New and revised inter-agency procedures

Please find below links to new/revised inter-agency procedures. 

Warwickshire’s new Female Genital Mutilation (FGM)  procedure:

http://apps.warwickshire.gov.uk/api/documents/WCCC-850-644

Revision to the arrangements for children with a child protection plan who become looked after:

http://apps.warwickshire.gov.uk/api/documents/WCCC-850-62  (See Section 7.27)

Briefing note: Click here to read an overview of the risks faced by young people online in Warwickshire.  

Prevent newsletter

Click here to read the Prevent newsletter.

August Exam Day Collections

A request for your continued support in supplying the Local Authority with your school's/college's high level exam result figures on both examination result days in August.

We will be emailing your exam day contact (week beginning 10th July) to provide guidance on making your returns.  

We ask that you provide your results back to us on both days, if possible by 11am.  

We are aware that the results posted by schools and colleges in August will not be complete or accurate, but early information about results is important. In the past the LA has used the opportunity to celebrate the general success of Warwickshire students and teachers in the press and other media. Please be assured that we do not make public any results for individual schools or colleges, and always refer enquiries to the schools/colleges themselves.

We do understand that on both result days in August you will be busy dealing with students, and are clear that is your first priority. This process should take very little time to complete and we look forward to receiving your return.

For any students that do not achieve the grades they require or have not yet secured a post-16 destination. Please contact Prospect Services on Tel: 01926 461600 Prospects can help by providing free independent careers guidance and support. Further information can also be found at http://www.warwickshire.gov.uk/stayinginlearning

Do you have a maintained nursery class/reception class in your school?

Are you fully aware of the Early Years Foundation Stage Statutory Guidance and what the law says about Early Years Qualifications?

Maintained schools must have a school teacher leading the learning in their nursery and reception classes.

The Department for Education has confirmed that maintained schools are currently required to have 'school teachers' for nursery and reception classes, as laid out in the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) Statutory Framework. The latest version of this Guidance was published on 3 March 2017 and took effect from 3 April 2017.

The qualifications that enable an individual to be deemed a 'school teacher' are set out in the Education Act 2002, the Education (School Teachers’ Prescribed Qualifications, etc) Order 2003 and the Education (School Teachers’ Qualifications (England) Regulations 2003.

The School Teacher's Pay and Conditions Document places a duty on head teachers to ensure that each class or group timetabled for core and foundation subjects and for religious education and each class or group in the foundation stage has a teacher assigned to teach it.

The assigned teacher is responsible for the progress of the pupils in the class/group over the course of the academic year. Assigned teachers may be assisted in their work by other teachers and/or by support staff, some of whom may carry out "specified work", and are deployed on the timetable to take that class/group for particular activities or lessons.

The EYFS sets out the qualifications of the other staff that are required in nursery provision in schools. There must be at least one other member of staff holding a full and relevant Level 3 qualification working alongside the teacher.

The DfE qualification finder should be used to determine whether staff have full and relevant qualifications. The qualification finder on the DfE website can be accessed at: http://www.education.gov.uk/eypqd/

Foundation Stage Units 

All of the rules relating to qualifications and ratios in the Early Years Foundation Stage apply, however as nursery or preschool children will be integrated with children on the school role in the Reception class calculating the staff can be a little more complicated. Schools must determine ratios within mixed age groups guided by all relevant EYFS ratio requirements and by the needs of individual children. In exercising this discretion, the school must comply with the statutory requirements relating to the education of children of compulsory school age and infant class size legislation.

Academies, Independent Schools and all other Private and Voluntary Providers are not required to have a teacher with QTS, but may choose to do so.

Clarification on footnote 39 (EYFS Statutory framework 2017 page 25)

Some schools do not have a maintained nursery class, but run Early Years provision instead under section 27 of the Education Act 2002. This enables maintained schools to set up and run community facilities and services which benefit pupils or their families. Governors make decisions about whether or not to operate this type of provision, based on its financial viability and local demand, in consultation with the local authority.

The EYFS states – ‘Where schools have provision run by the governing body (under section 27 of the Education Act 2002) for three- and four-year-olds who are not pupils of the school, they can apply: a 1:13 ratio where a person with a suitable level 6 qualification is working directly with the children; or a 1:8 ratio where a person with a suitable level 6 qualification is not working directly with children but at least one member of staff present holds a level 3 qualification.’

Maintained nursery classes form an integral part of the school, and cannot be discontinued without following the formal procedures required to change the age range of a maintained school. This will include a period of formal consultation with parents and other local interested parties including neighbouring schools and early years’ providers and the local authority.

Schools can contact Sara Haigh Local Authority Early Years Adviser (sarahaigh@warwickshire.gov.uk) for advice and guidance.

Something to look out for…

On March 3 2017 the early years minister Caroline Dinenage launched the Early Years Workforce Strategy setting out how the DfE plans to support the early years sector to remove barriers to attracting, retaining and developing the early years workforce. Commitments contained in this strategy include consulting on allowing those with Early Years Teacher Status (EYTS), and its predecessor Early Years Professional Status (EYPS), to lead nursery and reception classes in maintained schools. The Early Years Workforce Strategy document can be found here.

