Notice: 10 December 2020

A round-up of news, guidance and key updates for education settings.

Included in this update:

Welcome to the new edition of the Education Noticeboard. The emails to parents regarding the Winter Covid Fund will start to be sent out today, we would like to request your support in signposting any enquiries to the email address provided, please take a look at the article for more information. Thank you for supporting us to supply these vouchers to families.

Earlier in the week you may have received a message from the School Finance Team regarding a second window to claim for exceptional costs as a result of Covid-19 during the summer term and summer holidays, please do make sure to take a look at the guidance to see if this is applicable for your school.

Other featured articles this week include an offer from Veolia who have created a resource to empower your pupils to look after the planet and make a difference. This free resource is aimed at KS2 and can be delivered by Veolia education staff, make sure to take a look. Staying on the theme of sustainability, Telford & Wrekin Council are giving away 8, 600 trees as part of the boroughs fight against climate change, please take a look at the article to see how your school could benefit.

Once again, I would like to thank all the schools that have been tweeting their good news stories, next week is the last week to be featured on the Noticeboard before the end of term so please keep sharing your stories.

Simon

Simon Wellman
Director: Education and Skills

Sharing Good News Stories

Thank you for sharing your stories this week, take a look at what educational settings have been up to over the past week…

Randlay Primary School
Have been taking part in Outdoor Learning, despite the weather!

Old Park Primary
Presented their first orchestral livestream concert!

Hollinswood Primary
Year 1 pupils have been busy creating cards for the residents of Parkwood with their ‘hearts for homes’ pictures.

Please continue to share your Good News stories, We have loved celebrating with you all the fantastic work that you are doing, including the various and imaginative ways that education is being provided.

Don’t forget to tag @TelfordWrekin to feature on the Noticeboard next week!

DfE Announcement - Schools have the flexibility to hold an INSET day on the 18th December

Please note the sentences in bold are additions we have made.

End of term planning

We know that school and further education leaders, teachers and staff, as well as nurseries and childminders, have worked tirelessly over the last term. This has included their important role in contact tracing, to help in the national effort to limit the spread of the virus. We are aware that this has led to additional work over weekends and holidays and we are incredibly grateful for this.

We recognise the challenges of this responsibility at the end of term. Public Health England has agreed a 6 day window after the final day of teaching in which schools and further education providers are asked to remain contactable so they can assist with contact tracing where necessary. This will allow enough time for positive coronavirus (COVID-19) cases to be identified and confirmed by a test and for relevant contacts in the education setting to be traced. We are clear that beyond 6 days after the final day of teaching, school and further education staff are not asked to play a role in any contact tracing. It is also likely that the need to support the tracing process will reduce dramatically over the course of the 6 days as the majority of cases should be identified earlier in the week.

End of term – advice for schools

To ensure that staff get the time off they need and deserve, schools may wish to use an INSET day, making Friday 18 December 2020 a non-teaching day and using the day for staff training, which could be delivered online.

Where term would normally finish in the week commencing 21 December 2020, schools may wish to consider adjusting term dates to make Friday 18 December 2020 the last day of term (which could be an INSET day), and bringing forward the start of term in January by the same number of days. (Please note this sentence does not apply to Telford and Wrekin as our end of term date is the 18 December 2020)

In all circumstances, teaching time must be made up at another point in the academic year. You should not limit attendance at school before Friday 18 December. It remains vital for all children to be in school up to the last day of teaching.

We recognise this communication has arrived with schools late in the term but would ask schools to be as helpful to parents as they can by sharing any changes to end of term arrangements as soon as possible, particularly where schools choose to make Friday 18 December 2020 a non-teaching day. Your support with this is appreciated.

