Bryan Slater Director of Education	Distribution
	To headteachers of all primary schools

The attached document is provided for your information:

INFORMATION	Title	School Drug Policies
	Summary of contents	Letter informing headteachers of the Government’s target regarding school drug policies and to remind schools of the requirement to have a policy in place by March 2004.
	Associated documents	INSET Opportunities Handbook
	Date	13 January 2003
	Effective from	Immediate
	LEA Contact	Barry Gibson	(	01603 433276
	E-mail address	barry.gibson.edu@norfolk.gov.uk
	Norfolk Self Review reference	2. How effective is the school in developing pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development? 5. How well does the school care for its pupils? 7. How well is the school led and managed?
	Document reference	MI 08-03

This Management Information sheet may be found on ESINET at the following address:

http://www.esinet.norfolk.gov.uk/cadmin/misheet/

	Barry Gibson
BG/gs/MI Prm Schls 0301	(01603) 433276
13 January 2003	(01603) 702106
	barry.gibson.edu@norfolk.gov.uk

Letter to all primary schools

Dear Headteacher

Re: School Drug Policies

You will be aware that the Home Office and DfES have recently issued statements relating to drug education in schools. You may also be aware that it is a government target that by March 2004 all primary (and middle) schools will have a school drug policy in line with government guidance: OFSTED have also been instructed to inspect schools’ drug policies to ensure that this is the case, and have recently issued updated guidance to inspectors.

I am writing, therefore, to inform you of the above and to remind you that between now and early 2004, I am offering courses entitled Reviewing and Developing School Drug Policy at the Norwich Professional Development Centre on 31 January and 11 February 2003 and at the West Norfolk Professional Development Centre on 4 and 12 February 2003 (see current INSET Opportunities Handbook for details). Further courses will be available in July and October 2003 and January 2004 (see 2003 INSET Opportunities Handbook for details). There is no charge for these courses, although schools will be responsible for any supply cover.

I am fully aware of all the pressures on you at present and my aim is to save you time and effort so that by the end of the course your school will have a draft policy that is in line with current government guidance. If you have either attended training on this issue or had a visit from me since September 2001 and you have updated your policy in the light of that training/advice, then you should assume that your policy is in line with current guidance.

Yours sincerely

Barry Gibson

School Drugs Adviser