EEF’s ‘A Tiered Approach’ Primary Programme for Spring 2022

Following the presentation by EEF on their Tiered Approach the summer term headteacher conference we have worked with Staffordshire Research School and EEF to develope the attached programme. We are inviting senior leaders from two schools per primary consortia group to a short modular course focusing on:

• • The EEF’s Tiered Approach to School Planning (Updated Oct 2021)
  • Disadvantaged and Post-Covid gaps
  • The Updated EEF toolkit (Updated Sept 2021)
  • ‘Putting Evidence to Work’ and effective implementation 

The course is being fully funded by the LA with support for cover costs included. Represented schools will be asked to cascade the key programme content within consortia meetings.

Please find further details here with information on how to sign up.

A Trauma Informed Approach to Christmas

"During the Christmas period some children and young people can feel anxious and vulnerable, as well as excited.  This will particularly apply to our vulnerable students including those who are spending Christmas away from their families.

For some children Christmas may be a very lonely time, with very few presents or even none. Some children will experience Christmas as a time when adults are anxious, drinking more heavily and short of money.

Christmas can also be a time when family arguments and instances of domestic violence increase. For those children in care who have experienced neglect and abuse it can be difficult to let go of unhappy memories and ‘get into the Christmas spirit.’"

Download here an article written by Dr Adele Thacker in order to help schools alleviate stress for our children in care during the Christmas festivities

FREE Opportunity for Primary Teachers

Origin Maths Hub are offering primary schools in Solihull, Coventry and Warwickshire the opportunity to participate in this free programme.

This programme is a fantastic opportunity for primary teachers to enhance and develop their mathematics subject knowledge and pedagogy.

Teaching mathematics for mastery approaches are explored, relevant for both Key Stages 1 and 2.

Teachers will receive support with their subject knowledge on big topics, representations and connections in mathematics; so that they are better placed to help children to make effective progress (especially important following missed learning opportunities during the pandemic).

This programme is completely free to participating schools; and several teachers from the same school are welcome to take part.

Find more here.

Warwickshire Libraries are open with plenty of activities for everyone to enjoy this festive season

As the nights draw in and the air gets colder, Warwickshire County Council’s Libraries are open with a warm welcome to support local communities this festive season, offering a range of friendly reading groups, creative children’s activities, and Twixmas opening hours between Christmas and New Year to help residents make the most of these important communal spaces this winter.

Customers are invited to join the free Virtual Reading Group event on Wednesday 22 December, where attendees will be able to discuss their favourite books from 2021 as well as their best Christmas reading recommendations. The event will be a great opportunity to meet friendly, like-minded people and find out more about Warwickshire Libraries future reading groups, and for any questions before the event, residents can email libraryevents@warwickshire.gov.uk.

Warwickshire Libraries are also offering Twixmas opening hours so that residents can visit their local library on both the 30 and 31 December in between Christmas and New Year, and this will include access to the full range of library services. To find out local library opening times during the entire winter season, visit www.warwickshire.gov.uk/findalibrary. Don’t forget Warwickshire Libraries’ digital services are available 24/7 during the Christmas period and beyond, including the eLibrary which hosts a great range of eBooks, eAudio Books from BorrowBox, eMagazines, eNewspapers and eMusic for all residents to enjoy.

Read here more. 

Do you need curriculum resources for the Spring term?

The team at Warwickshire Schools Library Service are busy hand-picking curriculum topic boxes for use in schools across Warwickshire and beyond for the new Spring Term. Staff, whose collective literacy experience spans across fiction and information books for all Key Stages, are passionate about supporting schools with reading for learning and pleasure.

Roll up, roll up, for Christmas dinner!

The best school roast dinner of the year is on its way… next week is Christmas dinner week!

It has no doubt already been a busy time for your school, with Christmas activities keeping your staff on their toes, happy that at least some events such as nativities, school plays, Christmas jumper days and festive fayres have been able to take place this year.

But the highlight of the seasonal celebrations – and a sign that the end of term is fast approaching – must be Christmas dinner.

Warwickshire-based school caterers, Educaterers, who will be serving up a delicious Christmas dinner to many of our schools this year, are reminding headteachers to let parents know about the special menu options and what days they’ll be served on.

Perhaps you could share the special Christmas lunch menu in your school newsletter, on your social media channels or website, or send an email out to parents to remind them.

Quite often, pupils who don’t normally have school dinners will want to get involved and have lunch on that day.

Pupils who usually choose either a meat or vegetarian option will also want to know what their options are on Christmas dinner day, so they can choose the meal that they would like best.

This year’s Educaterers Christmas menu choice for primary school pupils is either roast turkey breast fillet with sausage and bacon roll, sage and onion stuffing and gravy, or roast Quorn fillet with sage and onion stuffing and gravy. Both options will be served with crispy roast potatoes, garden peas and baby carrots.

The all-important pudding will be either ice cream or a homemade chocolate cracknel bauble.

Secondary schools that receive Educaterers meals aren’t missing out on delicious Christmas food either!

A special German Christmas Market menu is available every lunch time which includes Bratwursts or vegan Frankfurters with fried onions, mustard mayonnaise and ketchup in a pretzel hot dog bun, Currywurst with fries and winter slaw, cheese and ham crepes and cheesy garlic bread.

For those secondary pupils who want a sweet treat, Educaterers are serving up waffles, iced gingerbread, Christmas Panetone, and hot chocolate with cinnamon and whipped cream.  

By the end of next week, Educaterers will have prepared a tasty Christmas lunch for the multiple schools they cater for across Warwickshire, Coventry, Leicestershire, Birmingham and Oxfordshire.

As always, Educaterers’ kitchen teams will be getting everyone in the mood for Christmas by dressing up and wearing Christmas jumpers and Santa hats to serve the pupils their lunches. 

The whole Educaterers team would like to wish all schools a very Merry Christmas and thank you for your support in 2021.