Multi Academy Trust, which runs the school.
There are a few spaces remaining at Southam St James CofE Academy, so please contact the school directly if you would like to visit the school and talk about your child joining. You never know, you might even bump into a government Minister.
Photographs show Minister Gould with Headteacher, Miss Richards, and Deputy Headteacher Mrs Hothi alongside some of the wonderful children from Southam St James CofE Academy
The final group photograph shows (in order), Michael Cowland, Leah Baddeley and Barry Cockcroft, CEO, Head of Education, and Chair of the Board of the Diocese of Coventry Multi Academy Trust respectively, Minister Gould, Miss Richards and Mrs Hothi, Headteacher and Deputy Headteacher of Southam St James CofE Academy respectively, Kate Brunt, DfE RISE advisor, Andy Taylor, CEO of the Messenger Education Trust and RISE support partner, and Rev’d April Gold, Director of Education for the Diocese of Coventry Board of Education.
The RISE programme is a Government led school improvement programme by the Department for Education to support schools across England to improve the quality of education they provide. Part of the Opportunity Mission, it sits within the DfE’s wider strategy to improve school outcomes and ensure all pupils get excellent education regardless of background.
Southam St James CofE Academy is part of the Diocese of Coventry Multi Academy Trust, an education charity running 22 academies across Warwickshire and Coventry.
For more information about anything in this press release, please email info@covmat.org