Funding of Nursery Classes

Schools will be aware that the Government has introduced a new Early Years Single Funding Formula which makes some changes to the way that all early years’ providers are funded.

With effect from April 2017, a new universal rate of £3.77 per hour will be paid for all Warwickshire providers, with the exception of Special Schools. This is equivalent to the rate previously paid to Private Voluntary and Independent (PVI) providers but less than the hourly rates previously paid to schools.

Schools need to bear in mind however that a technical adjustment to the previous local formula (preventing double funding of management costs for the nursery) has now been removed – this benefits schools by providing some additional funding via the schools budget.

Schools must consider the budget for the nursery class as part of the whole school budget, rather than in isolation with reference only to the published hourly rates, as these do not reflect all of the available funding.

Cyber Safe Warwickshire

Warwickshire's Cyber Crime Advisors have recently launched a brand new website for people to get the latest news, advice and information about online safety and cyber crime.

The site can be found via www.cybersafewarwickshire.com and contains a dedicated section which young people can access for information of importance and use to them.

Information and contact details for reporting any cyber crime issue, and where to access relevant support is also found on the site. You can also follow the site on social media; on Facebook (Cyber Safe Warwickshire); Twitter (@CyberSafeWarks); and Instagram (cyber_safe_warks).

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

DfE Ministerial Portfolios Announced

New National Professional Qualifications for Executive Leadership

National Professional Qualification for Executive Leadership (NPQEL)

WMCA Education Survey

As part of developing the best resources to teach sustainability to young people in the West Midlands and beyond, we have created a 5 minute survey which we would like teachers/education providers of PSHE or Citizenship to complete. The aim of the survey is to understand what types of teaching resources are required and the best ways to deliver them. This survey is part of a larger piece of work which we are currently doing with the objective of giving teachers the most suitable and effective resources to teach sustainability to their pupils. The survey will be an invaluable source of information as knowing what teachers really want is the key to providing the right resources that they will actually find useful.

We would really value your assistance in circulating the survey as widely as possible among teachers/education providers in schools in your areas. We have also included an incentive for completing the survey which is shopping vouchers of £25 each (4 available) when they complete the survey.

Please find attached the Survey link https://www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/P75X6WX

Sharing Shakespeare's story

The Shakespeare Birthplace Trust is excited to announce the Museums and Schools programme 2017-18, "Sharing Shakespeare's Story", a partnership programme with the Department for Education.

The programme consists of free workshops at the museum to the value of £1,200 plus travel subsidiaries.

It will give 30 KS2 children from each school the opportunity to work for a day at one of the Shakespeare Birthplace Trust houses and a further two classes the opportunity to visit Stratford.

The main programme will run on selected dates between September 2017 and March 2018 and includes:

•  CPD for teachers
• A Sharing Shakespeare’s Story project training day for teachers
• A full day familiarisation visit to the Shakespeare Birthplace Trust for the children who will be guiding
• An immersive day for the participating pupils featuring guiding in the designated house and engaging with visitors from across the world
• Children’s contributions to an on-line exhibition
• A visit to the Shakespeare Birthplace Trust for an additional two classes from each school to see their peers in action and to participate in a range of hands-on activities.

For more details about the programme click here

If you are interested in finding out more about this wonderful opportunity please contact  sbt.education@shakespeare.org.uk.

Battlefield Poetry Competition 2017

Calling all budding poets and writers in primary and secondary schools........!!

Two years ago, a small group of volunteers, with the support of the Heritage Lottery Fund, set up a permanent exhibition in St Peter’s Church, Radway, in South Warwickshire.  The interactive and static displays tell the story of the Battle of Edgehill in October 1642, the first armed conflict of the English Civil War, and describe the impact of the battle on the local community.

To coincide with the anniversary of the Battle, and to mark two years of the exhibition and accompanying website battleofedgehillexhibitionradway.org.uk  a poetry competition is being held with prizes of book tokens in four different categories:

1. Children of Primary School age
2. Secondary School students aged between 11 and 18
3. Adults, 19 and over
4. Residents of Radway village

Poems will be judged by Clare Mulley, a Yorkshire-born poet, journalist and teacher who is Poet in Residence at the Battlefields Trust.

Below are two very different poems which could act as stimuli for your own students' poems. The first was written by Rudyard Kipling in 1911, the second by Clare Mulley herself in 2016.

These may also be found on the exhibition website.

Entries

These can be submitted in either handwritten form or electronically.

Please note that entries cannot be returned so don’t be sure to make a copy before you send it in! 

Handwritten poems should be sent to:-

Battle of Edgehill Poetry Competition

c/o 1 The Green

Radway

Warwick

Warwickshire

CV35 0UG

If you prefer to submit poems electronically, please follow the link on the website

battleofedgehillexhibitionradway.org.uk

Please note that the closing date for entries is September 22^nd 2017. The winners will be announced in October and prizes of book tokens awarded to the authors of the best poem in each category.

