COVID-19 cases rise across Warwickshire

Following the Government announcement to delay step 4 of the roadmap out of lockdown until Monday 19 July, Warwickshire residents are being urged to continue to do the right thing to protect each other. 

The rules of hands, face, space and fresh air still apply and indoor gatherings remain restricted to six people or two households. People should be taking regular tests to monitor the spread of the virus and getting both vaccine doses as soon as they can. 

Over the last few weeks COVID-19 cases have been rising across the county with Warwickshire now at 48 cases per 1,000. Whilst this may seem low compared to the previous peak in March 2021, the figures are going up. This is also the picture nationally and regionally with a rise the Delta variant playing a key role. 

The advice that was given at the start of the pandemic is just as important today as it was then. Wash your hands regularly, wear a face covering in public places, keep a social distance from those you do not live with, and ensure that you open windows and doors when you have visitors in your home. This advice is key in preventing the spread. 

The vaccine uptake is also playing a key role and anyone eligible for a vaccine is encouraged to book their first and second jabs when invited. However, as with many vaccines, just because you are vaccinated, it doesn’t mean that you can’t still catch the virus or spread it. So, the advice of hands, face, space and fresh air remains key.

For more information go to www.warwickshire.gov.uk

 

Updated COVID-19 End of Term Transition Guidance Information for all phases

Please find this informative document attached with the latest advice and information for Covid-19 Term Transition. 

Feedback on Child and Young Person’s Dimensions Tool

Are you a professional using the Child and Young Person’s Dimensions Tool?

Then, your views are needed to determine whether any changes could improve the way the Tool works for you.

The Dimensions Tool signposts to resources to support the wellbeing of school age children in Coventry and Warwickshire. This interactive tool helps parents, carers and professionals to find better quality information to support their children.

Coventry and Warwickshire Partnership Trust would like to hear from professional users about how you use the Dimensions Tool and whether the algorithms built into it are helpful to you; this is the way the Tool works to produce outputs and results.

Please complete this this short, anonymous survey to help them to evaluate the impact of any change to the way the professionals’ version works.

Please complete the survey here

The survey will be open until Sunday 25^th July 2021.  If you have any further queries, please contact the Dimensions Tool team: dimensions@covwarkpt.nhs.uk

 

Reminder: Applications for an in-year place for next academic year required by 7th July

The Admissions Team have reflected on the processing of in-year applications during the summer term and holiday period last year and to avoid the backlog of applications, which everyone found difficult to deal with, they are informing parents that they need to apply for an in-year place for next academic year by 7th July to be certain of securing a place for September. 

This date will ensure the team have time to process the applications and get responses from schools.  This will also mean that children will be on roll ahead of the census in October, thus securing funding for schools. In order to ensure they can get offers sent out to parents in time for a September start, they ask that applications are processed as quickly as possible, and responses returned to the team promptly. They politely request that schools have a member of staff available during week commencing 23rd August to liaise with the Admissions Team about available places and return any responses sent across to schools during the holiday period.

If you wish to discuss any specific issues regarding your school and this request, please contact Cheryl Wild - Lead Officer for In-Year Admissions and Fair Access on cherylwild@warwickshire.gov.uk or 01926 742061.

Window for schools to claim pupil premium for current academic year for any pupil with no recourse to public funds

In response to a pre-action legal letter, the DfE has this week opened up a brief window for schools to claim pupil premium for the current academic year for any pupil with no recourse to public funds who accessed free school meals at any time between April and October 2020 and were still on roll at the time of the October school census.  However, schools only have until 5pm on Wednesday June 30 to submit their claims.

Find out more here: https://form.education.gov.uk/service/nrpf

Free DRB Leadership Briefing - Summer 2021

The Gateway Alliance are delighted to be working with DRB to bring local schools an exclusive offer – discounted access to the highly-respected DRB Leadership Briefings for academic year 2021-22.

The DRB Leadership Briefings are an essential termly update for senior leaders featuring the latest from the DfE, the ESFA, Ofqual, the Standards and Testing Agency and Ofsted. DRB have been offering these termly briefings for several years now, primarily to senior leaders in schools across Birmingham and Sheffield, but more recently heads in Warwickshire and Coventry have become aware of their value and begun to buy in.

Quote from Nuneaton Headteacher (June 2021)…

"Having just attended a DRB Senior Leadership Briefing for the summer term I just wanted to let you know that I thought the session was excellent. Everything that I need to know, condensed into a highly informative couple of hours. The briefing has saved me many hours of reading and has helped me formulate where my focus needs to be over the next couple of months.

