Celebrating Warwickshire’s Family of Schools
Chimp Management: Extra training opportunity available due to popular demand
Due to popular demand, 2 more cohorts of the Chimp Management: Mind Management Skills for Life programme will be funded by Warwickshire County Council.
The programme is a tailor-made ‘CPD accredited’ online course that enables you to enhance your resilience, improve your communication skills, establish more productive relationships and gain insight into your mind, using The Chimp Model.
The programme provides practical support to understand The Chimp Model and to help improve individual mental and psychological well-being; is research based and has been developed by Professor Steve Peters (author of The Chimp Paradox). It explains and simplifies the neuroscience of the mind, helping participants to understand how their mind works, offering practical guidance and helping individuals better manage their mind.
There will be a cohort for staff from maintained schools and another specifically from colleagues from our special schools. Both cohorts will commence in March 2022 and will be FULLY FUNDED by Warwickshire LA (RRP £400pp) for Warwickshire school staff.
Please read more here.
Application window extended for education settings to bid for mental health curriculum funding
If you have not already submitted an application to the Mental Health Curriculum in Education Settings Grant, then there is still time!
The application window has now been extended until Friday 28 January 2022.
We have had a great response so far from settings across Warwickshire however we would like to encourage as many applications as possible across the county so lots of children and young people can reap the benefits from this one-off grant fund.
The Mental Health Curriculum in Education Settings Grant has been made available to help education settings in Warwickshire to develop mental health initiatives within their curriculum, that will support children and young people to build their resilience and improve their overall sense of positive wellbeing.
Warwickshire maintained nurseries, primary and secondary schools, special schools, academies and colleges are eligible to apply for any amount between £500 and £2,000 per project and should set out how the funding will be used to provide one of the following:
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Training and teaching resources (for example lesson plans, assemblies etc)
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Physical resources (for example models of the brain, yoga mats, wellbeing rooms etc)
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Staff time to be able to develop the resources and timetable
Groups of schools that would like to work on a project across their consortium are able to do so and can combine funding however each setting must submit their own application, stating clearly on their application form which settings they intend to work with on the project/s.
Please note that if you have already applied you will not be able to submit a second application during this extended grant funding window.
Successful applications can expect to receive the grant payment by the end of March 2022 and all funding must be spent within 12 months of being awarded. During this time, successful applicants will be required to provide at least two progress updates demonstrating how the funding has been used and its impact.
Applications must be submitted no later than 5pm on Friday 28 January 2022.
New webpages signpost to mental health support for Warwickshire education settings
If you’re looking for information on how you can best support your pupils’ with their mental health and wellbeing then take a look at the dedicated section on the recently refreshed WCC Education webpages.
The webpages include up-to-date information written by subject matter experts specifically for education and early years providers in Warwickshire and have been designed to make it much easier for you to find a whole range of support services and resources available to help you.
Here’s a look at the sections and what you’ll find in each one:
- Services for mental health - WCC directly delivers and commissions a range of services able to support education settings with the mental health of children and young people, so here you’ll find links through to services ranging from prevention and early intervention, through to crisis support.
- Training in mental health – find details of a wide range of training on mental health, including those accessed through WCC services and other local and national training programmes.
- Mental health resources and curriculum – here you’ll find a wide range of information available to help you support the delivery of effective mental health support, deliver an effective and comprehensive mental health curriculum and embed mental health as part of the new statutory guidance on Relationship, Sex and Health Education (RSHE).
- Mental health network – WCC runs a mental health network for staff working in education settings in the county which meets virtually, usually every month. Here you can find recordings of each meeting as well as a form to join and receive updates about future meetings.
- Mental health curriculum in education settings grant funding - education settings across Warwickshire are currently being invited to apply for a one-off grant of up to £2,000 to help develop mental health initiatives within their curriculum. You can find out more in this section of the webpages, and also in this week’s Heads Up article.
Visit https://schools.warwickshire.gov.uk/ to find all of the above as well as lots more on other WCC services available to support your setting from finance, to school improvement, to equality and diversity.
Please do explore the pages and share this link within your teams.
Action Research Project working with Oxford University on virtual tools to support mental health of pupils in secondary schools.
