Education Noticeboard - 19 January 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

A particularly full Education Noticeboard for you this week!

Amongst the new stories included this week are details on how pupils are being encouraged to submit their bright ideas that could make a difference to communities. Funding is available to implement some actions via the Council’s Safer and Stronger Communities project, so please do encourage the children and young people in your setting to get involved!

The King’s coronation will soon be here, and funding is available to help schools and settings to get involved, and celebrate in style. We provided the details on how to apply in a Special Education Notice earlier this week, and have repeated this for you.

You will be aware of the recent vote by the National Education Union, in favour of strike action. With this in mind the Department for Education updated their guidance to schools, in relation to striking action. Leading on from this we have provided a short survey, designed to gauge the potential impact on the dates which have been identified. We know that the situation is fluid but if you are able to provide some initial intelligence then that would be really helpful.

We have shared other important pieces of information, including attendance support, safeguarding and SEND as well as those from the Department for Education. Included in those are those who appeared on the New Year Honours list for service to education and childcare. It is fantastic to see such a diverse range of roles selected, and inspiration to see the impact that each of those roles can have.

Finally a reminder that where settings do need to close due to adverse weather conditions please do follow the protocol which is included below.

Hope you are all staying safe in the snow which has fallen over the last couple of days, and have a good rest of the week.

Simon

Simon Wellman
Director: Education & Skills

Leader’s school visits for 2023

A message from Councillor Shaun Davies, Leader of Telford & Wrekin Council.

"I hope students and teachers have all settled well into the first spring term of 2023. I understand for education professionals this will be a very busy time as you start to prepare for SATs, GSCEs and other exams which will be here in no time at all. Our local Schools remain one of my favourite places to visit throughout the year. Last year I was delighted to meet and speak to some very inspiring young people from across our borough. I am always asked some excellent (and sometimes entertaining!) questions during the visits which really helps me to understand the different opinions and perspectives of our next generation. These visits were also really valuable in educating our children and helping them to understand more about what the council does and to talk about things which they see or hear in the local news.

It would be my pleasure to visit your school in 2023. If you would like to invite me or a member of cabinet please email Nicola.woodley@telford.gov.uk.

Students invited to submit their bright ideas for a community project

Bright ideas from pupils that will make a difference to communities could get a £2,000 boost in the latest initiative by Telford & Wrekin Council’s Safer and Stronger Communities project, working with the Young People’s Forum.

The Young People Making Changes initiative invites young people aged 11 – 18 to identify an issue or problem in their community that they would like to tackle, demonstrate how they could make a difference and why it would matter to them and their community.

The top five projects will be awarded £2,000 funding each to get their ideas off the ground. Ideas need to be based around three themes including health and wellbeing, the environment, jobs, money, homes and opportunities. The initiative offers the perfect opportunity for curriculum learning to be applied in the real world for subjects like geography, PHSE and citizenship.

These themes were the top three highlighted in the Make Your Mark ballot in March 2022, a national vote which was organised by the British Youth Council that included over 5,000 young people from Telford and Wrekin. The Young People’s Forum – an action group organised by Telford & Wrekin Council, identified these areas as key areas of concern for young people in Telford.

The closing date for applications is midnight on Friday 17 March 2023. For more information and to submit an application visit the Make a Change website.

Apply for Funding to help your community celebrate The King’s Coronation

This May communities across the Borough will be reaching for the bunting to celebrate the Coronation of His Majesty King Charles III, and funding is now available to help you get involved.

The King’s Coronation Celebration Fund is open to not for profit organisations, including schools, early years settings and colleges to hold a community event, run a project or create a lasting legacy.

In recognition of King Charles’ efforts in campaigning for the environment and championing sustainability all applicants are asked to join The King in considering the sustainability of their celebration and minimising the negative impact it has on the environment.

So it’s time to get your thinking caps on, how as a community would you like to celebrate this historic occasion?

Perhaps you’d like to hold a celebratory event over the Coronation bank holiday weekend giving people an opportunity to come together and benefit from a free event. Maybe create a new Coronation Community Garden to provide free fruit, veg and herbs to residents for years to come whilst supporting a greener planet or even run a weekly project to create a piece of community art giving participants the opportunity to develop new skills, participate in their community and gain confidence.

Events and projects must be open to the wider community and there’s plenty of ways you can get involved. Full grant criteria and how to apply can be found on the Telford.gov.uk website.

Applications are now open and close on 29 January 2023.

Briefing session
We’d like to invite either a member of the school leadership team or representative from the PTA or school events committee to a 15 minute briefing offering an overview of the fund.

The briefing will be held on Microsoft Teams at 4pm on Thursday 19 January 2023, no registration required.

Click here to join the meeting

If after reading the criteria you have further queries please send an email to grant.applications@telford.gov.uk.

Are apprenticeships the answer to recruitment crisis?

Telford companies struggling to recruit staff in the challenging economic climate are being urged to look at apprenticeships as the potential answer. The county’s chamber of commerce has warned that the serious recruitment struggles facing local businesses have created a ‘dangerous ticking timebomb’ for the economy.

Telford College currently offers apprenticeships in a wide range of subject areas including accounting, automotive, business, HR, computing, construction, engineering, early years and education.

There are apprenticeship programmes from level two all the way up to degree-level – which are open to people of all ages.

Beckie Bosworth, the college’s head of employer engagement, said: “Companies across all sectors say they are struggling to attract candidates for a diverse range of positions. They are either getting no applications at all, or attracting people who lack the required skillsets.

“The beauty of an apprenticeship is that you can mould a candidate to your company’s specific requirements – and from their point of view, they will earn and learn at the same time.”

