The Index provides you with a rich source of material on which to draw to complete your DfES School Profile, Self Evaluation Form and to help you meet the requirements of Every Child Matters: Change for Children. More importantly it can enable you to focus on bringing positive benefits to the children in your care, whatever their circumstances. It is designed to be used by school leadership teams and can provide an overview for governing bodies.

In particular it provides a model for you to:

• promote improvement and progression in children’s learning in the broadest sense;
• support the internal self evaluation processes;
• celebrate success through providing a broader portfolio of evidence for your achievements and the all-round development of children and young people;

It deals with five areas of work that you may wish to address in maintaining and developing breadth to your work with young people, both in your own school an in collaboration with other partners.