Islington appoints new Director of Children's Services

A long-serving public sector worker with over 30 years’ experience of working with children and young people is to take over the position of Director of Children’s Services at Islington.

Eleanor Schooling will fill the role on an 18-month secondment basis when current director Paul Curran retires from the post in March this year.

Eleanor is currently Director of Education at Cambridge Education @ Islington, the company that runs Islington’s education services. She has worked with children and young people in London for over 30 years as a senior officer in several local authorities and a headteacher at a number of primary schools. Before moving to Islington in 2005, Eleanor ran Waltham Forest’s education service.

Islington Council’s chief executive John Foster said:

“Progress across Children’s Services in Islington has been good over recent years, with results in the schools continuing to improve and a good rating in the Annual Performance Assessment. I’m keen to ensure that we build on existing good practice and provide stability to go on and achieve even more for all our children and young people and I’m confident that Eleanor Schooling’s appointment will enable us to do this.

"Eleanor has a lot of experience and a strong track record of improvement to ensure our young people have the best start in life - not just in terms of their education but also their opportunity and wellbeing.

“Her 30 years of public sector experience includes being closely involved in issues of safeguarding and child protection and partnership working with the health service, police and children’s social care.”

Eleanor Schooling said: “I’m looking forward to taking on this challenging role. Both myself and the senior management team at Cambridge Education @ Islington are already part of the Children's Services Management Team and this has allowed me to forge a strong partnership with Children’s Services.

I hope to build on the successes that Paul Curran has lead. There is a strong team in Children’s Services and with them I will want to further improve all children and young people’s life chances and create even better opportunities to raise aspirations and achieve well."

The decision on Eleanor Schooling’s secondment was made at Islington Council’s Executive meeting held on 15 January 2009. A handover process will take place over the next three months before Eleanor Schooling officially takes over at the end of March.

Mark Taylor will take over from Eleanor Schooling as Director of Education Services at Cambridge Education @ Islington. He currently holds the position of Assistant Director at Cambridge Education @ Islington with responsibility for school improvement.

ENDS.