MANCHESTER'S chief education officer has resigned.

Mick Waters's decision to leave the top post was revealed on Friday - days after it was announced to head teachers in the city that he would not be the head of Manchester's new children's services "super-department".

Pauline Newman, currently director of children, families and social care, has been appointed to the post which means the new chief education officer, as well as teachers in the city and other LEA staff, will be answerable to a boss with a social services background - sparking anger amongst some teachers.

Mr Waters - who was appointed to the Manchester job in November 2002 - will take up a new London-based post as Director of Curriculum at the AQA examining body in the summer. It is understood he was being headhunted for the role while Manchester Council was taking a decision on who to appoint as head of children's services.

The decision to appoint Pauline Newman is seen as an indication that social services staff might be better placed to solve problems such as low attendance and attainment amongst the poorest children than the education department.

Last month Metro News revealed that the city is home to some of the poorest children in Great Britain. Government statistics also show that GCSE results are consistently below the national benchmark - trapping people in a cycle of poverty.

The children's services department, overseen by a children's board, will see social services, education and the NHS work closely together to try to reverse these trends.

Mr Waters said: "Leaving Manchester will be a wrench and I have mixed feelings.

"We are at a very exciting stage given the development of children's services, the Building Schools for the Future programme and the beginning of a similar programme in primary schools.

"It is vital to link education with all other services for youngsters and I know everyone will be committed to supporting my successor in raising standards of educational attainment."

Mike Evans, head teacher of Trinity High School, Hulme, for 21 years, said: "Mick Waters has been a breath of fresh air for education in Manchester.

"He had a tremendous understanding of the needs of young people and the best way to educate them in the 21st century. He had a wonderful way with people and the capacity to make everybody he met feel valued. His departure will be a great loss."

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