We recommend all schools ensure staff, parents and carers are aware of the following information and relevant arrangements regarding positive cases in the holidays:

Where a pupil or staff member tests positive for coronavirus (COVID-19), having developed symptoms more than 48 hours since being in school, the school should not be contacted. Parents and carers should follow contact tracing instructions provided by NHS Test and Trace.
For the first 6 days after teaching ends, if a pupil or staff member tests positive for coronavirus (COVID-19), having developed symptoms within 48 hours of being in school, the school is asked to assist in identifying close contacts and advising self-isolation, as the individual may have been infectious whilst in school.
School staff are not asked to remain on-call or conduct any contact tracing more than 6 days after the final day of teaching. Where a schools last teaching day is on Thursday 17 December 2020, there should be no pupil contact tracing asks beyond Wednesday 23 December 2020.

For the first 6 days after the end of term, schools are not asked to be on-call at all times. Staff responsible for contact tracing may designate a limited period in the day to receive notification of positive cases and advise close contacts to self-isolate (this can be done by text or email). The Department for Education coronavirus (COVID-19) helpline and PHE advice service are available to support with any queries you have about positive cases in your school. (Please note we ask you to contact the local Health Protection Hub in Telford for advice and guidance)

Where pupils are required to self-isolate due to contact with a positive case after the first 6 days following the end of term, schools do not need to be informed about their absence until the first day of the new term.

What this means in practice is:

If you stop face to face teaching from 18 December 2020 and a child or staff member starts to show symptoms from 21 December 2020 – there is nothing for the school to do here.
If you stop face to face teaching from 17 December 2020 – from 20 December 2020 there is nothing for the school to do here.
If you stop face to face teaching from 18 December 2020 and a child or staff member starts to show symptoms on either the 19 December 2020 or 20 December 2020 then should they get a positive result before or on the 24 December 2020 you will be asked to support track and trace activity.
If you stop face to face teaching from 17 December 2020 and symptoms start on either 18 December 2020 or 19 December 2020 then should they get a positive result before or on the 23 December 2020 you will be asked to support track and trace activity.

End of term – advice for further education providers

We advise that, where possible, all face to face teaching ends on Thursday 17 December, which would give a cut-off date of 23 December. After 23 December, further education providers will not be contacted by NHS Test and Trace for contact tracing.

Further education providers already have flexibility to determine term dates and decide how to deliver planned hours across the study programme, which will allow face to face teaching to end by 17 December. We know that further education providers appreciate the importance of on site teaching for young people. This change does not diminish our view that colleges should continue to maximise access to face to face teaching, supplemented by some remote education.

Funding for further education programmes is based on their size and measured in planned hours or learning aims. It is not determined by term dates as it is for schools, and this allows providers flexibility on how planned hours are delivered. If the amount of face to face planned hours for students are reduced before the end of term, we expect that additional face to face planned hours will be provided before the end of the study programme.

We recommend all further education providers ensure staff, students, parents and carers are aware of the following information and relevant arrangements regarding positive cases in the holidays:

Where a student or staff member tests positive for coronavirus (COVID-19), having developed symptoms more than 48 hours since being on site, you should not be contacted. Students should follow contact tracing instructions provided by NHS Test and Trace.
Staff, students, parents, and carers only need to inform further education providers of a positive case where symptoms occur within 48 hours of the confirmed case being on site. Leaders will need to help identify close contacts and advise them to self-isolate.
Staff do not need to be available for contact tracing duties beyond the first 6 days of the end of term, at which point all positive cases should be dealt with through NHS Test and Trace. This means that where a provider ends face to face education on Thursday 17 December 2020, there will be no need to remain on-call after Wednesday 23 December 2020.

For the first 6 days after the end of term, further education providers are not asked to be on-call at all times. Staff responsible for contact tracing may designate a limited period in the day to receive notification of positive cases and advise close contacts to self-isolate (this can be done by text or email). The Department for Education coronavirus (COVID-19) helpline and PHE advice service are available to support with any queries you have about positive cases in your college.

Festive break – advice for early years providers

We know that many nurseries and childminders will continue to operate over the holiday period, providing invaluable support to parents who still require childcare during this time. Private, voluntary and independent providers, and maintained nursery schools can continue to open during the period and should continue to follow the guidance for early years and childcare providers during the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak.

