New director of Education, Skills and Culture to join Lancashire County Council
Lancashire County Council has appointed Paul Turner to the role of Director of Education, Skills and Culture.
Paul joins Education and Children's Services in Lancashire from Blackpool, where he was Assistant Director of Children's Services at Blackpool Council, responsible for Education, Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) and Early Years services.
Paul has worked in maintained schools, academies and in local government and has worked with schools in several different regions to improve safeguarding, curriculum and leadership, as well as championing high quality, inclusive education for all children.
The Director of Education, Skills and Culture at the county council is the operational lead responsible for education, SEND, early help and cultural services. They are responsible for supporting and challenging the diverse landscape of education, from early years and schools through to further education.
Paul said: "Having spent the last 22 years working in schools and local government, I am committed to improving education in disadvantaged communities and creating sustainable change to help others treat learning as a lifelong journey. I know that communities require bespoke solutions to address the educational issues that they face, and I hope my expertise in this area will have positive outcomes for children, young people and families in Lancashire.
"I believe bringing the local community into the wider life of a school is integral to continued and sustained improvement of educational outcomes. I also know that children must be at the heart of every decision we make, and that my new colleagues at Lancashire County Council share this vision. I am looking forward to working with Lancashire's Education, Skills and Culture teams and seeing how I can support them to further develop and improve our services for the future."
County Councillor Jayne Rear, Cabinet Member for Education and Skills at Lancashire County Council, said: "I welcome Paul to Lancashire County Council and look forward to working with him to further improve educational outcomes for all our children and young people."
Jacqui Old CBE, Executive Director of Education and Children's Services at Lancashire County Council, said: "Paul's career to date spans all areas of education from teaching, early help and SEND to safeguarding, audit and inspection. I am confident Paul can help lead our committed service to help children and young people thrive in Lancashire. We are all looking forward to working with Paul and I know he will receive a very warm welcome."