EDGEHILL FIGHT

By Rudyard Kipling

Naked and grey the Cotswolds stand 
Beneath the summer sun, 
And the stubble fields on either hand 
Where Sour and Avon run. 
There is no change in the patient land 
That has bred us every one. 

She should have passed in cloud and fire 
And saved us from this sin 
Of war--red war--'twixt child and sire, 
Household and kith and kin, 
In the heart of a sleepy Midland shire, 
With the harvest scarcely in. 

But there is no change as we meet at last 
On the brow-head or the plain, 
And the raw astonished ranks stand fast 
To slay or to be slain 
By the men they knew in the kindly past 
That shall never come again-- 

By the men they met at dance or chase, 
In the tavern or the hall, 
At the justice bench and the market place, 
At the cudgel play or brawl-- 
Of their own blood and speech and race, 
Comrades or neighbours all! 

More bitter than death this day must prove 
Whichever way it go, 
For the brothers of the maids we love 
Make ready to lay low 
Their sisters' sweethearts, as we move 
Against our dearest foe. 

Thank Heaven! At last the trumpets peal 
Before our strength gives way. 
For King or for the Commonweal-- 
No matter which they say, 
The first dry rattle of new-drawn steel 
Changes the world today! 

THE FACTS OF LIFE

By Clare Mulley

There is nothing between the soul and heaven but air.

There is nothing between the soul and air but bone.

There is nothing between the air and bone but flesh.

There is nothing between the bone and flesh but blood.

There is nothing between the flesh and blood but seconds.

There is nothing between the blood and seconds but metal.

There is nothing between the metal and seconds but your own hand. 

About the School Place Planning team

The School Place Planning team works to ensure there are sufficient school places for all children in Warwickshire. As part of this remit the team works closely with School Admissions and deals with everything from schools taking extra pupils, changes to PANs, school expansions to the opening of new schools. In order to plan effectively the county is broken down into education areas (roughly based on district/borough boundaries) and then further into school planning areas.

Planning areas have been recently reviewed and agreed with the ESFA to allow the need for school places to be better reflected and monitored in all areas of the county. These have been drawn based around groupings of schools that serve the same communities and will often have a large amount of movement between the individual schools priority areas within the overall planning area.

Over the next 15 years Warwickshire is expecting large amounts of housing growth across the county and the School Place Planning team are looking to be as forward thinking as possible to ensure children moving in to Warwickshire can access quality education in their local area.  

At the start of June we ran an academy sponsors event to discuss areas of growth with Academy Trusts and highlight potential new schools that will require a sponsor. This event was well attended attracting both Academy trusts already operating in Warwickshire and those from further afield.

More information on School Place Planning is available in the Sufficiency Strategy available online at www.warwickshire.gov.uk/schoolorganisation

Considerations for school place planning

When reviewing the need for additional school places, particularly when schools ask to expand, the School Place Planning team will start by considering the following:

Pupil Forecasts - The School Place Planning team produce pupil number forecasts each year based on birth data for all Warwickshire children. Parental preference is then factored in based on past trends as well as the amount of in year movement expected as the year group’s move through the school. On top of this we then factor in the number of children generated as a result of new housing, based on the expected build trajectories provided by the districts and boroughs or developers.

4% Capacity – The target set out in the Sufficiency Strategy is to maintain 4% available capacity across any planning area to allow in year applications to be accommodated whenever possible. In real terms this means when planning school places we do not expect all schools to be full in all year groups, all of the time. Likewise when considering requests for expansion the available capacity in other schools in the area needs to be considered.

School Admissions Code – All school organisation projects must take account of the practicalities of how school places are allocated. Any place planning decision must comply with the School Admissions Code and pupils must be able to access the places intended for them.

Home to School Transport – We are committed to providing local places for local children whenever possible. Any impact on Home to School Transport budgets are considered when planning additional school places and any increase in transport costs expected needs to be factored into the value for money of providing those school places.

Mythbusters on school place planning

Section 106 funding – Funds received from section 106 are paid by developers to mitigate the impact on local infrastructure by their development.

In terms of education this means there has to be a robust case to justify that any proposed development will have an adverse impact on the existing education infrastructure before any funds can be requested. If there is existing and/or forecast capacity at schools in the area surrounding a development the local authority cannot request developer contributions towards education provision.

There is no guarantee that funds requested will be received and all funds received must be used towards providing additional school spaces through the specific project or at the specific school named in the signed S106 agreement. Regulations exist to ensure contributions are only requested where necessary.

All agreements usually have a specified time frame for the funds to be spent and any unused funds or funds not used for the agreed purpose are likely to be requested back by developers.

Pupil Number Forecasts – Pupil forecasts are produced to highlight areas where there is expected to be future pressure on school places, these form the basis of our basic need allocation from the DfE.  Forecast pupil numbers are also used when planning the most effective time to open school expansions and new schools, ensuring need is met in a timely manner. However forecasts at individual school level only act as a guide to future pupil numbers and must always be viewed in the context of that schools’ planning area.