School-based nurseries that only open during term-time should follow the arrangements for their school.

Very quick survey regarding the INSET Day 18 December 2020

At the request of schools we are seeking information about who is holding an INSET day on the 18 December 2020. We plan to share this information to all schools in the borough early next week. Headteachers have said this will help schools plan for potential workforce capacity issues. This is a very quick survey to provide a Yes/No answer. To clarify you have the flexibility to decide whether or not to implement an INSET day on 18 December 2020.

Complete the survey

More secondary schools places marks next step in major schools investment

Telford & Wrekin Council is expanding its secondary school provision by another 300 school places, part of its £31 million investment into schools over the next two years.

Work is to start at The Telford Langley School to provide these extra secondary school places, increasing capacity to take account of growth happening in the borough.

Further expansions will also be planned at other school sites across the borough in due course.

The £3 million scheme will include constructing a new two storey, 300 pupil classroom facility at the Telford Langley’s site in Dawley, along with reconfiguring and refurbishing areas of the ground floor and first floor of the existing school building.

This project is part of the £31 million investment into borough schools to improve facilities and meet the growing demand for places in local schools.

The Langley development will also develop a partnership arrangement for a secondary Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) hub to bridge the gap between specialist and mainstream schooling.

This will offer a greater choice for parents and means children with more complex SEND are educated alongside their mainstream peers.

Cllr Shirley Reynolds, Cabinet Member for Children, Young People, Education and Lifelong Learning, said: “This represents a £3 million investment by the Council in the future of the borough and underscores our commitment to provide local school places for local children.

“Expanding provision at Telford Langley will provide more secondary places for children in the Dawley area and enable even more children to attend a school which is closer to their home address.

“This will be on top of the £200 million Building Schools for the Future programme which completed four years ago, benefitting every secondary school in the borough.”

Executive Headteacher at Langley School Steven Carter, said: “The Telford Langley is a school in the heart of its community and we are committed to 'Ensuring Excellence' in everything we do” here.

“We firmly believe that all students should feel safe, happy and cared for in an environment that is well disciplined, allowing students to be successful and enjoy their learning.

“This major improvement project will help us to provide an even more stimulating environment and new spaces for growth and learning.”

Leading Shropshire construction company Morris Property have been awarded the design & build project and refurbishment programme and will work with the Council to create the exciting new facilities for the school, which is part of the Community Academies Trust.

School Survey Remote Learning

Thank you to everyone who has completed the School Survey, if you have not yet done so the closing date for responses has been extended until the end of term.

Please complete the survey either from your experience of students who have self-isolated or where you’ve had bubble closures or your plans of what to do should these events happen.

These questions should not take more than two or three minutes to complete and we would welcome your responses.

Complete the School Survey

Winter COVID Grant Fund - Free School Meal Vouchers

We are sending out the Free School Meal vouchers by email to all of the parents that we have an email address for today. Our communication to parents includes an email address they can contact if they experience any problems with the voucher. In the unlikely event that a parent contacts school with queries regarding the vouchers please direct them to winterfunding.grant@telford.gov.uk or if they have not received the voucher. If the query relates to problems downloading the voucher or where it can be spent please refer them to our website which contains and FAQ section Telford and Wrekin Free Schol Meals Voucher or the voucher provider 0344 693 9901 or visit the Select Your Reward website to complete the online contact form.

Many thanks again for your support with this distribution which will help children and families to enjoy the festive season.

Lets Dine - Free School Meals for children who are self-isolating

In response to a request from schools Lets Dine has put in place an alternative option to a packed lunch for children who are self-isolating.

Lets Dine have sourced a nutritious ready meal and pudding, these meals are delivered frozen with cooking instructions and all allergen information. Samples have been delivered and tested, they are of good quality and portion size for primary age, the company that provides these cater for hospitals and deliver to people within the community that need that extra care.