I have to say I don't know how Gateway have been able to offer these sessions at such a low price, they are worth every penny. The question it does raise however, is how can any school afford not to take up this offer up for next year! Many thanks."

This year the briefings have moved online and are now offered remotely via Zoom; the termly programme also includes additional support in the form of weekly email updates and ongoing telephone and email support from the briefing’s facilitator and experienced former headteacher – Andrew Pilmore.

Gateway are delighted to be offering discounted access to these briefings, to schools in our network, for academic year 2021-22. Subscription information, including full details of this offer, is now available on our website, or for more information please contact Helen Martin – martin.h@welearn365.com.

FREE SUMMER TERM INTRODUCTORY EVENT….

For colleagues that are not familiar with the DRB briefings, we are offering one FREE place on this term’s live leadership briefing, which will take place via Zoom, on:

DATE: Friday 25th June 2021

TIME: 08:30-10:30

CLICK HERE TO BOOK NOW.

Origin Maths Hub Opportunities 2021 – 2022 Coventry, Solihull and Warwickshire (June 2021 Update)

Origin Maths Hub Primary Teaching Maths for Mastery Programme

These free and fully funded Work Groups support schools to develop strong curriculum, teaching and professional development practices that reflect a teaching maths for mastery approach. They are for schools who have not previously engaged in any Teaching for Mastery Work Groups with Maths Hubs. Click to find out more:

• Primary Mastery Readiness Work Groups  
• Primary Teaching for Mastery Development Work Groups

The deadline for applications to these Work Groups is Friday 25^th June.

 

Origin Maths Hub Mastering Number Work Groups
(Reception and Key Stage 1)

The aim of this free programme is to support young children to develop fluency in calculation and confidence with number. Lead teacher participants from reception, year 1 and year 2 will receive free training, access to a supportive online community, and resources with planning, to equip them to give their class a daily short 'number sense' session as part of scheduled maths teaching. Find out more here. The deadline for applications to these Work Groups is Friday 2^nd July.

Origin Maths Hub Specialist Knowledge for Teaching Mathematics -
Secondary Non-Specialist Programme (Secondary Schools)

This new, free programme for secondary schools focuses on both subject knowledge and pedagogy for those teaching outside their specialism in secondary maths departments. Find out more here.

Sign up to our newsletter to receive new information here

Look out for opportunities on our website here

Contact us at office@originmathshub.tgacademy.org.uk

Follow them on Twitter @OriginMathsHub

Early Career Teachers Appropriate Body Services

From September 2021, induction for teachers joining the profession will be extended to two years and supported by the national roll-out of the Early Career Framework (ECF). The John Taylor Teaching School Hub and Arthur Terry Teaching School Hub can act as an Appropriate Body for the registration, monitoring of support and assessment of Early Career Teachers (ECTs) in their first and second year of induction. Upon registration your ECTs will be assigned to one of the Teaching School Hubs.

More information on Appropriate Body Services.

Find out more here.

School Summer Term Activities Guidance – Warwickshire Education and Public Health

Given the extension of restrictions to the 19^th of July we are advising all schools to plan summer term activities in line with the updated Stage 3 of the Roadmap and updated information from the Department for Education on 15 June.

The general principle for summer term activities is schools and colleges must continue to risk assess and plan activities in line with the system of controls and should follow government guidance.

This decision has prompted all Local Authorities to re-evaluate end of term arrangements in order to minimise the risk of infection whilst the vaccination programme continues to be rolled out at pace.  

National guidance allows for outdoor school activities to take place following consideration and mitigation of risks. This includes not mixing bubbles of children. You should keep bubbles for day to day school operation also for the remainder of this half term. The children are used to the routine and organisation. The following local guidance is provided to support you in reducing the risk of transmission, bearing in mind younger adults and school-age pupils who are yet to be vaccinated, and the ongoing and increasing risk of transmission within school settings.

You have worked incredibly hard over the last year to ensure safety of students and reduce risk of transmission on school premises. Whilst school fetes and end of year celebrations are important social events for the school, you will want to avoid hosting activities that present significant risks related to COVID-19 spread. Careful event planning is crucial.

This guidance has been produced to support schools and educational settings through this next challenging period. Decisions have been made to ensure consistency of approach across the Authority, to take into account the national guidance and bring us in line with our neighbouring authorities.

