Education Noticeboard

Education Noticeboard - 11 May 2023

Welcome to the Education Noticeboard. A round-up of news, guidance and key updates for education settings.

Included in this update:

Director update

Dear colleagues

Another short week, thanks to an extra Bank Holiday to mark the Coronation of King Charles III. I am sure many of you enjoyed watching at home or at the various events being held locally. At the end of last week schools across Telford & Wrekin marked this historic event in their own way.

It has been a joy to see photographs from the various celebrations, competitions and parties that have taken place! We have shared a handful for you this week.

Congratulations to Newport Girls’ High School, who have received a Platinum Award for safeguarding following a recent audit. This is the highest rating that can be achieved, and is a credit to headmaster Michael Scott and the entire staff at the school.

A few other updates to take note of this week. These include an update on Free School Meal provision over the rapidly approaching May half-term, information about art music and discussion workshops being hosted by the African Caribbean Community Initiative, SEND updates and a reminder of the fantastic CPD courses which are available to be booked onto.

Well done to all our year 6 pupils too – the week is nearly over and I know you have worked really hard during SATs week.

Best wishes

Simon

Simon Wellman
Director: Education & Skills

Platinum Award for safeguarding awarded to Newport Girls’ High School

Newport Girls’ High School is thrilled to receive a Platinum Award for safeguarding following a recent audit. This is the top rating for any school and shows their commitment to the highest standards of safeguarding and pastoral care at the Wellington Road school.

The assessor spoke to a large number of staff, students, governors and examined records relating to safeguarding and child protection. The Safeguarding team of five staff, led by Mrs Hayley Birch, were understandably heavily involved in the visit which left no stone unturned!

The report highlighted that all staff are knowledgeable and understand their legal responsibilities around safeguarding and they receive high-quality training both internally and externally. They commented that safeguarding was living practice (i.e. policies were followed and a culture of caring for pupils was evident in every situation). The inspector also looked at how the school manages pupil absence, oversees the safe recruitment of staff and she also chatted to pupils about how they would report concerns for themselves or others of a safeguarding nature.

Headteacher Michael Scott was delighted with the report; “Like every school we work hard to safeguard our students but this report highlights some additional features at NGHS which we are proud to have recognised at Platinum level. NGHS has a real family-feel and students know they can talk to any member of staff about any concerns and that we have the tools and training to best support them. It is particularly pleasing how pupils themselves talked about feeling safe at the school, which was further endorsed during our outstanding Ofsted inspection earlier this academic year.”

Schools celebrate as they share in a big cash boost

Five county schools have been celebrating after winning a share of £12,000, including one from Telford & Wrekin..

The Shropshire Star’s ‘Cash for Schools’ competition, sponsored by Enterprise Flex-E-Rent, was open to all infant and primary schools with reception to Year 6 pupils within the Shropshire Star circulation area.

School staff, pupils, parents, grandparents, friends and families, have all rallied together to collect tokens in an effort to secure one of the five cash prizes on offer.

For this year’s winners – High Ercall Primary School, taking the £5,000 top prize – this was the second success in a row, having scooped the number one spot last year too. Headteacher Sarah Roberts said the money would now be used to refurbish an outdoor classroom, and improve the pond in the school’s forest area.

For the full story visit the Shropshire Star website.

Hadley Learning Community Primary: Coronation Garden opening

A new garden, created to mark the Coronation of King Charles III, had it’s grand opening the week before the Coronation.

The children had a fabulous day, taking part in several activities. These included speeches, gardening and singing the National Anthem.

There was also a competition, with pupils creating artwork to decorate the Coronation Garden.

A superb, royal day was had by all.

Ladygrove Primary School and Nursery: Coronation door decorating competition

As part of the Coronation celebrations at Ladygrove Primary School and Nursery the School Council wanted to see classrooms decorate their doors for a competition.

The whole school entered into the spirit of the event, and put a lot of thought and hard work into their designs. The pupils (and staff) did a great job!