Dr Julia Badger from the University of Oxford focuses on supporting children and adolescents to achieve their potential at school, and to improve mental health and wellbeing.
She is looking for volunteers to provide her with feedback on a new educational proposal.
The volunteers would meet with Julia to
- learn about the possibilities of using virtual reality in classrooms to support PSHE and mental health discussions and then,
- feedback thoughts with colleagues in a short focus group.
At this stage she's keen to hear from school staff who are involved in PSHE delivery and/or mental health & wellbeing discussions with secondary school pupils of any age.
She would be very grateful of any support in ensuring that new technologies are suitable and feasible for classroom and pupil use.
Julia will travel to schools and/or can arrange online meetings.
If interested, please contact her at julia.badger@psy.ox.ac.uk
Virtual Primary Network Meeting on Monday 24th January
Warwickshire Schools Library Service would like to invite all schools to join us for our next Virtual Primary Network Meeting on Monday 24th January 2022 at 3.30pm-4.30pm!
This is a FREE virtual event for any primary school staff who are involved with running the library/promoting reading at your school.
The theme of the next meeting will be:
'How to stock and organise your school library!'
The session will also give staff the opportunity to ask questions, network and share ideas/experiences with other teachers and librarians. We will also share lots of useful links, book recommendations, resources, training and CPD opportunities.
Furthermore, we will be welcoming author Katie Sahota, who will be sharing her new book, 'Little Glow', with us. This is a beautifully illustrated picture book about a diverse, multicultural community, and the different festivals of light it celebrates throughout the year, including Chinese New Year, Ramadan, Hannukah and Christmas.
All schools within Warwickshire and surrounding areas are welcome to attend.
Please click
HERE for more information and to sign-up.
Primary & Early Years Newsletter by Maths Hubs
Please check here the latest Primary & Early Years Newsletter by Maths Hubs.
Secondary & Post 16 Newsletter
Please check here the latest Secondary & Post 16 Newsletter by Maths Hubs
Warwickshire Police Cadets are Recruiting
Please find here the poster that may help you to promote the Police cadet scheme in your school.
Find here the application form.
School Governance Professional (part time)
Warwickshire Governor Services runs a successful clerking service for schools in the county and surrounding area. We wish to recruit additional School Governance Professionals (formerly known as clerk to the governing board) to deliver a high-quality clerking service to schools, to meet demand.
The main duties are:
- providing advice to the governing body on governance, constitutional, and procedural matters.
- providing effective administrative support to the governing body and its committees, including minuting meetings to a high standard.
- ensuring the governing body is properly constituted.
- managing information effectively in accordance with legal requirements.
School Governance Professionals will be employed by Warwickshire County Council but will usually be allocated to specific schools. Day to day accountability is to the governing body.
This is a flexible part-time role, and the hours can be agreed with candidates on an individual basis. Pay (including holiday enhancement) is £12.85 per hour.
You will mainly work from home, with some attendance of meetings at times convenient to the governing body, typically early evening. These are both on-line and in-person meetings (when covid restrictions allow).
We are looking for someone who:
- has good numeracy and excellent written skills, including being able to identify relevant information, take accurate notes at meetings and summarise information to prepare high quality minutes
- is computer literate, especially with Word, web, and email, and has access to equipment for working from home
- is an efficient administrator, able to use initiative and able to work under pressure including meeting deadlines
- can research and manage advice from a variety of sources
- is able to work with detailed information, such as DfE governance regulations and provide detailed and accurate advice
- can support volunteers and lay people in a professional way
- has excellent communications skills, including the ability to liaise, and build effective relationships with senior school staff and support them in a professional way
- understands the importance of confidentiality and integrity
- is willing to work in the evenings
- will undertake CPD and an accreditation programme
School Governance Professionals will receive support, full induction and will be expected to attend the Induction training course, held termly, after appointment. You will also be expected to attend the follow-on Effective Clerking course within the first or second term. Continuing professional development is provided. The role is subject to a DBS check.
