This page should provide an insight about what services are available to you.
Weekly Email Update from Director of Education - a weekly email sent every Monday during term time only. This is the primary communication channel for vital information. To sign up, email schoolscommunication@essex.gov.uk.
My School Page - this is where you can log in to view additional pages across the website that are not accessible without a username and password. This includes services that your school may buy in to / subscribe to, documents that are assigned to your school, and the emergency out of hours contact details we hold on record for your school. To get login details complete the Secure Area Nomination Form. For any queries relating to existing accounts, email password.eim@essex.gov.uk
Safeguarding - these pages will inform schools about their role in relation to safeguarding. Access to relevant information and resources is available to support them with this. There are also details of how to access support from, or make a referral to the Children and Families Hub. This includes how to report a concern about a member of staff.
Education HR - this service is part of Juniper Education. They offer advice and consultancy on employee relations issues
Critical Incidents - this page provides information on what to do if an incident happens at your school
Health & Safety - this is a statutory service for Community and Voluntary controlled schools. Academy, Foundation, Voluntary Aided and Independent Schools can to buy into this service.
Special Educational Needs (SEND) - you will find the majority of information, documents and services provided for children and young people with SEND on the Essex Local Offer website. This is for both professionals and families. However, this area on Infolink has further documents and information. There is also a section on the SEN Information Report that details the requirements of the schools responsibilities.
Termly Conferences - there are termly conferences for headteachers. These are with the Director of Education and Learning and staff. Dates and details are published on the ASHE, EPHA, and ESSET websites.
Ofsted - if Ofsted are going to be inspecting your school, contact your School Effectiveness Partner (SEP)
School Effectiveness Team - the School Effectiveness Team aims to work in partnership with all Essex schools. The essential task is to raise standards and narrow the achievement gap between different groups and individuals.
Finance - there are two Finance Teams supporting schools. The Schools Finance Team has a statutory role. This covers calculating delegated funding for schools and also monitoring schools' budgets. It also includes challenging and supporting schools in financial difficulties. The Education Finance Support Team is a traded service. It offering a range of professional, high quality financial management services to schools and academies. This includes a helpdesk, a range of training options (including course and bespoke); and financial support services.
Schools List - this page has an Excel spreadsheet which includes details of all Essex schools
Contact Details - this page has contact details for our services within Education, including a printable key contact list
Headteacher Handover Checklist
It is very important that schools establish well planned, effective procedures and systems for handover to a new headteacher. This toolkit is offered to school governors as an example of good practice to ensure the smooth transition from one headteacher to another.
The governing body's role in managing a smooth transition is crucial. The aim of this toolkit is to ensure that the new headteacher rapidly learns about the key documents (including financial accounts), policies and procedures of their new school and has all the necessary information required in order to fulfil their responsibilities effectively.
Suggested Procedures:
The outgoing headteacher should ensure that all the information contained in these handover procedures are up to date, accurate and completed before the leaving date. This should be in collaboration with the Chair of Governors. The information should be organised so that it is easily accessible.
There should be a formal handover meeting, ideally convened by the Chair. This should take place at a mutually agreed time, before the departure of the outgoing headteacher and prior to the new headteacher taking up post. The School's Effectiveness Partner will support the school in this process, if required.
At this meeting, the incoming headteacher should ensure that the checklist is complete and documents identified. If there is anything missing or incomplete, then this should be rectified before the outgoing headteacher leaves. The Chair should ensure that this is done.
A copy of the checklist should be retained by the school and a copy given to the Chair of Governors
Possible Adjustments to the Process:
It is recommended that this toolkit is used to support an interim/acting headteacher. It should also be used even if the incoming headteacher is the current deputy in the school.
If a headteacher is absent from the school for a sustained period of time, possibly as a result of long term sick leave, and this then results in a change of leadership, the Chair, together with the Senior Leadership Team, should draw together the required information.
Some governing bodies may well decide to choose to lengthen the period of handover and there may well be a sequence of handover meetings. The benefit of this approach is to give a good amount of time allocated to each significant element/theme.