Principles

• To have a consistent approach across the authority.
• Not to mix bubbles, as specified by P.H.E and national guidance.
• To further facilitate joint working between Early Years settings, Primary and Secondary schools.

 

Warwickshire Public Health recommendation for any school activity:

 

• Hands - hand sanitiser and hand washing facilities readily available and use encouraged.
• Face - face coverings must be worn if needing to access indoor areas (e.g: accessing toilets) – noting that outdoor events pose the least risk.
• Space – social distancing is to be maintained between bubbles. Teachers / supervisors should continue to practice social distancing between themselves and pupils.
• Fresh air – hold activities outdoors wherever possible. You may wish to erect outdoor shelters. To be considered ‘outdoors’, shelters, marquees and other structures can have a roof but need to have at least 50% of the area of their walls open at all times whilst in use.
• Control numbers attending at any one time in order to allow social distancing between people from different households, but also ensuring that school bubbles do not mix. National guidance states “any parents attending outdoor events must adhere to current social distancing requirements. Where outdoors spectators can gather in groups of up to 30 – the legal gathering limit. Multiple groups of 30 are permitted”. However, it is important to note that national guidance remains that you should stay 2 metres apart from anyone who is not in your household or support bubble where possible, and this remains our strong local advice[1].
• Anybody with any of the three main COVID symptoms (new continuous cough, high temperature, loss/change in sense of taste/smell), or less common symptoms of COVID-19 (sore throat, headache, fatigue, muscle pain) should not attend and should isolate and book a PCR test.
• By the end of the week beginning 15^th June 2021, it is anticipated that anyone aged 18 and over will be able to access a COVID-19 vaccination. This should be widely promoted to attendees prior to the event, with communication about the importance of having two vaccinations: nhs.uk/conditions/coronavirus-covid-19/coronavirus-vaccination/book-coronavirus-vaccination/
• Attendees should complete an LFD test before attending the school activity, as part of ongoing twice weekly testing, which we continue to strongly encourage. On receiving a positive LFT, the individual should isolate with their household and follow up with a confirmatory PCR test.
• Contact details of attendees must be collected. Records should be kept for 21 days.
• Send clear pre-event communications outlining COVID-Secure behaviour expectations.
• Avoid lift-sharing to/from school which would mix bubbles. Where this is impractical face coverings must be worn by driver and passengers (unless exempt) and windows opened for the whole journey.
• Avoid the sale of alcohol – this will move the event to a higher level of risk as people are likely to let their guard down after a drink or two! Additionally, alcohol sales would have to adhere to the same regulations as for hospitality sector, providing table service to seated customers only.
• Cleaning before, during and after school activities (including regular touchpoint cleaning) will need to be a priority; ensuring appropriate products are used. Please follow below guidance: gov.uk/government/publications/covid-19-decontamination-in-non-healthcare-settings

 

Additional guidance for Summer Fetes

• Control numbers of people attending at any one time (please see generic guidance above) and ensure bubbles do not mix.
• Encourage participants to use a one-way system around stalls or activities.
• Use COVID Marshalls to monitor social distancing and the flow of participants around the site, paying attention to and addressing any bottle necks.
• Encourage social distancing where queues are likely – social distancing signage and floor markers should be used.
• Avoid activities which involve multiple people touching the same items, particularly where items cannot be sanitised between use, such as tombolas.
• Avoid activities which require close contact, such as face painting.

Managing numbers onsite and maintaining school bubbles

We recommend using a booking system, such as Eventbrite, to help you plan for and control the capacity of your event. School year group could be given a specific slot/start time to book to avoid mixing between year groups. Social distancing onsite should be encouraged to avoid unsafe mixing between bubbles.

Staggered arrival times and implementing a one-way system will enable you to maintain a flow of participants and to avoid excess numbers of participants at any one time. For example; Year 1: 10-10:30 / Year 2: 11-11:30 / Year 3: 12-12:30 / Year 4: 1-1:30 / Year 5: 2-2:30 / Year 6: 3-3:30

Stalls and Activities

Stalls involving serving food or drinks (e.g., cake stalls) should ensure hand sanitiser is available and used by both stall holder and customers. Disposable/single-use items (plates, cups) should be used.

Provide activities where individuals can be spaced apart or stall holders can facilitate involvement without close contact or sharing of items, e.g., Guess the weight of a sweet jar, guess the name of a cuddly toy, fancy dress competition, goal scoring competitions etc.        

Alternative outdoor events could be held such as a school treasure trail / scavenger hunt.