Millbrook Primary School: Coronation celebrations

To celebrate the King’s Coronation pupils from Millbrook Primary School and Nursery took part in a variety of activities including history lessons and arts and crafts, where they designed and created a whole school memorial tapestry.

A lot of work went into the tapestry, which is a fantastic tribute to this historic event, and a wonderful and memorable event was had by all.

Woodlands Primary school: Coronation Fayre

Everyone had a great time at the Woodlands Primary School Coronation Fayre!

Deputy Headteacher Jo Duncombe said: “It was so nice to see so many children, parents and members of the local community coming together to have fun, celebrate and mark this historic event. We would also like to say a huge thank you to Telford & Wrekin council, for providing funding towards the event.”

The funding allowed the magic show and a visit from the Exotic Zoo to be enjoyed free of charge. Raffle prizes, tombola gifts and cakes were donated by the school community, The fabulous PTA worked hard to organise the celebration, and the amazing staff team helped to man the stalls.

The school would like to thank everyone involved for making this an unforgettable event.

Supermarket school holiday food vouchers

The government has provided the council with further funding via the Household Support Fund for the period from 1 April 2023 to 31 March 2024.

We will be using part of this funding to continue providing food vouchers to pupils in receipt of income-based Free School Meals, the Pupil Premium, Service Pupil Premium, Talking 2s and Early Years Pupil Premium for the following school holidays:

May 2023 half-term: £15 per child due to be issued around 19 May 2023
Summer 2023: £10 per child per week (representing a total of £60 per child for the six weeks of the holiday). Due to be issued around 14 July 2023.

Please note there is always a small possibility that the value of vouchers per pupil could change or the planned date of allocation.

We are also planning on issuing vouchers for following holidays and will confirm the date of issue closer to the time (again there is a small possibility the value of the vouchers could change) .

October 2023 half-term: £15 per child.
Christmas 2023: £15 per child per week (representing a total of £30 per child for the two weeks of the holiday).
February half-term 2024: £15 per child.
Easter 2024: £15 per child per week (representing a total of £30 per child for the two weeks of the holiday).

As previously, we will send vouchers out directly by email to all parents / carers we hold an email address for. In this regard, please ensure that you tell us about any changes to this information you become aware of as soon as possible.

Our communication to parents will continue to include contact details for if they experience any problems with their voucher, plus a link to our Frequently Asked Questions. In the unlikely event that a parent contacts the school with a query regarding vouchers they have not received, please direct them to winterfunding.grant@telford.gov.uk. If the query instead relates to problems downloading or spending the voucher, please refer parents to our voucher provider Select Essentials. They can be contacted on 0800 587 2294 or by completing a form online at

There are a small number of families that require assistance obtaining their vouchers or who do not have an email address. These will again be distributed to schools, and this will take place around Tuesday 23 May for the May 2023 half-term voucher and Tuesday 18 July for the summer holiday vouchers.

As before can you forward these to the parents / carers of the child that the vouchers have been allocated to. This will help us track who has received them in the event of queries.

Thank you for your ongoing support with providing us your data and distributing these vouchers for eligible pupils at your school. In September we will be asking for an updated data set of eligible pupils.

The current funding we have been given ends on 31 March 2024, so at this stage we don’t know if vouchers will be provided for any holidays beyond Easter 2024.

For further details on how we are distributing the Household Support Fund, including details of our application process for those experiencing severe financial difficulties, please visit the Household Support Fund website. We have also created two financial advice leaflets – one for people of working age and one for pensioners. The Council has also developed Cost of Living web pages, which contain a range of help, support and advice and can be found on the Telford.gov.uk website. Please feel free to share these links

REMINDER: Free School Meals Survey - FAO Heads and Chairs

There were 4.2 million children living in poverty in the UK in 2021-22. That is 29% of children, or 9 in every classroom of 30. (Department for Work and Pensions, 2023). Post COVID-19 there has been an 8.4% increase in the number of children who are eligible for income-based Free School Meals across Telford and Wrekin.

