Celebrating Warwickshire’s Family of Schools
Promoting autism inclusive attitudes
This resource is developed as part of the Whole School SEND Autism Resource Suite and provides a range of activities which can be used within an educational setting for developing positive attitudes towards autism.
You can download the booklet here.
Developing Professional Coaching Skills
Following on from the success of the Peer Coaching training for senior leaders, led by Catherine Nyman last academic year, we are delighted to bring you information of a similar course called ‘Developing Professional Coaching Skills’ being offered by the Gateway Alliance.
This course is for leaders in schools and aims to teach and practise professional level coaching skills and strategies, embedding them in to your daily leadership practice.
The programme will be led again by Catherine Nyman and run over three sessions (2 x online and 1 x face to face). Sessions start on Tuesday 23rd November and places will be limited and offered on a first come first served basis. The course costs £199 per person.
For more information and to book a place please visit the Gateway Alliance website or contact us at info@gatewayalliance.co.uk or call 02476 347697
Senior Leaders’ Webinar Featuring Professor Guy Claxton
Don’t miss the opportunity to hear from the inspiring Professor Guy Claxton, author of Building Learning Power, who will be leading the first Senior Leaders’ Webinar of the year for the Gateway Alliance.
Guy will be sharing the thinking behind his latest book: The future of teaching – and the myths that hold it back, in this rare opportunity to hear him address the issues presented in the book from the perspective of primary school senior leaders.
Session Overview:
21st century children need three things from school: useful knowledge, practical literacies, and also character strengths such as determination, curiosity and imagination. Styles of teaching that are aimed only at tests of knowledge and literacy often unwittingly develop exactly the opposite kinds of character: children who are increasingly passive, anxious and unadventurous.
Current pressures to teach using only “direct instruction” in a “knowledge rich” curriculum are not – despite strident claims to the contrary – based on accepted cognitive science, and they can harm children’s development. The Learning Power Approach to teaching, derived from worldwide research, is a practical method for building knowledge, expertise AND the broader strengths that determine lifelong success.
The session is taking place online on Wednesday 20th October (10:00-11:30) and is FREE for colleagues in the Gateway Alliance Senior Leaders Network or costs £70 per person for non-subscribing schools.
SPECIAL OFFER: For colleagues interested in purchasing a copy of Guy’s book ‘The Future of Teaching – and the myths that hold it back’ we have been able to secure an exclusive 25% discount (RRP £15.99) when purchased direct from Routledge. Please use voucher code FOT25 at checkout. The voucher code is valid until 31st October 2021.
For more information and to book a place please visit the Gateway Alliance website or contact us at info@gatewayalliance.co.uk or call 02476 347697.
'Music for Everyone'
'Music for Everyone' is now open for enrolment!
Adult and Community Learning are pleased to offer this FREE course as part of their Active Learning Programme for adults with learning difficulties/disabilities. Learn to express yourself using your voice and percussion instruments in a friendly, supportive group!
Start date: Wednesday 3rd November, term time only.
Time: 2 until 4pm
Venue: Lillington Free Church
All NPQs now funded for all: Deadline extended
The DfE have announced today that all state funded schools and colleges are now eligible for fully funded NPQs. There are no limits to how many members of staff that you can put forward for the new qualifications.
There is still time to sign up your staff for a fully funded place for the November cohort of the new NPQs. APPLY AS SOON AS YOU CAN
To sign up with Coventry and Central Warwickshire Teaching School Hub go to the DfE portal and choose UCL as your lead provider. Access the DfE portal here.
See attached for further information about the courses available.
Free online workshops for parents and carers
There are a range of free online workshops available for parents and carers in Warwickshire to access, including:
- Understanding your child's behaviour
- Understanding your teenager
- Routines and boundaries
- Sleep
- Safe home, happy home
Find out more here.
Health and wellbeing newsletter
The school nursing service, Connect for Health, has put together October's family health and wellbeing newsletter which includes information on Wold Mental Health Day, wellbeing activities, breast cancer awareness and much more.
Read more here.
'Breaking the Glass Ceiling to Good': free training for senior leaders in Warwickshire schools
Tuesday 30th November, Virtual Session, 9.30 - 3.30
Warwickshire School Improvement Team have commissioned Sonia Gill to deliver this high-quality training to up to 30 schools.
The course is for headteachers, who may also include up to 5 of their senior leaders.
Further details of the day are attached here.
Each school will also receive a copy of Sonia's book: 'Journey to Outstanding'
The LA will also make a payment of £250 to each of the schools allocated a place as a contribution to supply cover
If you would like to take up this opportunity please send names and contact details of all staff in your school who will be attending to schoolimprovement@warwickshire.gov.uk
A Zoom link will be shared nearer the time
Please note that the 30 schools will be allocated places on a 'first come, first served' basis
Headteacher Wellbeing - Further opportunity to join James Pope's Network Support Sessions
Dear Colleague,
As part of our continued commitment to supporting headteacher wellbeing and following excellent feedback from Warwickshire headteachers who joined James Pope/HeadsUp4HTs Network Support Sessions last term, I am delighted to be able to open this opportunity up to a further cohort of interested headteachers.
You may remember that James spoke at our Spring Term Headteacher Conference and held a follow up webinar to provide more detail about keeping yourself well as a leader and the successful model of support and coaching that HeadsUp4HTs run for Headteachers nationally. The webinar is attached here for those who need a reminder or who missed it and are interested this time round.
This latest round of Network Support Sessions will run for a period of 6 weeks from early autumn term. They will be weekly sessions that:
- are for headteachers only (officers at Warwickshire County Council do not attend the sessions and are not aware of which headteachers join the groups)
- are a safe, open and transparent space
- provide the opportunity to reflect on your challenges and successes
- allow you to receive support from peers and provide support to others
- will take place outside of normal school hours in order to ensure that you have the dedicated time you need, free from distraction.
Please indicate if you would like to join these sessions (or not) by completing the google form
Once James and his team know how many Headteachers are participating, HeadsUp4HTs will structure the groups and will be in touch to let you know the next steps.
From here on your relationship will be with your network groups and with HeadsUp4HTs – we just wanted to get you started on the process of self-care. However, we are always here to support Warwickshire headteachers (you can find below some of our Headteachers' quotations regarding their experience in these sessions) in any way we can so do please keep in touch. Please also remember our Listening Ear service and look out for our upcoming Peer Coaching Directory.
With very best wishes
Margot Brown
School Improvement Lead Commissioner
Save the date - Autumn Term Headteachers' Conference
Save the Date!
Autumn Term 2021 Headteachers' Conference
Wednesday 3rd November 2021 (9.30am – 12.30pm)
To be held virtually on Microsoft Teams
Details of the conference will follow in due course.
Secondary School Application Deadline
This is a reminder that the deadline for the parents and carers of Year 6 children to apply for their secondary school place is just a few weeks away, at the end of half term (31 October). Please do encourage those who haven’t already done so to submit their application on time, so that they will receive their school offer on 1 March next year.
Applications should be made online at: https://www.warwickshire.gov.uk/applying-secondary-school-place, where parents and carers can also find useful information on school transport, priority school areas and admissions criteria.