Every Child Matters: What do head teachers think?

Ask head teachers what they think of the philosophy behind Every ChildMatters and you will get almost unanimous approval. "You cannot possiblydisagree with Every Child Matters," says Clare Longden, head ofWallbrook Primary School in Bilston, Dudley, echoing the views of manyof her peers. "If you don't agree I'd question whether you should be ina job with children."

But when the Government introduced the agenda it did not just askschools to sign up to a philosophy. It presented them with a new set ofdemands. Beyond their primary function of securing academicqualifications for their pupils, schools must now seek to achieve thefive Every Child Matters outcomes for the children and young people intheir care. They must forge a closer and "joined-up" workingrelationship with professionals in other agencies such as health, socialservices and the police. And they must develop extended services, suchas breakfast clubs, after-school clubs and childcare, as well asencouraging community involvement in schools.