Apprenticeships offer a pathway into permanent jobs and promotions. Annabel Hemingbrough has already become marketing and customer service manager at Telford-based Purple Frog Systems after impressing on her apprenticeship.

She spent around 18 months as a business administration apprentice with the data analytics company, before passing her exams with across-the-board distinctions. She was praised by her employers for her mature working attitude and described as a ‘thoughtful and proactive worker always looking for ways to improve’.

Another local employer which is a long-time champion of apprenticeships, working with Telford College, is former Shropshire Company of the Year winner Dodd Group. Based in Telford, it employs more than 900 people and has built a strong reputation within the building services sector for electrical and mechanical design, installation and maintenance services. The business has a successful track record of working with apprentices in electrical and IT, but is now extending the offer into administration.

Marie-Anne Clayton, the company’s head of HR, said: “We are so looking forward to welcoming new fresh talent and enabling them to grow, learn and develop. Apprentices are encouraged to be a full part of the team and be proactive and contribute to decision-making.”

Beckie Bosworth added: “Apprenticeships are real jobs. For the apprentice, it’s a chance to gain valuable qualifications, alongside real-world work experience. For the employer, it’s an opportunity to grow your own talent, shaped to your specific needs. Apprenticeships have evolved and expanded significantly in recent years – these days it’s possible to do an apprenticeship in pretty much anything, at any age.”

To find out more about the range of apprenticeships on offer through Telford College visit their website or call the apprenticeships hotline on 01952 642452.

Reminder to use the school and settings closures line

With the snow that has fallen over the last couple of days, just a gentle reminder to use the School Closure Line to report that your school or setting is closed for any reason.

The school/settings closure line has been in operation for 12 months now. This system is user friendly and easier to use.

Each school/setting will be responsible for keeping the information up to date about their respective school/setting.

Please note that your school or setting will need to be registered to be able to access and use the system. You will need to ensure that you have nominated /designated persons who will be given administration rights and be responsible for keeping the closure line up to date (this can be either a general admin person/email address, head teachers, PA’s or a mix of).

We need to ensure the system remains effective, and therefore it is important that the system is kept up to date. The information displayed on closure line automatically updates the Telford & Wrekin website, this is used to keep staff, pupils, parents and the residents in Telford & Wrekin aware of the latest school /settings closures

If you have any issues with accessing the closure line or require any further information please email schoolclosures@telford.gov.uk.

Updated guidance to schools

In light of the confirmation that teaching members of the National Education Union (NEU) have voted for strike action the Department for Education (DfE) have updated their guidance to schools.

NEU teaching staff members have voted yes to strike action with over 90% voting to strike with a turn out of 53.7%.

They have confirmed the following dates for action, 1 February 2023 – on a national basis, 1 March 2023 – regional basis for the West Midlands region, and two days of national action on the 15 and 16 March 2023.

The DfE have updated their guidance to schools on Strike action and this can be found online:

Everything you need to know about strike action in schools: The Education Hub

Handling strike action in schools - GOV.UK

A working group has been established by the Local Authority, and further guidance and support will be issued locally in due course.

Your initial actions will be to assess the potential impact of this strike action and review the guidance to determine what steps you need to take to continue to ensure your school is able to remain open to all pupils where possible, prioritising vulnerable children, children of critical workers and those pupils who are due to sit public exams or other formal assessments.

Any initial queries can be directed via email to hrhelpdesk@telford.gov.uk and these will then be directed to the relevant teams.

Strike Action - Potential Impact Survey

To enable us to assess the potential impact of the strike action for all of our schools across the Borough and to ensure we are in a position to provide appropriate support where required please complete the survey below by the end of Tuesday 24 January 2023.

Strike Action - Potential Impact Survey

Any queries should be directed to HRhelpdesk@telford.gov.uk

Children in Care to Local Authorities other than Telford & Wrekin

Dear colleagues

As a Local Authority we are developing approaches to Fair Share for pupils with a range of additional needs.

Part of this is the careful tracking of all children in care to Telford & Wrekin. However, we don't always know when a school admits a child in care to a different Local Authority.

Therefore, could all secondary schools please complete the Microsoft Form (via the link below) to let us know the numbers of children in care to LAs other than Telford and Wrekin, within your school or setting.

Microsoft Form: Data collection of CiC to other LAs

Please respond by the end of day on Thursday 19 January 2023, to ensure that collection of this data is coherent with the Spring School Census.

Your help with this process is much appreciated.

Best wishes

Simon

Simon Wellman
Director: Education & Skills

Alternative Provision and the school Census

In the census of Thursday 19 January 2023, schools are required to include details of Alternative Provision used.

If the Alternative Provision is registered with Ofsted, you should include one of the URN or the UKPRN in the relevant fields. However, if this is an unregistered provision, you need to include the code ‘OTH’ for ‘other’; you will then be expected to include the postcode and the company number (from Companies House).

Where a provision is a Local Authority Provision (such as AFC Telford, House 1 or Arthog Outreach) or a charity which isn’t a registered company they won’t have a company number. As a workaround, we would recommend that you enter a fictitious number, e.g. 99999999 in your MIS and then delete it from the pupil record in COLLECT, which will trigger the error 2395. You can then add a Notepad entry explaining that the provision doesn’t have a company number.

Let us know what you are doing for 10 by 10

Trying new and exciting things is an integral part of growing up. It's how a child can discover a talent or passion they did not know they had. For this reason, we launched 10 by 10 to encourage children to try ten key extra-curricular activities before the age of 10.

We are working to engage parents with the campaign to ensure their children try each of the ten activities, but we know schools are pivotal partners. 10 by 10 is here to help complement your work in inspiring our children and teaching them new things.

