Time set for UK Emergency Alerts test
A UK-wide test of the life-saving public Emergency Alerts system will take place at 3pm on Sunday 23 April.
The Emergency Alerts system is a UK government service which will enable people to be contacted via their mobile phone when lives are in danger. It will be used to warn you in the event of emergencies, such as severe flooding, fires or extreme weather.
Emergency Alerts have already been used successfully in a number of other countries, including the US, Canada, the Netherlands and Japan, where it has been widely credited with saving lives, for example, during severe weather events.
When you get an emergency alert, your mobile phone or tablet may:
- make a loud siren-like sound, even if it’s set on silent
- vibrate
- read out the alert
The sound and vibration will last for about 10 seconds.
An alert will include a phone number or a link to the GOV.UK website for more information.
You’ll get alerts based on your current location - not where you live or work. You do not need to turn on location services to receive alerts. If you don’t have a mobile phone, you’ll still be kept informed through other channels to warn you when there is a threat to life.
Click here to read FAQs on the Emergency Alerts system.
You can opt out of receiving emergency alerts; for more information on how to do this, click here
You can also visit the government website for the latest information or see the latest news update here
The Coronation of the King and Queen Consort
The Coronation of the King and Queen Consort is happening on the 6th May, and will be celebrated over the bank holiday weekend. To commemorate the occasion, Warwickshire County Council will be sending all primary schools in the County bunting to decorate their school, if they wish to.
The 10m bunting will be simple red, white and blue, and will be coming to you in the next couple of weeks.
If you have any questions about this, please email lucywright@warwickshire.gov.uk
Working together to improve school attendance
Reminder - Register your interest in the new sector-led school attendance hubs
The DfE are launching new sector-led school attendance hubs.
Primary, secondary, special schools and alternative provision providers who wish to register their interest in joining a hub and receiving free school attendance support should complete the short application form by Monday 8 May.
Attendance hubs will be led by senior leaders in schools with strong attendance practice, who will share the strategies and resources they use for improving attendance.
Participating schools will be expected to revisit and revise their systems and protocols for managing attendance and join half termly virtual hub meetings to share practice and discuss progress and challenges.
This programme builds on a pilot hub established last year, led by North Shore Academy, which saw some participating schools achieve significant reductions in their absence and persistent absence rates.
Reminder - Compare pupil attendance with other schools in your local authority
80% of schools nationally have opted in to sharing daily attendance data with the DfE. Response rates nationally across school types this was: 82% of state-funded primary schools, 75% of state-funded secondary schools and 70% of state-funded special schools.
The figure in Warwickshire is 82%.
The DfE are now rolling out new functionality to allow mainstream schools that are sharing data to compare attendance with other schools within their local authority area. The tool will help schools to identify strengths and priorities and signpost to additional guidance and support. To share daily attendance data and get access to these tools, please email Wonde. If you already use Wonde, please accept the request in your Wonde portal.
Reminder - Improving attendance: good practice for schools and multi-academy trusts.
There are some really useful effective practice attendance webinars produced by the DfE in conjunction with schools, with good or improved attendance, sharing their good practice. It is highly recommended that your attendance lead/champion access this free resource.
Additional attendance resources are available on the Education Hub and Teaching Blogs
Contact Us:
If you wish to discuss any issues relating to school attendance, please feel free to contact the Warwickshire Attendance Service: was@warwickshire.gov.uk
Senior mental health lead training
Find out how your school or college can apply for a grant and access DfE quality assured training to help develop a whole school or college approach to mental health and wellbeing.
Updates have been added for the financial year 2023 to 2024.
Senior mental health lead training - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)
Vacancies on Schools Forum
There are currently four vacancies on the Schools Forum for:
- One for Primary Maintained representative - open to a headteacher or governor
- Two Secondary Academy representative - open to a headteacher or governor
- One Special Academy representative - open to a head teacher or governor
If you would like to be considered for the vacant positions please complete the nomination form and email this to schoolfunding@warwickshire.gov.uk by 5 pm on Monday 15 May 2023.
If more than required nomination forms are received for any vacant posts then election will take place.
Members will be appointed to the Schools Forum for the period up to March 2024.
The Schools Forum is looking to invite the newly appointed representative to the next meeting on 22 June 2023. The papers for the meetings will be uploaded on to the Schools Forum webpage five working days before the meeting.
If you have any question or would like more information about Schools Forum then please send an email to schoolfunding@warwickshire.gov.uk
Teaching for Mastery in Maths 2023
Primary Teaching for Mastery: Readiness and Development Work Groups available
Readiness - Programme will prepare schools for implementing a teaching for mastery approach across their maths teaching, ready to join the Development programme next year to begin implementing Teaching for Mastery approaches.
Development - Work Group will support schools to develop a teaching for mastery approach for their school, working with a Mastery Specialist that will lead work groups and make a termly bespoke visit to each school. Schools will also receive a £1000 grant to support full engagement with the programme.