For those families that schools feel Vouchers aren’t beneficial and a meal would be a better alternative to those children isolating this could be the option for them. The school would have to take on the responsibility to deliver these meals and to ensure the hygiene rules are undertaken-this would require the temperature of the meals to be taken upon delivery the Lets Dine service have all the necessary paperwork for this and would support the setup, The meals would be supplied to the school and the school would be charged the FSM meal price as normal, there would be no extra costs.

This option is being trialled next week, if you would be interested in finding out more about this option please contact:

Lorna Hicks
Catering Group Manager
Email: lorna.hicks@telford.gov.uk

Big Winter Coat Project Launches

This week the Council are launching a new project to help keep the Borough’s children warm this winter.

We know from your feedback that more children than ever are arriving at school without a winter coat and that this isn’t from personal choice, they just don’t have one. Every child should have a coat to keep them warm this winter.

Telford & Wrekin Council are making £50,000 available from the COVID Winter Grant Scheme to purchase coats for children where families are unable to afford one.

If you work with any children or families that you believe this applies to please make a referral via our online form (one referral per family). We just need some basic information and we will contact the family for details on size and style preference. Referrals will only be accepted from a professional working with the family.

You must let the family know that you are making this referral and seek their permission to do so. To make it as easy as possible please share the following information with them.

“Telford & Wrekin Council are offering coats to children who do not have a coat to keep them warm this winter.

If you are interested in your child being considered for a winter coat, we need your permission for us to provide your contact details to Telford & Wrekin Council, please let us know whether you consent to us sharing this information.”

Coats will be delivered to the school for distribution to families. We are working in partnership with Cllr Kelly Middleton and Cllr Paul Watling through the School Uniform Project and The Anstice Community Trust to deliver this project.

Please note, we need to ensure that this funding is used where it is needed the most. We are therefore opening referrals to schools and professionals working directly with families only, please do not advertise this more widely.

Please make you referral on our short online form.

If you have any further enquiries please contact us by email at: grant.applications@telford.gov.uk.

ESFA Second window to claim for exceptional cost resulting from Covid-19

Details about a second window to claim for exceptional costs resulting from Covid-19 during the summer term and summer holidays 2020. Unfortunately the ESFA does not allow us to claim on your behalf or to see what you have claimed so if you could advise your finance officer of your submitted claims then we can transfer this into your accounts when payment is received.

Please read the guidance before completing the form.

Guidance: Claiming exceptional costs associated with coronavirus (COVID-19).

Second claim form for schools and academies to claim eligible exceptional costs relating to coronavirus (COVID-19) for the period March to July 2020.

This second claims window will run to 22 December 2020 and will be the final opportunity to submit a claim.

Coronavirus (Covid-19) schools fund claim

Regular Testing for Staff in Education Settings

The Council would now like offer regular testing for staff in education settings through local testing centres in Telford & Wrekin. These are the drive thru sites at Ironbridge Park & Ride and Randlay Lorry Park and the walk thru centres in: Oakengates, Donnington, Wellington, Madeley and Harper Adams.

Staff would not need to self – isolate if being tested asymptomatically, unless they have been a close contact of a positive case or have someone symptomatic in the household.

Staff can book tests directly via the Government’s Get Coronavirus Test web page.

Download: Booking a COVID-19 test on the advice of the Local Authority.

DfE School Governance Update

Welcome to the December edition of the governance update. It has been a long and very unusual autumn term for all those involved in education.

We would like to thank you for your ongoing commitment to school and trust governance, and wish you and your school’s staff and leadership team a restful and happy Christmas break.

School Governance Update: December 2020

For further enquiries please contact us by email at: SchoolGovernance@telford.gov.uk.

SEND Joint Strategic Needs Assessment (JSNA) 2020

Telford and Wrekin are committed to improve education, health and care services with strategic partners, parent carers and children and young people.

In Telford we have worked collaboratively and in true partnership to create our Joint Strategic Needs Assessment (JSNA) for SEND. A Joint Strategic Needs Assessment or JSNA contains a wide range of information to build an accurate understanding of the needs of children and young people who have SEND in Telford and Wrekin.

