Devon school leader induction handbook
Contents
Introduction
Welcome to school leadership in Devon
Our induction handbook aims to give you key information at a glance and to support your transition into your new role, either as new to headship or new to the local authority.
Devon County Council, Devon Education Services and Devon School Leadership Service work in partnership to offer you a comprehensive induction package that will help you to reach your full potential as a school leader.
- Devon Education Services is a part of Devon County Council, which was previously Babcock LDP. The individual services supporting schools within Devon Education Services and Devon County Council work within three portfolios: School Effectiveness and Learning; School Support Services and Learner Support. In so doing we deliver the statutory functions of the LA.
- Devon Schools Leadership Services CIO or Devon SLS for short evolved from a merger of Devon’s DAPH and DASH Phase Associations in 2020 to create a new, not-for-profit entity that provides support to school leaders. Devon SLS is a partnership-based organisation that represent school leaders at various local authority working groups and liaise with the regional school director. They also provide briefings and training to match the current needs of school leaders. Its newly launched aHead service offers one-to-one support for all new and existing headteachers via direct contact from one of their professional partners who are serving or recently retired school leaders.
By working together in partnership, we are able to provide a wealth of resources for a whole range of school needs along with signposting to the best quality support and advice.
In this handbook, you will find checklists, induction support arrangements, contacts and services for schools, quick guides and signposts to more detailed information or organisations.
Through our partnership with Devon Education Services and DSLS you will be allocated a professional partner (PP) who will work with you in developing both your professional and personal qualities as a school leader.
You will also have an assigned leadership and school effectiveness adviser who will be well positioned to support you in working with the LA and accessing a wide range of professional support linked to your school priorities.
You will meet your PP and your assigned advisor during the induction day – or soon afterward – and they will support you through two years in your role.
The Devon landscape of schools
376 schools in Devon – 199 academies and 177 maintained.
29 federations involving 82 maintained schools, 15 management partnerships involving 40 schools, 69% of maintained schools in or exploring formal partnership.
Of the 199 academies, 95% are in a MAT.
83% of all Devon schools are involved in formal partnership.
Welcome to Devon
We are delighted to welcome you to your new role as part of education in Devon.
You are joining a county which is in transition. Recently we have welcomed staff from Babcock Learning Partnership into our workforce. We are also working closely with the Regional Director’s office (formerly Regional Schools Commissioner) to map out the landscape of schools in the county for the future.
Outcomes for Devon children have not been consistently good enough over the years and this is particularly the case for disadvantaged children.
The job of everyone in leadership and working in Devon schools is to ensure that our children receive the best possible education and to achieve at least to their potential. We will do this by working together to ensure that the teaching and opportunities they receive is the best it can be.
We look forward to working with you to ensure that this is the case in your school. There is a wealth of support available to you through the local authority school improvement team as well as through other leaders within and across Devon and surrounding counties.
This is an exciting and challenging time for school leadership, this handbook will help you to access a range of information, local services and support along with guidance on your induction programme.
Many congratulations on achieving your Headship in Devon, the teams across Devon look forward to working with you.
Yours faithfully,
Rachel Shaw Head of Education, Delivery
Matthew Shanks, Head of Education, Strategy
The DCC website holds a wealth of information and is an important reference, our weekly newsletter or email ‘Schools Priority Alerts’ will keep you updated on developments across the year.
- Checkpoint: this provides information about the corporate leadership group
- Information about the County Council, the economy, local communities and children and families, the environment services for adults and children and transport
- A range of information about exploring the county
School leader induction
School leader induction provides the support and guidance to enable new leaders to make an effective start in their new role but also to develop themselves as leaders over time and through a changing landscape of education.
Whether you are new to school leadership or new to the LA, in a maintained, academy, federation, primary, secondary or special school you will receive a package of support and professional development opportunities over a two-year period.
Your governing or trust board holds the responsibility to ensure that you access a comprehensive induction process: our partnership between DCC, Devon Education Services and Devon SLS provides this for you.
