The Disclosure and Barring service (DBS)

The Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) have created a useful animated 'Guide to DBS checks' and an accompanying leaflet. You can watch the video below.

The related leaflet can be found here. 

A set of resources for staff in schools and nurseries

Norovirus, also called ‘winter vomiting disease’ because it usually occurs during the winter months, is the most frequent cause of infectious gastro-enteritis in England and Wales and affects 600,000 to one million people in the United Kingdom every year.

Cases usually start to appear during the autumn, peaking during January. The symptoms usually last from 12 to 60 hours and will start with the sudden onset of nausea followed by projectile vomiting and diarrhoea.

This toolkit has been developed to help you prevent and control future outbreaks of Norovirus in your school or nursery. The toolkit has been put together so that you can lift out the sections you need, when you need them.

Download the toolkit here.

"Ask for Jesse" campaign

Ask for Jesse’ is a new campaign fronted by Boots, aimed at helping to close the poverty gap by assisting vulnerable families.

Working in collaboration with The Hygiene Bank, customers can simply ‘ask for Jesse’ when in store.

A member of the Boots team will discreetly provide oral hygiene products to customers with children aged three to five years old.

Find more here.

Resources

How to Be a Superhero Called Self-Control!

Super Powers to Help Younger Children to Regulate their Emotions and Senses, by Lauren Brukner

Jubilee Funds

With the Jubilee weekend approaching fast funds are changing regularly-apply ASAP

• Government web site https://platinumjubilee.gov.uk/funding/

• The National Lottery Community Fund are making available grants of up to £10,000 from the Awards For All programme for community-led events throughout 2022.  Deadline 31st March 2022  

• The National Lottery Heritage Fund 

• Sport England have opened their Queen’s Platinum Jubilee Activity Fund, focusing on the role of sport and physical activity in tackling inequalities and building stronger communities  

• The Arts Council has also announced £175,000 to help libraries celebrate. The funding will be distributed by Libraries Connected, and will provide £1,000 for each library service. Throughout the year community organisations will also be able to apply for grants from the Arts Council’s National Lottery Project Grants programme, which has been refreshed with new guidance to better support a broader range of ambitious cultural projects. Non-Jubilee branded but worth a look.

• Heart of England Community Foundation  

• Magic Little Grants will be awarding £500 grants to 2,650 charitable organisations.

Supporting Children's Toilet Training - May 2022

ERIC, the Children’s Bowel and Bladder Charity is extending their award winning training to early years practitioners, teaching assistants and family support workers. The charity is offering one or two half-day online courses delivered by an expert continence consultant via Zoom webinar.

Bookings are now being taken for standard half day Supporting Children's Toilet Training course or choose the two half day session which includes standard course and also includes an additional half day session focusing on supporting children with additional needs.  

Find more information here. 

RAWA course - flyer

Warwickshire’s SEND Local Offer sees accessibility improved

Children and young people with special educational needs and disability (SEND) in Warwickshire have more accessibility tools to use with WCC's SEND Local Offer website due to a recent upgrade.

SEND Green Paper published

The SEND Green Paper was published this week by the national government: https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/send-review-right-support-right-place-right-time?fbclid=IwAR2YgQWOj7dpnqqi2YkEY43GZI2aeFDjHpnIKeVNEKW1DHSsFn4pQ_aNr_0

Over the next 13 weeks parent carers, children and young people and those working in SEND and alternative provision are encouraged to have their say on the Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) and alternative provision (AP) system in England.

You can share your view by responding to the public consultation before Friday 1 July 2022. To take part in the consultation visit https://consult.education.gov.uk/send.../send-review-2022/

All of the relevant information on the consultation can be found here: https://sendreview.campaign.gov.uk/

North Warwickshire Primary Science Curriculum Development Programme

The attached Primary Science Curriculum CPD, from the Science learning Partnership Curriculum Hub, is offered to all Primary Schools in North Warwickshire and Nuneaton & Bedworth (Coventry too).

Schools can access £150 of Teacher Release Payments too, and Park Lane Primary in Nuneaton have kindly offered to host this training for ease of access for local schools. 

Primary Consortia Update

Primary schools in Warwickshire are all invited to be part of local consortium groupings providing support and advice to each other. In total there are 14 primary consortia groups with between 8-22 schools. Please find attached the latest list of consortia groups.  

Each consortia nominates a chair, for your information below is an updated description of the role of consortia chairs. This role is supported with funding from the LA. If your consortia chair is changing from next September please let us know by emailing schoolimprovement@warwickshire.gov.uk

Secondary schools also work in groupings, these are called area networks. There are four across Warwickshire, details of those groups can also be found in the attached document.

School Improvement: Consortium Chair

The role of the Consortium Chair is to take responsibility for the co-ordination of a strategic school improvement plan for the schools within their consortium. This may include academies, free schools and maintained. The aim is to raise standards and challenge under - performance within our family of schools in accordance with WCC WE3 aim and the development of a school-led system.

