Securing the Best Start to Life
New Foundation Years vodcast on online safety
Foundation Years is pleased to share with you their latest vodcast taking a look at the topic of online safety in the early years. In our ever-increasing digital world, young children have access to devices, both at home and in early years settings. This often causes concern over the amount of screen time young children have, the negative impact of this and the risks associated with young children using devices.
Towards the end of the vodcast, a number of free resources that can help managers and practitioners in this area, which you can find below:
• Safeguarding children and protecting professionals in early years settings: online safety considerations (for managers and practitioners)
• Keeping children safe in education 2022
• Smartie the Penguin
• Little Bird’s Internet Security Adventure
Early years practitioners play an essential role in helping young children learn the foundations of safe online behaviour, supporting parents and children to recognise the value of technology and use it safely. In this vodcast, Gill Holden, Principal Officer of the Early Childhood Unit at the National Children’s Bureau, speaks to Sue Asquith, an Early Years Consultant, to discuss this and offer some practical tips for practitioners working with young children.
Click here to watch the vodcast.
DfE want to hear your views and experiences of implementing the 2021 EYFS reforms
The DfE has commissioned IFF Research to conduct an important national study to understand how the most recent reforms to the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) have been implemented by early years providers and what the impacts have been.
Leaders, staff, and childminders at selected settings will be emailed by IFF research inviting you to participate in a short, 10-minute online survey. This survey will ask about your experiences of implementing the reforms, including any barriers you may have faced or additional support you think you would have benefited from. Your responses will be reported in aggregate to the DfE, which means that nothing you say will be attributable to you or your setting.
DfE want the findings to be representative of different types of early years settings, so it is vital that a wide range of providers take part. Everyone who takes part will help DfE to build a better understanding of the impact that the reforms have had. DfE will use your insights to inform options for possible further action and support in the EYFS, and the findings from this research will be published on gov.uk in due course. The survey will launch Monday 31 October and close on Friday 9 December. This is your opportunity to make your views count.
Learning to talk
The DfE have launched new online resources to promote the importance of the home learning environment (HLE) in boosting children’s language and socio-emotional development in the early years.
HLE is just one part of the wraparound support provided to ensure every child has the best start in life and support for the HLE will be delivered through the new network of Family Hubs.
The new webpages provide a full range of evidence-based, detailed – yet accessible – advice for parents on activities they can do with children at every stage between birth and 5 years old, and a search facility to connect them to local support. The launch has also been accompanied by a family-facing campaign focused on social media such as Facebook and Twitter, and is supported by materials designed for stakeholders to promote the campaign to local families.
If you would like more information on our resources or how you can get involved in the campaign, please contact us via HLE.COALITION@education.gov.uk.
Check early years qualifications
The DfE has launched a new service to help early years settings and staff check if qualifications are approved for use within the Early Years Foundation Stage staff: child ratios.
Run by UK Ecctis, the service offers advice and guidance on qualifications awarded in the UK and brings back the early years statement for qualifications awarded outside of the UK.
You can find out more information here
Giving children the best start in life
Ofsted have released their latest Early Years Blog. In this blog post, Christopher Russell, National Director of Education explains what Ofsted will be doing as part of their strategy for Early Years Education.
The
blog explains:
Ofsted’s strategy, Early years research reviews and how Ofsted’s thinking about inspection and curriculum in the Early Years will be shared through road shows, conferences .
Ofsted also continue to share information in a number of ways, including here, on their YouTube channel or on SlideShare, as well as on their website
New DFE Guidance: Safeguarding children, young people and adult learners vulnerable to Radicalisation in England.
Upcoming EYSEND Training
Ensuring quality SLCN support in Early Years settings - in-depth webinar Part A & B (I CAN)
- Date: Tues 8th Nov & Tues 22nd November
- Time: 3:30pm - 6:00pm
Attend this two-part webinar to gain clarity on roles and responsibilities in relation to young children with speech, communication and language needs (SLCN) and monitoring effectiveness in the workplace. Book your place here: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/.../ensuring-quality-slcn...
If you are unable to make this cycle of training, I CAN are hosting another cycle on 29th Nov and 13th Dec.