We are working to establish a more accurate picture of how income- based Free School Meal (FSM) provision is supporting families across the borough. It would be appreciated if the Heads/Chairs of all schools can take part a survey to provide the data that we need:

Responses up to this point have been low, so please complete the survey if you haven't already.

Survey: Free School Meals

SOS+ Criminal exploitation training for education professionals

A SOS+ Criminal Exploitation Training course is being provided to schools in Telford & Wrekin free of charge, led by St Giles Education Trust in partnership with the Education Safeguarding Team. There is no limit to the number of delegates who can attend from each school.

A choice of dates and times (delegates only need to attend one date):
Wednesday 10 May 2023 – 4pm to 5.30pm
Tuesday 23 May 2023 – 4pm to 5.30pm

Each session will consist of a 60 minute presentation, followed by a 30-minute Q&A session. After the session delegates will be able to:

understand how county lines are set up
understand how young people are groomed, recruited and exploited; specifically exploring examples that involve educational settings
recognise key signs and indicators that children and young people are being exploited or at risk of county lines involvement by unpacking what this looks like within an educational setting
understand how school exclusions can increase the risk of students on the periphery
recognise how to mitigate risks practically when considering exclusions learning from successful examples
understand the perspective of an expert witness who is a survivor and/or perpetrator of a county lines operation, including how county lines operations use girls and young women
develop initial interventions and long-term strategies to prevent and reduce the risk of students of criminal exploitation, and gang and county lines involvement within educational settings.

Bookings can be made by sending a completed CPD booking form via email to: CPDSchool.Improvement@telford.gov.uk.

SEND Annual Review Workshop – 18 May 2023

Please save the date for the next Annual Review Workshop for schools, early years settings and post 16 providers:

Thursday 18 May 2023
4pm - 5pm
(Microsoft Teams).

During the workshop the SEND Team will be providing updates on Annual Reviews, sharing reminders and top tips. There will be an opportunity for schools and settings to share their feedback and participate in a Q&A session. The workshop will be held virtually on Microsoft Teams and is suitable for SENCo’s and professionals who are interested in finding out more about Annual Reviews.

On the agenda:

Annual Review Listings – RAG Ratings
Overdue Annual Reviews – Project Report
Best Practice – Reminders
Local Offer – Top Tips for Parents, Carers and Families
Questions & Answers

Invitations will be sent to all SENCo’s a week before the workshop.

If you are new to your role and you would like to attend the Annual Review Workshop please contact us with your name, position and school by email at: SENDandInclusion@telford.gov.uk to receive you invitation.

If you are a professional who would like to attend the workshop, please book your place by email sending your name, position and service area to: SENDandInclusion@telford.gov.uk

SEND Local Offer – Annual Reviews

BeeU SEND Services in Shropshire, Telford & Wrekin – referral information

"Hi, I’m Liam Laughton, Head of Children, Young People and Family services in Shropshire, Telford and Wrekin for Midlands Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust. I’m writing after some concerns have been raised about the lack of clarity of the pathway to seek a neurodevelopmental assessment for children and young people. Hopefully, the following information will help to clarify the referral process.”

BeeU provides neurodevelopmental assessments for Children (aged 5-18) in Shropshire, Telford and Wrekin. 0-5s should be referred to the Child Development Centre.

Referring for an Assessment

Young people are referred into our service by a professional who knows what BeeU offers, and knows the young person.

We accept referrals from:

GPs
Social Workers
Health Visitors
School Professionals
Paediatricians / Hospital Doctors
Paediatric Occupational Therapists
School Nurses
Voluntary services

Unfortunately, we don’t accept self-referrals from young people or families directly.

Referrals can be made by using the referral form below and can be sent by post, and / or emailed directly to 025spa@mpft.nhs.uk (routine) or via phone 0808 196 4501.

