Dear Colleague,

Raising the Achievement of Gypsy Traveller Pupils

Gypsy Travellers constitute one on the largest of the County’s minority ethnic groups, and one in four Norfolk schools has Traveller pupils on roll during the course of any one year.

I am writing to alert you to the attached Guide to Good Practice ‘Aiming High: Raising the Achievement of Gypsy Traveller Pupils’ and to ask you to use the guidance as a tool to raise the achievement of each and every Traveller pupil.

In December 2003, Ofsted published its report ‘ Provision and support for Traveller pupils’, available on www.ofsted.gov.uk/publications/docs/3440.doc. Although there is no published national data on the achievement of Traveller pupils, the Ofsted report highlights serious under-achievement by Traveller pupils. I want us all to work together to address that.

Paragraph 2.4 on page 6 of ‘Aiming High’ pinpoints factors that are important in influencing the attendance and achievement of Traveller pupils and sets out examples programmes to remove the obstacles to inclusion. I would particularly draw your attention to the actions which the DfES recommends that schools and the LEA services should take, set out in para 4.2 on page 13 of the Guide to Good Practice.

Norfolk is a leading authority in promoting the inclusion of Travellers within its schools and pre-school settings. This document offers guidance to enable all Norfolk schools to become beacons of good practice towards our Gypsy Traveller pupils and to assist them further in extending their life opportunities by raising their achievement.

Yours sincerely,

Bryan Slater

Further copies of the document ‘Aiming High: Raising the Achievement of Gypsy Traveller Pupils’ are available from DfES Publications, tel: 0845 6022260, email: dfes@prolog.uk.com quoting reference DfES/0443/2003. They can also be ordered on the following website: www.teachernet.gov.uk/educationoverview/mailing. No downloadable version is available.