Celebrating Warwickshire’s Family of Schools
Did you know swimming and water safety are part of the school curriculum?
This article is originally featured on the Gov.uk Education Hub.
Here are four things you didn't know about swimming in schools.
All children should be able to swim 25m by the end of primary school
By the end of primary school, all children should be able to swim 25 metres unaided and use a range of strokes effectively.
They should also be taught about water safety
Water safety is a vital life skill, which is why it is a mandatory part of the curriculum for PE at primary school.
The curriculum says pupils should be taught to perform safe self-rescue in different water-based situations.
We work closely with a range of organisations including, Swim England, The Royal Life Saving Society UK, Canal and River Trust and the Association for Physical Education to support pupils being taught how to swim and to be taught water safety.
There is funding available to support schools
We recently announced our continuation of the £320 million PE and Sport Premium for the next academic year.
This can be used by primary schools to support swimming and water safety, for example through ‘top-up’ lessons or additional teacher training.
In February 2021, we announced an additional £10.1m to improve use of school sport facilities.
We recognise that children will have missed out on swimming opportunities due to the pandemic. That is why this funding can be used to support schools to open swimming pools outside the school day and fund additional cleaning, signs or sanitation they may require to be COVID-19 secure.
Schools can also access new virtual water safety lessons from Oak National Academy.
All pupils have opportunities to be taught water safety
To support pupils with special education needs and disabilities and increase their opportunities, we have included a specific focus on swimming and water safety in our grant programme.
Swim England has a new Inclusion Hub on its website that provides high quality inclusive resources for all pupils.
The Department is also working to better understand specific challenges and barriers for children from Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic backgrounds.
That’s why we are currently working with the Black Swimming Association to better understand barriers to increased participation and raising awareness of water safety among these pupils.
More information on PE and the national curriculum is available on our website: National curriculum in England: physical education programmes of study - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk).
OFSTED Reading Framework
Please note that the government has published news materials on teaching the foundations of literacy. They constitute guidance for schools to meet existing expectations for teaching early reading.
See the full guidance here:
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/the-reading-framework-teaching-the-foundations-of-literacy
Teachers' pay 2021
The draft School Teachers Pay and Conditions (STPCD) has not yet been published. We will provide further updates as they become available. All relevant information can be found on the National Employers Organisation for School Teachers (NEOST) webpage.
Chiltern Railways launch virtual programme to promote rail safety for school child
The Heart of England Community Rail Partnership has teamed up with Chiltern Railways to produce a new rail safety programme for schools. The safety programme, aimed at KS2 primary pupils, includes a video, lesson plan and activities featuring key safety messages from Chiltern Railways, Network Rail and the British Transport Police (BTP).
The aim of the programme is to raise awareness of the dangers of trespassing and to build up confidence in young people when using the railway. Previously Chiltern Railways have delivered rail safety presentations in schools across their network, however due to Covid restrictions this has not been possible. In order to continue supporting schools and communities, the Heart of England CRP and Chiltern have worked with partners to develop a new virtual rail safety programme which will enable them to engage with more young people than ever before.
Richard Allan, Managing Director of Chiltern Railways said, “The safety of our customers and those who live along our railway line is Chiltern Railway’s top priority and I am pleased that with this new programme, we can now engage with more schools across our network, ensuring young people understand how to stay safe on the railway. With the support of Network Rail, the BTP and the Heart of England Community Rail Partnership, we want to make as many young people as possible aware of the importance of rail safety.”
Julia Singleton-Tasker, Heart of England Community Rail Partnership Officer said, “Staying safe on the railways is such an important message. It’s been great to work in partnership with Chiltern Railways to deliver an educational video where different organisations have collaborated to achieve a resource that can be used in schools.” Year 5 pupils at Kingsway Community Primary School in Leamington Spa were the first to try out this virtual rail safety programme.
Alex Atkinson, teacher at Kingsway Community Primary School said “We are delighted to have been the first school in the region to benefit from this rail safety programme. Pupils were really engaged with the content and learned vital lessons on how to stay safe on the railway. The programme also highlighted to our pupils the opportunities for travel outside their immediate communities, something many families may not have the opportunity to experience.”
Family learning: Let's Go Outside! Free online resources
Family Learning have created activity packs for parents and carers of young children in Warwickshire. These packs were originally inspired by last year's lockdown, with the aim of making those one-outing-a-day trips engaging, fun and full of natural learning opportunities for young children. There are activity packs for each of the Warwickshire areas - although many of the activities are easily transferable to any locality!
Family Learning would love to hear if you have a go at any activities this Summer! You can email them: FamilyLearningACL@warwickshire.gov.uk, or tag them on social media: @warksacl
Head to their website to download the packs: www.warwickshire.gov.uk/acl - they can be found at the bottom of the Family Learning section.
New safeguarding guidance available
Spectrum of Support
The new Spectrum of Support guidance replaces the ‘Thresholds for Services for meeting the needs of children and young people in Warwickshire’ document. The Spectrum of Support guidance is for everyone working with children, young people and their families in Warwickshire. It is important because the work it describes is at the heart of our arrangements to ensure that children, young people and families get the right support, advice and services at the right time.
This guidance provides a framework for professionals who are working with children, young people and families, and aims to help identify circumstances when children may need additional support to achieve their potential.