Further fund-raising and activity ideas are provided by PTA+ (see below)

pta.co.uk/events/ideas

Please note the fete activities suggested via the link below include options for how such activities can be adapted for “Virtual Fairs” – this is the most COVID-19 Secure option. Some of the activities are not COVID-Secure if delivered in-person.

pta.co.uk/events/fairs/always-updated-guide-to-summer-fair-games-and-stalls  

Sports Days

Sports days can go ahead. In line with the rest of the system of controls, pupils and students must remain in their bubbles, and early years children should remain in their consistent groups as is usual for your setting. 

Sports equipment should be regularly cleaned throughout the event, ideally between uses.  
 
Spectators must adhere to current social distancing requirements. National guidance states that where events take place outdoors, spectators can gather in separate groups of up to 30 – the legal gathering limit, and that multiple groups of 30 are permitted. However please note that within this national guidance continue to recommend that individuals socially distance from people outside of their households (please see generic guidance above)

 

School Leaver Events

Marking the end of school for school leavers is important to young people. During Stage 3 of the Roadmap nightclubs are not allowed to open. At this stage of the Roadmap indoor dances or Proms which cater for more than one bubble should be avoided. Stage 4 may now come into place on the 19^th July; however, there is still the potential for extension beyond that date. With case rates rising across Warwickshire we recommend you plan for an alternative celebration event.

If events are held outdoors these may cater for multiple bubbles within a year group, whilst ensuring that bubbles do not mix.

National guidance advises against large group gatherings indoors for more than one bubble (or in early years more than one consistent group). Outdoor events may go ahead with careful risk assessment, planning and control measures in place.

The Warwickshire County Council Public Health Team has considered the level of risk involved in having prom events and advise opting for a more controlled option.

In the place of prom, schools can have an Outdoor Dinner/Picnic. Please see guidance below for such events.

• Supervisors must be present to ensure that COVID-Secure guidance is adhered to.
• Only the school year group and staff who will supervise will be allowed to attend the dinner.
• Pupils from across a single year group can attend an outdoor dinner/picnic, however table plans should keep pupils within existing bubbles. If children/young people have not been part of an existing bubble recently (e.g. Year 11) then they should be assigned to bubbles of similar size to other year groups – and asked not to mix between bubbles.
• All attendees will be required to take a LFD test on the day of the dinner. If the year group is still attending school, they will be required to take a LFD test before returning to the setting after the event has taken place.
• Face Coverings do not have to be worn for an outdoor activity, however these should be worn if individuals need to go indoors, for example to use toilet facilities.

Venue

All dinner events must be held outdoors; this means the venue should not be enclosed, with walls, windows or doors. You may wish to erect outdoor shelters. To be considered ‘outdoors’, shelters, marquees and other structures can have a roof but need to have at least 50% of the area of their walls open at all times whilst in use.

Each table at the event should seat 6 pupils maximum.

Table should be 2m apart, there must be seating charts and there should be no changing of seats, under any circumstances.

Movement

We strongly advise that these events are table service only, with food orders submitted prior to the event.

If table service is not practical and a serving station is to be used, each table should get up one at a time to ensure there are no mixing of table groups whilst queueing. Avoid self-service of food or drinks.

There should be no dancing, and no gathering of pupils.

Service

Service should, as much as is practicable, be in line with guidance for the hospitality sector. Face coverings must be worn to serve meals.

More on this can be found via this link:

www.gov.uk/guidance/working-safely-during-coronavirus-covid-19/restaurants-offering-takeaway-or-delivery

Music

If there is music, it should be played at background levels, not so loud that people need to shout to be heard.

Photos

There should be no large group photos; students can be allowed to take individual photos, or photos with pupils in their table bubble.

Toilets

Existing controls should remain in place (limiting numbers, hand sanitiser available on entry and hand washing facilities on exiting), with additional consideration of queue management to minimise risk of mixing between bubbles. 2m social distancing signage and floor markers can be used for this purpose.

[1] https://www.gov.uk/guidance/meeting-friends-and-family-covid-19

Recruiting schools for Positive Choices RSE programme

Secondary schools in central and southern England are invited to participate in a study of ‘Positive Choices’, a free RSHE package.

This aims to promote healthy relationships, good sexual health and prevent sexual harassment. It enables schools to fulfil statutory requirements regarding RSHE, social and emotional wellbeing, personal development and safeguarding. Schools will be randomly allocated in early 2022 to receive the package or get £500 to act as a comparison school. Implementation would begin in September 2022.