Devon Education Services provide the support and challenge function of the LA, with a number of services for schools to use including MATS, and DSLS provide mentoring or coaching and support for your role through the ‘aHead’ service.
DCC undertakes statutory duties such as issuing EHCPs, children in care and managing school funding.
Devon Education Services also undertake 66 statutory duties including moderation, statutory assessments for EHCP requests and SEND support.
All school leaders appointed should access an appropriate and high-quality induction, this is a right and an expectation.
Your induction starts here, this handbook lays out the process and provides useful links to all the support available to you.
Devon Education Services
Devon Education Services is a service provider for education improvement and specialist intervention services. We work with academies, schools and settings, Devon County Council and other local authorities and with a range of regional and national bodies.
Devon Education Services is part of Devon County Council. Previously known as Babcock LDP and created in 2012, we bring together quality-assured expertise from the South West to help raise education outcomes and deliver effective support to schools and academies.
Our mission: Every child thriving in an education setting every day.
Meet the School Effectiveness Team
The School Effectiveness Team aims to:
- understand the unique strengths and challenges within each school
- provide proven quality assurance and sound practical guidance on all aspects of school improvement
- provide the insight and challenge that school leaders value
- provide essential, cutting-edge information on the national picture in education
- facilitate effective school-to-school support
The leadership and school effectiveness advisors offer a range of support including:
- regular 1:1 ‘keeping in touch’ sessions both face-to-face and teleconferencing focusing on topics identified by the coachee
- feedback and support provided to develop the individual
- key themes from your meetings gathered and noted that will inform the rolling programme of CPD throughout the year – helping you to access targeted guidance and support from a range of services in a timely manner
- support to develop an accurate self-evaluation and appropriate school improvement plan
- support to develop senior and middle leaders
- support to evaluate and deliver an effective curriculum
- access to school leadership updates – for all leaders across the county and beyond
- access to national professional qualifications
All advisors are experienced school leaders with a strong up-to-date knowledge and track record in working across all phases, developing strong school leadership, effective teaching and learning and a rich impactful curriculum for all pupils.
School Effectiveness Team
| Name | Additional expertise | Local learning communities | Telephone | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brad Murray | whole school curriculum leadership and development and Ofsted inspection. | Tiverton Honiton Culm Valley Axe Valley Chulmleigh | Brad.murray@devon.gov.uk | 07514 939269 |
| Kath Powell | all aspects of Secondary education including leadership and curriculum, Ofsted inspection. | Dartmouth Kingsbridge Ivybridge Totnes Tavistock | Katherine.powell@devon.gov.uk | 07707 269668 |
| Julie Stevens | PSHE, Early Years practice, English and phonics | Exeter Beacon Exeter Westexe Ottery Exmouth | Julie.stevens@devon.gov.uk | 07889 591228 |
| Helen Eversett | mathematics, pupil premium strategy and provision for disadvantaged pupils | Teignmouth Clyst Vale Dawlish Newton Abbot Sidmouth South Dartmoor Teign Valley | Helen.eversett@devon.gov.uk | 07935 077784 |
| Tina Jackson | Early Years practice, mathematics, change management | Barnstaple Crediton Holsworthy South Molton Okehampton | Tina.X.Jackson@devon.gov.uk | 07845 052488 |
The School Effectiveness Team plus the teams below form the quality and performance portfolio:
- English – a team of English advisers that cover primary and secondary English teaching and learning and school improvement.
- Maths – a team of advisers who provide support tailored to meet the needs of groups of schools, individual schools and individuals within schools, and who lead and deliver Maths Hubs programmes.
Assigned Leadership and School Effectiveness Adviser role (Devon Education Services)
Contacts:
- Team Lead – Alice McShane: Email alice.mcshane@devon.gov.uk or call 07811 274465
- Helen Eversett: see contact details above
- Brad Murray: see contact details above
- Julie Stevens: see contact details above
- Katherine Powell: see contact details above
- Tina Jackson: see contact details above
Headteacher or school leader checklist
First term
- Headteacher meets the Governors Headteacher Appraisal group, performance management objectives, success criteria and professional development are discussed and set.