The Spectrum of Support provides information on the levels of children’s needs and gives examples of some of the factors that may indicate when a child or young person needs additional support or protection.
https://www.safeguardingwarwickshire.co.uk/images/downloads/WS_Spectrum_of_Support_Document_-_July_2021.pdf
Parents, pupils, teachers and students. Find out what step 4 of the covid roadmap means for you
The Department for Education blog, The Education Hub, has an update on what Step 4 of the Covid-19 roadmap means for Parents, pupils, teachers and students. Read an excerpt below and find the full article at the link.
"On 19 July the country is expected to move on to Step 4 of the Government’s roadmap and further restrictions will be lifted.
"As the Prime Minister set out, this means that from that point most of the restrictions we have faced as a society in the last year-and-a-half will be removed, helping to minimise disruption to education.
"Many schools, colleges and universities will have started their summer breaks by then but it means the return to education in the autumn will feel very different as a result. There are schools, colleges and universities that will still be teaching on 19 July and they, along with early years settings, will be able to relax restrictions at that point."
Read the full blog post here.
Coventry and Warwickshire health system comes together to issue open letter on COVID concerns
As we see the COVID restrictions ease on Monday (July 19), health leaders in Coventry and Warwickshire have sent an open letter to residents, calling on them to continue to be careful and to look out for one another.
The latest stage of the Government roadmap will see many of the remaining restrictions lifted and a return to a more normal way of life. Changes will include an end to social distancing and face masks will no longer be compulsory in public settings.
However, leaders from Public Health and the region’s hospitals and health services have joined forces to call on members of the public to continue to take precautions.
They said: “These changes will give us more freedom, but we must remember that we are still living with COVID and that it has not gone away. We must take personal responsibility to still do the right things and protect ourselves and one another from the virus.
“Face coverings and social distancing may no longer be compulsory, but they will still protect us. We know that these measures are effective at helping to reduce transmission and we would ask you to continue with these in settings such as shops and on public transport. Our respective organisations will also ask you to wear a mask when you visit our buildings. These measures not only help to protect you, they reduce the risks for others around you, including those who are vulnerable or anxious.
“Please also continue to wash your hands regularly and thoroughly, use hand sanitiser and continue all the good practices around hygiene that have kept us safe.”
You can read the full letter here.
Free summer activity programme available for children and young people Warwickshire
The Government’s Holiday Activities and Food programme (HAF) will be available throughout the county this summer, coordinated by Warwickshire County Council (WCC).
Backed by a nationwide investment of up to £220 million, the expanded programme ran initially during Easter in all local areas and is also scheduled for the Christmas holidays in 2021. It will enable children and young people to enjoy fun activities with friends and learn and develop new skills. The local programme is launching at the start of the summer holidays and is aimed at those who are eligible for benefits-related free school meals.
The holiday clubs can involve helping young people learn new thing by taking part in enriching activities from sport to music, dance, drama, art, cooking and gardening through to engineering workshops, junk modelling, den building, farm animal welfare and much more. The activities all aim to improve socialisation and help young people to have fun with friends this summer.
The Government’s investment in the HAF programme will build on the foundations laid by WCC sporting organisations, charities and the voluntary sector during the successful programme over the Easter holidays. This initiative is running alongside the £200 million funding announced in February to provide summer schools to help pupils who have experienced the most disruption as a result of the pandemic.
John Coleman, Assistant Director for Children and Families at WCC said: “We are delighted to be taking part in the HAF programme funded by the government as it will benefit children in all parts of Warwickshire.
“After such a challenging year for many children and young people across the county, we want them to be able to make the most of the summer holiday with healthy meals, fun activities and learning opportunities.
“WCC strives for Warwickshire to be the best it can be, offering a great place for children and young people to live, learn and grow. The HAF programme will support this aim, helping them reach their full potential and look towards a brighter future.”
Cllr Jeff Morgan, Portfolio Holder for Children and Families added: “Enabling children to learn new skills, socialise with their friends, and enjoy nutritious food in a safe environment is important now more than ever. By taking part in the HAF programme, we can enrich the summer holidays for young people across the county while supporting their return to school and alleviating parental stress.
“If you’re a parent or carer in Warwickshire and you think you might benefit from free holiday clubs then please make sure you find out more about this exciting programme!
Applications are now open to enrol children in a free holiday clubs programme over the summer and places are free for those who are eligible for free school meals. Children will be able to access lots of activities throughout the summer and there are also activities available for children with SEND or additional needs.
Eligible families will have received a HAF booking code via text from Warwickshire County Council this week. If you think you may be eligible but haven’t received a text please email haf@warwickshire.gov.uk or call the Family Information Service on 01926 742274.
View the summer holiday activities taking place across Warwickshire.
Warwickshire County Council is working with local schools, voluntary and community organisations, and childcare providers to provide the HAF programme. The free places are funded by the Department for Education. Visit the government website for more information on the national programme.
Primary school languages competition
Are you keen to increase language and cultural awareness in your school? Are you interested in winning Amazon vouchers to use for innovative MFL resources?
Students and Staff of the School of Modern Languages and Cultures at the University of Warwick are organising a competition in September in which Primary Schools can get involved.
The competition involves students working in groups to make a poster about one of the 120 languages spoken in Coventry, and is part of Coventry City of Culture.
We will also be hosting a Languages Roadshow on the 19th September 2021 to showcase multilingualism in Coventry and the surrounding areas.
To register your interest, please respond to Leon.Pitt@warwick.ac.uk
More details to follow in September.
What's on with Kooth this summer?
The team behind the Kooth platform, the online mental wellbeing community, has produced some digital resources for the summer period that you may find useful.
Please see the four PDFs here: KoothSummer1, KoothSummer2, KoothSummer3, KoothSummer4.
