To All Headteachers/Chairs of Governors of LA Schools

It seems hard to believe that it is already half way through the school year but at least we have the lengthening hours of daylight ahead. I hope all is going well through this important year for us all. As you know this years results will be audited closely against our LPSA targets to see if we warrant additional government reward for achievement. You may also recall that this years results will also form the baseline for next years inspection of how Norfolk provides for its children and young people through the Joint Area Review.

While we have had the disappointment of four primary/middle schools going into special measures this year I am delighted by the number of outstanding inspection judgements that are coming through. We will be celebrating these schools more fully at the end of the year.

We have continued to have a good dialogue with SNAPP, NASH and NASSH throughout the year and getting the quality and quantity of communication right, continues to exercise us all. We will continue to use the E Courier system as the main point of contact and post important information through the MI briefings. I hope you are able to access these with relative ease and find ways of disseminating the main points to staff and governors. Occasionally we will continue to use letters such as this to draw attention to particular issues.

Headteacher meetings - February and March 2007

We circulated dates for headteachers meetings some time ago but I want to remind you of the dates, venues and agenda.

The agenda for these meetings is attached (appendix 1). The meetings will be run by the Area Director assisted by staff from Children’s Services relevant to agenda items. While there is a common format to each meeting the intention is to have an Area flavour to the local items discussed. Unlike the previous approach where you could attend any of the meetings it would be helpful if you could attend the session within your own Area. We consider these meetings to be very important as a way of involving everyone in shaping services and hope that there will continue to be a very large turnout from all phases of schools.

Future pattern of meetings

Attached (appendix 2) is a summary of key dates for meetings of headteachers, governors and representative groups. We will make sure that this format is always filled in at least two terms ahead and where we have agreed dates beyond that. An update of this will be sent each term and will be posted on the website.

The pattern of headteacher meetings in the past has been for the headteacher conference and LMS consultations to take place in the Autumn and for headteacher meetings to be in the Spring and Summer. We feel that it was a mistake not to have a round of meetings last Autumn as the new structure took shape. In future we will have a headteacher meeting in the Autumn, another in the Spring and return to the headteacher/chair of governors meeting each Summer.

Meetings with cluster chairs will continue to be a very important part of our two-way communication system. Each Area will have a series of cluster chairs meetings each term and we will continue with the termly meeting between the Director and Deputy Directors and cluster chairs on the dates as shown in appendix 2. Venues and agendas will be circulated a couple of weeks before each meeting.

Meetings with governors remain an important part of the communications system. Numbers have been very low at the Area governors meetings but governors have said these are very important to the minority who attend. We will have such meetings each Autumn and Spring as an open invitation to all governors. Please encourage governors to attend these as they are a most valuable forum for us all. As mentioned above, we have reinstated, on an annual basis the headteacher/chair of governors meetings and the dates of the summer term meetings are set out in the appendix.

Also listed are two important representatives meetings that I want to bring to your attention. Firstly, the Children’s Services Service Improvement Group is the single point of contact between Children’s Services and representatives of SNAPP, NASH, NASSH, NGN and teachers associations through JCC. It is this body that we use as the formal route for consultations and receiving vital feedback on policy, guidance and communications. It is also through this group that working groups, joint work on issues of concern and publications is commissioned. Finally the last column in the appendix shows dates when Lisa, Meera and I meet the executives of the headteacher and governor associations. These are hugely important meetings for us as they are the means through which we can address issues of the moment as well as longer- term strategic issues. There is always a problem with ensuring that what is discussed is disseminated and we feel that having the dates publicised will aid with communications through this important set of meetings.

Children’s Services Conferences

Every year there are many conferences put on across Norfolk of interest to schools. We have decided to promote four major conferences in the next 3 to 4 terms as listed below. These are, of course, in addition to subject, phase or association conferences put on throughout the year for particular target groups. So that you can book early and ensure the appropriate dates are in your diary (or that of the appropriate colleague) the major conferences promoted by Children’s Services are;

28 March Education Matters Conference - this is our annual focus on the needs of Looked After Children and illustrates important multi-agency support for the needs of this important group of our children and young people. We are delighted that it has become increasingly of interest to headteachers and designated teachers (this conference is now fully booked).
17 May 2007 - a day with Prof. Michael Fullen - we will try to make this an annual event where we can book an internationally available researcher with perspectives on key outcome areas. Prof Fullen is probably the world authority on large-scale school improvement programmes.
13 September - Special Needs Exhibition - this annual event has proved to be extremely popular for SENCOs and others as a time when presentations, seminars and exhibitions are complemented by an opportunity to see, and purchase the best SEN resources around nationally.
14 September - Annual Headteachers Conference - this year we return to a single conference based at UEA with the opportunity to start the year off with some stimulating input, the chance to network and get that sense of being part of the Norfolk team doing our best for children and young people.

Of course we will continue, through the early years, primary, secondary, special and communities teams to put on targeted conferences throughout the year and we will be pleased to work with associations and groups to make other opportunities available. However, as a senior management team across Children’s Services the above group of conferences represent our key inputs in the coming year. I hope you find much of interest in what we are proposing, separate flyers have been / or will shortly be sent to schools with more details. Early booking on these is advised.

I hope that, in having this overview of meetings, consultation points of contact and future conferences we can make some improvements in the difficult but important areas of communications. The second half of this term is unusually short, I hope you and your colleagues enjoy it. I also hope that you, your staff and the children and young people have a successful second half to the year.