Heads Up 3 March 2023

Securing the Best Start to Life

Let’s Talk Maths

Grace Coker explains how to develop mathematical talk within classrooms.

World Oral Health Day - 20th March 2023.

World Oral Health Day encourages families, schools and health professionals to come together to reduce the burden of oral diseases. WOHD information pack offers facts about excessive sugar consumption.

You can also download interactive worksheets for children and young people to manage their sugar intake!

Your March health and well being update by Compass 4 Health

In the March newsletter, crucial information is shared about spotting the signs of Child Exploitation for CE Awareness Day, on 18th March. Scroll down to the bottom to see how you can get involved on social media to raise awareness in Warwickshire.

C4H celebrate Nutrition and Hydration week between 13th - 19th March, providing websites, resources and interactive worksheets to help improve children’s nutrition and hydration.

Finally, you can find useful links about Sign Language Week, which is also celebrated between the 13th - 19th March. Why not sign up to learn British Sign Language?

Toxic stress and child wellbeing

The Association for Child and Adolescent Mental Health (ACAMH) has released a session on mindful emotion coaching as part of a series of seminars around adverse childhood experiences (ACEs). The session aims to explore what can occur when babies and children are exposed to toxic stress and the science behind it.

Listen to the podcast: http://email.nspcc.org.uk/

See also on NSPCC Learning - How childhood trauma affects child brain development http://email.nspcc.org.uk/

Sustainability Matters in Early Childhood

The vocational and technical learning charity NCFE has published a new resource containing ideas, activities and experiences that encourage early years practitioners, young children and their families to take steps towards a greener future by engaging with the UN Sustainable Development Goals.

The resource also aligns with the Department for Education’s strategy for sustainability and climate change for education and children’s services. The resource contains activity ideas, case studies and links to the EYFS and can be downloaded via this link.

Transitions - starting a new school or college

Starting a new educational setting, or moving to a new phase in their education, can bring out a range of emotions for a child, young person, and their family, including excitement, anticipation, and anxiety. Some children and young people will take these changes in their stride, while others will need some additional support. To help provide a positive experience and enable a successful transition, it is important to start thinking about how the child or young person will cope with this change in good time, so that any support required can be put in place.

We are delighted to let you all know that the Transitions website is now up and running to support you with this process. The guidance on these pages have been carefully selected with the aim of ‘Supporting good transitions for all’ so the resources will be helpful for all children and young people and their families and includes a suggested timeline which highlight good practice.

You can find the information here.

REMINDER - Scarlet fever and invasive Group A strep

UKHSA update on Scarlet Fever and invasive Group A Strep The latest data from the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) shows that scarlet fever cases continue to remain higher than we would typically see at this time of year. To learn more click here

Scarlet Fever and Invasive Group A Strep are notifiable illnesses. Notifiable illnesses mean you need to notify Ofsted Click here and Public Heath England.

Please report ALL cases of notifiable infectious diseases, and any outbreaks of infectious disease (2 or more linked cases) to your Regional Health Protection Team at UKHSA: Phone: 0344 225 3560 Option 2

Further information can obtained below:

Promoting Early Language Development

NSPCC Learning has published the latest post in its Why language matters blog series. The blog looks at why it's important to focus on the reasons behind a child’s behaviour, rather than labelling them as 'attention seeking'.

The blog looks at the reasons why children might use behaviour to indicate that something is wrong and argues that reframing 'attention seeking' as 'in need of attention' can help prompt professionals to consider the child's underlying needs.

Supporting Inclusion for SEND and Vulnerable Groups

Neurodevelopmental Diagnosis and Support feedback surveys

Health and local authority care services are working together for Coventry and Warwickshire to address waiting times for a neurodevelopmental diagnostic assessment (Autism, and/or ADHD) and to improve support available to those on the waiting list, people diagnosed with autism, and their support networks.

The team is seeking the views of people waiting for a neurodevelopmental diagnostic assessment, their families and carers, as well as professionals working with those, to help them understand what works well and what needs to be improved in relation to the assessment process and support received whilst on the waiting list.

This survey is for individuals who are waiting for a neurodevelopmental diagnostic assessment, and their family members / parents / carers

Find here the survey for professionals.

Both surveys will close on 12th March.

Please complete the surveys as relevant to your circumstances, and share the below flyers with the families you work with, and your professional networks.

Virtual School for CiC - Raising Attainment for Disadvantaged Youngsters training day (CiC)

Please note the date change to - Friday 17 March 2023, from 10am to 3pm at: Weston Lawns Farm, Warwickshire, CV12 9JA

Are you a Designated Teacher / Senior Leader? Have you booked your place at Raising the Attainment of Disadvantaged Youngsters (RADY)

Louise Blackburn from Challenging Education will lead the day and we will hear from a number of people.

Houlton School regarding their mixed-attainment strategy, which is inclusive for all children, but particularly those who might be vulnerable. Houlton School’s strategy recognises all children are able and talented. It is proven to lead to the best progress and happiest children.

Rugby Free Secondary School will share what they are doing with their Curriculum, Teaching and Learning, and Safeguarding in relation to equity. Rugby Free Secondary’s “ambitious culture has been achieved through the development of strong and positive relationships with staff, students, parents and carers. Our reflective approach means we are always striving to improve in all that we do and believe that mistakes are only an opportunity to learn.”

