Strategic Lead for Early Years

We are really pleased that Amanda King has now joined us to lead on Early Years across Coventry and Warwickshire. We asked Amanda to introduce herself to colleagues and outline her priorities for the first few months in post:

Amanda King: Biography

I have been involved in young children's education for over 20 years, initially teaching at primary, then in reception and nursery classes and also leading the Early Years Foundation Stage in a large inner-city school.

I joined Warwickshire in 2002, spending six happy years fulfilling various roles including leading strategy across the birth to three age range and taking on a deputy leadership role managing a team of 20 advisers.  

For the past ten years, I have been head teacher at Bedworth Heath Maintained Nursery School & Children’s Centre where we have achieved and sustained outstanding Ofsted judgements for both the school, our day care facilities and the children’s centre. During this time, I also trained and worked as an additional Ofsted Inspector and supported Warwickshire LA as a Primary School Improvement Officer building crucial knowledge of the wider educational landscape.

As well as my passion for leadership in the early years, I am committed to closing the attainment gap. This has led to undertaking a master’s degree in this area and leading on a project across Warwickshire schools and private sector settings, working with more than 50 organisations over three years, to secure a better start to children's education.

Since 2015, I have worked as executive head teacher across both Atherstone and Bedworth Heath Maintained Nursery Schools. I feel privileged to lead the education and social development of young children in our community. I truly believe that a positive start to learning and the achievement of social equality in later life stems from high quality early childhood education. This approach was the catalyst for an application to be a Teaching School.  In 2017 we embarked upon this new direction, co-leading Warwickshire Teaching School Alliance with Kenilworth Maintained Nursery School.

I also hold a role as a National Leader of Education and as an associate consultant with Early Education. I have written documentation for the Early Years Foundation Stage Guidance materials, chapters for books and deliver training, support and advice upon request at national level.

I am looking forward to the new challenges and direction that will come into play within my seconded role as Strategic Lead for Early Years. The use of National Leaders of Education to support ongoing system development brings the opportunity of blending recent practice with policy development.

This role is shared across both Warwickshire and Coventry Local Authorities.  I will learn from the strength and depth of my new colleagues and as always from my interaction with leaders and practitioners across the sector.

Priorities

My key priorities over the next few months are to:

• Provide vision, strategic direction and challenge; working within shared values, ensuring that Warwickshire’s schools and settings provide a high quality and cost-effective service

• Lead and embed a new Early Years Board to provide a range of knowledge, experience and expertise across the broad spectrum of early years to improve outcomes for children and their families

• Raise awareness and understanding about the importance of the early years and appropriate funding

• Work with Warwickshire Teaching School Alliance to focus on approaches to workforce development that engage with research, promoting and sharing best practice.

I look forward to meeting colleagues and working together to ensure achievement of Warwickshire’s new Education Strategy. 

Transforming Children and Young People’s Mental Health Trailblazer

Attention schools in South Warwickshire! Please look out for an email invitation to join the trailblazer and respond promptly to confirm your involvement - the LA must confirm which schools wish to be involved by 21st Jan 2019

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You may have read over the holiday that South Warwickshire Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) was successful in its bid to become one of 25 Mental Health Trailblazers. The Trailblazers will be trialling the government’s new approach to supporting children and young people with mental health issues, including the launch of 59 Mental Health Support Teams nationally.

This is excellent news for schools in the central and south areas. The CCG will be establishing two Trailblazers, each comprising around 20 schools and 8,000 young people. As well as the launch of the two Mental Health Support Teams, South Warwickshire is one of 12 areas that will pilot a four week waiting time for secondary children (defined by the CCG as a four week wait until ‘something meaningful happens’ for the young person).

This work has arisen from the Government’s Green Paper, ‘Transforming Children and Young People’s Mental Health Provision’ (first published in Dec 2017, and last updated 25 Jul 2018) which included the following core elements:

1. Designated senior leads for mental health in schools and colleges
2. Mental Health Support Teams working across schools and colleges
3. Piloting a four week waiting time for secondary children and young people’s mental health services

Schools involved in the trailblazer will receive free training for their designated Mental Health Lead.  They will have direct communication with their Mental Health Support Team, who will do the direct work necessary with children and young people in their schools rather than external venues.  The schools will be involved in decision-making for appropriate interventions for their children, and outcomes from the work will contribute to a national data set to drive this model of mental health support in schools forward.

Training for designated leads in schools and Mental Health Support Team practitioners will be happening over the next few months and it is hoped that the work will start by the end of this calendar year.

Criteria being used for the selection of schools include:

• children with Special Educational Needs (SEN) who have Social, Emotional or Mental Health (SEMH) difficulties and/or Speech, Language and Communication Needs (SLCN)
• schools involved in Early Help with SEMH as a factor
• schools who have Children Looked After and Young Carers
• schools where School Age Health Needs Assessments (Reception and Year Six) have identified some issues
• schools with pupil premium numbers above the Warwickshire average
• we need a mix of phases, types of school and OFSTED categories

Learning and Performance colleagues will be in touch with those schools who meet the criteria in the next few days. Please look out for the email and respond as soon as possible as we need to confirm which schools wish to be involved by 21^st January.