Referral form

Please download the ‘Recommendations for Referrers’ documents for supporting information and advice:

Download: ADHD advice and support letter to referrers

Download: ASD advice and support letter to referrers

BeeU services will accept referrals relating to children and young people up until their 18th birthday.

Any new referrals made to BeeU for young people who are 18+ will be sent to Adult Access Team.

BeeU also offer a wide range of emotional wellbeing and mental health support services to children and young people, outside of our Neurodevelopmental pathways.

More information can be found on the BeeU website.

African Caribbean Community Initiative art, music and discussion workshops

The African Caribbean Community Initiative will be conducting weekly Art, Music and Discussion workshops to help your mental health and wellbeing. The workshops are totally free. Access to advice and information will be available as well as appointments on request towards future talking therapy.

The sessions will be held:
Every Monday 3pm-5pm at the Park Lane Community Centre, Woodside, TF7 5QZ
Every Tuesday 1.30pm-3.30pm at the Hadley & Leegomery Community Centre, High Street, Hadley, TF1 5NL

About ACCI
The African Caribbean Community Initiative (ACCI) is a holistic and comprehensive support service for African / African Caribbean’s and the wider community affected by mental ill health. We are working in partnership with Telford and Wrekin Council to provide community-based support and advice across Calm Cafés and other community spaces throughout Telford, to support black people experiencing mental ill health.

Find out more
For further information, please contact Anaisa 07483 310580 or Themba on 07483 950317

World Day for Cultural Diversity for Dialogue and Development

The world day for cultural diversity for dialogue and development is annually celebrated on 21 May to promote and celebrate cultural diversity around the world. The day was established by the United Nations general assembly in 2002 with its aims being to create awareness of the importance of cultural diversity and its role in promoting peaceful coexistence and sustainable development.

Cultural diversity is essential in promoting social harmony and fostering tolerance and mutual respect among different cultures. It recognises the uniqueness, richness and beauty of different cultures and highlights the importance preserving and promoting cultural heritage. By promoting cultural diversity we can learn from each other and help to create a more peaceful and equitable world where everyone is respected and valued for their cultural differences.

The world day for cultural diversity for dialogue and development encourages people to participate in activities and events that promote cultural diversity through music, dance, art and food festivals. The day also reminds us that diversity and inclusion is fundamental for sustainable and economic growth. By promoting cultural diversity we can create a more inclusive society which everyone benefits from regardless of their cultural background.

Let us continue to use this prestigious day to promote peace, understanding and sustainable development let us continue to encourage, embrace and celebrate cultural differences until they become the norm only this way we can build a better future for us all, where differences are respected and everyone can live in harmony, prosperity and Peace

Educational Visits Coordinator Termly Network Meeting – Management of visit emergencies

Upcoming Educational Visits Coordinator Termly Network Meetings will take place as follows:

In person:

Full meeting.
Tuesday 31 January 2023, 1pm-3pm, at Wellington Town Council Chamber, accessed through the Library at the Leisure Centre.
There is free parking for up to 3 hours at the front and rear of the buildings but you will need a ticket. There is additional parking across the road, and on nearby side streets.
Arrivals and refreshments from 12.45pm.

On line:

EVC Essentials update.
Wednesday 1 February 2023, 3.15pm-4pm via Teams.
This is for those who cannot make the full meeting and will just be for the key points.

Aims:

A forum for local and national updates regarding the management of educational visits and journeys.
Share practice and experience between EVCs including ‘lessons learned’.
Develop the support that is available locally through a collective approach.
Respond to specific queries or concerns..

Management of Visit Emergencies – workshop session

Prevention - avoiding accidents and emergencies.
School Emergency plan.
Scenarios.
Incident/accident reviewing and reporting.
Emotional impact of incidents.
Learning from things going right..
Questions.

All current Telford & Wrekin Council Educational Visit SLA holders EVCs will receive a calendar invitation for both events please accept the one you wish to attend. There is no need to book.