If you would like to have a conversation about the role, please email catherinechatterton@warwickshire.gov.uk
or alternatively, you can apply via the WCC website. The closing date is 28th February 2022.
https://www.wmjobs.co.uk/searchjobs/?Keywords=school+governance+professional&radialtown=Warwickshire&LocationId=292&RadialLocation=5&LocationId=None
Headteacher Coach
Carl Lewis - Headteacher Coach
I would like to introduce myself as Warwickshire’s new Headteacher Coach linked to the Early Help & Targeted Support Team.
Some of you may have worked in the past with Headteacher Coaches, Roy Garner or Jayne Ellis, and my role will be similar. I have been a been a teacher for over 32 years working in Shropshire, Hampshire, Solihull, and the last sixteen years as a headteacher of a primary school (with a Resource Provision) in Warwickshire.
I totally appreciate the huge challenges and barriers to successfully leading a school (and a consortium) and I do understand how difficult it is to keep the child at the heart of what we do when there are so many other external pressures. With this in mind, one of my initial roles is to work with Sophie Morley and other colleagues to lead the DSL Network Meetings. The next meetings are on the 8th and 9th February (please look out for details on the DSL bulletin). I will also be leading the process of this year’s Safeguarding Audit, to see which aspects are working and what the support and training needs will be for the year ahead.
My main role is supporting Heads and DSLs with practical advice, coaching, mentoring, supporting; and working in partnership to make safeguarding processes work effectively and sustainably in all providers from Early Years to Secondary Schools and Colleges.
My role also includes:
- Supporting Heads and DSLs with practical advice, mentoring, support and signposting to the best personnel or resources to assist with specific challenges or difficulties in relation to Early Help or safeguarding matters
- Feeding back comments from schools to the Children & Families Team to help service development also, advising schools how to work most effectively with the dedicated staff who operate Front Door and the whole spectrum of C&F service providers
- Ensuring that the Integrated Safeguarding Training Programme is what schools want/need
- Helping schools create or develop a preventative, restorative culture, and infrastructure and to develop leadership systems around the Early Help process
- Helping Heads access funding (counselling, coaching, group supervision) subject to criteria and organisation of the delivery of trauma informed training to all consortia areas.
- Giving feedback to all schools about the learning from national and local serious case and domestic homicide reviews
- Attending Education Safeguarding Board
Contact details carllewis@warwickshire.gov.uk Telephone 07425 623337
Free 30 minute online Educational Visits training - Managing Trips in a Covid Landscape.
Juniper Education are offering all maintained schools where Warwickshire County Council (WCC) is the employer and subscribing schools access to a newly created free 30-minute online EVC module called - Managing Trips in a Covid Landscape..
Holocaust Memorial Day
Holocaust Memorial Day (HMD) takes place on 27 January each year and is a time to remember the millions of people murdered during the Holocaust, under Nazi Persecution and in the genocides which followed in Cambodia, Rwanda, Bosnia and Darfur.
Holocaust Memorial Day is a time when we seek to learn the lessons of the past and recognise that genocide does not just take place on its own – it’s a steady process which can begin if discrimination, racism and hatred are not checked and prevented.
We’re fortunate here in the UK; we are not at immediate risk of genocide. However, discrimination has not ended, nor has the use of the language of hatred or exclusion. There is still much to do to create a safer future and HMD is an opportunity to star this process.
Please find here a learning resource pack regarding the national Holocaust Memorial Day on the 27th Jan.
The latest annual report of the SACRE
The latest annual report on the work of Warwickshire Standing Advisory Council on Religious Education (SACRE) has recently been published and is available to read on the SACRE website.
SACRE is a statutory body convened by the Local Authority (LA) to offer advice in relation to quality, standards and progress of Religious Education and Collective Worship in community schools.
It is a statutory requirement that SACRE produces an annual report by 31st December each calendar year detailing their activities. The report must be sent to the Secretary of State for Education as well as to key partners, including schools and councillors.
The main purpose of the report is to hold the LA to account, by informing the Secretary of State and key partners what advice SACRE gave the LA during the year and how that was responded to. This includes advice on RE and Collective Worship in those schools for which the LA has responsibility.
You can find more information about the work of the group on the SACRE Website Standing Advisory Council on Religious Education (SACRE) – Education and Early Years providers (warwickshire.gov.uk)