- Regular programme of meetings between headteacher and induction governor established.
- Headteacher identifies annual calendar and attends local partnership meetings.
- Roles and responsibilities, dedicated headship time and headteacher support, such as administration, are discussed and reviewed.
- Possibility of establishing a mentor headteacher discussed.
- First termly report on headteachers induction to governing body.
- Visit from assigned advisor to support your induction including early discussions regarding the evaluation of the school’s position, current school improvement planning and identification of CPD needs.
First year
- Visits arranged to local and area schools.
- Planned professional development activities monitored.
- Opportunity for headteacher to further validate school self-evaluation with other headteachers or advisers or consultants.
- Final report to governing body on headteacher induction including headteacher evaluation of induction.
- Performance review meeting.
Beyond induction
- Budget for headteacher continuing professional development established.
- Continuing opportunity for the headteacher to maintain a professional dialogue with the chair of governors and the governing body headteacher appraisal group.
Performance management and appraisal
Devon Education Services Headteacher Performance Management (HTPM) will support governing boards to ensure that they receive the best advice to ensure that the critical process of headteacher appraisal delivers positive outcomes which support school improvement.
Devon Education Services HTPM will:
- reflect on the headteacher’s performance and how this impacts directly on school improvement and children’s education
- be a supportive and motivating experience where the headteacher receives specific and constructive feedback
- set objectives linked to the improvement of children’s education
- enable the improvement of professional practice and identify the headteacher’s professional development needs for the next 12 months
- recognise the need to consider the headteacher’s career aspirations
- be part of an ongoing professional dialogue between the headteacher and governors
- remain a confidential process unless the headteacher decides to share objectives with a wider audience
DSLS aHead Service and EAP
DSLS – supporting colleagues to navigate the challenges of school leadership
aHeadStart – an induction and support programme for recently appointed school leaders
aHeadSpace – a proactive contact programme for more experienced school leaders
aHeadStrong – a rolling programme of CPD and annual wellbeing conference
aHelpline – a dedicated, confidential professional or personal helpline following self-referral
Employee Assistance Programme (EAP)
Free access for all DSLS school leaders and many more schools taking advantage of whole school EAP.
DSLS aHead Service professional partners
Telephone: 01392 380518 or 07970 905511
Email: aHead-DevonSLS@devon.gov.uk
aHead Service Lead: Melanie Smallwood
Lead Professional Partner: David Barnett
Professional Partners: Nick Banwell, Daryll Chapman, Steve Hitchcock, Sian Lane, Judy Martyn, Kevin O’Donnell, Helen Tipping
DSLS aHead Service
Testimonials received from Devon school leaders:
Just a quick email to say thank you for all those involved in launching this new service. I was a little cynical about having a phone call to check in but found it useful, refreshing and a fluid conversation. For this to be an opportunity for every head is a great future investment and support mechanism. Thank you to all those involved in the vast amount of work in setting this up.
I just wanted to say a huge THANK YOU for the help and support I have received over the past months from Leadership Support. My Professional Partner has been a life saver for me after a very difficult few months. His unwavering support, coaching and kindness have meant a great deal and have steered me through very choppy waters, restored my confidence and given me hope for the future. This service is invaluable, and I sincerely hope it will continue so that others, in a similar situation can benefit as I have. Many thanks!
Governance
The Governance Consultancy Team knows and understands first-hand the challenges facing school governors, trustees and clerks.
The experienced staff and team of associates support, inform, guide, train and advise governors or trustees, headteachers and clerks as they seek to achieve and maintain high-quality governance within their schools in a modern climate of clear, confident, strategic leadership and sharply focused accountability.
The Governance Team knows that the relationship between the headteacher and the governing board is critical. This relationship will take time to develop and needs to be based on trust, mutual respect and shared values and vision.
