About the Learning Improvement Service

As part of Children's Services, the Learning Improvement Service (LIS) aims to champion excellence for every child and young person in Cumberland. This is done by:

• collaborating with all stakeholders, we will ensure the statutory educational rights of young people are met
• working in partnership with all providers and services to enable children and young people to enjoy learning for life
• supporting, developing and challenging leaders, including ourselves, to deliver excellence so that all children and young people in Cumbria have every opportunity to succeed and make a positive contribution, through the lives they choose for themselves

How we work

The Learning Improvement Service includes a team of officers with specialisms across early years, primary, secondary, and post-16 education, the virtual school and support for school governance.

We are based in three local areas

• Carlisle
• Kendal
• Whitehaven

Who we work with

Officers work with:

• private, voluntary and independent early years settings
• childminders
• LA maintained nursery, primary, secondary, special and sixth forms both locally in district areas and at countywide levels

We also work in conjunction with CASL partners we ensure support and challenge for all schools and settings, including academies and in so doing address the LA's statutory duties.

How we work with Cumbria Alliance of System Leaders (CASL)

This essential work is conducted in full partnership with the developing Cumbria Alliance of System Leaders (CASL).

Since 2012, officers of the local authority and representatives from the Cumbria Association of:

• Secondary Headteachers (CASH)
• Primary Headteachers' Association (PHA)
• School Leaders, University of Cumbria, Local Leaders in Education (LLEs)
• National Leaders in Education (NLEs)
• National Leaders of Governance (NLGs)
• the two Diocesan Authorities and our National College Associate

Have worked together to establish a truly integrated system of school-to-school support and challenge. 

Aims of the partnership

Through partnership and collaboration, we seek to provide the best learning and outcomes for all children and young people in Cumbria. 

We will work relentlessly to achieve the ambition of every Cumbrian school, setting and provider being great.

Collectively, as a system, we will work to ensure that every learner in our county is the best they can be.

Our aims are to develop a distributed, self-improving system designed to:

• undertake a systematic analysis and assessment of the learning needs of schools and localities
• co-ordinate school to school support in partnership with the LA, National College and other school improvement agencies
• develop leadership potential and succession planning at all levels from Initial Teacher Education to System Leadership and associated continued professional development

Contacts

Lesley Nixon
Senior Manager
Telephone: 07388 718117
Email: lesley.nixon@cumberland.gov.uk

Katie Clarke
Strategic Lead
Early Years
Email: katie.clarke@cumberland.gov.uk

Ann Breeze
Early Years and Childcare Team Manager
Email: ann.breeze@cumberland.gov.uk

Joan Bradley
Early Years Project Officer
Email: Joan.bradley@cumberland.co.uk