Positive Choices includes materials focused on years 9 and 10 plus training from a specialist provider. Comparison schools are free to develop their RSHE provision as they see fit but can only access Positive Choices materials once the trial ends. The research is led by an experienced team from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine. More information and a heads' sign-up form is available from chris.bonell@lshtm.ac.uk.  

Positive Choices invitation letter to schools

Positive Choices study information sheet and commitment form

Search for Warwickshire's Young Poet Laureate begins

Warwickshire Libraries have launched the search for the next Warwickshire Young Poet Laureate who will take over the role from current Young Poet Laureate, Ruby Murphy later in the year. The successful young poet will have the chance to write and perform their work throughout Warwickshire, work with library staff and users to champion poetry and will receive mentoring from a professional poet. 

Between now and Wednesday 8 September, young poets aged between 13 and 17 who live and are educated in Warwickshire can apply for the position. With their application, candidates are asked to submit three of their poems (one on the theme of ‘Choice’, one inspired by Warwickshire and one of their own choosing) and a short personal statement outlining why they would like to be the Young Poet Laureate and how they would help promote poetry to a wide range of people throughout Warwickshire. 

Applications can be submitted online, by email and by post. Full details can be found at warwickshire.gov.uk/youngpoetlaureate. Any queries can be sent to libraryevents@warwickshire.gov.uk.    

Warwickshire Libraries will also be hosting three free virtual workshops for 13 to 17 year olds during the Summer Holidays. Each will be led by a professional poet and hosted via Microsoft Teams from 10am until 11.30am. On Saturday 7 August, Matt Black will lead a workshop on writing different types of poetry. On Saturday 14 August, Steve Pottinger will focus on writing poetry on a theme and on Saturday 21 August, Emma Purshouse will look at performing poetry.  

Places are limited and to book, please email libraryevents@warwickshire.gov.uk. (Note: Attendance at these sessions is not compulsory for anyone who wishes to apply for the YPL post. Likewise, you don’t have to apply for the YPL in order to attend the sessions). 

Feel free to reuse this poster.

Open letter to parents from Marcus Rashford MBE and Henry Dimbleby MBE on holiday activities and food programme

Dear Parent/Guardian, 

We hope you are well and that your child/ren is enjoying the summer term and the warm weather! 

Ahead of the summer holidays, we wanted to let you know about the brilliant new Holiday Activities and Food programme which is operating in your local area. We are helping to launch a new film to promote the programme so parents know that their children can get involved in a local holiday club when the school term ends this July. 

We know that the holidays can be a really difficult time for families who are struggling to make ends meet or who are juggling work and childcare. The holidays should be a time for every child to enjoy themselves rather than worrying about having enough to eat or how they can spend their free time.

That’s why we’re really excited about the summer holiday programmes that are being funded by the Government and will take place across the whole of England. This was recommended by the National Food Strategy when it was published last year. A petition supporting the recommendation was signed by over 1 million people.

Places on the holiday schemes are available for free to children who receive free school meals, but children and young people of all ages and backgrounds are welcome to attend. Each local programme will provide delicious, healthy meals, allow kids to get active, help them learn new things, make friends and have fun. And that is what the holidays are all about!  

You can find out more by watching this new film that we’ve made: https://youtu.be/KDgm8KpXAXE

The holiday programmes are open to children of any age and are free for children eligible for free school meals. They will: 

• Provide a safe and supportive environment for children 
• Be led by experienced local coordinators teaming up with a range of different partners in their communities 
• Serve children tasty and nutritious food and opportunities to learn about food and nutrition 
• Organise lots of activities so every child can find something they enjoy - from Kung Fu and cooking to bushcraft. 
• Keep children and young people happy, healthy and active  
• Offer a flexible childcare option for busy parents 

You can find out exactly what’s available in your local area either by visiting your council’s website or by searching online for HAF (that stands for Holiday Activity and Food).

We hope you and your family have a great summer with the Holiday Activities and Food programme!

Yours sincerely, 

Marcus Rashford MBE  
Henry Dimbleby MBE (Founder of Leon, Independent Lead of the National Food Strategy) 

New funding will boost youth work across Warwickshire

Nine community organisations across Warwickshire have been awarded a total of more than £480,000 to help support young people by increasing youth work.

How did lockdown change the gaming habits of young people in Warwickshire?

A survey has been launched which aims to find out how lockdown has changed the gaming habits of children and young people and what effect it may have had on their wellbeing.