We strongly encourage all new headteachers to invest time in getting to know their governing board and clarifying what and how governors want to receive information.
We have a range of support available to new headteachers and would strongly recommend attendance at our ‘Heads, Chairs and Clerks’ development session which provides an opportunity for the three key governance individuals to come together and plan how to better ensure effective governance.
Headteachers need to enable their governing boards to fulfil their responsibilities, it is only by working together that this can be achieved.
Additional information for governors on leadership support in schools can be found at Governance – Support for schools and settings (devon.gov.uk).
School finance
The Education Finance Consultancy Team provides independent financial advice and training to school and academy finance staff, senior leadership and governors.
Our specialist team is dedicated to offering a flexible and targeted service at strategic, managerial and operational levels to assist schools and academies to meet their educational and statutory responsibilities. Services include:
- academy or multi-academy trust conversion services
- subscription service and additional finance consultancy support, with named consultant
- assistance with budget planning and monitoring
- analysis of school finances and financial ‘healthchecks’
- support with staffing reviews and restructures
- training (one-to-one and group), conferences and budget planning workshops
- assistance with recruitment of finance and administrative staff
- user guides and financial template
SEND and inclusion
The Special Educational Needs and Disabilities Support Team provides specialist support, teaching and advice to schools, settings, parents and professionals for children with low incidence needs.
They work with children and young people from birth to 19 years of age supporting their safety, development, learning, achievement and wellbeing. They promote inclusion, developing strategies for access to the curriculum and independent learning.
Teams included in SEND support
- Communication and Interaction.
- Sensory Impairment.
- Physical Difficulties and ICT SEND.
- Social, Emotional and Mental Health including Behaviour Support.
Other inclusion support
- 0-25 Team responsible for all aspects of statutory assessment
- DIAS supports parents, carers, children and young people with SEND and the service is impartial and confidential.
Education Inclusion Service
The Education Inclusion Service provides a statutory, but impartial service for parents and carers, school governors, headteachers, school staff and other agencies about inclusion, reintegration and exclusion.
Early support from the team can help a child to stay in school or return to school after an exclusion and offer opportunities to help them achieve their full potential. The team advises on:
- fixed period exclusions
- permanent exclusions
- governors’ discipline committee meetings
- independent reviews
- social, emotional and behavioural issues
- pastoral support programmes
- mediation and restorative approaches
Education Inclusion Service – find out more
Safeguarding
The Safeguarding Team offers a unique set of skills, experience and support including a wide range of resources, training, reviews and advice.
With over 50 years of collective school-based experience in senior roles from early years, through primary age, secondary and working with FE providers, members of the team have each held the post of designated safeguarding lead and senior leadership roles.
As a team, they understand fully the requirements of schools to ensure that a robust safeguarding culture is central to supporting children and their families, working in partnership with agencies including health, the police and Children’s Social Care.
They attend a range of partnership meetings as part of our role working with the Families Partnership, which places them at the centre of local policy development and the decision-making process.
In working with a range of schools in all age groups, including those who work with SEND learners, the independent sector, Multi Academy Trusts, Federations and Maintained schools, they pride themselves in offering a comprehensive level of support that can be adapted to meet the needs of schools and settings.
Safeguarding Team
Jonathan Galling – Senior Education Safeguarding Officer – Jonathan.Galling@devon.gov.uk
Lara Stead – Education Safeguarding Officer – Lara.Stead@devon.gov.uk
Caroline Pinsent – Senior Safeguarding Practitioner – Caroline.Pinsent@devon.gov.uk
DSCP contact details
Telephone: 0345 155 1071
Email: mashsecure@devon.gov.uk
The offer to schools
- An annually updated template policy to comply with the current KCSiE, half-termly newsletters, termly forums and a range of resources via our website such as one-minute guides, a single central record template and links to local and national guidance.
- Develop, distribute, collate and share key priorities from the Local Authorities s175 audit.