Sign up here Equality Act seminar - discussion session (Council for Disabled Children)
- Date: Mon 14th November
- Time: 10:00am - 11:30am
Following a successful first Equality Act seminar, this follow up session will allow for discussion in more depth about how the Equality Act applies in Early Years settings. This is open to all people, regardless of whether they attended the first session or not - https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/.../equality-act-seminar...
Meeting the needs of every child (nasen).
- Date: Wed 23rd November
- Time: 1:00pm - 3:00pm
The 2-hour webinar will cover the responsibilities of a PVI setting towards children with SEND and what effective inclusive practice looks like in a PVI setting.
https://nasen.org.uk/.../meeting-needs-every-child...
Celebrating Warwickshire’s Family of Schools
Act on Energy - Grants available
Residents living within Warwickshire might be eligible for funding to help with energy costs (subject to eligibility and availability). The following grants are currently open for new applicants:
Warwickshire Household Support Fund
Households with a combined gross household income of no more than £30,000.00 per year, no household savings and someone living with a vulnerability, may be eligible for:
- Financial support toward current energy debts only
- Assistance to repair or replace broken boilers and heating systems
- Financial support to top up an oil or LPG tank (not bottles)
Further details here Warwickshire Household Support Fund 2022 - Act On Energy
Warm & Well in Warwickshire
Owner occupiers/private rented households with cold related health conditions and in receipt of certain benefits/low income may be eligible for:
- Emergency Heater Scheme
- Grants for Boiler Replacements
- Grants for Boiler Servicing & Repairs
- Loft and Cavity Wall Insulation Grants
More details here Warm & Well in Warwickshire - inc Grants - Act On Energy
Energy Efficiency Grant
Owner occupiers with a gross household income of less than £30,000 year OR someone in your home receives a means tested benefit AND a home that has an EPC rating of D, E, F or G (if you don’t have an EPC then this will be arranged for you if we think that your property is energy inefficient) may be eligible for:
- Solar PV panels
- Loft insulation
- Cavity wall insulation
- External wall insulation
- Air source heat pumps
- Smart heating controls
To find out more, please complete an Expression of Interest form here Energy Efficiency Grant Scheme - Act On Energy
For more information call us on 0800 988 2881 or visit the website www.actonenergy.org.uk
Free Development Opportunity - Spatial Reasoning in KS2
Origin Maths Hub are offering primary schools in Solihull, Coventry and Warwickshire the opportunity to participate in this free Work Group.
Secondary & Post 16 Newsletter
In this newsletter you will find details of how you can register your interest, to take part in any of our free professional and school opportunities for this academic year!
Applications open for Reception and Junior School Places
Please note that the deadline for Reception and Junior school places comes round very soon after Christmas (15 January 2022), so if you could please send out a reminder to your parents and carers this term, that would be much appreciated. This applies to children born between 1 September 2018 and 31 August 2019 for Reception, and any child currently in Year 2 at an infant school who want to move to a junior school.
To help parents and carers to make successful applications, there is a video with lots of practical tips and advice, plus a written guide with useful information on how the process works. If they’d like to learn more, or ask questions of the school admissions team, two online webinars are being held in early December, which are open to everyone and free to join. Bookings can be made using the links below:
Thursday 1 December at 7pm: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/451713837247
Tuesday 6 December at 7pm: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/451730978517
All applications received by the deadline of 15 January will receive a school offer on 17 April next year, which is National Offer Day. Any applications submitted after the 15 January deadline will only be considered after this, meaning the child is much less likely to be offered a place at a preferred school.
Applications should be made online at: www.warwickshire.gov.uk/primaryplace.
Thrive at work events: Supporting carers in the Workplace
Combining work and caring responsibilities can be difficult and isolating for a working carer. Find out how your workplace can support them by participating in a free online event, taking place on Friday 25 November from 10.00 am to 11.30 am.
- Supporting carers in the workplace session will explore:
- Identifying carers in the workplace
- Understanding how caring might impact the workforce
- How can we support carers in the workplace and look at best practice
- Creating a caring culture
- Tools and surveys that can help support a caring workforce
- Understand what a Carers Assessment is and who is entitled to one
- An overview of the Carers Trust Heart of England – our local Carers Services.