School Expansions – All school expansions, including taking over number or increasing PAN, will be reviewed in the context of the wider planning area and beyond if necessary. This is to ensure expansion of any school is not to the detriment of others in the area, to effectively plan for future sufficiency of school places we need to ensure all schools remain viable.

Opening of New Schools – All new schools are required to open as free schools. The expansion of existing provision is always considered before exploring the need to open a new school. Across Warwickshire there is the possibility to open new schools across the county over the next 15 plus years, with the need for both new primary and new secondary schools expected

Early Years Sufficiency & Business Support team

We make sure there are sufficient early years and childcare places for children aged 0–14 (or up to 18 for disabled children). This means we support schools, childminders and private, voluntary and independent settings to set up and expand provision. The team includes Early Years Business Support Officers who can advise on business planning and making your provision financially viable, and the Early Years Funding Officers who administer the payments.

Thirty Hours Childcare

You will probably know that 30 Hours funded childcare is being introduced from this September for eligible families with three and four year olds.

In Warwickshire, we already have a number of schools who are interested in being part of this offer, either by delivering these places directly themselves, or by working in partnership with another setting or local childminder. For example, you may have children attending your nursery class for either a morning or afternoon session – some of these children may be entitled to 30 Hours per week instead of the standard 15 hours, and you could share the hours with another provider.

We will be organising sessions for schools in the autumn term so that you can get some more information.

We have sent all schools with nursery classes a 30 Hours Update Newsletter (with a picture of our friendly 30 Hours caterpillar) in the last few days – please look out for this as it contains up to date information for those of you who will be starting to deliver the offer in September. Please note that if parents wish to access their 30 Hours place in September, they need to apply and have their eligibility confirmed now – they cannot wait until September. They can apply online at www.childcarechoices.gov.uk.

Decisions about eligibility are made by HMRC who administer the application process, and they can be contacted on 0300 123 4097. The Early Years Funding Team will deal with the payments for the additional hours, and the Business Support Officers will help with queries around how to structure sessions and plan for delivery. You can contact them at schools30hours@warwickshire.gov.uk.

Marle Hall

A communication was sent out last autumn from the Access and Organisation team with in depth information about Marle Hall which was received by all schools; so this is just a recap to remind schools of this fantastic outdoor learning facility that is available to them.

Marle Hall is Warwickshire County Council’s residential outdoor education centre situated near Llandudno on the North Wales coast, on the edge of the Snowdonia National park. The Centre is set within 35 acres of woodland.

Marle Hall is open all year round, offering outdoor activities including: canoeing; kayaking; rock climbing; abseiling; mountain walking; gorge walking; camping expeditions; orienteering/navigation; underground mine exploration; raft building; bushcraft; high and low ropes courses; initiative/team building exercises; sea level traversing; coasteering; environmental studies, including town, mountain and coastal studies (KS2, John Muir Award, GCSE, A Level).

Their website is currently being updated but please follow the link to their existing website to get in touch or find out more information: www.marlehall.co.uk/ 

Child employment

All children between the age of 13 and 16 who have a part time job must be registered with the LA in which they work. The employer is responsible for completing a work permit for each child they employ. Children can work but they are restricted on the type of work they can undertake and the hours that they can work.  If they are not registered it is illegal employment and they will not be covered on the employers insurance if they were to have an accident. We can stop a child from working if the work is affecting their health, welfare or ability to take advantage of their education. Checks are made on employers who employ children and advice and guidance given on the employment of children.   

A child is employed if he/she assists in any trade or occupation carried on for profit whether or not the child receives pay or reward. It also applies if the parent is the employer.

Employers must complete a permit application within seven days of employing a child, more permits are generally issued during the school holidays as children can work more hours whilst not in school.

It is the employer who is responsible for completing and submitting the work permit. For more information including hours children can work go to: www.warwickshire.gov.uk/childemployment

Children in entertainment

All children from birth and 16 who take part in performances, filming, modelling or paid sport must have a licence issued by the LA in which they live, unless they are exempt.

It is recognised that taking part in performances can be an important part of a child’s education for life, however we cannot grant a licence unless we are satisfied that the child is fit to do so, that proper provision has been made to secure health and kind treatment and that their education will not suffer by taking part in the performance.

We issue licences for children to take part in amateur dramatics to West End shows.  We issue the licence once we have undertaken checks to ensure the child is working within the law. All licensed children have to be looked after by a chaperone or their own parent at all times, whilst taking part in a performance. We approve chaperones and they all have enhanced DBS checks, social care checks and have to attend an interview if they are a new chaperone. They also need to undertake safeguarding training. Chaperones are then approved for a three year period.

We offer training for our chaperones in conjunction with Birmingham, Solihull and Sandwell Council.  Warwickshire are part of a network called NNCEE – National Network of Child Employment and  Children in Entertainment, this is made up most of local authority staff but agencies can also join. 

It is the applicant who is responsible for applying for the licence.  For more information including the hours children can take part in entertainment go to: www.warwickshire.gov.uk/childentertainment

Governors Training

Clerks Induction Training

Support for governors provided by FFT Education

School governors are invited to view the FFT Governor Dashboards and discover how FFT Aspire supports them in their role by joining a free webinar provided by FFT (Fischer Family Trust).

