New leaflet to help parents in Warwickshire prepare children for school

Ready to Learn, Ready for Life

Warwickshire County Council has created a leaflet to help parents get their children school ready before September. 

It includes some simple things that parents and carers can do at home with their children to help build their confidence and independence before they make the move up to primary school next term.

Please do share this with families in your settings.

View the 'Getting ready for school in Warwickshire' leaflet here.

Free online sessions to support the delivery of RE

Don't miss these two upcoming online sessions, facilitated by Warwickshire SACRE, to support teachers with the delivery of effective RE. Both sessions are free to attend and further details including booking links can be found in the flyers below.

RE for wellbeing CPD  - 9 July 2020

To support the wellbeing of pupils following the challenges and disruption of the coronavirus pandemic, this session will focus on RE for wellbeing ahead of more pupils returning to school in September. This is suitable for primary schools but could also be adapted for use in key stage 3.

RE for Wellbeing flyer

Teaching non-religious world views - 8 October 2020

Suitable for primary RE teachers/leaders. Warwickshire SACRE's RE Facilitator, Jennifer Jenkins, will lead the session and be joined by Jane Sault and Bob Jelley, two Humanists, providing an opportunity to develop subject knowledge about non-religious world views. 

Teaching non-religious world views flyer

Helping raise awareness of drug and alcohol use among children and young people

Compass Children and Young People's Drug and Alcohol Service's (CYPDAS) will be sharing a newsletter every two weeks with service updates, contact details and a feature piece on different substances to raise awareness amongst children and young people.

The latest update includes a focus on the harmful effects of smoking.

It also includes a link to the new CYPDAS Facebook page. It is worth highlighting this to parents, as they can access Q&A sessions via the page to help them gain a better understanding of drug or alcohol use.

The next sessions being held on 14 July at 12pm and 8pm will focus on Nitrous Oxide. 

View and download the CYPDAS newsletter - 26 June

Self-harm and suicide prevention in children and young people webinars - Hosted by CWPT

A series of repeated webinars on self-harm and suicide prevention in children and young people will be run between July – September.  There will be several dates to choose from, colleagues need only attend one.  For ease I have listed the dates, times and links at the bottom of this email, colleagues will need to add these to calendars.  If you have any questions or problem accessing the webinar, or would like a direct invite to one or more of the dates please contact  paulaellis@warwickshire.gov.uk  

 

Self-harm and suicide prevention in children and young people webinar will cover the following:

 

•             What is self-harm

•             What types of self-harm do young people engage in

•             Prevalence of self-harm

•             How self-harm links to suicide

•             Assessment of self-ham with young people

•             Safety plans

•             Resources

 

The webinar will be delivered by Jade Stanley, CAMHS Crisis and Home Treatment Team Lead, and Anne Prendergast, Lead For Clinical Risk and Suicide Prevention at Coventry and Warwickshire Partnership NHS Trust.

 

 Please forward these details to colleagues both internal and external as appropriate.

 

For those attendees that are not currently registered with or using Microsoft Teams, please use the below link to register in advance of the training session, to download the app follow the link https://products.office.com/en-gb/microsoft-teams/download-app  this can be used on any device and once registered and logged in ‘click’ on the invite link and you can join the session. Microsoft teams is free and open to everyone to use.

 

The session will need to start promptly, so please allow time to dial in or connect to Teams using the Join links below;

 

14 July 9-10.30am Join Microsoft Teams Meeting

+44 20 3321 5213   United Kingdom, London (Toll)

Conference ID: 557 755 372#

 

30 July 13:30 – 15:00 Join Microsoft Teams Meeting

+44 20 3321 5213   United Kingdom, London (Toll)

Conference ID: 891 803 308#

 

12 August 13:30 – 15:00 Join Microsoft Teams Meeting

+44 20 3321 5213   United Kingdom, London (Toll)

Conference ID: 782 733 070#

 

21 September 13:30 – 15:00 Join Microsoft Teams Meeting

+44 20 3321 5213   United Kingdom, London (Toll)

Conference ID: 511 934 407#

 

29 September 13:30 – 15:00 Join Microsoft Teams Meeting

+44 20 3321 5213   United Kingdom, London (Toll)

Conference ID: 782 535 771#

New framework and handbook published for teacher training inspections

Last week, Ofsted published a new framework and handbook setting out principles, guidance and the main judgements that inspectors will make when inspecting initial teacher education (ITE).

Future inspections will have a greater focus on the substance of the ITE curriculum, and the things that have the most impact on a trainee's education, with less of a focus on outcomes data.

Read the press release 'New teacher training inspections to focus on the ITE curriculum' here

Initial teacher education (ITE) inspection framework and handbook

National Professional Qualification for Headship

For anyone aspiring to become a headteacher or head of school, The Griffin Teaching School Alliance, will be running the National Professional Qualification for Headship (NPQH) next year, with the first introductory session in November 2020.

The flyer below includes more information about course dates and how to apply. 

Applications close on 9 October 2020

National Professional Qualification for Headship flyer

National Professional Qualification for Senior Leadership

The National Professional Qualification for Senior Leadership (NPQSL) is a revised, nationally accredited programme delivered by trained facilitators from Finham Park 2 and Lawrence Sheriff School.

This stimulating and engaging programme uses high quality learning materials, offering the opportunity to consider your school leadership through discussion and debate with your peers and coach.

The flyer below includes more information about course dates and how to apply. 

National Professional Qualification for Senior Leadership flyer

Supporting young people transitioning from Year 11 into post 16

To help school leaders and careers leaders evaluate the support they are providing Year 11 students in their transition to post-16 destinations, here are some key questions for you to consider: 

A: What proportion of your current Year 11 have a known destination?

B: What numbers are you currently aware are transitioning into:

1. Further education college or other further education provider
2. School sixth form
3. Sixth form college
4. Other education destinations (special schools and special post-16 institutions, alternative provision, independent schools or colleges)
5. Apprenticeship
6. Employment with training
7. Employment without training
8. Not known

C: For those students who do have a planned post 16 destination:

• How is the school keeping in touch with these students to ensure they are prepared for this transition?
• What is the nature of the contact you have? What does it involve?
• Are you communicating with parents about this transition?
• Is your support for those with SEND, EHCPs or who are otherwise vulnerable, different, and if so, in what way?

D: For those students who do not have a planned destination after the end of Y11:

• What contact have you had with them?
• How are you supporting them to arrange a post 16 destination?
• What other support are they receiving?
• Are you in contact with parents?
• Is your support for those with SEND issues, EHCPs or who are otherwise vulnerable, different, and if so, in what way?

Further information about the support available from Prospects for 16 and 17 year olds who are not in education, employment or training (NEET) during Covid-19 is available in this Heads Up article.

Ofsted to review students' and apprentices' online further education experience

Ofsted is working to review further education learners’ experience of online learning during the Covid-19 (coronavirus) lock-down.

The review aims to provide insights into the sector’s experiences of online education and to identify areas of strength and potential for improvement. This will support post-16 providers re-visiting their online education strategies, particularly from September 2020 onward. The review will look at the online education that providers are delivering in light of the necessary social distancing measures.

The review will take place in June 2020 and Her Majesty’s Inspectors will be speaking remotely to managers, teachers and trainers in volunteer further education colleges and skills providers to discuss their delivery of online teaching and learning.

Inspectors will also speak to students and apprentices about their experience of learning online and the support that they have received. This will be done by phone.

The review is not an inspection and there will be no consequences for the providers. Involvement in this review is entirely voluntary. Data gathered during the review will be confidential and staff, students and apprentices will not be identified.

For more information about the review please click here