Summer scheme to support families on FSM with cost of food

Families in receipt of free school meals may be eligible to receive additional support during the summer holidays to help with the cost of food.

The Warwickshire Local Welfare Scheme helps the most vulnerable residents at times of unavoidable crisis by providing basic and essential help for food and energy. 

It is recognised within the scheme that some families who are struggling financially, and are eligible for free school meals, have difficulty covering the period when their children are off school during the school holidays. This scheme is therefore an opportunity to reach and help those most in need by supporting families with the cost of food for their children over the school holiday period.

Applications for support will be taken from Monday 22nd July to Friday 30th August. 

The eligibility criterion for this offer is that parents are registered for free school meals (not universal FSM) before 12th July 2019.

In order to give families the opportunity to benefit from this support, we are asking partners to identify any parents who meet the eligibility criteria and to refer them in to the Warwickshire Local Welfare scheme.

Applications can be made by yourself or the customer.  When calling, please make reference to the eligibility for free school meals and explain how the customer is struggling financially. If you are asking the customer to call and apply themselves, could you please ask that they also provide the above information.

Contact phone number for referrals: 0800 408 1448 or 01926 359182.

In the meantime, if you have any questions on any of the above please contact Leanne Silverwood via email  at warwickshirelocalwelfarescheme@warwickshire.gov.uk.

For more information about free school meals, go to www.warwickshire.gov.uk/freeschoolmeals 

OVO Tour of Britain 2019 - competition and flags for schools!

Following a successful four-year run in hosting the OVO Energy Women's Tour, we are delighted to announce that the OVO Energy Tour of Britain will be coming back to Warwickshire in September 2019!

Warwickshire will host the seventh-stage of the OVO Tour of Britain on Friday 13th September, welcoming the world's top teams and riders for a second year running. 

The penultimate stage of the race will see riders racing from Warwick town centre to the hill-top finish at Burton Dassett Country Park over a 186.5km (116-mile) route. The riders will pass through the University of Warwick, Kenilworth, Meriden (home to the National Cyclists’ Memorial), Atherstone, Bedworth, Brinklow, Cawston, Dunchurch and Wellesbourne. Action is guaranteed on the climb of Sun Rising Hill, as the stage ends with a 12km finishing circuit involving three ascents of Burton Dassett Hills.

To celebrate these elite cyclists coming through our county, and to build on the legacy of inclusive cycling, we are encouraging schools and colleges to engage in the event in a number of ways. 

Competition!!!

Warwickshire pupils are invited to submit their own creative designs for the Warwickshire stage start flag and the overall Warwickshire stage winners trophy, with the winning designs being made up for official use on race day.

• Stage winners trophy competition - designs should be drawn in the shape of Warwickshire and fit within the lines on the attached template. The winning design will be put on the Stage 7 winners trophy and the pupil will be invited to present the trophy to the winner.

• Start flag competition - designs should be submitted on the back of the attached form. The winning design will be used to create the large starting flag for the race on 13 September and the winner will be invited to present the flag to the starter of the Warwickshire stage on race day.

Completed entries should include the name of the child, age and school or college they attend on the back and be returned by Tuesday 20 August 2019 to: 

Aaron Corsi, Warwickshire County Council, Infrastructure & Sustainable Communities, PO Box 43, Shire Hall, Warwick, CV34 4SX

Above is Oscar Morley, a pupil at St Margarets C of E Junior School, Whitnash who won this year’s Women’s Tour Start Flag Competition.

Engagement opportunities and flags

Over the coming months we will release more information for engagement opportunities but key things to consider at this stage are:

• Will you be arranging to view the races live?
• Where will you watch the races?
• If you will be watching the races, will you want flags to wave? If so, how many?

For more information, clarification or if you would like to let us know how many flags you require then please contact Aaron Corsi, email aaroncorsi@warwickshire.gov.uk or tel: 01926 412963. 

You can also find more information about the race, including the proposed route* here: https://www.tourofbritain.co.uk/stages/stage-seven

*The route is subject to change and road-by-road stage timetables will be published in August.

School Health and Wellbeing Service continues in right direction

The current provider of Warwickshire's School Health and Wellbeing Service, wellbeing charity Compass, has been successful in being awarded the contract to continue to deliver this provision from 1 November 2019 to 31 October 2022. 

The County Council commissions the School Health and Wellbeing service as part of its public health responsibility to improve the health and wellbeing of children and young people in Warwickshire. Compass won the contract following a competitive procurement exercise, including a public consultation and service evaluation which took place between July and October 2018.

Currently, the service delivers preventative and universal public health programmes in schools across the county, as well as in youth centres, children’s centres, homes and elsewhere and advises on a wide range of health topics from healthy eating; friendships and bullying; to parenting, fussy eating, anxiety and sleep. All school-aged children and young people from 5 to 19 years old (up to 25 years old for people with special educational needs), and their families and carers, are entitled to free access to the confidential school nursing service. 

The School Health and Wellbeing Service follows Warwickshire Safeguarding Children’s Board policies and procedures and forms part of multi-agency services for children, young people and families where there are child protection or safeguarding concerns.

Based in York, Compass provides a similar service in region’s across the UK. For more information on the service in Warwickshire visit: https://www.compass-uk.org/services/warwickshire-school-health-wellbeing-service/

More sex ed please, we're British

Pupils from schools across Warwickshire recently attended a youth conference organised by Warwickshire County Council and partners called 'More Sex Ed please, we’re British'.

The conference, which was held at Dunchurch Park Hotel and Conference Centre in Rugby, saw 96 year nine pupils from 16 Warwickshire schools taking part in a range of different workshops around relationships and sex education (RSE).

The event provided pupils with the chance to discuss topics including consent, the role of technology in RSE, what they would like to see taught in schools and misogyny in pop music.

They also watched videos that had been filmed by pupils ahead of the conference. Prizes were handed out for categories including best costume, best drama and best ensemble performance.

This was the fourth year Warwickshire partners have hosted the popular RSE conference. This year Warwickshire County Council public health and cyber safety teams led the agenda, alongside Rise (child and adult mental health), Barnardos and Warwickshire Youth Justice.

For more information or support, schools can contact respectyourself@warwickshire.gov.uk

First Reading Adventure

The Warwickshire School Library Service is really excited to promote their First Reading Adventure. This is a reading engagement package for years 1 and 2 with the aim of promoting the following:

• Sharing of books
• Recent and fun picture books
• Themes of well being and empathy
• First steps in reading.

How Does it Work?

• Schools will be provided with 30 new books in September (for you to keep) designed to be used over the school year.
• The books will arrive jacketed making them easy to clean and long lasting.
• An electronic pack will also be sent to you at the school, including a quick guide, parent information, activities to use alongside the books and curriculum links. 
• This will also include a variety of promotional materials and certificates to keep pupils engaged in a fun way. 

You can find further details about why we think this is needed here.

How much will it cost?

• The First Reading Adventure pack price, for one set of the 30 books with jackets, plus accompanying materials is £250 (Further book sets can be purchased for £200)

How can I sign up?

You can sign up for the First Reading Adventure Pack by using the online form, or alternatively please do get in touch if you have any questions or would like a further chat.