The FFT Aspire Overview Webinar for School Governors lasts just twenty five minutes and will take place on the following:

• Tuesday 18 July – 11am

 • Tuesday 18 July – 4pm

The FFT Governor Dashboard, developed in partnership with the National Governors’ Association and the Wellcome Trust, is available through FFT Aspire, FFT’s reporting and data tool for schools, local authorities and academy trusts. Through a simple dashboard, governors can see how their school attainment and pupil progress compares to the national average, how it performs in different subjects, and whether any specific groups of pupils are under-performing, making it ideal for planning inspections.

To book a place on the webinar please visit www.fft.org.uk/training-events.aspx  and choose the online training option.

NGA & TES Survey 2017

The National Governance Association has once again joined forces with TES magazine to survey the nation’s governors and trustees. The findings from this survey are vital to ensuring governing boards' voices are heard at national level. Over 2,500 people have already taken part and we’re hoping to hear from even more of you!

The survey takes roughly 20 minutes to complete and will close on Monday 17 July.

The survey is open to all governors, trustees, and academy committee members in England, including head teachers, so please pass this information to your colleagues.

Are you Prepared for The General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR)?

On 25 May 2018, the EU General Data Protection Regulations (GDPR), a new legal framework for data protection, will come into effect in the UK. The UK government has confirmed that the UK’s decision to leave the EU will not prevent the introduction of the GDPR, so it is important that governors and trustees begin to consider any potential impact

GDPR will replace the Data Protection Act 1998 (DPA) and represents the biggest change to data protection law for 20 years. With some GDPR breaches carrying fines of up to 4% of global annual turnover or 20 million Euros, now is the time to start planning. Individuals have stronger rights to be informed about how organisations use their personal information.

For the first time in data protection law, the GDPR will introduce the requirement of “accountability”. In basic terms, accountability means that organisations will not only be required to comply with data protection requirements, but also that they must demonstrate that they comply.

Many of the GDPR’s main concepts and principles are much the same as those in the current Data Protection Act, so if you are complying with the current law most of your approach to compliance will remain valid under the GDPR and can be the starting point to build from. However, there are new elements and significant enhancements, so you will have to do some things for the first time and some things differently.

The Information Commissioners Office (ICO) is the UK's independent authority set up to uphold information rights and they are committed to helping organisations improve their practices and prepare for the GDPR.

As a starting point we suggest governors:

·         Visit the GDPR section on the ICO website

·         Look at the  ICO’s overview of the GDPR - a good place to start

·         Look at the 12 steps to take towards compliance which the ICO has published

·         Raise awareness of GDPR at all levels within their school

At this moment in time we are unsure how the GDPR will affect schools but we suggest Governors and Head teachers read the information to familiarise themselves with the requirements.

We will forward you more information when we receive it.

Governors' Forum and Long Service Awards Presentation

Nigel Minns presented Long Service Awards to Governors who have supported schools in Warwickshire for 20 years.  Following the presentation attendees moved to the Council Chamber for the Summer Forum meeting.

Nigel opened the Forum with his thoughts on “The Educational Landscape” and “Where are we now?” although he made us aware that our meeting was the day before the Queen’s Speech and we would all need to wait and see what the government’s legislative programme for the next two years would be. We listened to his presentation and thoughts on The Manifesto, School Improvement Funding, Strategic School Improvement Fund and the Local Authority Involvement in MATs. Governors were given the opportunity to question Nigel and discussions took place.

Nigel handed over to Hayley McDonagh (Manager for Safeguarding and Intervention) and Hayley began by congratulating schools and governors on their performance.  According to Ofsted official statistics Warwickshire now has 90% good or better schools - up from 89% last quarter and up from 82% in March 2015!

She explained the role of the Learning Improvement Officers and how they would be supporting schools in the future before giving a detailed presentation on the Framework for School Led School Improvement.  Hayley discussed each stage and section of the framework triangle to enable governors to understand the process and who was involved. Governors were given the opportunity to question Hayley and to comment on the process.

Hayley handed over to Vince Quayle (Manager of Governor Services) on Evolving Governance and Vince gave governors an update on the national governance picture and comments from recent Ofsted reports.  Vince reminded governors on the importance of strategic governance and asked governors to question whether their governing body was holding the school to account.  Vince updated governors on Warwickshire Governance Highlights which included training and recruitment activity and he ended the presentation by giving governors an opportunity to ask questions.

Feedback following the Forum has been very positive and we would like to thank everyone for giving up their time to attend the event.

WSCB Schools Safeguarding Audit 2017

Adrian Over (Education Safeguarding Manager) has sent a copy of the WSCB Schools Safeguarding Audit 2017 to Head Teachers / DSL.  It would be useful for Safeguarding Link Governors to be aware of the document and perhaps support the Head teacher / DSL in completing it and ensuring it is returned by the completion date of September 22 2017.

No Pens Day Wednesday - 4 October 2017

'No Pens Day Wednesday' encourages schools and settings to put down their pens and to run a day of speaking and listening activities.

