"It’s very difficult to quantify and qualify children’s relationships and friendships. The wellbeing indicators must allow relationships to flourish and not be stifled," said Chris Keates, general secretary of NASUWT, at a Labour fringe event hosted by The Children’s Society. "I hope indicators won’t be crude ones that put schools under paper targets that don’t help young people."
While welcoming schools’ new duty to cooperate with children’s trusts, Keates cautioned: "We need an appropriate mix of qualified professionals. It’s not appropriate to expect agencies to meet needs that focus outside their area of expertise."
Children’s Secretary Ed Balls admitted that head teachers often complain of being let down by the wider system of children’s services when they seek out help. But he nevertheless insisted: "Often the school is the most important institution and teachers are the best early warning indicator that there’s a problem."
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