Since launch, around 1,000 children have created a 10 by 10 account, and more than 300 children have also taken up the free-swimming offer.

Families who have a child with a 10 by 10 account can now visit Attingham Park for a reduced price until Friday, 31 March 2023.

The reduced tickets will be £5 per adult and £2.50 per child. Usually they are £15 per adult and £7.50 per child

To qualify for the reduced entry, parents will need to sign in and show their child's 10 by 10 account page when they arrive.

We have visited a few schools, and it has been great to see so many children taking part and having a go at each of the ten activities. We look forward to the end of the school year when we will acknowledge all the children in year six who have tried each activity.

Let us know what you are doing for 10 by 10

We want to say a very special thank you to all our primary schools in the borough. Your support has been exceptional and invaluable in making such a good start.

If your school has any interesting or exciting events planned around one of the 10 by 10 activities, we would love to hear about it. We want to highlight work like this with parents and residents on our social media, email newsletters and websites.

We are also on the lookout for anything you post on Twitter. Make sure to use the hashtag #10by10, so we can find and share it easily. An example would be this tweet from HLC primary of a pupil playing the piano.

Alternatively you can email education.noticeboard@telford.gov.uk to share your photos and stories, and let us know what you are doing. Your help is invaluable.

We are grateful for any opportunity you take to encourage children to participate in 10 by 10, whether that's through school assemblies, lessons, parent/carers meetings, etc.

In particular, we want parents/carers to create their own 10 by 10 accounts through the website. This will allow them to track their child's adventures and hear about the latest offers and news.

For any enquiries, please contact Rebecca Carey, School Performance Team Leader, via email to rebecca.carey@telford.gov.uk. Thank you once again for your support.

Telford & Wrekin school attendance and persistent absence data submitted by schools for the Autumn term 2022-23

Thank you everyone for submitting your attendance & Persistent Absence (P/A) data for the Autumn term 2022-23. I am pleased to be able to share this data with you. The borough average has been added to the graph, but please note this is unvalidated.

The Department for Education (DfE) have not yet published data for 2021-22, this is due to be released in March 2023.

Please can I offer my gratitude to all schools as you continue working towards improving your overall attendance and reducing persistent absence. It has been a monumental effort and in light of the DfE publication Working together to Improve School Attendance and attendance will continue to have a targeted focus. We look forward to our partnership working in the future, as outlined in this guidance.

Telford & Wrekin Schools - Autumn 2022-23

All Telford & Wrekin schools attendance average was 92.99%
The Telford & Wrekin P/A average for all schools is 22.74%
The Telford & Wrekin average primary attendance was 93.50%
The Telford & Wrekin P/A average for primary is 21.05%
The Telford & Wrekin average secondary attendance was 92.02%
The Telford & Wrekin P/A average for secondary is 24.33%
The Telford & Wrekin average special schools attendance was 89.19%
The Telford & Wrekin P/A average for special schools is 34.01%

Schools are invited to log in to the pupil attendance in schools website detailed here to compare their own data to national. Please note that not every school has signed up to this site.

Schools are reminded that until the DfE publish the data for the full year for 2021-22 the current National data, validated by the DfE .is based on 2020/21 for a full year. This was published by the DfE in March 2022. It identifies that:

All Telford & Wrekin schools attendance was 95.2% marginally below National average for all schools at 95.4%
The Persistent Absence (P/A) for all Telford & Wrekin schools is 13.1% which is a full point % higher than national at 12.1%
The Telford & Wrekin primary attendance was 96.5% compared to 96.4% Nationally.
The Persistent Absence (P/A) for Telford & Wrekin primary is 8.4% which was lower than national at 8.8%
The Telford & Wrekin secondary attendance was 94.3% marginally below National average for secondary at 94.5%
The Persistent Absence (P/A) for Telford & Wrekin secondary is 16.2% which is significantly higher than national at 14.8%
The Telford & Wrekin special school attendance was 82.2% significantly below National average for Special Schools at 84.8%
The Persistent Absence (P/A) for Telford & Wrekin special schools is 64.2% which is significantly higher than national at 48.9%

Any queries can be sent via email to attendancesupportteam@telford.gov.uk.

Term Dates and Holidays for Academic Year 2024-25

The term dates and holidays for academic year 2024-25 have now been published. The Local Authority (LA) have suggested two PD days, with schools to set the remaining three.

Enquiries usually begin during the Spring Term from staff who work in educational settings about future term dates and holidays. We are pleased to be able to share these with you at this early opportunity for the academic year 2024-25.

There are two LA suggested PD days:

Monday 2 September 2024.
Monday 21 July 2025.

Schools should add three further PD days or of course select all five of their own.

Schools are cordially requested to send a copy of all agreed PD days to attendancesupportteam@telford.gov.uk.

The DfE data collection ‘View your Education Data’ developed by WONDE

Thank you to all schools that are now providing attendance data to support ‘Working Together to Improve School Attendance’

Please check the data on the IDAMs – ‘View Your Education Data’ site and report to WONDE if yours is inaccurate. There seems to be an issue with the data continuing to count pupils that are no longer on the school roll.

There are still plans to this becoming compulsory from September 2023 but all schools are encouraged to register and participate in this now.

66/72 local schools have already ‘signed up’ to this data collection and it is proving to be a very useful tool for schools.

The System is run by WONDE and will extract data from a variety of school MIS, which includes: Arbor, Bromcom, Cloud School, Engage, Facility, Integris, iSAMS, PupilAsset, ScholarPack, SIMS, SIMS Primary, SchoolBase, SchoolPod, Teacher Centre, WBCS, Wonde Generic – other MIS may be included.

