Tributes have been paid to 10 Devon headteachers who have devoted their lives to education.
Devon County Council leader John Hart and Head of Education Sue Clarke hosted a garden party for 10 heads who are retiring this academic year or taking up new challenges.
In all, the 10 heads have devoted more than 344 years to education.
Mr Hart told them: “You have given many years of service to education and to Devon.
“On behalf of Devon County Council, I want to give you a sincere thank you for all you have done for the children of Devon.
A programme of investment in flood risk management works and studies has been agreed by Devon County Council’s Cabinet.
More than 1,000 homes and businesses in the county were flooded during the unprecedented rainfall across Devon in 2012 and early 2013 and many thousands more are at risk in the future.
Devon County Council, working closely with District Councils, the Environment Agency and South West Water, carried out initial investigations of these flood events. As a direct result of this process and the feedback from flood drop-in events, Devon County Council...
As the Government spells out its spending plans, the Leader of Devon County Council, Cllr John Hart looks ahead to the next four years.
Here he writes: “I won’t be alone in predicting that the next four years could be the toughest local government has ever faced.
“But we won 38 of 62 seats in May and I believe Devon’s Conservatives have a continuing mandate to take tough decisions.
“When we took control with a landslide victory in 2009, we got straight on with the business of cutting costs and making the authority more efficient and more businesslike.
Devon County Council’s latest intake of apprentices have been speaking about their experiences so far in the work place.
The Council hires apprentices annually. This year is the biggest intake as 25 apprentices are now working in a range of council services from social care to transport.
The latest group is continuing to work through qualifications in their allocated area as well as becoming an integral part of the team. They are also paid during their apprenticeship.
Two of the twenty five new employees, Tom Satterly and Lorna Raymonthole, both from Exeter say so...
Devon County Council will consider a range of measures to reshape its fostering service and attract and retain more foster carers, in a report to be discussed at Cabinet this week (Wednesday 10 July).
With the number of children being placed by the Courts into the Council’s care increasing from 539 in 2008/9 to 693 in 2012/13, the Council's Fostering Service is conversely seeing falling numbers of carers, as people retire or opt out of the service.
During that period, due to lack of in-house capacity, the Council saw significant increase in their use of private sector...
Devon County Council is asking people across the county to help them identify children living under private fostering arrangements, so can they offer support and advice.
The call to action is part of Private Fostering Week starting on Monday 8 July. Run by the British Association for Adoption and Fostering , the week aims to raise awareness of private fostering. Children living with someone who isn't their parent or close relative for more than four weeks are classed as being privately fostered. Although this is a private arrangement, legally the parent and the carer must notify...
Devon County Council has today (Wednesday, 3 July) won an award for excellence for a pilot project to tackle smoking and protect children from harm.
The award from the CLeaR Partnership, which works with local authorities across England to assess progress in reducing smoking, was given for Devon’s pioneering work with children’s centres.
At the seven pilot sites across the county, the Council has installed specially designed signage to advise people not to smoke on site and provided bespoke training for staff to raise the issue with parents and offer support to parents who...
Copplestone Primary has been judged as outstanding for the third time in succession.
It is a major achievement for Copplestone as inspection standards have risen significantly since its full last Ofsted in 2010.
The school was also judged as outstanding for its English lessons in 2011.
The latest report from the school standards agency concludes: “This is an outstanding school. All pupils make excellent progress and achieve exceptionally well in reading, writing and maths. Pupils’ behaviour is exemplary at all times. Attitudes to learning are excellent and pupils...
Devon County Council is backing a call for the Government to provide more funding for road repairs.
The Local Government Association is warning that underfunding of highway maintenance and the impact of severe weather could make roads across Britain unusable and further undermine economic recovery.
The LGA, which represents more than 370 councils across England and Wales, is calling on the Government to provide greater capital funding for road maintenance. It has written to Danny Alexander, Chief Secretary to the Treasury, asking him to begin this process in next week's...
The multi-million outdoor education centre, Haven Banks in Exeter has officially been handed over to Devon County Council.
The Council's leader, John Hart was formally handed the keys after a final site visit and tour of the facility.
The £5.6 million centre was funded by proceeds from the sale of Exeter airport and was the biggest single sum allocated from the sale. It replaced the old, outdated activity centre located on the canal basin.
Devon County Council funded the building and, in a pioneering partnership, it will be run by Exeter College on a day-to-day...
