Bryan Slater

Director of Education

Distribution

TO HEADTEACHERS AND CHAIRS OF GOVERNORS – ALL SCHOOLS

The attached document is provided for your information:

INFORMATION	Title	Implications of The Green Paper “Every Child Matters”
	Summary of contents	Information regarding the implications of The Green Paper “Every Child Matters”, together with copies of papers discussed by the Advisory Board on the Implications of The Green Paper at their meeting on 13^th January, 2004.
	Associated documents	The Green Paper Website
	Date	27^th January, 2004.

	LEA Contact	Bryan Slater	(	01603 223300
	E-mail address	bryan.slater@norfolk.gov.uk
	Norfolk Self Review reference	1. How high are standards? 5. How well does the school care for its pupils? 6. How well does the school work in partnership with parents? 7. How well is the school led and managed?
	Document reference	MI 29/04

Dear Colleague,

Implications of The Green Paper “Every Child Matters”

You will be aware that the County Council has been active in response to the implications of the Children’s Green Paper, and that it has described in principle that children’s services in Norfolk will in future be shaped along the following lines:

· Services focused on children and their communities;

· Resources focused on early identification and intervention;

· An holistic view taken of children’s needs;

· A common approach across agencies to information sharing;

· A single lead professional for each child in receipt of more than one specialist service;

· Children and their families are involved in evaluating and designing services.

Should you wish to read the full Cabinet report, this is available at

http://www.norfolk.gov.uk/council/committees/papers/cabinet/cabinet151203/cabinet151203item11word.doc

Norfolk has also made a commitment to the appointment of a Director of Children’s Services and will give further consideration to this matter in June, in the light of guidance expected from DfES between now and then.

A small Project Board has been set up, chaired by the County Council Chief Executive. This is being supported by a broader Advisory Board, which has amongst its number Special School, Primary and Secondary Headteachers, who were invited to carry out that role by myself, following discussions with the Headteachers’ Executive Group. The colleagues concerned are:

Mrs. Diane Whitham, Headteacher,

Sheringham, Woodfields School.

Mr. Paul Holbrook Headteacher,

Gaywood Community Primary School.

Mr. John Pinnington Headteacher,

Notre Dame High School.

I enclose a paper for your information which was discussed by the Project Board on 13^th January, 2004, and which sets out the way it is intended to take these matters forward between now and June. Paragraph 4.1 refers to the resources being devoted to this work. Richard Potts, Senior Education Officer (School Effectiveness), has been seconded to the team and Tim Newton will stand in for him within the Education Department. Arrangements for SISO support in Central Area will be communicated to schools there shortly.

Also attached are short papers which introduce and describe the work which will be done by the Dartington Social Research Unit as part of the overall project.

There are very clear implications for all schools in these exciting developments intended to better meet the needs of our children, and I hope you will find it helpful to have available the information contained with this letter at the present time. I will ensure that there will be a regular updating of schools as matters move forward, and will include an opportunity for discussion at this Term’s series of Headteacher Meetings.

Yours sincerely,

DIRECTOR OF EDUCATION

Title

Implications of The Green Paper “Every Child Matters”