• Each consortium will elect a chair and deputy. This should be reviewed bi-annually or as required

Eligibility
The Consortium Chair should:

·       be a headteacher with at least three years’ experience who is leading or has led a good or outstanding school;

·       have the full support of their school’s Governing Body;

·       be able to commit to the time expectation for the Consortium Chair role;

·       be leading or have led a school where there is continued improvement or consistently high levels of pupil performance.

Role
The role of the Consortia Chair:

1.       Convening and chairing consortium headteachers’ meetings, normally two per term, arranging for the production and dissemination of meeting records which note actions, agreements and timescales, and ensuring accurate records are kept of any delegated or contributed funds.

2.       Being the key point of contact for all headteachers within the consortium, and for WCC on any matters relating to consortium or individual schools

3.       Maintain regular check ins and contact with newly appointed Headteachers within the consortia and signposting to well-being support when appropriate. From September 2022 all Headteachers of maintained schools will be able to access free half termly sessions with a peer coach. This will provide mentor and coaching support. Academies may buy in to this as an option for their newly appointed Headteachers.

4.       Playing a full part as a member of the Primary Consortia Chairs Board representing the consortium, including ensuring that key messages from the LA are reported back to the consortium.

5.       Promoting a culture of full, open and professional dialogue within the consortium, so that schools share their strengths and concerns, and seek and offer challenge and support to each other.

6.       Strategically representing the consortium on the Area Analysis Group (AAG) identifying important consortium development issues that are common to a number of schools, and also individual schools that may have aspects vulnerable to adverse Ofsted judgements.

7.       Leading discussion on the consortium’s response to common development issues and to request assistance/finance from its members or from the AAG or Warwickshire School Improvement Partnership (WSIP).

8.       Ensuring that vulnerable schools in the consortium are identified and relevant support is brokered where it is not already in place.

9.       Reporting to the AAG on the view of progress of vulnerable schools and the effectiveness of any support they are receiving.

10.   Supporting the development of school to school support within the consortium such as learning walks, peer to peer reviews etc.

11.   Report to the AAG on the outcome of FAP and Assessment Gateway Panels held each month and convey AAG’s views/opinions on schools’ capacity to support vulnerable pupils to FAP AG Panel.

12.   Be able to speak to OFSTED regarding engagement in the Consortia, should a Local Authority Representative not be available.

13.  Provide a reference for Deputy Head Teachers within the consortia who are applying for Headship.

Any queries regarding the above can be emailed to schoolimprovment@warwickshire.gov.uk

Information for School Leaders on the Ukrainian Response

The humanitarian crisis in Ukraine is resulting in families leaving the country and seeking asylum in other countries. In the UK, citizens are being asked to accommodate Ukrainian families in their homes. Ukrainian families will vary in size, dependant on their individual circumstances. They will all be fleeing appalling atrocities and will need the compassion and support from a wide range of sources.

The vast majority of these families will all have children, and if they want their children to attend school, they will be need to apply for a school placement in the same way UK citizens do, through the School Admissions service at their local Council. Families will be supported with this.

Education services have pulled together information in order to keep you updated. Please see here more. 

Save the date - Summer Term Headteachers' Conference

Save the Date! 

Summer Term 2022 Headteachers' Conference 

Wednesday 25^th May 2022 (9.30am – 3.15pm) 

Venue to be confirmed 

Details of the conference will follow in due course.

Anti-racism and mental health in schools: new resources by Anna Freud Centre

This week, the Centre has released a set of 10 free resources to support schools to understand the mental health impact of racism on children and young people, and help staff to build a whole school approach to anti-racism.

A free online event is being held on Thursday 28 April to tie in with the launch of free e-learning materials. The full suite of materials will be launched next month and will aim to help school staff to understand the mental health impact of racism on pupils and staff.

Warwickshire schools delight in receiving oak tree saplings from HS2

HS2 has donated around 400 English Oak saplings to local schools and community groups in the Coleshill area of Warwickshire, including Water Orton School and High Meadow Community School.

LMJV (Laing O’Rourke and J. Murphy & Sons), HS2’s enabling works contractor in the Midlands, working with environmental contractor Three Shires Ltd, collected acorns from a tree on HS2’s Coleshill Manor site in Warwickshire in 2020 which had to be removed during archaeology work before the land is prepared for the new railway line.

The oak tree saplings have been growing in a nursery over the last year and have now been donated to local groups to create a lasting legacy for the tree in the local area.

This project was in addition to LMJV’s extensive environmental mitigation programme across the whole region to ensure the biodiversity of local areas is preserved and enhanced, with many new wildlife habitats already flourishing and over 223,000 trees now planted.

Green Corridor planting programme

As part of its green corridor programme, HS2 has already planted over 700,000 trees, including silver birch, hazel, hawthorn and holly, and created over 100 wildlife sites along the Phase One route between London and the West Midlands.

