Education, training, employment

News: Schools White Paper means better outcomes for every child

The thinking behind Every Child Matters is not new for many schools. A combination of high expectations, innovative thinking and a broad view of supporting children and young people are common features of highly successful schools.

Strong, autonomous schools will be well placed to collaborate with new directors of children's services and the local authority as it develops its children's trust arrangements and statutory children and young people's plans from April 2006. The priorities each trust sets will be tailored to local needs. Schools will have a strong interest in influencing these priorities and, potentially, in being commissioned to deliver some of them, either individually or in clusters or foundation partnerships.

School staff will want good relationships with other practitioners such as social workers, nurses, GPs and educational psychologists. This may mean building knowledge and trust through joint training or working, or encouraging others to support what the school is doing in areas. Schools will also be working towards the Every Child Matters outcomes through:

Common processes, including the Common Assessment Framework
Partnership working with a wide cross-section of organisations and people, eg the children's trust, parents and the wider community, voluntary groups and the private sector
The new relationship with schools, which addresses the Every Child Matters outcomes through, for example, personalisation and the new school profile

14-19 education and skills white paper

In addition to a renewed emphasis on achievement in English and maths at GCSE level, the white paper also deals with improved vocational education. The paper proposes the introduction of new specialised lines of learning, leading to diplomas in 14 broad sector areas. Employers, through sector skills councils, will lead in setting them up and higher education institutions will also have an important role to play. The specialised diplomas will replace the current system of around 3,500 separate qualifications and will provide an alternative gateway to higher education and skilled employment.

Documents

Every Child Matters: Change for Children in Schools

A New Relationship with Schools - Next Steps

Five Year Strategy for Children and Learners

14-19 education and skills white paper

Identifying and Maintaining Contact with Children Missing or at Risk of Going Missing from Education