This session will be delivered by Gabrielle Borro and Anna Luczyna, Carers Trust
Book your place here.
Thrive at Work Wellbeing Awards 2022
We are delighted to tell you that your organisation is cordially invited to attend the third Thrive at Work Wellbeing Awards Event to be held virtually on Wednesday 23 November, 4pm to 5.30pm.
Andy Street, Mayor of the West Midlands, will be presenting the Awards to all accredited organisations that register attendance. This is both in recognition of your organisation's achievement and a celebration of your continued commitment towards making the West Midlands a happier, healthier and more productive region in the UK.
There are a number of schools this year receiving awards:
Bronze level
Park Hill Thorns Federation
Foundation Level
Saint Matthews Bloxham C of E Primary School
Stoke heath Primary School
The Romero Catholic Academy
Bridgetown Primary School
Castle Phoenix Trust
Baginton Fields School
We look forward to celebrating with you!
Thrive at Work Wellbeing Awards 2022 Tickets, Wed 23 Nov 2022 at 16:00 | Eventbrite
Updates from the English Hub
Please see below information regarding events and courses from the English Hub. Please have a good look through or pass to your English Leads as many of the offers are free.
CPD Opportunity: Sticky Teaching by Caroline Bentley-Davies
The John Taylor Teaching School Hub are pleased to welcome back Caroline Bentley-Davis to deliver her hugely successful conference on Sticky Teaching to delegates from across our Teaching School Hub area and beyond.
The full day conference that will take delegates through a journey about why it matters to make learning stick as well as sharing an array of active learning strategies to support engagement of all learners as well as enabling retention over time. The conference day is suitable for all teachers, from those in their Early Careers through to more experienced classroom practitioners that want to develop their classroom pedagogy through an engaging and contemporary focussed training day.
This additional CPD offer is perfect for staff that wish to engage with some practical ways to develop their teaching and learning but aren’t ready to commit to undertaking a National Professional Qualification.
Cost for the full day conference is £95 per person and please note that spaces are limited to just 40 delegates.
All delegates must be booked by Friday 18th November 2022. For more information, or to book please contact the John Taylor Teaching School Hub via cpd@jths.co.uk
Outline of the Day
09.00 – 09.30: Arrival at JT TSHub
09.30 – 11.00:
Session 1: What is Sticky Teaching and why does it matter?
- How to make learning memorable and engaging.
- Five concepts of Sticky Teaching.
- Practical strategies for enabling retention over time.
11.00 – 11.30: Comfort Break (Tea/Coffee provided)
11.30 – 12.45:
Session 2: Active Learning and making independence stick!
- Engagement, active earning strategies: it is them and not you working!
- Classroom climate for sticky learning. Metacognition; pupil and teacher mindset.
- Brilliant ideas for better questioning to make learning stick.
12.45 – 13.30: Lunch Break (cold buffet provided)
13.30 – 14.45
Session 3: Stretch and Challenge for All
- Effective strategies for stretch and challenge
- The role of mistakes in securing learning
- Reflections: What can I use in my lessons next week, next month and next term?
14.45 – 15.00: Close and Evaluations
Warwickshire Libraries set to benefit from national Arts Council England funding
The new NPO status means that Warwickshire Libraries will receive up to £630,000 in funding from Arts Council England’s Investment Programme over the next three years. This will support with cultural and creative programming and outreach activities delivered through Warwickshire Libraries, with a particular focus on the North Warwickshire and Nuneaton and Bedworth areas.
All libraries managed by the County Council will reap the local and national benefits from the funding received, but as an Arts Council England priority place there will be particular emphasis to support the creative and cultural offers at Nuneaton, Bedworth and North Warwickshire libraries, which also meet the criteria for assistance as part of the Government’s Levelling Up agenda.
Over the three-year funding period, Warwickshire Libraries will work closely with Arts Council England to:
- promote libraries as places for people to access great art and culture within their local communities;
- create new and exciting opportunities for the people of Warwickshire to enjoy and participate in culture;
- seek new opportunities to work with creative individuals and organisations to explore, develop and deliver new work through Warwickshire Libraries’ events programme;
- grow and develop the creative and practical skills of library staff and embed new opportunities for them to think and approach cultural programming differently and to grow their skills working with artists and creatives; and
- deliver work which is inclusive, accessible, and representative of Warwickshire’s people and communities.
