On 17th November NGN is holding a Governance Conversation, these events are online, free and relevant for all in governance in Norfolk. We are looking at these three important areas through a national picture but Norfolk context lens, within the understanding of the important overlaps. For each we have worked on governance information pages, supported by our colleagues across Norfolk.
Attendance is so much more than a statistic in a headteacher’s report, or a letter to a parent, an agenda item at a Full or Local Governing Board meeting. The new Working Together to Improve School Attendance guidance should change how all schools and settings look at attendance, by 2023/24 academic year that ‘should’ will become a must, as the updated guidance is due to become statutory. Here in Norfolk, absences in primary and secondary are above national average as is persistent absences. So, we must all talk about it and work together to support improvements across all settings. Children do have a right to an effective education, attendance is a vital part of this, the research and statistics back this up.
Safeguarding should underpin everything that we as governors do, Keeping Children Safe in Education is not just a declaration that it has been read but a statutory duty to ensure that each child and young person is indeed ‘safe’ and if they are not, to ensure that the support is in place, the early help and where needed, child protection. The importance of getting it right and the consequences of not getting it right, means that here at NGN we will always talk about safeguarding. Safeguarding children with SEND needs in many cases a slightly different approach, for example with online safety or relationship, sex and health education. Ensuring that children are in school has a significant overlap with safeguarding.
SEND each school has a Special Educational Needs Co-ordinator and a SEND link governance role but as the recent fair funding consultation would have shown, SEND impacts every school, every budget and every child. The support needed for children across Norfolk’s schools starts with early identification; conversations with early years providers and parents; it overlaps with equality, with ongoing parental consultation, with accessibility and financial planning; Provision Expected at SEN Support as well as safeguarding and attendance. At all levels getting the right support in place for children and young people with SEND matters, there are significant challenges and we need to be talking about the wider picture at local, county and national level.
So, do join us on 17th November, we need to work together to support all children here in Norfolk.
Let’s Connect Norfolk…