Attendance data reports will be available for you to view your own school and compare it with local and national data via a dashboard on the view your education data service. You’ll need a DfE sign-in account to access the service.

To sign up for the service go to the share your daily school attendance data website.

Once all schools are registered and submitting data there will be no need to send your termly attendance and P/A data to me as I will also be able to access local data via the new system. Thank you all for your continuing support.

Action Required: Identifying and Launching a CSE Leads Network

CSE Inquiry Briefing for secondary schools and colleges – 24 January 2023
Headteacher / Principal / Leader (secondary sector/colleges)
(Please note this message has been sent to primary schools/early years sector for information)

Since the publication of the Independent Inquiry – Telford Child Sexual Exploitation report in July last year, we know, like us, you have been considering the recommendations for schools and colleges. For clarification, the report uses the term ‘colleges’ as defined in Keeping Children Safe in Education: ‘college’ means further education colleges and sixth-form colleges as established under the Further and Higher Education Act 1992 and institutions designated as being within the further education sector. College also means providers of post 16 Education as set out in the Apprenticeships, Skills, Children and Learning Act 2009 (as amended) 3: 16-19 Academies, Special Post-16 institutions and Independent Training Providers.

The inquiry makes the recommendation for all secondary schools and colleges to appoint a CSE Lead that is in addition to the requirement for a DSL. It is our view that in effect they will act as a ‘deputy DSL’ who acts as part of your settings safeguarding team. The CSE lead will require full DSL training which they can access via LA training where they are not trained already. Governance and leaders should now consider who to appoint as the CSE Lead for their setting, and agree how they will work with leaders, governance and the DSL for the setting in their exercise of their safeguarding responsibilities. We understand some non-secondary and college settings are also looking at appointing CSE Leads as an area of good practice.

We would like to invite all secondary school and college CSE leads to our first CSE Lead network meeting on Tuesday 24 January 2023, 3.30-5pm via Microsoft Teams. This initial network meeting will be an opportunity to look at the findings of the Inquiry as a group, consider the recommendations placed on schools and colleges, and how to implement these in your setting. These meetings will be held regularly to establish and maintain a network of CSE Leads and to support further multi-agency working.

Please note the first phase of the network will be open to secondary school and college CSE Leads only to look at the requirements placed specifically on these settings. In the second phase we will consider how to extend the network to engage with other education settings, such as primary schools and childcare providers.

Actions to be taken next:

We request all secondary schools and colleges book a place on the CSE network meeting.

To book your place at this important, free of charge online briefing, please send the following information to cpdschoolimprovement@telford.gov.uk by return – and no later than 4pm, Friday 20 January 2023:

School Name:
Name of delegate:
Email address:
Job title/designation:

Once your details are received, a link to the virtual meeting will be shared with you.
For any questions, please email: educationsafeguarding@telford.gov.uk
We look forward to working with you to implement these recommendations.

Cyber Crime webinar from the West Mercia Police Cyber Crime Unit

Places are available on a session centred on safeguarding online safety, open to all staff in the education sector, with a choice of two dates.

Topics Covered:

Cyber Choices Challenge Launch – 16 January 2023.
Safer Internet Day – 7 February 2023.
Cyber Prevent referrals.
Easy steps to protect yourself online.
Free school resources.

Monday 23 January 2023, 4pm – register online
Tuesday 24 January 2023, 4pm – register online

Free education sessions from the St Giles Trust

It was announced in April 2022 that Telford & Wrekin Council would be working with St Giles Trust for 12 months to deliver a programme of education sessions to children and young people across the borough. These sessions will help to equip children and young people with the knowledge, tools, and awareness to stay safe and make positive choices.

St Giles Trust will work with all primary schools, junior schools, secondary schools, post 16 settings and pupil referral units to deliver free universal sessions in your setting.

A facilitator with lived experience will deliver these sessions to help to educate pupils on a range of topics, including county lines, knife crime, gangs, glamorisation and joint enterprise, and the realities of prison.

To book your universal sessions please send an email to sosplusmidlands@stgilestrust.org.uk.

On booking, St Giles Trust will provide you directly with information on session details, pre and post evaluation and confirmation of staff suitability. Please download the letter of confirmation of staff suitability, for your reference.

With your agreement (and where needed) St Giles Trust facilitators will identify further targeted sessions that may benefit groups or individual pupils in your setting. These sessions will be allocated on a case-by-case basis.

All schools and settings in the Telford & Wrekin borough are encouraged to engage fully with this project, as part of our ongoing-shared commitment to keeping our children and young people in Telford as safe as possible.

Any queries can be sent to Scott Thomas-White, Education Safeguarding Coordinator, via email to Educationsafeguarding@telford.gov.uk.

Speech and Language Therapy (SaLT) Survey for education settings

Please can we request that all education settings complete the survey for Speech and Language Therapy.

The Local Area SEND Partnership have been working with Speech and Language Therapy (SALT) colleagues to review the current arrangements for delivering speech and language therapy across all settings, from community to acute to support our benchmarking with other areas.

We are aware that for a range of reasons some education settings have made the decision to commission independent Speech and Language Therapy. If you are willing to share this information it will help us as a system to understand, both local Speech and Language Therapy (SLT) demand and capacity further to reflect the priority education settings have and are giving to Speech Language and Communication Needs (SCLN)

This survey will close on 27 January 2023.

Complete the survey

Early Talk Boost for EYFS children and other training

1.2 million Children in the UK struggle to communicate. The Early Talk Boost language intervention is aimed at reducing the number of children having communication difficulties by narrowing the gap between 3 – 4 year olds with delayed language and their peers. Early Talk Boost is also recommended for use in Reception class.