Warwickshire Libraries applied for NPO status to support with plans to develop a high-quality cultural offer for the people of Warwickshire, to continue to build library audiences, and to work in the areas of the county where significant inequalities exist to make the service offer as accessible to as many people as possible. NPO status will also enable Warwickshire Libraries to be seen as a leader in arts and cultural activities and delivery, whilst also helping Council priority groups and supporting key actions in The Council Plan more effectively.
In the Council Plan the County Council reinforced its commitment to develop an approach to levelling up and to understand and tackle the disparities that can limit opportunity. In July 2022 Warwickshire County Council’s Cabinet approved a countywide approach to Levelling Up in Warwickshire which sets out how working in partnership the Council will address this long-term challenge.
Talk money week
It's Talk Money Week 7 to 11 November and with the cost of living on everyone's mind the council is taking the opportunity to encourage people to talk about their situation with others and to think about budgeting for the festive period.
Talk Money Week from the Money and Pensions Service takes place every year and is an opportunity for everyone to get involved with activities across the UK which help people have more open conversations about their money – from pocket money to pensions – and continue these conversations year-round. More information about the week and what's on can be found at www.maps.org.uk.
It's a chance to raise awareness of local support as well as getting people to think about how they can curb some of their costs in the run-up to December. This month a series of practical money saving tips will be posted on Warwickshire County Council's Instagram account. Against the backdrop of steep increases in daily living costs, the lead up to the festive period can brings additional financial pressures resulting in money worries. To address this, some thrifty and creative ideas will be shared each day to help minimise Christmas expenses at https://www.instagram.com/bestwarwickshire/ #Festivethrift. Advice includes smart shopping, meal prepping, homemade gifts and other money saving ideas.
The pressures posed by increased household costs can lead to worry and anxiety, impacting on physical and mental health. The council's winter wellness support offer is online at www.warwickshire.gov.uk/winterwellness and includes information about health, wellbeing and help for residents who are struggling at the moment.
Next Primary Network Meeting
Please join us for this Free virtual event for any school staff who are involved with running the library/promoting reading at your school (e.g. librarians/teachers/support assistants/literacy co-ordinators).
The theme of the next meeting will be:
'Reading for Pleasure and Learning: Support for schools and families'
The session will give you the opportunity to ask questions, network and share ideas/experiences with other teachers and librarians. We will also share lots of useful links, book recommendations, resources, training and CPD opportunities.
We will also be welcoming the Warwickshire Family Learning Service to talk about some of the support they offer.
This will be hosted by Warwickshire Schools Library Service (WSLS) and all schools within our region and surrounding areas are welcome to attend.
To sign-up: please complete this short form available by clicking here and we will send you the meeting link.
We look forward to meeting you soon.
For more information, please contact: schoolslibraryservice@warwickshire.gov.uk
Conference to support people with Autism in Coventry and Warwickshire
If you'd like to learn more about the support available across Coventry and Warwickshire for Autistic people then don't miss Act for Autism's free 'Together with Autism' conferences.
The conferences are open to parents/carers, professionals, and anyone with an interest in autism and organised by Warwickshire County Council, Coventry City Council and Coventry and Warwickshire Integrated Care Board.
Two different dates and venues are available. Both events will include:
- Small workshops on a range of topics such as autism and ADHD, school challenges, and autism and girls
- Talks from a range of experts by experience, including Paul Isaacs Autism Advocate
- Access to a variety of stalls hosted by local service providers
- Free refreshments
Dates and how to book
Saturday 19 November 2022, 10am to 4.30pm at North Warwickshire and South Leicestershire College, Nuneaton, CV11 6BH.
Register your place for the Nuneaton event here.
Saturday 21 January 2023, 10am to 4.30pm at Whitley Academy, Coventry, CV3 4BD.
A previous conference took place in April 2022 with the following video from the day available: Together with Autism Conference - Warwick 2022 - YouTube.
You can also find a wealth of information and links to support across Coventry and Warwickshire for Neurodivergent people and their families in this new Information and Advice e-booklet, available on the Dimensions website.