HS2 is planting up to 7 million trees on Phase One alone, leaving behind more than 33 square kilometres of new woodland, wildlife and river habitats - the equivalent of 23 new Hyde Parks lining the spine of the country.

The groups which have received donations include:

• Coleshill C of E Primary School
• Coleshill Gardening Club
• Coleshill Town Council
• High Meadow Community School
• Ladywalk Nature Reserve
• Middleton Parish Council
• Oaklands Park
• Saltley Stallions
• The Coleshill Community Hub
• Water Orton Parish Council
• Water Orton School
• Woodlands School

Warwickshire Fire and Rescue Link for schools

Gosia Zielinska is a new member of Warwickshire Fire Service Community Engagement team. 

Gosia is new to role and would like to engage with education and community groups to promote not only fire safety awareness, but also linking up with secondary schools and promoting the Fire Service as a career option.

If you want to contact Gosia please below her details:  

Mobile: 07876 217647

Email: GosiaZielinska@warwickshire.gov.uk

Apprenticeships Information Session for Warwickshire County Council Schools

Dan Nash, Apprenticeships and Placements Practitioner for WCC, is running an online information session about apprenticeships specifically for WCC schools, on the 28th April at 3pm.

If you have any burning questions about how apprenticeships can benefit your school, the apprenticeship levy and how to make use of it, or anything else apprenticeship related, then please register your interest to come along by emailing Dan at danielnash@warwickshire.gov.uk - you will then be sent an invite with a Teams link to the session. 

When the World Was Ours by Liz Kessler receives the Warwickshire Secondary Book Award 2022 as voted by local school students

When the World Was Ours by Liz Kessler has won the Warwickshire Secondary Book Award 2022 following a vote by Year 7 and 8 pupils in secondary schools across the county.

Right to Work Check and Status Share Codes

The Home Office has announced that from 6^th April 2022, the right to work of those who hold a biometric resident card (BRC), biometric residence permit (BRP) or frontier worker permit (FWP) can only be done online.  Notification of the change was made on 17^th December 2021 in a new Appendix E to the Right to work checks: an employer's guide 

From 6^th April 2022, employers must carry out a check for individuals holding BRC, BRP or FWP using the Home Office’s online right to work check service.  It will no longer be an option to complete a manual right to work check, presentation of a physical document will no longer be acceptable. 

This means that, from 6^th April 2022, employers will no longer be able to accept or check a physical BRP, BRC or FWP as valid proof of right to work, even if it shows a later expiry date.  

Individuals using View and Prove must select one of three options for sharing their immigration status:  

• To prove their right to rent in England 
• To prove their right to work in the UK 
• For another reason 

Each share code can only be used for the purpose it was originally selected for.  For example, a share code generated to prove an individual's right to work can only be used in the 'View a job applicant's right to work details' online service.  If the same code is entered into the 'View a tenant's right to rent in England' service, the share code will not work. 

All share codes now begin with a letter denoting the purpose it can be used for: 

• 'R' - this will indicate that the share code has been generated by an individual to evidence their right to rent. 
• 'W' - this will indicate that the share code has been generated by an individual to evidence their right to work. 
• 'S' - this will indicate that the share code has been generated for another reason other than rent or work. 

This will enable employers to be confident that the correct share code has been generated and avoid confusion when using the services. Share codes will continue to work in the same way.  They will always be 9 characters long.  On receipt of the share code, employers should continue to use the 'View a job applicant's right to work details' online service.  

What are right to work checks?  
 
Employers must check that all job applicants have a lawful immigration in the UK before entering into employment, to avoid being liable for a civil penalty.  
 
There are two types of right to work checks: an online check and a manual check. The type of check employers are required to conduct will depend on the status of the job applicant.  
 
An online right to work check is required for all BRC, BRP and FWP holders, as well as individuals who only hold digital proof of their immigration status in the UK.  
 
To carry out an online right to work check, employers will need the applicant’s date of birth and their share code, which they will have obtained online. For further information for employers on how to use the online services, guidance is available on GOV.UK:  
 
Employer right to work checks supporting guidance 
To complete the online right to work check, employers will enter the job applicant’s details by visiting the ‘checker’ side of the service on GOV.UK: 
 
View a job applicant's right to work details  
 Updated guidance on how to conduct a right to work check on BRC, BRP and FWP holders from 6 April 2022 will be published shortly on GOV.UK. 

Pupils aged 11 - 17 can still grab their spot at Warwickshire's Youth Conference

There’s still time for your pupils to grab their spot at Warwickshire’s Youth Conference: Future Ready, held on Thursday 21 April between 11am – 4pm. 

Organised by young people, for young people, the Future Ready conference will offer a friendly and empowering environment where young people (aged between 11 and 17) and local organisations will come together to amplify the voices of tomorrow to help shape the county. 

To find out more and to sign up, visit: https://www.childfriendlywarwickshire.co.uk/youthconference