| StorageSite | UCL Institute of Education |
| Description | Papers covering the work of the Standing Committee of Headmistresses and the Standing Advisory Committee. The papers were split into two series when they were received: papers regarding the head mistresses conferences with the Council and papers regarding the minutes of the Committee of Head Mistresses who arranged the conferences. The early papers on conferences also include the minutes of the Committee which were not kept separately so all the material has been listed under one series though the original structure has been maintained. The Committee and the conferences covered all topics which were raised by the head mistresses on the administration of schools and the Trust; finance; curriculum content; examinations; governmental reports and regulations; staff issues including pensions, salaries and grace terms; and other general issues.
A consultative committee of Head Mistresses was created in 1919 to present any findings from meetings of all the head mistresses to the Council and Education Committee. In 1923 the consultative committee was renamed the 'Standing Committee', which was the headmistresses' representative on the Education Committee and discussed various issue relating to the administration of schools, curriculum and staff at the schools. By the 1930s the Trust also held a summer conference which gave the head mistresses the chance to discuss issues with the Council and the Education Committee. After World War Two the summer conferences were held externally and were also attended by representatives of the governing bodies. Around 1973 the annual conferences between the head mistresses and the Council became a meeting in which the two bodies could discuss the problems of the Trust and general issues, and guest speakers were invited from 1977. In 1993 the Standing Advisory Committee was created to take over many of the duties of the Head Mistresses' Standing Committee, and to advise the Council of the views of the permanent teaching staff. The Standing Committee of Headmistresses was now only responsible for the organisation of conferences for the head mistresses and to collect the views of the heads for the Standing Advisory Committee. In 1998 the Standing Advisory Committee became the Joint Advisory Committee. |