There are three more weekly editions of Heads Up before December and I am focusing on one 'WE' each week. This week I am concentrating on WE2e; 

‘As a result of nurturing support from local communities, professionals, parents and learners with social, emotional and mental health needs will grow in confidence. We will help learners to bounce back when things get tough by developing expertise in colleges, classes, schools and settings to support resilience and emotional wellbeing. We will provide clear routes to access local support services. We will implement a Warwickshire Workload Charter to help school leaders demonstrate that staff workload is reducing'.

Firstly, I would like to thank those of you who supported the recent Headteacher conference that focused on, in the words of John Dunford, 'raising attainment AND narrowing the gap'. The high quality presentations from schools, teaching schools and trusts provided us all with a snapshot of so much great work in Warwickshire, championing our vulnerable learners. Click here for copies of all of the slides and a helpful pupil premium action planning toolkit.

Secondly, my focus on WE2e leads me to reflect on social, emotional and mental health, and indeed wellbeing. The launch of our Warwickshire Workload Charter has been very successful with 29 schools applying for the accreditation this term. Please read here for more information. The RISE (Child and Adolescent Mental Health) Board is meeting this week and will consider the WE2e priority in the Education Strategy. There will also be a paper to Schools Forum in December focusing on the Mental Health in Schools programme. You will be able to access the paper on the Council's Committee pages a week before the meeting on 6 December.

I am receiving an increasing number of emails from parents who are finding it a challenge to navigate the system and to manage their own or their child's mental health needs. Talking to you, the same is true in school. Our Governor Services team is supporting several schools with challenging parent relationships. You can find out more by contacting governors@warwickshire.gov.uk.

Do have a look at the latest Government publication 'Mental Health and Behaviour in Schools' here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/mental-health-and-behaviour-in-schools--2.

Finally, as we know, a broad and empowering curriculum can help staff and learners to enjoy their learning and this is at the root of WE2. I visited Brookhurst Primary School recently and was treated to a magnificent musical performance, and djembe drumming lesson. Do check out the Warwickshire Music Hub webpages here: https://www.warwickshiremusichub.org/

Chris Malone visit to Brookhurst Primary School 

You can read more about our Education Strategy and who attends the various partnership boards here: www.warwickshire.gov.uk/educationstrategy