Latest Updates
National Funding Formula Update
Schools minister Nick Gibb has said that the new national funding formula will come in in 2018-19, according to TES (published 4 July).
He also said that the DfE will be responding to the consultation on the formula "very shortly", and reiterated the Government's commitment to making sure no school has its budget cut as a result of the new formula, which was included in its election manifesto.
Government pledges Mental Health First Aid training for every secondary school by 2020
The Department for Education and the Department of Health have confirmed that teachers in secondary schools will be offered to take part in a new mental health first aid training programme to help them identify and respond to early signs of mental health issues in children.
The programme will be delivered by Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) England, and will be backed by £200,000 of government funding.
One thousand staff will be trained in year one of the programme which will be extended in years two and three to cover every secondary school in England. Schools will receive practical advice on how to deal with issues such as depression and anxiety, suicide and psychosis, self-harm and eating disorders.
Participants in the training programme will be invited to become a Youth Mental Health First Aid Champion, and will help to share their knowledge and understanding of mental health across the school and wider community.
You can read the full press release here: https://www.gov.uk/government/news/pm-mental-health-training-for-teachers-will-make-a-real-difference-to-childrens-lives
Some Warwickshire secondary schools have already received some mental health first aid training, offered through the Area Behaviour Partnerships. Two of the providers used to deliver this programme are:
LifeSpace
Educational Psychology Service
Fire safety in schools
The government is analysing school buildings to identify those that are over four storeys high (18 metres) and establish which, if any, external cladding has been used on them. The DfE is also reportedly dropping proposals to change fire safety rules around the installation of sprinklers. Schools Week