For all queries, or to book a paid place for £85 per person, please email EdVisits@telford.gov.uk

Telford & Wrekin Music – Music Hub Newsletter

The Music Partnership Newsletter

This week we published the latest newsletter for The Music Partnership. Within this edition you can find updates on the national music landscape, support with preparing Music Development Plans, events and training information and details of opportunities for your pupils from across the region.

Resources and Events

As we all start to think about plans for provision for September 2023 onwards, please make use of the resources page on The Music Partnership’s website which has further signposting to Music Service pages and those for our partner organisations. The resources page has curriculum planning and assessment documents, self-assessment audits and a selection of materials that can be used in the classroom. They are all free of charge so do please use what is helpful.

The events page is also regularly updated with information on our training, CPD, events and activities so please look through and book onto anything that is helpful.

Secondary Network Meetings

Earlier in the year we facilitated a series of face-to-face Secondary Music Teachers' network meetings. We would like to organise another round of meetings before the summer, after half term, when the examination work is completed. If you are willing to host a meeting, then please let Graeme Rudland know directly via an email to graeme.rudland@entrust-music.co.uk. Meetings would run from 4.30 – 5pm.

SEND Music Training

As previously advised, the SEND Music Training session planned for Wednesday 17 May 2023 will no longer take place. It has been rearranged for Tuesday 23 May 2023 at Riverway, Stafford from 4.30 – 6pm. It will be presented by Adam Ockelford, one of the leading teachers and researchers in the field of Music with Special Needs, and it is based on his new classroom resource “Count Me In”.

An opportunity to place your CPD course bookings

The CPD Booklet continues to be available on the Telford Education Services site to the end of the academic year 2023.

Course bookings with a course code are made by sending a completed CPD booking form via email to cpdschoolimprovement@telford.gov.uk.

Other courses and briefings without a course code are usually booked by sending your email address name and school name to cpdschoolimprovement@telford.gov.uk (unless stated otherwise).

EYFS Moderation Trialling (CPD 612)	Tuesday 16 May 2023	1pm to 4pm
Safeguarding Training for Newly Appointed Governors (SG 103) – part 1	Wednesday 17 May 2023	5.30pm to 7.30pm
Safety Intervention Training (formerly MAPA training) CPI accredited (BSAT 201) – part 1	Thursday 18 May 2023	8.30am to 12.30pm
Effective Support and Supervisions in the EYFS (EY 306)	Thursday 18 May 2023	4pm to 5.30pm
Raising Awareness of Child Protection (SG 108)	Thursday 18 May 2023	9.30am to 11am
The Importance of the Early Years Foundation Stage in Schools (GO 603)	Tuesday 23 May 2023	5.30m to 7pm
SOS+ Criminal Exploitation Training for Education Professionals (SG 207) – see separate article in Safeguarding section	Tuesday 23 May 2023	4pm to 5.30pm
Designated Safeguarding Leads Refresher (SG 107)	Wednesday 24 May 2023	9.15am to 4pm
Teaching Musically With Charanga - see separate article	Wednesday 24 May 2023	4.15pm to 5.45pm
Behaviour Support Intervention Refresher Training Non-accredited (BSAT 302)	Thursday 25 May 2023	8.45am to 12.30pm
Early Career Teacher Network (CPD 720)	Thursday 25 May 2023	4pm to 5pm (with optional informal ‘drop in’ from 3.30pm to 4pm and 5pm to 5.30pm)
Governors' Responsibilities for Exclusions (SG 104)	Thursday 25 May 2023	5pm to 7pm

Teaching Musically with Charanga

The music course, Teaching Musically with Charanga, is taking place Wednesday 24 May 2023 from 4.15pm to 5.45pm and is suitable for any primary school staff currently delivering music using Charanga as all, or part of, their resources.

During the session teachers will explore and work through the many resources within the Charanga platform, while looking at the key musical learning.

We will explore ways to develop students’ musical understanding and performance skills, while discussing ideas for mapping progression.