The Early Talk Boost was developed because between 40 and 50% of children growing up in socially disadvantaged areas of the UK are starting school with delayed language. As the early years offers such an opportunity for rich language experiences, it makes sense to start supporting language development at pre-school and nursery so that children have a good foundation when they start school. The Early Talk Boost intervention has been designed by I CAN communication advisors – specialist teachers and speech and language therapists.

Early Talk Boost supports a range of skills that give children’s language a boost:

Attention and listening: foundation skills for speaking and listening.
Learning and using new words: research shows that children with weaker vocabularies are at risk of difficulties with reading.
Building sentences: putting words together is a vital skill for having conversations and telling stories.

Each school or setting can access 1 free place and will receive an Early Talk Boost pack worth £500. (Childminders will be able to access the packs via Early Learning and Childcare Partnership Hubs, but need to have attended the training) . It is suitable for Teachers, EYFS leads, Setting leads, Room leaders, SENDCo, Childminders.

Stoke Speaks Out is a tool developed by Speech and Language Therapists as part of a School Readiness plan. A quick and easy tool to assess children’s language skills in the EYFS. The screen can be used with children between the ages of 2 and 5 years 11 months and it identifies delays in understanding and spoken language and aids target setting. It is suitable for Teachers, EYFS leads, Setting leads, Room leaders, SENDCo, Childminders.

ICAN Early Talk training will include extend practitioner knowledge of speech, language and communications skills and processes; identifying risk factors that impact on the development of communication skills; understand the practitioner role in supporting speech, language and communication development; how to gather information around difficulties with SLC including when to and where to refer. It is especially suitable for those new to working in EYFS who work directly with children in EYFS settings/school nurseries including apprentices and students.

The timetable is as follows:

Free training to support Speech Language and Communication: One free toolkit and one free place per EY Setting/School Nursery/Childminder. Additional places can be booked a cost will be charged. Telford and Wrekin Settings/schools only. Early Years Talkboost packs will be provided 1 per EYFS setting (Childminders will be able to access a pack via the EY team as needed, but must have attended the training. )		Delivery Method & Venue	Room	Start Time	Finish Time	Cost
Stoke Speaks Out Communication Screening tool	6 March 2023	Face to Face Meeting Point House	Southwater	9.30am	12noon	Free
Stoke Speaks Out Communication Screening tool (evening)	28 March 2023	Face to Face Meeting Point House	Southwater	6.30pm	9pm	Free
ICAN Early Talk 2 part training afternoons (Both sessions need to be attended)	1 March 2023 & 15 March 2023	Face to Face Meeting Point House	Southwater	1pm	4pm	Free
Early Years Talk Boost for settings, childminders and Schools (Daytime option)	26 January 2023	Face to Face Meeting Point House	Southwater	9.30am	3pm	Free
Early Years Talk Boost for settings, childminders and Schools (Saturday option)	26 January 2023	Face to Face Meeting Point House	Southwater	9.30am	9pm
Early Years Talk Boost for settings, childminders and Schools (Evening option)both sessions need to be attended.	18 March 2023	Face to Face Meeting Point House	Southwater	6.30pm	9pm

To book a place please email talkingchildcare@telford.gov.uk.

Chinese New Year 2023

The Multicultural Development Team (MDT) team are working with the Chinese Arts and Culture Centre in Telford this term to deliver free resources and workshops, specifically for Primary and Secondary schools, to celebrate Chinese New Year and Chinese Culture in schools, thanks to Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC) funding.

Meadows Primary had wonderful free Chinese New Year workshops, and pupils, staff, Cllr Reynolds and Mayor Rajash Mehta thoroughly enjoyed it. Grace Tong led a workshop full of history culture along with Chinese music and a mixture of Dragon dance, fan dance and ribbon dance activities which were enjoyed by all. A wonderful way to celebrate equality and diversity in our community. They were also joined by a pipa (Chinese instruments) teacher who came directly from China to join in our Telford school celebrations. Zhuo Qun Zhang is a professional pipa player and she has played on many Chinese TV channels and is very well known in China.

Our Mayor, on his Twitter feed, commented that it was “an explosion of colour and dance during the workshops celebrating Chinese New Year. It was also lovely to see Cllr Shirley Reynolds at the school celebration.”

You can find out more in the Shropshire star article.

2023 is a year of the Water Rabbit, starting from Sunday January 22nd, 2023 (Chinese New Year), and ending on February 9th, 2024 (Chinese New Year's Eve). The sign of Rabbit is a symbol of longevity, peace, and prosperity in Chinese culture. The rabbit is the fourth animal in the Chinese zodiac. The rabbit is known to be the luckiest out of all the twelve animals. It symbolizes mercy, elegance, and beauty. People who are born in the year of the rabbit are said to be calm and peaceful.

Please download the primary and secondary resource packs.

If you have any photos of events in you schools to celebrate Chinese New Year, please send them into the education Noticeboard, we would love to see them!

If you would like to express an interest in the workshops please contact the MDT team.

The Apprenticeship Employment and Skills Show – 16 March 2023

The Apprenticeship, Employment and Skills Show 2023 is back on Thursday 16 March 2023. The event will take place at The International Centre, Telford 12noon-7.30pm, with the 12noon-12.30pm slot available exclusively for SEND students as a quieter time before the event gets too busy.

It’s the largest event of its kind this side of the NEC in Birmingham and aims to promote local apprenticeship opportunities to people across Telford, Shropshire and the West Midlands. It is completely free to attend.

Apprenticeships are a great way to build the workforce of tomorrow and are now seen as a very viable alternative to university. The show is also a great opportunity for businesses to showcase careers and jobs that exist now and in the future.

Please make sure this date is in your diary and reserve a slot for your school – we very much look forward to seeing you and your students at the show in 2023.