Background

The aim of the JSNA is to build evidence for local commissioning plans and services by collating and analysing a range of data, information, lived experience and feedback. It creates a comprehensive picture of children and young people who have special educational needs and/or are disabled in Telford and Wrekin.

“The purpose of JSNAs…is to improve the health and wellbeing of the local community and reduce inequalities for all ages. They are not an end in themselves, but a continuous process of strategic assessment and planning – the core aim is to develop local evidence-based priorities for commissioning which will improve the public’s health and reduce inequalities…

Department of Health, 2011

This helps us address the following:

‘Are we doing things in a joined-up way that makes the best use of all locally available resources, and are these things making a difference to children, young people and families so that they feel the system is supporting them?’

The JSNA includes:

a description of the population of children with special educational needs and/or disability
a range of user views
evidencing gaps in service provision and developing recommendations on how these may be addressed.

How the JSNA was created

It was led by the SEND Joint Commissioning Task and Finish group that includes PODS Parent Carer Forum as the recognised voice of parent carers in Telford and Wrekin .
We worked with a range of stakeholders including PODS and young people, to ensure a broad range of evidence was collated.
A JSNA workshop (Feb 2020) was held with a wider set of stakeholders, hearing the evidence and feeding into the process and recommendations.
We referenced the Council for Disabled Children JSNA best practice guidance.

Key Findings from the JSNA

There are rising numbers of children with SEND, particularly with autism and poor social emotional mental health.
At the 2 - 2 ½ year old check, almost 1 in 3 children are not at or above the expected level in 5 areas of development
Moderate learning difficulties are the most common primary need of pupils with SEND. We perform below the national target in all 4 standards to reduce over-prescribing of medication for CYP with Learning Disabilities.
Parent Carers value some services, but report poor experiences from others. For example, there are gaps in service provision i.e. autism and trauma and long waiting lists in services such as autism, SALT, physiotherapy
Improve access to information and support to navigate education, care and health services and development of published pathways, clear information and better communication
Need to improve engagement and co-production with children and young people
Opportunities to build on digital and information management improvements put in place during Covid times i.e. information sharing, casework practice, service delivery

Gaps in Data

The process identified local gaps in data, these are listed in detail within the JSNA as areas to address for future versions, primarily within community health services.

Recommendations and Actions

The data and findings from the JSNA process has been used to identify a set of actions to improve the provision of Health, Education and Care services locally. They are listed on the SEND Local Offer, more detail is contained within the full document. Progress on actions will be monitored via the SEND Aiming High board.

JSNA Updates

A JSNA is not a one-off document, but will require regular updates to ensure it provides an ongoing accurate picture of service delivery, helping to identify further areas of improvement.

The JSNA will also be used to help shape forthcoming SEND and SEND-related strategies.

Download the full JSNA document from the SEND Local Offer website.

If you would like any additional information about the JSNA please contact us by email at: SENDandInclusion@telford.gov.uk or by phone 01952 381045.

Annual Health Checks for Adults and Young People 14 Years and Over with a Learning Disability

Please download and distribute this information regarding annual health checks for all students that qualify.

Download: Annual Health Checks 14 Years Plus

Who’s eligible for an annual health check?

Adults and young people aged 14 or over with a learning disability. Annual health checks are important – even if the person does not feel unwell.

You can check if you’re on your GP’s learning disability register via your GP practice.

GP practices offer annual health checks to people with a learning disability. Contact your practice to discuss the best course of action and to understand what options and alternatives are available.

How will an annual health check help?

Getting to know your GP better, which will help if you ever get ill.
Understanding how you can treat any minor health problems with easy to understand information from your GP.
Asking your GP any questions you have about your health, including how you are feeling, your care, as well as any medicines you take.
Help your GP to stop you getting a serious health condition, rather than waiting until you are ill.

An annual health check gives people time to talk about anything that is worrying them and means they can get used to going to visit the doctor.

If you have any worries about going for your annual health check you can speak to your doctor or nurse to let them know your concerns. You can talk to your local GP practice if you need support to meet your needs. You can also bring someone along if you like.

