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.

Stop & Think – EEF funded study of a new primary maths and science programme

State funded primary schools in Warwickshire are being invited to take part in a study testing a new maths and science programme called ‘Stop and Think’. The study is being funded by the Education Endowment Foundation (EEF). Three Warwickshire schools have already expressed an interest in taking part and we are looking for more to join them.

What is ‘Stop and Think’?Stop and Think is a software programme developed by neuroscientists at Birkbeck University which uses quizzes and games to help pupils learn counterintuitive concepts in science and maths. In a previous study, pupils who used the programme had higher attainment in science (+2 months progress) and in maths (+ 1 months progress).

Next stepsWant to be involved? You can either:

Book in a 15-minute phone call with us to run through the project and what is involved for schools. To choose a time for this call, click here,
Find out more here information sheet . You can sign up by emailing stopandthink@bi.team or booking in a call using the link above.

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 28^th February 2022.

https://www.wmjobs.co.uk/searchjobs/?Keywords=school+governance+professional&radialtown=Warwickshire&LocationId=292&RadialLocation=5&LocationId=None

What is the Workpays RONI initiative?

The Child Friendly Warwickshire programme

The Child Friendly Warwickshire programme, which is bringing the county together in a collective mission to create opportunities and lasting and positive change for young people, is gathering pace – and it needs your help to keep that going!

The key to the success of Child Friendly Warwickshire is for all members of the community to ask themselves what they can do to help make the county the best place for children and young people to grow up and learn. The council is looking to businesses, organisations and individuals for ideas, no matter how small, which will nurture the next generation.

To help, please consider putting in the below article in your newsletters to parents and carers. It would also be helpful to share the following survey to gauge current awareness of the campaign: https://forms.office.com/Pages/ResponsePage.aspx?id=BqqwiCdZu0uok4nMJxOsggNlk5w8gwZFqfwqJcuopd9UNFNNMTdQWk9CSTJNVlZaUFBOQTdLOUZBNS4u

Make a difference to the lives of children and young people

Warwickshire County Council is looking to all members of the community to ask them what they can do to help make the county the best place for children and young people to grow up and learn. The council is looking to businesses, organisations and individuals for ideas, no matter how small, which will nurture the next generation.

This will be key to the success of Child Friendly Warwickshire, an exciting programme bringing the county together in a collective mission to create opportunities and lasting and positive change for young people. It will ensure their voices are heard, that they are safe, happy and healthy and equipped with the skills to lead the best lives they can.

Having the best start in life does not happen by accident and every person or experience in a child’s world will have an influence. The programme needs the support of everyone in the community so that every child and young person, no matter their background, has every chance to flourish in all aspects of their lives.

From small ideas like keeping our parks clean so children have a safe environment to play in or supporting a local young person’s football team, to bigger contributions like fostering a child or providing education and employment opportunities, everyone can play a part. Working together to put the future of Warwickshire at the heart of the activities will have an enormous impact.

Watch the brand-new Child Friendly Warwickshire video here which introduces the campaign to the wider community through the voices of young people: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OAko_AL6Z7Y

For all the latest updates from Child Friendly Warwickshire, visit https://www.childfriendlywarwickshire.co.uk/ and follow the Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/ChildFriendlyWarwickshire

Send ideas and updates about any good news across the county related to children and young people to childfriendly@warwickshire.gov.uk.

Local businesses, charities or other third sector organisations are being asked to sign up as a Child Friendly Warwickshire friend. Friends of the programme are committed to putting children and young people at the heart of what they do and setting inspiring examples that make a positive difference to their lives. Find out how to get involved at www.childfriendlywarwickshire.co.uk/our-friends   

This is a future we can all believe in. This is Child Friendly Warwickshire.

Join the new Health Equity Group

Would you like to volunteer some of your time to work with Warwickshire County Council to help improve public health outcomes across Warwickshire?

Are you committed to the principle of all people being able to enjoy longer, healthier lives?

Are you willing to share your constructive ideas and thoughts about how we can achieve this?

If your answer is yes to these questions, then you may be interested in stepping forward to apply to become a member of the Health Equity Group – a new Warwickshire-wide panel of citizens who will be advisors and champions coming from a community perspective, who will be working with the Council to improve health equity.

Heads Up 28 January 2022