Secondary Teaching for Mastery: Development Work Group
This Work Group will give participants the opportunity to develop a deep understanding of teaching for mastery and for them to try out approaches in their own classroom. Two teachers from the maths department will act as Mastery Advocates and will attend work groups and be supported by a Mastery Specialist on bespoke visits. Schools will also receive a £2000 grant to support full engagement with the programme.
Virtual school funded music lesson opportunity for Year 4 children in care
We recognise that music and learning an instrument is a gift that can enrich lives and can stay with a person through to adulthood. At the Virtual School we are, therefore encouraging children in care to learn an instrument. Experiencing music develops children’s wellbeing and cultural capital .
Across the West Midlands we have worked together to offer every Year 4 Child Looked After an opportunity for music lessons. If you have a service level agreement with the Warwickshire Music Service then they can be used to access these lessons and can be contacted directly. If you access music lessons from another source please contact the Virtual School to discuss - virtualschool@warwickshire.gov.uk. This is a wonderful opportunity to broaden the experiences on offer for children in care.
Fostering good relationships
Fostering with Warwickshire County Council means developing community spirit and supporting local communities. Over 150 fostering families in Warwickshire define this by provide loving nurturing homes for children and young people and Warwickshire County Council is committed to supporting them to do their best.
Foster carers perform a vital role in our communities, providing care and stability to Warwickshire’s children and young people when they need it most and keeping them close to their friends, family and regular activities.
Warwickshire County Council support for foster carers includes:
- Comprehensive training: Foster carers can attend a range of training courses covering topics such as child development, attachment, and managing challenging behaviours. Delivered either face-to-face or online, these courses are designed to help foster carers provide the best possible care to the children and young people in their care.
- Dedicated support: Each foster carer is assigned a dedicated support worker who is available to provide advice and guidance whenever it is needed. Warwickshire foster carers and children in care also have access to a psychologist, providing support for those in care and those caring for them.
- Financial support: Foster carers receive an above national average allowance, which has also recently increased, to help cover the costs of caring for a child or young person. This includes a basic fostering allowance, which covers the cost of food, clothing, and other day-to-day expenses, as well as additional allowances for occasions like birthdays and holidays. There is also a payment for skills scheme and salaried roles for specialist care.
- Fostering community support: Foster carers can connect with other fostering families through regular support groups and celebrations. Events include the fostering family fun day, day trips to theme parks, events To find out more about becoming a foster carer or the support services available, contact Warwickshire County Council’s Fostering Team on 0800 408 1556 or visit www.warwickshire.gov.uk/fostering for foster siblings and local coffee mornings. These opportunities offer the chance to share experiences and advice with other foster carers in your local area.
To find out more about becoming a foster carer or the support services available, contact Warwickshire County Council’s Fostering Team on 0800 408 1556 or visit www.warwickshire.gov.uk/fostering
Young Consumers – Influencer of the Year Competition 2023
Warwickshire schools are invited to take part in this year's 'Young Consumers – Influencer of the Year Competition' for the chance to win a £1000 prize.
This year's competition is focusing on the dangers of loan sharks. School pupils aged 14-16 are invited to create either a short story, poem, song or rap about the need to borrow money safely and the risks around loan sharks. The winner will be invited to perform their entry at the House of Commons in November!
For more information, please see the attached flyer. The deadline for entries is Friday 26th May 2023.
Get involved in The Big Help Out by volunteering in Warwickshire
Lend a hand. Make a change.
To mark King Charles III’s Coronation on 6-8 May bank holiday weekend, Warwickshire residents are invited to step forward and support The Big Help Out, an official Coronation initiative. The campaign encourages people across the country to lend a hand, make a change, and have a go at different types of volunteering. To support this, Warwickshire County Council is also sharing a variety of ways people can get involved in volunteering to help the people and good causes in their local area.
The Big Help Out campaign aims to get more people volunteering who traditionally have not considered it, or who may have experienced barriers or challenges to doing so in the past. The initiative also highlights how important volunteering can be – whether it be for an hour, a day, or on a regular basis – to benefit both the communities and the people who take part.
Through volunteering, you can:
- meet new people
- develop new skills
- enhance your CV
- increase your confidence
- try something new
- make a difference to your local community
Please continue reading here: https://www.warwickshire.gov.uk/news/article/4069/get-involved-in-the-big-help-out-by-volunteering-in-warwickshire
Tesco Community Grants - Schools
Tesco Community Grants will support schools to apply for extra financial help they might need to provide healthy food and activities that boost young people’s mental and physical wellbeing
This is a rolling funding programme open to any not-for-profit organisation, but with a particular focus on schools. Every three months, three applications will be shortlisted for the public vote; two of these applications should be from local schools. The remaining application shortlisted will be a local good cause.
Please find more details here.