The Children’s Centre Leaders' Network (CCLN) is a mutual support network for all Sure Start Children’s Centre leaders across England.
Facilitated by Together for Children (TfC) and the National College for Leadership of Schools and Children's Services (National College), on behalf of the Department for Education (DfE), it is led by children’s centre leaders for children’s centres leaders.
The network aims to ensure all children’s centre leaders have a clear sense of the vital role they and their teams play in improving outcomes for young children, narrowing gaps in outcomes between those most disadvantaged in society and the rest, and helping to reduce and eliminate child poverty.
Both face-to-face and on-line networking will support practitioner research, continuous quality improvement in professional practice and specialist interest groups as they emerge.
This will allow children's centre leaders to:
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Share practice and experience on topics and themes
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Receive support for delivery objectives for example around performance management, financial management and eliminating child poverty
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Participate in peer mentoring/coaching and other development opportunities
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Contribute to the latest policy thinking around children’s centres and collaborate effectively with school leaders
Reference Group
A representative reference group of children’s centres leaders from across all nine government regions meets regularly to act as the authentic voice of children’s centre leaders. It helps shape the direction of the network and ensures it is relevant and useful.
The reference group also meets twice a year with the Minister to provide a link between policy and practice.