What will happen during an annual health check?

Your GP practice will call you to have a chat and decide the safest way to do your annual health check. You can also tell your GP how you would prefer to do it.

Part of the annual health check can be performed at home, via phone, or video consultation (i.e. recording weight, height, any changes in behaviour, as well as using online tools and tests), however you will still need to be seen in person to finalise the check. These appointments usually last between 30 to 40 minutes.

The following is what you can expect to happen during an annual health check:

a physical check-up including heart rate, blood pressure and taking blood/urine samples
a chat about staying well, the medicines you are taking, as well as any health problems you might be dealing with (such as asthma or diabetes)
a talk about conditions such as epilepsy, constipation, and problems swallowing (which are more common for people with a learning disability)
a check to see if your vaccinations are up-to-date and if you have any other health appointments, such as physiotherapy or speech therapy
some health advice on healthy eating, exercise, contraception or stopping smoking
as well as support, if needed, for family and/or carers.

For any other advice and guidance on annual health checks, please call the Community Learning Disability team on 01743 211210.

For further information on annual health checks, an easy read guide and a short video are available to view which have been produced by Mencap.

To discuss annual health checks in more detail, or if you have any questions or comments, please contact 07775342092 or visit Parents Opening Doors (PODs) website. For Shropshire contact PACC.

You can also contact Healthwatch Shropshire or Healthwatch Telford and Wrekin for support and advice.

Reminder: Year 11 Annual Reviews

Please can we request that all Year 11 Annual Reviews are returned to the SEND team by the end of term, Friday 18 December 2020.

If you have any questions, please contact us by email at: SENDandInclusion@telford.gov.uk.

SEND Team: Welcome and Goodbye

Welcome to Linda Webb, Qualified Teacher for the visually impaired (QTVI)

I am new to the Telford and Wrekin Sensory Inclusion Service, but I am not new to supporting children and young people with a vision impairment!

I first learnt braille when I became a class teacher at Dorton House School for the Blind in Kent, in 1986. I loved this job, but moved away from the area and went on to other teaching posts, particularly with children who have special educational needs. I had the opportunity to study for the Mandatory Qualification for Teachers of Children with a Vision Impairment at the University of Birmingham in 2007, and have been working as a QTVI ever since, first in Herefordshire and then in Worcestershire. As I live in Shropshire myself, I am delighted to take on a new challenge and to get to know parts of the county I have never visited before.

My husband has also been heavily involved in education for children with a vision impairment, and together we visited a parent led school for blind children in Uganda in 2018, to take much needed resources and to offer some training to staff. We have continued this support by raising money to help pay school fees and sending braille books and supplies.

I have been made very welcome in the team, and I am really looking forward to meeting everyone for real as soon as possible.

Welcome to Helen MacDonald, Access Support Assistant

Hi, my name is Helen. I re-joined the Visually Impaired team as an Access Support Assistant in September after an 8 year break! Lots of changes here, not many members of staff are the same in fact only one on the VI team will be the same going forward.

While I was away I have been working as a nanny and also I have become a grandma to Leonora she is adorable! I also keep myself busy with our dog and the garden! The dog causes most of the work in the garden!!

I am looking forward to getting out and about and meeting your children in hopefully the not too distant future!

Goodbye to Judith Claes who is retiring from SIS

The end of this term sees the start of Judith’s retirement. Her kind and caring yet knowledgeable approach to her role as Qualified Teacher for the Visually Impaired is going to be missed. We are sure you will join us in wishing her all happiness in her new adventure.

Goodbye to Georgina Roycroft (LSAT)

Georgina has been an asset to the LSAT team during her time working for Telford and Wrekin, working closely with our secondary schools in particular to support and improve practice for children with Special Educational Needs. Georgina is leaving the service in order to spend more time with her family, and we wish her all the best for the future, she will be very much missed.

