ABSTRACT
We begin with the political background to the Every Child Matters (ECM) agenda. The Victoria Climbié case and the subsequent Laming Report (HMSO, 2003) are often regarded as the reason for the Labour government’s introduction of ECM. The case did receive a high level of publicity and focused the attention of policy-makers and the public. However, New Labour (1997-2007) had already decided on the development of social policy and had begun the process of reform towards ECM immediately following the 1997 General Election. The thrust of social policy reform was to break the generational cycle of deprivation into which children and families can become trapped. Tony Blair’s 1996 declaration of three priorities, ‘education, education and education’, indicated the prominent position to be given to schools, and education generally, in promoting the new social democracy of what was called ‘the Third Way’ in politics.
