Stockport Governor Association

What lies ahead?

As we move into the next decade I thought it might be useful to
look
at what educational developments are planned over the coming months .......

By year end 2010

• Education White Paper published
• Consultation on proposals for new National Curriculum launched
• Green Paper on Special Educational Needs published
• Annual progress check
on pupil performance in core subjects at ages 7, 11, 16 first published
• Narrowing the gap measure for attainment by disadvantaged 11 and 16 year olds first published
• Proposals to
improve the quality of the school workforce published
• Results from schools' capital review reported to
Ministers
• Rate for the first year of the new pupil premium published
• New disciplinary strategy for schools developed
• Further regulatory burden removed

By January 2011

• Legislation to
abolish QCDA and GTCE as well as to
 reform Ofqual and Ofsted published
• Guidance on school building revised
• Legislation on 'good behaviour' in schools brought forward 

By March
2011

• Proposals for University Technical Colleges (UTCs) developed
• New sponsors for underperforming schools identified
• Reform programme for Sure Start Centres developed
• Proposals to
extend the range of support for young people developed
• New Child Poverty strategy defined
• Progress targets for 19 year olds published

By April 2011

• First pupil premium funds transferred to schools
• Proposals to
improve apprenticeships announced
• First of the annual 'basic attainment' measures for 16 year olds published
• Dept Report setting out funding allocations for 2011/12 published

By June
2011

• National reading test for 6 year olds piloted
• New streamlined school inspection model completed

By July 2011

• Arrangements for transfer of QCDA and GTCE functions confirmed

By September 2011

• First UTCs opened
• First Free Schools opened
• First data set on school 'types' published
• First regular data set on apprenticeship numbers published11
• Revised performance management procedures for school teachers in place

Beyond 2011

• Consultation on new National Curriculum completed (by March 2012)
• QCDA and GTCE shut down (by March 2012)
• New National Curriculum finalised and requisite legislation enacted (by July 2012)
• Initial roll out of National Citizen Service complete (by Sept 2012)
• New 'flexible' proposals on pay and conditions for teachers published (by Sept 2012)
• Teaching of new National Curriculum begins (by Sept 2013)

As I'm sure you will agree there are lots of planned changes ahead and we will of course of course support governors with further information (and where necessary training) as and when policy development is clarified. Finally as we move into
2011 I would like to take the opportunity to 
wish you all a very Happy New Year! Lynn Perry, Senior Advisor for Safeguarding in Education for the Children and Young People's Directorate, explains the Role of Local Safeguarding Children Boards: Each local authority was required to
 set up a Local Safeguarding Children Board as a result of the Children Act 2004, to replace Area Child Protection Committees by April 2006. The LSCB is the key statutory mechanism for agreeing how organisations in each local area will cooperate to
safeguard and promote the welfare of children in their area, and for ensuring these arrangements are effective. The LSCB promotes the idea that everyone is responsible for safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children. As a board it is accountable for local practice in the following areas: 

1. How organisations identify when maltreatment and impairment of health or development occurs and know how to
 respond appropriately to 
ensure that children are growing up with safe and effective care. This involves recognising child abuse and neglect.

2. How organisations work proactively with groups of children who 
are particularly vulnerable eg children who
are missing from school, children living away from home,
children who 
are being bullied, children with disabilities 

3. How organisations recruit staff and ensure that staff work
safely with children. 

In addition LSCBs are also
responsible for carrying out a Serious Case Review if a child dies or is seriously injured and neglect of abuse is suspected. An action plan will emerge out of a Serious Case Review School and governors are responsible for ensuring that their school is acting upon relevant recommendations appropriately. This is part of their general responsibility to
oversee the work
of the school to
ensure that school is a safe learning environment for children. The LSCB strives to
ensure that local practice reflects the idea that safeguarding should be the golden thread running throughout all work
that relates to
children and their families.

Libby Evans