Places can be booked online.

The UK’s Biggest apprenticeship assembly is back

The UK’s biggest apprenticeship assembly is back!

Why attend?
Join over 100,000 viewers, from students and education providers to high-profile employers, in tuning in to The Big Assembly during National Apprenticeship Week.

What's covered?
From 11:10am on Tuesday 7th February 2023, we’ll be myth busting, shedding light on the amazing opportunities available, and our panel will be answering questions LIVE from those watching.

How you can get involved?
The Big Assembly is all about inspiring the next generation of apprentices and you can help us achieve this by:

Following and sharing our content using the social media links below.
Distributing our poster (attached) to all relevant stakeholders.
Providing video content highlighting your apprenticeship provision.

Please download the poster for more information.

Pedestrian Training workshops

Bookings are now being taken for pedestrian training workshops, suitable for pupils in reception through to year 6, at a cost of £125 per class.

The scheme will increase children’s knowledge of the Green Cross Code and teach them age appropriate pavement behaviour skills. Each session will consist of a classroom based workshop followed by an accompanied walk in the local area. A pre and post evaluation will take place, and results fed back to the class teacher.

For more information, answers to queries or to book a course please contact Gemma Marchant, Road Safety Education Officer, via email to gemma.marchant@telford.gov.uk.

National Storytelling Week

National Storytelling Festival Week takes place every year. This year the week runs from 30 January to 5 February 2023, however the storytelling festival runs four day’s either side of these dates.

National Storytelling Week is celebrated by all ages enjoying - folk tales, fairy lore, figments, phantoms, dragons, serpents, storms at sea. A good teller will conjure intriguingly.

In 2022, nearly 2 in 5 (37.5%) children and young people said they enjoyed listening to audio stories. 2 in 5 (39.7) children and young people listened to audio, such as audiobooks or podcasts, at least once a week, and a further 1 in 5 (21.4%) listened less than once a week. While more girls than boys enjoyed reading (51.6% vs 42.4%) and writing (40.8% vs 29.9%), slightly more boys than girls enjoyed listening (38.3% vs 36.2%). However, the gap for listening is smaller than for reading or writing.

Some free resources are available online:

Literacy Trust
National Storytelling Week
Twinkl: National Storytelling Week

Let us know what you are doing to celebrate this festival. Send your photos and stories to education.noticeboard@telford.gov.uk or tag us in your tweets @telfordwrekin.

Time to Talk Day – 2 February 2023

Time to Talk Day is the nation’s biggest mental health conversation. Happening every year, it’s a day for friends, families, communities, and workplaces to come together to talk, listen and change lives.

Time to Talk Day 2023 will take place 2 February 2023, run by Mind and Rethink Mental Illness, in partnership with the Co-op and with support from Time To Change Wales, See Me and Change Your Mind / Inspire.

We know the more conversations we have, the better life is for everyone. Talking about mental health isn’t aways easy, but a conversation has the power to change lives. Explore this site for ideas on how to take part in Time to Talk Day, from organising an event in your local library or hosting a lunch and learn session to simply sharing information on social media or texting a friend.

Make space in your day for a conversation about mental health this Time to Talk Day.

Find out more:

About Time to Talk Day
Take part in Time to Talk Day
Download a Time to Talk Day pack

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).

Please note that some dates may be subject to change due to the national industrial action. We will keep delegates informed and update the CPD booklet as soon as any changes are made.

Newly Appointed Safeguarding Governor Induction Training - part 1 (SG 103)	Monday 23 January 2023	5.30pm to 7.30pm
Online Safety – a Safeguarding Responsibility (CPD 609)	Tuesday 24 January 2023	4pm to 5.30pm
Designated Teacher for Children in Care Network Meeting (Post 16) To book please contact virtualschool@telford.gov.uk	Wednesday 25 January 2023	4pm to 5.30pm
Establishing Yourself as a SEND leader, for new and returning SENCOs (LSAT 302)	Wednesday 25 January 2023	4pm to 5pm
Newly Appointed Designated Safeguarding Leads' Training (2 days) - part 1 (SG 102)	Wednesday 25 January 2023	9.15am to 4pm
The Strategic Role of Governors (GO 601)	Thursday 26 January 2023	4pm to 6pm
EAL and SEND? (CPD 601)	Thursday 26 January 2023	1.15pm to 4pm
Safety Intervention Training (formerly MAPA training) - Part 1 CPI accredited (BSAT 201)	Thursday 26 January 2023	8.30am to 4pm
Newly Appointed Designated Safeguarding Leads' Training (2 days) - part 2 (SG 102)	Thursday 26 January 2023	9.15am to 4pm
Taking the Chair - part 1 (GO 504)	Wednesday 1 February 2023	4.30pm to 6.30pm
Cover Supervisors - preparing for the role (PSS 010)	Wednesday 1 February 2023	3.30pm to 5pm
Safety Intervention Training (formerly MAPA training) - Part 2 CPI accredited (BSAT 201)	Thursday 2 February 2023	8.30am to 12.30pm
Listen with Lucy (EY 023)	Thursday 2 February 2023	1.15pm to 4pm
Accredited Safer Recruitment Training FULL	Thursday 2 February 2023	9am to 4.30pm
EAL & Maths (CPD 603)	Tuesday 7 February 2023	3.45pm to 6pm
Preparing for Statutory Assessment at the End of KS2 (CPD 504)	Wednesday 8 February 2023	9am to 12.30pm
Meeting the Statutory Safeguarding and Welfare Requirements of the EYFS (EY 009)	Wednesday 8 February 2023	4pm to 5.30pm
Preparing for Statutory Assessment at the End of KS2 (CPD 504)	Thursday 9 February 2023	9am to 12.30pm
The Importance of the Early Years Foundation Stage in Schools (GO 603)	Thursday 9 February 2023	5.30m to 7pm
Raising Awareness of Prevent (SG 101)	Thursday 9 February 2023	1pm to 2.30pm
Managing Sexual Violence & Sexual Harassment in Schools (SG 201)	Thursday 9 February 2023	9.30am to 12.30pm
Taking the Chair - part 2 (GO 504)	Wednesday 15 February 2023	4.30pm to 6.30pm
Supporting SEND in the Classroom for Early Career Teachers - part 1 (LSAT 502)	Wednesday 15 February 2023	1.15pm to 4pm
Newly Appointed Safeguarding Governor Induction Training - part 2 (SG 103)	Wednesday 15 February 2023	5.30pm to 7.30pm
Behaviour Support Intervention Refresher Training - non-accredited (BSAT 302)	Thursday 16 February 2023	8.45am to 12.30pm
Meeting the OFSTED requirements and developing reading strategies for EAL learners at KS2 (CPD 714)	Thursday 16 February 2023	3.45pm to 6pm
Early Career Teacher Network (combined event) (CPD 720)	Thursday 16 February 2023	4pm to 5pm (with optional informal drop in 3.30-4pm + 5-5.30pm)
Understanding Children’s Development in the EYFS – Milestones, Theories and Approaches (EY 314)	Thursday 16 February 2023	9.15am to 12noon

