Appointment of Deputy Director Children’s Services

Manchester City Council has appointed John Edwards to the position of Deputy Director Children’s Services for the city.

This appointment now completes the top team of staff delivering services to children in the city, helping ensure that all young people thrive and achieve their full potential.

The appointment to the position of Deputy Director is the latest in a succession of new high ranking appointments that have been made to Children's Services in the last few months.

Aimed at further consolidating the hard work and expertise that already exists both within local schools and across the department, the Deputy Director joins a team of six other senior officers who collectively oversee the welfare and education of all children and young people in the city.

The team includes Pauline Newman, Director Children's Services; Kieran McDermott, Assistant Director Children's Services - Education; Keith Maclennan, Chief Operating Officer; Laureen Donnan, Assistant Director Children's Services (South); Mike Livingstone, Assistant Director Children's Services (North); and Janice Gotts, Assistant Director, Finance.

Currently Service Director, Schools and Lifelong Learning, at Wakefield Metropolitan District Council - a position he has held since 2005 - John Edwards first joined Wakefield Council in April 2003 as Senior Advisor, Transforming Secondary Education.

Before that he spent two years as Assistant Head at Silverdale 11-18 High School, Sheffield, four years as Head of Maths at Ilkley Grammar School, Bradford, and was also Assistant Head of Maths at North Halifax Grammar School in Calderdale.

He said: "It's an exciting time to be coming to work in Manchester, with significant investment in new schools and Academies and the opportunity this presents to build on the good work going on across the city.

"I'm very pleased to be joining such a strong team as we further develop and integrate provision and services across the city.

"Working together with schools and all our partners we can ensure that children and young people have better opportunities and outcomes, through linking schools to their communities and ensuring that the focus on achievement brings together all aspects of young people's lives."

Councillor Sheila Newman, Manchester City Council's Executive Member, Children's Services, said: "We are determined to further improve outcomes for children and young people in Manchester.

"Educational attainment in our schools is already improving at a faster rate than schools nationally and together with the massive amount of investment in our schools through Building Schools for the Future and our Academies programme, this means that Manchester schools have a lot to offer pupils both now and in the future.

"We are also working hard to improve personal and social outcomes for young people in the city and to ensure that all children have access to the same kind of opportunities and life chances as each other regardless of background or home circumstances.

"Manchester is a city of opportunities and the appointment to the new Deputy Director post means that we now have a strong leadership team in place to help ensure the very best for all young people in the city."

John Edwards will take up his post in Manchester on 22 October. He is 37 years old, married and has two children.

Media contact

Jane Lemon, tel: 0161 234 3179