For further information or any queries please contact Margot Brown:

Email: margotbrown@warwickshire.gov.uk.     

Tel:   01926 742283

Update from School Health

Happy New Year!

The start of 2019 will see our Health Support Workers out and about in schools delivering both the National Child Measurement Programme (NCMP) and Public Health interventions. 

We know that the start of a fresh year is often a time when many people choose to set themselves new personal challenges and goals. 

You may want to take a look at the 10 minute shake up games on the Change4Life website - a fun way to help children to be more active!

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Medical awareness training

If you have any staff who missed the medical awareness training which has been delivered in localities, you may want to consider booking a training session at your school.

The Health and Wellbeing Service are able to provide this training at a cost of £60 for up to 20 members of staff.  To book training, please phone the service on their usual number: 03300 245 204.

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Contact details

ChatHealth - young people can contact us directly using our confidential text messaging number: 07507 331525

ChatHealth Parentline - parents can contact us directly using our confidential text messaging number: 07520 619376

Referrals to the service - referral forms have been sent to schools and are on the Warwickshire School Health and Wellbeing website

First orchestral workshop for young musicians a success

Talented young musicians from across the region attended the inaugural Orchestral Experience Workshop at the University of Warwick Arts Centre on Friday 4^th January.

The music services of Warwickshire, Coventry and Solihull are working in partnership to ensure the future of orchestral playing and the workshop signalled the start of a range of exciting opportunities for young musicians interested in orchestral performance. 

The orchestral workshop was also a first opportunity to work in partnership with both the university Arts Centre and the National Youth Orchestra.

The students, including 45 from Warwickshire, worked with professional conductors Robin Newton and Alex Laing, supported by tutors from the three music services.  They then had the opportunity to sit alongside members of the National Youth Orchestra in a rehearsal and performance of Finlandia by Sibelius.  The final flourish was the opportunity for the workshop students to attend the concert in the Butterworth Hall by the 163 members of the National Youth Orchestra. 

Director of Warwickshire Music, Jeremy Dibb, said: ‘the music services of Coventry, Solihull and Warwickshire are determined to support and ensure the future of orchestral playing for our talented young students.  Our very first orchestral workshop has proved how successful our partnership plans are going to be. We look forward to more events like this and to establishing a regional youth orchestra from September 2019.’

 

 

 

Good report for Youth Justice Service

Warwickshire Youth Justice Service (WYJS) was recently assessed by HM Inspectorate of Probation and has received an overall grade of ‘Good’.

The inspector’s report, published earlier this month, noted that WYJS has strong leadership and a wide range of services to support young people to avoid reoffending. The report also judged some areas of work as outstanding, particularly the supervision of court orders.

Keeping people safe is a key priority for us. Youth justice helps us do this and through work with our most vulnerable youngsters we are able to help them to move away from criminal activity and toward making positive contributions in our communities.

The inspection report highlights some excellent practice in Warwickshire along with improvements needed to make the service even better.

View the full report here.

CPD: Outstanding practice in Philosophy and Ethics

Offered by the Southam Teaching School Alliance

Session: Outstanding practice in Philosophy and Ethics including British Values

This is an exciting opportunity for Primary and Secondary RE Coordinators to share best practice in the teaching of Philosophy and Ethics across the key stages. Guest speakers will provide practical strategies for participants to take away.

When: Thursday 4th April 2019, 4.15 - 5.30pm

Cost: £25 per person (non-Alliance schools).  £20 per person (Alliance schools).

How to Book: Email STA@welearn365.com or telephone 01926 812560

Supporting English leaders with developing writing outcomes

Ofsted Curriculum Workshop materials

Many of you will have attended the Curriculum Workshops offered by Ofsted recently, in preparation for the launch of the consultation regarding the new inspection framework. 

The slides from the event have been made available online, along with some helpful videos explaining some of the key concepts covered during the workshops: 

Curriculum Workshop slides

Ofsted’s curriculum research videos

The proposed changes to the framework, announced in October 2018, include:

• four new inspection judgements
• the removal of the separate grade for outcomes for pupils
• a focus on the substance of education and a broad curriculum
• more involvement for classroom teachers

We would strongly encourage headteachers, school staff and parents to respond to the consultation which will run for 12 weeks from 16 January 2019.

Last chance to feedback on the admission arrangements for September 2020

The consultation on the changes to the admissions over-subscription criteria closes tomorrow, Friday 11 January 2019.

In line with the Education Strategy, and narrowing the gap between disadvantaged pupils and their peers, the consultation proposes to amend the over-subscription criteria to weight in favour of disadvantaged pupils.

We would like to gain the opinion of as many schools as possible so would like to encourage you to look at the proposed changes and let us know what you think.

The proposals are published on the admissions policies webpage (the consultations are listed in chronological order so please refer to the documents listed with 2020-2021 entry).

Responses and queries should be sent to: schooladmissionsconsultation@warwickshire.gov.uk

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