Shropshire Athletic Association Under 11’s Year 5 and Year 6 Cross Country Championships 2023

The 2023 Shropshire Athletic Association Under 11’s Year 5 and Year 6 Cross Country Championships is taking place on Saturday 11 March 2023 at Concord College, Acton Burnell. The first race will commence at 2.30pm.

Further details, including the entry form, will follow shortly.

UKHSA advice for education and childcare settings amid high levels of flu, COVID-19 and scarlet fever

This is an update from the Department for Education

As winter illnesses continue to circulate at high levels and pupils are returning to education, the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has published a reminder on how to minimise the spread of illness in education and childcare settings.

UKHSA advice remains clear that children can continue to attend as normal unless they are unwell and have a high temperature. Further information on when a child is too ill for school or nursery is available. There is no requirement to be absent from school on a precautionary basis. School staff should continue to maintain their high expectations for face-to-face attendance.

For further information, please also see our Education Hub post on the latest guidelines around COVID-19 and for Strep A, our separate post on the exact circumstances in which children should be kept off school.

UKHSA is providing regular updates on Strep A. Both UKHSA and DfE are continuing to closely monitor the situation.

To help reduce the risk of some illnesses, including flu, vaccinations are being provided in schools. UKHSA, in collaboration with NHS England and DfE, have produced a briefing for secondary schools giving details about all vaccines offered to adolescents in schools and the role that schools play. This includes information on the flu vaccination programme being offered this year to those in Years 7, 8 and 9.

Applications for CO2 monitors and air cleaning units for state-funded education settings

This is an update from the Department for Education

Good ventilation in education and childcare settings remains important, both for managing the airborne transmission of illnesses like COVID-19, flu and Strep A, as well as aiding concentration and alertness.

We are currently providing additional CO2 monitors to settings to cover all teaching and childcare spaces, to help balance ventilation and manage energy costs.

Here are some setting types that are eligible for additional CO2 monitors but will not automatically receive a full allocation. If this applies to your setting, you will have been contacted via email asking you to complete an application form by Wednesday 18 January.

Settings that have been contacted include, but are not limited to:

state-funded further education settings
childminders operating in groups of 4 or more from domestic premises
new schools built since 1 January 2022, which have not previously received monitors
settings with new residential accommodation for students on Get Information About Schools (GIAS) this year
childcare providers in non-domestic settings who operate in women’s refuges and military bases
new open and secure children’s homes, which have not previously received monitors.

Other eligible setting types will receive their CO2 monitors automatically, with no action needed.

We will continue to accept applications for funded air cleaning units until Friday 10 February. These are for use in classrooms where it is not possible to maintain adequate ventilation and where CO2 levels are consistently over 1500ppm, as measured by CO2 monitors. Air cleaning units can help reduce airborne contaminants while remedial work is undertaken.

We have produced detailed guides on how to apply and on how to use an air cleaning units.

A reminder for all secondary school settings to review their provider access arrangements to meet careers statutory guidance

This is an update from the Department for Education

We have strengthened the legal framework for careers guidance in secondary schools, fulfilling commitments made in the skills for jobs white paper. New legislation was introduced through the Skills and Post-16 Education Act 2022 and the Education (Careers Guidance in Schools) Act 2022.

Since September 2022, all state funded secondary schools must now secure independent careers guidance for pupils from years 7 to 13.

From 1 January 2023, we have also strengthened the provider access legislation, making it a legal requirement for schools to ensure all pupils during school years 8 to 13 have at least 6 opportunities to meet a range of providers of approved technical education qualifications and apprenticeships.

Schools must ensure that these requirements are followed. Our updated careers statutory guidance sets out what is expected under the new requirements.

Early Years Professional Development Programme places are now available for February 2023

This is an update from the Department for Education

The Early Years Professional Development Programme is now accepting applications for the latest phase of the training, beginning in February 2023.

The flexible study programme offers a high quality continuing professional development (CPD) programme across England and is facilitated through online self-study and regular facilitated webinars. The programme provides support for practitioners to:

improve skills to support children’s communication and language development
provide an understanding of the theory of child development in early mathematics
develop skills to support children’s self-confidence, relationships, and self-awareness through expertly developed personal, social and emotional development training
improve engagement with parents and carers to support the home learning environment.