More information and resources are available from The Communications Trust

Update on the Governor Half Day Conference

The Conference was very well attended and featured two workshops:

·         A Guide to Admissions and Exclusions and the Governors Role

·         School Website Requirements and the Complaints Toolkit

Copies of the presentations have been emailed to all delegates and the revised Complaints Toolkit is available to use on GovernorHub and WES Document Library.

Feedback from delegates following the Conference was very positive and a number of schools have already conducted their own website audit with interesting findings!

Meningococcal ACWY vaccination for school leavers

Men ACWY vaccine for eligible teenagers now available

Since 2009, there has been a large increase in group W meningococcal (MenW) disease in England, resulting in several deaths in teenagers. Older teenagers and young adults who are not vaccinated are at risk of getting MenW infection. We are working with GP practices across the West Midlands to ensure all eligible teenagers are offered a Men ACWY vaccine this year (information attached).

To support NHSE/PHE in raising awareness of this, please could you forward this to your colleagues in Education to share with head teachers in schools and educational establishments in the wider community, with a request to share the attached flyer or display the attached poster.

Medical Conditions Awareness Training 2017-18

All primary, secondary and special schools should have received a letter with details of medical conditions awareness training for the academic year 2017-18 (emailed on Tuesday 4 July to the headteacher).

Free training is available for all schools at a number of different dates, times and locations.

The training is for nominated school staff with responsibilities for the children and young people with medical conditions. The number of places available will be dependent on venue capacity.

If you missed this email please contact the School Health & Wellbeing Service on 03300 245 204 or email warwickshireSH&WBService@compass.uk.org

Subsidised school-based training is available for those who would prefer on-site training. The service is able to offer the following 2 courses:

• Asthma and the administration of pre-prepared adrenaline in response to Anaphylaxis (1 hour)

• Administration of emergency medication for Epilepsy (1 hour)

The courses cost  £60 each and should be arranged directly with the service.

Schools can choose whether to take one or both of the courses and must raise a purchase order with Compass specifying which course(s) they wish to receive. Schools will be responsible for the local organisation and administration of the courses (e.g. room booking, inviting staff, and recording attendance).

Due to the need for a minimum number of courses being taken up at this rate to make it cost-effective, Public Health Warwickshire will fund any income shortfall with Compass to ensure delivery of the core service is not compromised. We will review the take-up of the courses for the period 1 September 2017 – 31 August 2018 and re-negotiate the reduced rate for the following academic year.

Healthcare Plan Workshops

Given the tragic death of an East London pupil following an allergic reaction to an ingredient in his school dinner, it is timely to remind schools of their statutory responsibilities towards pupils with medical conditions. The findings by the Coroner were that not all school staff were aware of his medical condition nor his healthcare plan.

Please ensure you are following the requirements of the DfE guidance: Supporting pupils with medical conditions at school 2014

(https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/supporting-pupils-at-school-with-

medical-conditions--3).

In particular, you must:

• have a policy in place setting out your arrangements for pupils with medical conditions;
• have a named lead in school for pupils with medical conditions;
• ensure healthcare plans are in place and are regularly reviewed;
• ensure all relevant staff are made aware of health care needs, including any temporary supply staff.

You may also find the website  http://medicalconditionsatschool.org.uk/ helpful for resources, model policies and documents.

In order to support schools with meeting their responsibilities towards pupils with medical conditions, the School Health & Wellbeing Service will be running some Best Practice Workshops in Autumn 2017. The purpose of these workshops will be to explain the local pathways in place and to ensure school staff are well informed and supported. We will be in touch in due course with some dates and times for these workshops and would encourage you to send representatives from your school.

If you would like to discuss this in more detail, please contact the service directly on

03300 245 204 or via  warwickshireSH&WBService@compass-uk.org

Free mental health resources for primary schools

We know that local authorities across the country are involved in innovative work to equip schools to support the mental health and wellbeing of their pupils. We would like to help by providing schools in your area with resources produced by child mental health experts from the Anna Freud National Centre for Children and Families. As an independent charity we bring together leading clinicians and researchers dedicated to improving the quality, accessibility and effectiveness of support and provision.

In September we will launch our campaign You’re never too young to talk mental health. As part of this campaign we will provide all primary schools with a free ‘Talking Mental Health’ animation and accompanying teacher resource pack which includes assembly plans, lesson plans and cross-curricular activities. These materials, which were co-produced with children, support teachers to give children the language they need to talk about mental health. All our materials are based on rigorous evidence and have been thoroughly tested in schools

Our child mental health experts have also developed a booklet: ‘Supporting mental health and wellbeing in schools’ and a series of films which offer practical guidance about what teachers can do in the classroom to support mental health, and what to do if they are concerned about a child. These materials will be free to access online in September through our Schools in Mind network. We have created this network specifically to support all those working in education and we very much hope you will join it.

If you agree that You’re never too young to talk mental health here’s what you can do to help us to support your schools:
Please let schools know about these materials before the end of term so that they can be ready to use our materials in the new school year
Sign up to our free Schools in Mind network and ask schools in your area to do the same
We will contact you in September with information about how you can share our materials with your schools.

