11 June 2025
Dear Colleagues
You will be aware from previous communications that Devon has launched a new Inclusion and Learning Strategy, and as part of that process we are undergoing an Inclusion and Learning Redesign to drive forward our commitment to ensure the delivery of high-quality support to all schools and settings, fostering an inclusive education system in Devon where every child and young person thrives.
These changes will form the basis for our mission to enhance the effectiveness and the efficacy of our education services, bringing about positive improvements and allowing us to work collaboratively with you on our shared mission to improve the lives and opportunities of our young people.
You will be aware the redesign moves us to a locality based model, underpinning our collective priority of building inclusive communities. Devon Education Services are proposed to sit within a central function within the Education Strategy and Central Operations service lead by Simon Niles.
As we progress through the summer term, we will continue working towards the roll out of our redesign including a review of the services Devon offers to schools. Whilst we aim to continue business as usual throughout these coming weeks, there may be some temporary disruptions to service delivery. We are working diligently to minimise any impact and ensure a smooth transition. We kindly ask for your support and understanding during this period, as your cooperation is crucial to successfully navigating these changes. We will be conducting ‘market research’ exercises with you during the Summer Term to ensure that we can shape a service that meets your needs and delivers our collective priorities for our children and young people, families and communities.
To our Academy and Multi-Academy Trust partners, as you head towards your Service Level Agreement purchase window, we kindly request that you either place your service orders for 2025/26 as promptly as possible as normal or contact Wendy Newton wendy.newton@devon.gov.uk to indicate the ranges of services you require from September 2025. This will enable us to fully understand your needs and allow us to review and plan out our deployment requirements for the coming school year, optimising resource utilisation as effectively as possible.
We will provide further updates as we progress through this term.
If you have any specific concerns, please contact Simon Niles simon.niles@devon.gov.uk or Wendy Newton wendy.newton@devon.gov.uk
Jack Newton - Deputy Director and Head of Inclusion & Learning
|