At the end of each module, practitioners will receive mentoring support from their programme trainer to discuss how they will implement and embed what they have learnt.

The training is designed for childminders and early years practitioners, qualified to Level 3 or above, who regularly work with disadvantaged children aged 2 to 4 (eligibility criteria applies).

To find more information on eligibility and how to apply, please visit the website. Early years practitioners should discuss with their line managers before applying.

Opportunities to join the DfE Star Chamber Scrutiny Board

This is an update from the Department for Education

We are looking for individuals to join our data advisory board – the Star Chamber Scrutiny Board. This board primarily exists to ensure that data collection proposals are possible, necessary, good value and are as quick and easy to complete as possible. A secondary objective is to offer strategic input on data related matters affecting children’s services.

These are volunteer posts and applicants should have detailed knowledge and understanding of children’s services data sources.

Full details of the opportunities and application process are available.

The deadline for applications is Friday 27 January 2023.

Coronation of His Majesty King Charles III bank holiday

This is an update from the Department for Education

The Government has announced a one-off bank holiday on Monday 8 May 2023 to mark the coronation of His Majesty King Charles III.

For early years providers, as with other bank holidays, it is at the discretion of individual settings whether they close or stay open. There would be no expectation for early years and childcare settings to remain open on the bank holiday.

Schools and further education providers are not expected to remain open, and it should be treated as any normal bank holiday.

The Education (School Day and School Year) (England) Regulations 1999 will be updated so teacher pay is not affected, and schools are not required to make up the hours of the additional bank holiday.

Changes to Key Stage 2 assessment dates in 2023

This is an update from the Department for Education

The Standards Testing Agency published an update to confirm a change to the Key Stage 2 (KS2) test schedule next year due to the announcement of the additional bank holiday, in honour of the coronation of His Majesty King Charles III, which normally would have been the first day of the 2023 KS2 test week in England.

Help your students make informed choices about their future with Get the Jump

This is an update from the Department for Education

For young people, choosing what to do next can be daunting and many aren’t aware of the different options open to them when they leave school or college.

The ‘Get the Jump’ Skills for Life content hub on the National Careers Service website has been designed to help young people to understand their post 16 and post 18 education and training choices.

Please encourage your students and colleagues to visit the website.

King honours people for their contributions to education and childcare

This is an update from the Department for Education

The New Year Honours List recognises the achievements of extraordinary people across the UK. Congratulations to all those receiving honours for their remarkable service to education and childcare.

SHaW Maths Hub primary update

The latest Shaw Maths Hub primary update:

Recruitment Open For Maths PD Leadership Opportunities
We are looking to recruit new Primary Specialists to join our excellent and experienced team. If you are interested in leading professional development to support schools and teachers locally, please read the webpage, watch the video and access the application form. Please contact shawmathshub@tpstrust.co.uk if you have any questions.

Specialist Knowledge for Teachers Work Groups
We have a few places available to join these SKTM for teachers Work Groups, which start soon:

Leading Mathematics Workshops
If you have already registered, this link will allow participating schools to choose from the following Additional Pathways.

New to Teaching for Mastery
Developing Maths Leadership
Teaching Multiplication Facts
Additive Reasoning - Support for Teaching Assistants
Developing Leading of Maths in Early Years
Working with Parents (only available to schools who began Mastering Number in September 2021)

If you have not yet registered, Maths Leaders and Headteachers of schools that joined the Developing Teaching for Mastery programme in or before September 2020 are welcome to join, with a workshop each term. Please select either Hereford or Shrewsbury for the Summer Term workshop with Hannah Stoten, OfSTED Lead for Early Mathematics. You’ll automatically be included in the summer term booking if you attended the Leading Maths Conference in October.

1) Autumn conference - already taken place
2) Spring - watch a live lesson in Hereford, Shropshire, Telford or Wolverhampton and discuss key features that enable children to make best progress and develop a deep understanding of mathematics
3) Summer Leadership Conference - Hannah Stoten, OfSTED Lead for Early Mathematics - Inspection of Primary Maths: Challenge and Differentiation. Supporting the Evaluation of Maths School Improvement

Participation also gives optional access to workshops for other colleagues, including Specialist Knowledge for Teachers and TAs and Transition from Primary to Secondary School. Any school that has already taken part in Developing Mastery (except those taking part this year as they automatically proceed to Embedding Mastery) are eligible to book.

Maths Hubs Programme - Annual Report
The comprehensive annual report reflects activity across all school and college phases, confirming that the majority of schools in England were working with their local Maths Hub last year.

What's On Where...

Online
Strengthening Partnerships with ITT Providers

Hereford
Early Career Teacher Work Group - Hereford
SKTM - Primary Teachers - all year groups

Shrewsbury
SKTM - Primary Teachers - Year 5 or Year 6

Telford
Early Career Teacher Work Group - Telford
Early Years - Number, Pattern and Structure
Years 5-8 Continuity - Oracy and EAL

Wolverhampton
Early Years - Pattern, Shape, Space and Measures
SKTM - Primary Teachers - Year 1 or Year 2
Years 5-8 Continuity - Oracy and EAL

Developing Teaching for Mastery

For schools looking to develop high quality teaching of mathematics for all children to secure deep understanding, with £1000 funding, we are taking bookings for 2023-24. One group will be dedicated to provide an opportunity for small schools with mixed age classes in Shropshire and Herefordshire to work collaboratively.

For more information
Check out the SHaW website and Twitter.
Please register if you wish to be added to our database to receive fortnightly updates directly - stating your preference for Primary and/or Secondary.

This entry was posted by Claire on Tuesday, 17 January 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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