We look forward to working with you on this project.

Yours Sincerely,

Jaime Smith
Programme Director for Mental Health and Wellbeing in Schools

Dementia Friends Information Sessions for Schools and Colleges

Message from Dr John Linnane, Director of Public Health, Warwickshire County Council

The Dementia Friends Initiative aims to change the way people think, act and speak about dementia. The initiative is led nationally by the Alzheimer’s Society and is based on the principle that people with dementia can live well with a little help from other people and there are now almost two million Dementia Friends in England. Becoming a Dementia Friend is about understanding a bit more about dementia and the small things that can help people with the condition. You don’t need to already know someone with dementia to become a Dementia Friend.

Raising awareness of dementia amongst our younger generation is incredibly important and I am writing to encourage you to consider hosting a Dementia Friends Information Session at your school / college.

Benefits to your school and students / pupils:

• Dementia Friends is a National initiative - be part of something really positive  
• World Alzheimer’s Month is in September – a great time to link with a national and international awareness raising campaign
• Can be delivered within PSHE lessons – links with Citizenship
• Can be delivered to year groups or whole school assemblies (up to 200 pupils)
• Sessions can be tailored to specific age groups (from 5-18)
• Free session lasting 45-60 minutes
• All resources provided
• Dementia Friends Badges and Information card provided to every participant
• Minimal organisation required from the school.

A session was delivered to over 200 year 12 students from Kenilworth School Sixth Form. Mr Mummery, Senior Deputy Headteacher / Head of Sixth Form, Kenilworth School and Sixth Form said:

‘The Dementia Friends Champions gave a most interesting, interactive talk explaining how each person with dementia is individual and reminding us all that people living with dementia need everyone’s support and respect. The session was delivered as part of the year 12 assembly and was well received by students and staff. I would encourage other schools and colleges to host an Information Session as a positive way to raise awareness of dementia among the younger generation’.

Warwickshire County Council and the Alzheimer’s Society would like to support your school / college to host a Dementia Friends Information Session. The Information Sessions are interactive and focus on five key messages that are important for everyone to know about dementia.

If you have general queries or would like to request a Dementia Friends Information Session within your school / college in Warwickshire, please complete the attached form / contact Keeley Waldron, Regional Support Officer - Dementia Friends, from the Alzheimer's Society on 07718 252457 or by email: keeley.waldron@alzheimers.org.uk

Thank you for helping to raise awareness and understanding of dementia. Further information can also be found on Warwickshire's Living Well with Dementia website: www.warwickshire.gov.uk/dementia

Please find further details of Warwickshire’s Dementia Friends Challenge below. This information should provide some useful local context.  

In Warwickshire, there are estimated to be approximately 7,600 people living with dementia and this is likely to rise to over 11,000 people with dementia in the County in the next ten years. The fact is that most people in Warwickshire will be affected in some way by dementia during their lifetimes. To support people to live well with dementia and to raise awareness and understanding of the condition, Warwickshire County Council and partners have now achieved their initial target of creating 10,000 Dementia Friends in Warwickshire. Now that we have achieved our initial target, we are aiming to create 30,000 Dementia Friends across Warwickshire by 2019. Our local Dementia Friends will also contribute to the national target – to create 4 million Dementia Friends in England by 2020. Further information about Dementia Friends can be found at: www.dementiafriends.org.uk.

Outstanding Ofsted for Studley High School

We are delighted that the hard work and dedication of staff and pupils, along with the contributions from parents and the wider community have resulted in another Outstanding Ofsted grading for Studley High School. The detailed letter provided as feedback from the inspection team is incredibly positive and really does capture the breadth of the ‘pupil experience’ at Studley High School.

This month, HMI Inspectors met with the headteacher, governors, all of the senior leaders, pupils from all year groups, HR manager, pastoral staff, SENCO and heads of department as well as visiting over 20 lessons and scrutinising safeguarding and other systems.

If you would like to find out more about the strengths highlighted within the report please see our letter to parents.

The full report will be available shortly on the Ofsted website.

Warwickshire County Council sets new Guinness World Record™ and creates the largest human bicycle

Warwickshire County Council’s Joint Managing Director, Monica Fogarty, visited staff and students at Kenilworth School and Sixth Form where she presented a Guinness World Record certificate to commemorate the school’s recent record-breaking achievement.

The Guinness World Records attempt, held at Kenilworth School and Sixth Form, was organised by Warwickshire County Council to celebrate the return of the OVO Energy Women’s Tour to the county for a second successive year.

1,148 people, mainly comprising students from Kenilworth School and Sixth form, and school staff, took a painstaking hour to ensure they had created the bicycle without any breaks in the links under the watchful eye of the Guinness World Records adjudicator.

Their feat eclipsed the previous record of 891 people, set by the community of Silloth-on-Solway, Cumbria, during the Tour of Britain in September 2015.

