Welcome
Dear Colleague
HEAD OF SCHOOL IMPROVEMENT
Thank you for your interest in Merton Council and this vital leadership role in our children, schools & families directorate. Our history in Merton has been one of continuous improvement in achievement and attainment for our children and young people. In all key indicators, we are ranked above national average and 95% of our schools are rated ‘Good’ or ‘Outstanding’. Ofsted have rated our social care services as Outstanding and we were recognised for our innovative, child-centred work during the pandemic. Merton continues to be a place of safety and opportunity for children and young people.
We have entered a critical period for our school improvement service. While we are proud of our numbers of good and outstanding schools, a number of our outstanding schools have not been inspected for some time. I will look to you to build on our strong relationships with Head Teachers and School Governors, working in partnership to provide clarity, challenge and support around the development and implementation of improvement. We would expect you to have a really good grip of the current Ofsted framework and be able to take a clear, evidence-based approach to your work with schools. The ability to forge your own relationships, quickly and successfully, with our schools will be a big part of your success. One of the advantages of working for Merton is the opportunity to take on a wide portfolio of work. You will have oversight of our virtual school, as well as contributing to our development journey in SEND, and in Early Help.
Despite the economic challenges and uncertainties ahead, Merton is well placed. Our history of strong financial management gives us confidence for the future. Our track record of successful delivery, using a wide range of business models, provides assurance that we have the enthusiasm, skills and expertise to develop innovative solutions that tackle new problems and harness emerging opportunities. Merton’s size and leadership culture provides great opportunities for working beyond the boundaries of your role to tackle key departmental and organisational agendas. Working together in this way is an important part of Merton’s success and an attractive feature of a Head of Service role in this authority.
We will look to you to build on the firm foundations and achievements we already have in place, while injecting your own fresh ideas and enthusiasm to take us forward together.
I very much hope this introduction encourages you to apply for this vital role for the children and young people of Merton. Should you wish to find out more, in the first instance please contact the team at HAYS Executive. I look forward to meeting you as the process unfolds.
Yours faithfully
ELIZABETH FITZPATRICK ASSISTANT DIRECTOR, EDUCATION & EARLY HELP LONDON BOROUGH OF MERTON
