We have recently welcomed a new member to the education leadership team, Judy Hallam, who has joined us in the role of Senior Lead for Adult Education, a joint post across Warwickshire and Coventry. Judy brings a wealth of experience in senior roles in adult learning and further education, most recently heading up the Adult Learning Service at Suffolk County Council on an interim basis. Other recent interim assignments have taken Judy to Camden, as Deputy Principal at the Working Men’s College, and to Twickenham, Eastleigh and Walsall in similar roles.

For the last year Judy has also been supporting the West Midlands Adult and Community Learning Alliance (ACLA) as their Regional Advisor, working on the devolution agenda for local authority adult education services in the West Midlands Combined Authority area.  

We have already shared some messages with partners and stakeholders ahead of the impending SEND Local Area Review (LAR), which will assess the impact and effectiveness of services for children and young people with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities. In further preparation for this visit, we have produced this update providing a summary of the inspection framework and an outline of the week long inspection process. As the local area includes early years’ settings, schools and further education providers, I would be grateful if you could read the important information in this document. 

A number of my senior managers and I met with Education Minister Nadhim Zahawi and a number of DfE officials on 15 March, to discuss the work of the Warwickshire education strategy (see picture). Key areas of focus for discussion were our Ethical Inclusion and Early Years work streams. Earlier this week we received the good news that the Warwickshire bid for an AP Free school has been successful. Further details to follow on how we will be progressing this positive development.

Best wishes,

Paul Senior

Interim Assistant Director Education Services