St Luke's C of E Primary School

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SDBE MAT

Dear Parents and carers,

Following a period of consultation with parents, staff, the local Parish Church Councils and the Governing Body, the Governors at St. Luke's are pleased to share their decision to join the Southwark Diocesan Board of Education's Multi Academy Trust (SDBEMAT).

This decision was taken in order to :

  • Protect the school's ethos and inclusive philosophy by maintaining control of our own identity.
  • Develop better opportunities to share best practice and professional development across all phases
  • Have control of our own curriculum, continuity of education and opportunities for all children
  • Further strengthen the transition between phases
  • Provide programmes across the schools, adding real value to the education of all children
  • Provide increased opportunities for children to work with other local schools, broadening their social horizons
  • Improve the recruitment of staff – better opportunities to work across all schools
  • Have greater access to partnerships and links
  • Have more opportunities for staff retention, deployment and promotion, by keeping good staff within the Trust who might otherwise further their career elsewhere
  • Ensure a good, strong base for developing leadership
  • Increase economies of scale and efficiencies in the running of central services such as finance (purchasing and resourcing), HR, and premises
  • Have greater freedom on how best to utilise our allocated budget

What will stay the same?

  • Our Distinctive Christian character and identity
  • Our Ethos, aims and values
  • Our School name, logos and uniform
  • Our Parental, community and staff representation on the local governing body e.g. Parish, Deanery
  • Our Foundation governors remain in the majority
  • Our Curriculum
  • OFSTED & SIAMS Inspections
  • Our Educational Partnership and collaboration with other schools
  • Arrangements relating to Special Educational Needs
  • Pupil admission criteria
  • Free School Meals
  • Staff Pay and Conditions.
  • Our commitment to the community and work with other local Lambeth schools.

Thank you for your support during the consultation period.  We are now working with the SDBE to ensure that the school makes the transition smoothly.  The school is aiming to enter the SDBEMAT in April 2018 along with other local church schools.