- Governor training at whole board level and that specific to the named safeguarding governor or at trustee level.
- A wide range of commissioned training that can be delivered F2F or virtually including that aimed at all adults working with children (Level 2 training), training for new designated safeguarding leads (DSLs or Deputy DSL role) at both initial and refresher level as well as focussed session on topics such as Prevent, harmful sexual behaviours and exploitation.
- Online training for safer recruitment initial and refresher training.
- A commissioned comprehensive safeguarding review (4 hours on site) which includes a staff survey. A detailed report highlights any areas for development alongside and documents or templates which can be provided as required.
- Coaching and mentoring to support those in the DSL and DSL team to support both working with children and families and to support strategic developments.
- Bespoke support in areas such as supporting those who manage the single central record, staff training and development of those new to the DSL role.
- Devon Education Services offers a range of subscription levels that encompass many of the aspects above, but also phone and email support – details of these subscriptions can be found at Safeguarding | DES (devoneducationservices.co.uk).
Attendance improvement
Our Education Welfare Service team aims to ensure that every child has the opportunity to access education in a safe environment. Working within government guidance, legislation and Devon County Council policy, we provide the following services:
- Attendance advice and guidance on any problems that may impact on the ability of a child to access or sustain an acceptable level of attendance in education, including welfare issues, behaviour and special educational needs.
- Monitoring school attendance against government targets and develop strategic policies and procedures in partnership with schools and other agencies to improve performance. Working towards the reduction of persistent absence in Devon by liaising with pupils and their families, schools and other support agencies to address issues leading to individual poor attendance.
- Child employment and entertainment advice and guidance to employers and parents on Devon County Council byelaws that in addition to existing regulations and directives govern child employment and entertainment in Devon. Providing applications, issuing and monitoring licence applications for the county.
Senior practitioners
Education Welfare and Attendance – find out more
Elective home education
We provide information for parents and carers who are considering educating their child(ren) at home as well as ongoing support for existing home educators.
We also provide support and guidance for children missing education (CME).
Contact the team
- Professional Lead: Emma Hitchins – emma.l.hitchins@devon.gov.uk
- CME Officer: Georgina Bennett – georgina.bennett@devon.gov.uk
Elective Home Education – find out more
Ethnic Minority and Traveller Achievement Service
The Ethnic Minority and Traveller Achievement Service (EMTAS) is a multi-ethnic and multilingual team working closely with Devon schools to remove barriers and inequalities in attainment and achievement.
Working alongside you we can help your school to improve educational outcomes for children and young people from Black and Minority Ethnic (BME) and Traveller heritages, as well as those learning English as an additional language (EAL).
We provide expert advice, guidance and training to help raise attainment and close the performance gap for these children and young people from BME and Traveller groups.
Contact the team
Professional Lead: Kat Tasinkiewicz – kat.tasinkiewicz@devon.gov.uk
Key contacts and other services
- Education Services Directory for all Schools, Academies and MATs
- Education Welfare and Attendance
- Devon Early Years and Childcare
- purchase Devon Education Services support
- Devon Norse catering and cleaning services
- Devon School Library Service for books and other printed materials to use in schools
- Devon Music Education Hub
- Schools Finance
- Outdoor Education
- Health and Safety support for Schools
- South West Institute for Teaching (SWIFT) – formerly South West Teaching Schools Alliance
- Mediation support – to help resolve conflict or difficulties between staff and parents
- Devon Audit Partnership provides the internal audit service for maintained schools
- Scomis partner closely with education establishments to create tailor-made ICT services to meet individual needs
- HR services – HR One helpline provides immediate access to high-quality advice and support on all HR matters to educational establishments, including all types of schools and academies, colleges, nurseries and pre-schools.
- Devon School Leadership Support Service – email ahead-devonsls@devon.gov.uk
News and updates
It is worth registering with the sites below to keep regularly updated with all the latest information:
- Department for Education
- Devon Education Services team newsletters
- Friday Digest
- DSLS