The Every Child Matters (ECM) Quality Mark

Ormiston Education finds a solution to securing excellence in Every Child Matters.

The concept of "Every Child Matters" is a powerful one. Acknowledging that every single child within the education system has the right to be recognised, to be valued, to have opportunities which meet their needs and not be expected to conform when offered education and experience which are inappropriate is both worthy but daunting.

The five outcomes

• Be Healthy
• Stay Safe
• Enjoy and Achieve
• Make a positive contribution
• Achieve economic well-being

The five outcomes spell out clearly what is expected of schools in order to support their pupils. They tell us what we must strive to achieve; they do not tell us how to do it and what good practice might look like when it is achieved. Many schools struggle to answer the question "What does good practice in ECM look like?" As a consequence completion of the School Evaluation Form (SEF) becomes difficult as schools have no clear benchmarks against which to judge themselves.

The ECM Quality Mark has been developed in order to help schools with this process.

What is the ECM Quality Mark?

The Standard covers all five outcomes, as well as Leadership and Management and Strategic Partnerships and incorporates a number of strands for each with Key Performance Indicators (KPI), which must be addressed in order to demonstrate achievement of that strand. For each KPI, evidence which must be collected, is identified. This evidence will confirm the school is achieving the KPI.

The Standard can be achieved at one of three levels, which equate to the Ofsted levels of satisfactory, good and excellent. A school can achieve at one level and later progress to a higher level.

The process for achievement includes an electronic audit as well as the support of an Adviser and regional and national networks. A final assessment validates the achievement of the Standard.

What are the benefits?

• It enables the school to accurately assess its achievement across all ECM outcomes.
• It provides a clear framework from which a school can identify what areas of work they need to improve.
• It offers external validation, which then provides evidence for the school SEF.
• The extended network of schools involved offers opportunities for sharing and collaboration.

There are currently 40 schools involved in the development and pilot phase. The schools are cross phase and from a range of regional locations. A national roll out is anticipated to take place in September.

Schools requiring further information phone 0121 236 5100 or email info@ormistoneducation.co.uk