Warwickshire County Council's Joint Managing Director, Monica Fogarty, said: “I am so proud to pass on the certificate from Guinness World Records to commemorate this fantastic achievement by everyone at Kenilworth School and Sixth Form. With the event broadcast on television that evening, the people of Warwickshire had the chance to share the excitement and pride in what was achieved that day.

“It wasn’t just about breaking records however. The record breaking attempt promoted the Warwickshire stage of the OVO Women’s Tour this year. Early evaluation is showing that visitor figures to Warwickshire were well up on 2016, giving a real boost to the local economy. With more people following the route, after the cyclists had gone past, we are also confident that more and more people will take up cycling and that can only have benefits in the longer term. This certificate is not just a lasting memento but a small thankyou to the school for the inspiration that they provided in helping to make the Warwickshire stage of the tour such a great success.”

Hayden Abbott, head teacher of Kenilworth School and Sixth Form said: “At the time I said how delighted I was for the students and for everyone involved that we had achieved a world record. This certificate is a permanent reminder of our accomplishment and I hope it will inspire future generations of students.”

Teacher Training in Warwickshire

Primary Partnership

Dunchurch Infant School & Nursery are inviting Warwickshire primary schools to join their Primary Partnership, the aim of which is to share best practice and utilise the expertise that they know exists in every school. 

They are currently planning events for the next academic year which will include:

• Three book trawls at different schools, each focussing on a different subject. With books being one of the key sources of information when monitoring teaching and learning, these events will give you the chance to see the children with books in another setting.
• “Continuous provision for real” event. An opportunity for Early Years teachers and teaching assistants as well as senior leaders to see an Early Years unit in action. 
• Two half day training sessions for Teaching Assistants.
• Support and CPD for new headteachers, heads of school and executive heads. There will be the chance to “buddy up” with an experienced colleague performing a similar role.  There will also be visits to other schools based on a theme of interest, e.g. school finance, governance, etc.
• Support and CPD for new and developing deputy heads in a similar way to the support planned for new headteachers.

The annual joining fee is £200, which entitles you to send unlimited numbers of your staff (subject to availability of places) to the Primary Partnership events. 

If you are interested in joining, please contact either Caroline: caroline.horne@lawrencesheriffschool.com or Chris christine.blay@lawrencesheriffschool.com or call 01788 843789.

Information sessions on Syrian refugees

IOM, in partnership with the Home Office, currently provides cultural orientation sessions for Syrian refugees prior to their arrival in the UK to enhance their integration process by providing them with accurate and relevant information about the UK. In addition to this, however, IOM’s experience in numerous countries has found that integration is a two-way process and works best when both refugees and those working with refugees in receiving communities (local government, social/refugee workers, health and education workers, etc.) have a good understanding of each other’s expectations, cultural differences, and practices.

IOM has therefore implemented two-way integration programmes in various other countries, partnering cultural orientation sessions for refugees with informational sessions on the refugee communities for local authorities. Following the success of these programmes, IOM UK has secured funding to deliver similar support to local authorities resettling Syrians in the UK.

To support local authorities in reducing the adjustment period for Syrian refugees and providing strong, appropriate integration services for Syrian refugees by increasing local knowledge of the Syrian communities being resettled in the UK.

The information sessions are CPD-certified and conducted by invitation from local authorities, with each session tailored to the needs and interests of those authorities.

For more information on the courses please click here

WCC Assessment Team Training 2017-2018

Please click here for the training information and dates for 2017/18

Primary Headteachers' Briefing

The Primary Headteachers' Briefing will be taking place on Monday 17th July 2017.

We are pleased that headteachers will have the opportunity to hear from and put questions to Christine Quinn, Regional Schools Commissioner for the West Midlands.

Other key messages from the Local Authority will also be shared and a full agenda has been circulated via email to all headteachers. 

Venue: Warwick Racecourse, Hampton Street, Warwick, CV34 6HN

Time: Arrival and registration from 12.30pm.  

The briefing will start at 1pm and finish at 4pm. Further details are on the attached agenda which has also been emailed to all schools to the headteacher (Tuesday 11th July).

If you would like to attend please email schoolpartnerships@warwickshire.gov.uk by Thursday 13th July.

Switch Off Fortnight

Switch Off Fortnight takes place this year from 20 November – 3 December. Sign up to the campaign to secure your school a free energy-saving resource pack (containing stickers, posters and certificates)* and to be first in line to receive updates on this year’s campaign. 

Switch Off Fortnight is a great opportunity to learn about energy as part of the science curriculum, focus the whole school on a topic and save money on your energy bills.

It’s a fun and easy campaign to get involved in, and you’ll be joining thousands of other schools around the country (even the world!) in learning about saving energy.

Three reasons to get involved in 2017:

• NEW curriculum-linked lessons, posters, assemblies and more
• NEW activities to involve students and their families
• NEW No Electricity Day – will you take our challenge to see how long you can go without power?

We produce a limited number of resource packs to support your campaign in school. Last year we ran out – reserve your pack today.

Here’s what one teacher said about Switch Off Fortnight 2016:

“The resources are always brilliant and easy to use. The children really got behind the campaign and even caught teachers wasting energy. Their enthusiasm for saving energy was excellent!”