Virtual School Autumn 2020 Newsletter

On behalf of the Virtual School, as the Virtual School Head Teacher, I would like to thank you all for your continued commitment, hard work and support to ensure that our pupils develop, flourish and maximise all opportunities to succeed in the next steps of their learning despite the many additional challenges we have faced this term.

I am pleased to report that at 97%, our combined attendance is in the top quartile nationally. We also have just a 1% exclusion rate, which is significantly lower than other local authorities.

We also have a number of exciting plans for 2021 to ensure we enrich the education and lives of our Children in Care – further details are included in this Newsletter.

Download: Virtual School Autumn 2020 Newsletter.

Michelle Salter
Virtual School Headteacher
Email: Michelle.salter@telford.gov.uk

CPD courses for the remainder of 2020

There are now just a handful of courses left to run in 2020, all of which are detailed below.

We are currently reviewing how courses in the Spring Term of 2021 will be delivered, although much will depend on how the current pandemic situation looks after Christmas. Further details of our tentative plans for the Spring Term will appear in next week’s noticeboard.

As mentioned previously, unless stated otherwise, all CPD courses are currently being provided online via Microsoft Teams. When we prepare the Autumn Term CPD charges the delegate fee for these courses will be reduced accordingly to take account of the savings made by not using external venues.

Further details of all of our courses can be found in the CPD Booklet, available on the Telford Education Services website.

Bookings continue to be made in the normal way by completing a CPD booking form and sending it via email to cpdschoolimprovement@telford.gov.uk.

This table shows the CPD courses for the remainder of 2020.
Teaching Children with SEND – meeting to needs (LSAT 508)	Monday 14 December 2020	4pm to 5.30pm
SEND: Building Capacity in your school - four parts (LSAT 403)	Tuesday 15 December 2020 Tuesday12 January 2021 Tuesday 9 February 2021 Wednesday 3 March 2021	3.45pm to 5.15pm
Understanding Early Language Development 2 to 4 years (EY 112)	Tuesday 15 December 2020	1.15pm to 4pm
Solution Focused Therapy (PSS 102)	Tuesday 15 December 2020	9.15am to 12noon
AET: Leading Good Autism Practice - two parts (EPS 107)	Wednesday 16 December 2020 Wednesday 6 January 2021	1pm to 4pm

The R Team - an inspiring resource to look after our planet - empower your pupils to make a difference

The R Team - an inspiring resource to look after our planet

This free KS2 resource can be delivered by a teacher or Veolia education staff; it’s been specifically designed to fit with a digital remote, hybrid or classroom learning environment.

What is The R Team?

The R Team explores the waste hierarchy through the eyes of Jo, an inquisitive 9-year-old, and her family and friends. It encourages pupils to join The R Team and champion good waste management. There is an introductory assembly, followed by a workshop exploring each of the four Rs - reduce, reuse, recycle and recover.

Beyond learning about the 4Rs, children will increase their awareness of climate change and our environmental impact. They’ll be inspired to think about how their actions can make a difference to preserve natural resources and save energy. Pupils will be empowered to know that while everyone might be at a different starting point, we can all make small changes to do a bit more and to help the world around us.

The resource is centred on inspiring behaviour change - equipping pupils with the knowledge, understanding and motivation to take the messages home and carry them with them, to make a positive difference to the environment.

Format

The workshops use the format of a slide presentation with story voiceovers and learning activities woven in. There are supplementary teacher’s notes to support resource delivery and inform class discussions.

Schools can enhance the pupil learning experience with Veolia staff, who are available to share industry knowledge, experience and enthusiasm by leading on or contributing to the delivery of the resource. This is completely free and can be done remotely as necessary.

Download: The R Team, resource overview.

Assembly

In this 15 minute session, pupils will be inspired to think about waste and will be introduced to the 4 Rs. Most importantly, they’ll learn that they are part of The R Team!

Recycle workshop

We start with the most familiar R - recycle. Within Jo’s school day, pupils will learn how to recycle at home, what happens to recycling and why it’s important to recycle. They’ll also learn about littering, how much waste is created and consider what they can do to make a difference.

