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Learning and Inclusion

Education Quality Assurance, Intervention and Regulation Service

  • QA Support & challenge in maintained schools
  • Ofsted Support
  • 3rd Party complaints about Education Settings
  • Educational safeguarding, attendance and Children Missing Education teams

The Education Quality Assurance, Intervention and Regulation Service (EQAIRS) contains teams with focuses on the statutory and regulatory roles of the Local Authority.

A team of Lead Officers oversee quality assurance in a number of maintained schools in which more support is required. For these schools they offer support and challenge and, in a small minority of cases, use the Local Authority's powers of Intervention to support rapid improvement.

The Service also focuses on quality assurance in other educational settings such as independent special schools, Alternative Provision and for other settings or providers and of EHCPs. It runs a Duty Desk to support schools which are undergoing Ofsted inspections and acts as the triage for LADO, offering advice and guidance. It also investigates third party complaints about educational settings, such as those received from Ofsted or MPs.

The educational safeguarding, attendance and Children Missing Education teams also sit in this Service offering support and guidance to settings and undertaking statutory work in these areas. EQAIRS also includes Services to Elective Home Education, Child employment and Chaperone licensing, Educational visits, the Education Covid Support team and the Governance Service.


Assistant Director

Sue Smith - 01603 307750 or sue.smith@norfolk.gov.uk

Senior team:

Senior Adviser, QA and Intervention
Micky Harcourt-Heath: 01603 303314 or micky.harcourt-heath@norfolk.gov.uk

Governance Intervention Lead Officer
Helen Wardale: 01603 303356 or helen.wardale@norfolk.gov.uk

Senior Leaders, Intervention
Stuart Graver: 01603 307721 or stuart.graver@norfolk.gov.uk
Deborah Leahy: 01603 307719 ordeborah.leahy@norfolk.gov.uk

Senior Adviser, Education QA and Intervention Service
Kelly Waters: 01603 307729 or kelly.waters@norfolk.gov.uk

Senior Adviser Intervention
Michael Roughsedge: 01603 303309 or michael.roughsedge@norfolk.gov.uk

Senior Adviser
Sonia Walker: 01603 303311 or sonia.walker@norfolk.gov.uk

Lead Officer
David Oldham: 01603 306543 or david.oldham@norfolk.gov.uk

Lead Officer, SEND and Inclusion
Matthew Ridley: 01603 222395 or matthew.ridley@norfolk.gov.uk

Senior Child Employment & Entertainment Officer
Andrew Ridgway: 01603 303370 or andrew.ridgway@norfolk.gov.uk

Service support:

Service Support Manager
Lynda Read: 01603 307750 or lynda.read@norfolk.gov.uk