All delegates will need to bring an instrument with them, ideally either a glockenspiel or a recorder, even if they can’t play the instrument.

The cost of attending this event is £75 per person, with a 10% discount for multiple bookings from the same school.

Bookings can be made by sending a completed CPD booking form via email to: CPDSchool.Improvement@telford.gov.uk

Level 5 Certificate: Primary School Physical Education Specialism

Places are available on a bespoke primary school physical education qualification for primary school staff – but expressions of interest needed immediately after half term, if not before.

What is the Level 5 qualification?

A bespoke primary school physical education qualification for primary ‘school staff’ (PE Coordinators, teachers and/ or teaching assistants with a sporting bias) developed by the Association for Physical Education (AfPE) and Sports Leaders UK.

Please note: Due to the pitch of the course (Level 5; equivalent to foundation degree) and the nature of the content, this course is predominantly targeting current practitioners, preferably with QTS status.

Why?

Much has been stated about the importance of the current physical education and school sport premium funding and the ability of schools to, not only evidence actions, but also show impact. This qualification is an ideal vehicle for demonstrating an investment in the improvement of teaching in physical education as well as upskilling current staff.

Content

The qualification enables delegates to understand the requirements of the primary school physical education curriculum. They will acquire the knowledge and skills that underpin 'good or better' teaching and learning within primary school physical education. Candidates will also review and evaluate the PE, physical activity and sport programme at their host school, identifying potential ways to improve policy and practice.

Tutors/ Assessors

The tutor, Chris Jew, is an experienced physical education specialist, known and regarded across the county. His background is in the leading of Physical Education, being the leader of a School Sport Partnership and a current School Games Organiser for East Shropshire. This will be his ninth year of delivery of this course.

Delivery

The average learning time for this qualification is 141 hours. This is broken down as follows:

6 days attendance at a Shropshire based delivery centre (42 Guided Learning Hours). This is provisionally equally mapped across the three terms during the academic year 2023/24. The initial session is planned for October.
In-school development work (99 nominal hours). This will involve a series of assessment tasks to be completed by the delegate via a portfolio of evidence. There will be at least one external assessment of teaching a ‘good or better’ physical education lesson.

Commitment

School: The release of staff for 6 days throughout the academic year. The ability for SLT to support and mentor, where appropriate, allowing opportunities/ time for the delegate to apply skills and knowledge within the school day.
Delegate: An understanding of the need to meet the nominal required guided learning hours, to complete all assessment tasks and to be proactive in further developing knowledge and skills at their home school.

Costs

The total delegate cost, including course fees to Sports Leaders UK (£200), is £1300 per delegate. This covers the delivery days, internal verification and the external assessment and remote support via the course tutors/ leaders.

Certification

All delegates will be internally verified by Trusted Sports’ Alliance staff and externally verified via the awarding body and on successful completion of this qualification delegates will be able to assist and develop the raising of standards within primary school physical education teaching.

Awareness Raising

At this initial stage my aim is to continue raising awareness and to gauge potential interest from local primary schools in Telford & Wrekin as we look to recruit for the seventh year of delivery. Feedback from current delegates is that the course is both demanding and challenging yet on completion allows for a step change in the delivery of high quality PE.

Application Timeline

By 26 May 2023: An expression of interest is currently being sought. To register or confirm interest please email Chris Jew, stating candidate’s name and home school.
September 2023: Candidates will then be asked to enrol on the course before the end of the first half-term in autumn so all is ready for the initial October delivery date.

For further information, please refer to the Sports Leaders’ UK website and/or contact Chris Jew, Head of Service for the Trusted Sports’ Alliance, via email to chris.jew@trustedcsat.co.uk or by calling 07704 710536.

Updates from Lantern Academy

An update from Lantern Academy is available to be downloaded.

Lantern Academy Early Years updates

This entry was posted by Claire on Wednesday, 10 May 2023.

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Every week during term time we publish a new update for the education community. It includes essential briefings and specialist information about education.

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