Reuse workshop

Pupils go with Jo to the supermarket and on a camping trip to learn how reusing can make a difference and think what they could reuse. Along the way they’ll learn about climate change, do some math and contemplate how they could persuade others to reuse more.

Reduce workshop

Join Jo in town to explore the difference between needs and wants. Pupils can debate whether Jo should buy new trainers, then reflect on their own needs and wants, and understand how less is more for the environment.

Recover workshop

After learning how electricity is made using non-recyclable waste, pupils will become innovators thinking about how the heat generated from the process could be used. They’ll also reflect on the 4 Rs they’ve learned about in the previous workshops, and consider what order they should go in on the waste hierarchy and why. And finally they’ll make their pledge to continue the work of the R Team and recruit others to do the same.

Veolia: Free Workshops for Primary Schools in Telford and Wrekin.

Empower your pupils to make a difference to our planet by joining The R Team!

Contact ruth.jones@veolia.com for more information or phone 07824 545 597.

Plant a free tree to help the planet

Telford & Wrekin Council is giving away 8,600 trees to local residents, schools and landowners to plant in their gardens and land as part of the borough’s fight against climate change.

‘Trees4TW’ is being launched during National Tree Week, the UK’s biggest annual tree celebration which also marks the start of the winter tree planting season.

The free trees are a mix of native species sourced in the UK, including oak, beech, crab apple, silver birch and rowan, plus hedgerow species that include hawthorn, dog rose, blackthorn and crab apple. Together they will provide a valuable habitat for wildlife and storing carbon.

Residents can apply for a single tree for their back garden, schools can apply for up to 30 trees, and charities, businesses and landowners can apply for up to 500. As tree canopy cover is lowest in the north of the borough, the Council is particularly keen to receive applications from here.

Cllr Carolyn Healy, Telford & Wrekin Council cabinet member for the natural environment and climate change, said: “Latest Government figures show that the UK is falling far behind on its tree-planting targets which needs to be addressed urgently if we are to tackle the climate crisis.

“The Council declared a Climate Emergency on 25 July last year and committed to become carbon neutral by 2030 with an aspiration for the whole borough to achieve this too. And whilst it sometimes feels that the climate crisis is too big an issue to grasp, we can all do something about it and make a difference.

“Trees4TW will help you to do that for free. We have a variety of trees available, so whether you are a resident with a small back garden or a local organisation with a bigger piece of land, we have the right tree for the right place.”

In addition to the trees planted through the Council’s Trees4TW initiative, the Fellowship of Trees has given 445 oak trees to Extinction Rebellion Telford, which will be shared with the Friends of Dothill Local Nature reserve, Telford Woods, Granville Park and others.

More details on how to claim your tree are available at: Sustainable Telford and Wrekin.

The deadline to apply for trees is noon on 18 December 2020, so get your order in. Orders will then be processed ready for when the trees arrive in the borough in January. On arrival they will be checked and dispatched to their climate-loving custodians in one of the Council’s new electric vehicles. #SustainableTW.

Healthy Lifestyles Service now open to book telephone and video call appointments

Loading... We are very pleased to let you know that the Healthy Lifestyles Team are back in business!

We are currently offering telephone and video call appointments to anyone wishing to stop smoking, shed those lock-down pounds or become healthier in any way – the things that often make up those New Year’s resolutions!

Our free service is available to anyone who lives or works in Telford and Wrekin. (Please note that anyone accessing our Stop Smoking Service must be registered with a Telford and Wrekin GP practice) – details of how to contact us are available in the Healthy Lifestyles flyer for Download.

Download: Healthy Lifestyles Flyer.

For anyone not ready to book an appointment with us, we have our Let’s Get Telford Heathy e-mail service, where you can sign up for 12 weeks of e-mails to help you get started with your new lifestyles changes.

Healthy Lifestyle Chat is our private Facebook chat group for anyone to join and chat about health.

Join our Healthy Lifestyle Chat group on Facebook

This entry was posted by Marianne on Wednesday, 09 December 2020.

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