Clapham Terrace Primary’s passion and dedication to inclusion is infectious! They will share their strategy and demonstrate how they ensure equity for all children. “At Clapham Terrace Community Primary School and Nursery we are committed to creating an outstanding, happy and secure learning environment in which the unique qualities of each child are recognised, respected and valued.”

Trevor Sutcliffe from Challenging Education shared the idea of ‘Achieving Equity in Education’ at the October headteachers conference. Now designated teachers and other senior leaders can spend a day focusing on ways to improve attainment for all vulnerable children, with a particular focus on those who are CiC, children previously in care and those who have or have had a social worker.

As well as the presenting schools the day will cover:

The RADY pledge

A practical session on understanding uplift in the context of your own school data. Please bring a laptop or other means of accessing school data. This is for personal use only and will not be shared.

The golden thread of equity

Challenging Education – Education consultancy, training and monitoring to maintained and academy schools across all phases.

There are places avaiable for this training opportunity

To book places contact virtualschool@warwickshire.gov.uk with the following details:

delegate name
school name
job title
email address
dietary/access requirements

Virtual School for CiC / Learning Improvement - Professional Learning Programme for all Warwickshire schools to access

As part of Warwickshire's commitment to closing the gap the Warwickshire Learning Improvement team and Warwickshire Virtual School have joined together to fund access for all Warwickshire Schools to have access to the Challenging Education Professional Learning Programme (PLP).

There are six recorded training modules available to all staff to access at their convenience. Sessions have been researched and delivered by expert trainers (and experienced school leaders) who have a wealth of knowledge on leadership and teaching of disadvantaged youngsters built up over more than seven years of supporting schools across all phases in Raising the Attainment of Disadvantaged Youngsters (RADY).

This is a tried and tested online learning resource appropriate for all phases of education, designed to help staff to ‘Think Differently’ about working with our most disadvantaged learners. “It has opened my eyes to different thought processes/ actions whilst also confirming my beliefs in the system I am driving towards.” Headteacher, Primary phase

A resource that is designed to be flexible and fit in with your school plan for professional development. There is no expectation or requirement to complete all the sessions within a module, and no need to complete the sessions in a particular order. Think ‘pick and mix’ approach!
Each module contains over 90 minutes of recorded sessions. Individual videos are ‘bitesize’, no more than 15 minutes long and can therefore easily be integrated into a longer training session or even a staff briefing. Please refer to the ‘Content of the PLP’ document for details of the sessions in each module.
The modules include downloadable resources, including suggested activities to promote deeper reflection and action and references for those who want to find out more.
There are a number of case studies from schools in England and Wales that help to illustrate how schools are bringing the training to life.

Registration

If your school hasn’t registered yet please head to Challenging Education’s website www.challengingeducation.co.uk and follow the registration process which has also been attached. Once registration is complete, you can share your username (this will be your URN) and password with colleagues within your school who also wish to access the materials.

The Virtual School is on Twitter!

The Virtual School is now on twitter - follow the team for information, resource ideas and tweets about children in care / previously in care

@WarwickshireVS

Celebrating Warwickshire’s Family of Schools

Origin Maths Hub - Local Leader for Maths Education briefings

Origin Maths Hub are running two short 20-minute online briefings for Headteachers to share information about the fully-funded Maths Leadership development programmes we provide to Solihull, Coventry, and Warwickshire schools.

We are offering the opportunity for teachers in your school to become a Local Leader for Maths Education through a variety of pathways! Please see below for details:

The briefings will include:

Key information on each development opportunity on offer including funding details and benefits for the individual and school.
Input from a local headteacher about why they have LLME, what they think it brings to their school.
Hear from an LLME: How they gain from being an LLME and what they believe their school gains
Time for queries

If you are interested in attending please register using the links below:

Primary Headteacher briefing, Friday 10^th March, 08:00 - 08:20

Secondary Headteacher briefing, Tuesday 7th March, 08:00 - 08:20

Educaterers roll out their new menu for the summer term

Educaterers is keen to promote its new look menu for the summer term to parents and guardians.

Working with the Soil Association, Educaterers partners with suppliers with green credentials. As a result, its menus are built around sustainability, with all meat, dairy products and free range eggs sourced from within the UK, fish from sustainable sources, while many of its vegan products, such as burgers and plant power balls, are provided by the world’s first carbon neutral football club, Forest Green Rovers FC, via the club’s food manufacturing company.

The new menu includes a variety of meals including Classic mac’n’cheese; creamy chicken korma with wholegrain rice; roast dinners with Red Tractor meat, sweet and sour plant power ‘meat’ balls with noodles, and much more. All meals are served with seasonal vegetables, or fresh salad and a homemade pudding, fresh fruit or organic yoghurt.

Vicki Barnard, MD of Educaterers says:

“Our specialist team ensures there are individual menus to suit the needs of children with special dietary requirements, so they too can enjoy the new summer menus. We also provide frequent themed menus throughout the year - such as this week’s ‘World Book Day’- to make mealtimes an enjoyable event for children.”

Victoria continues: “Lunchtime is an important element of every child’s day - it gives them the energy they need to do well in school, opens them up to a variety of new foods and develops their social skills.”

As well as being tasty, nutritious and healthy, Educaterers menus take into account preferences and feedback from pupils and colleagues. A vegetarian option is offered alongside a meat dish each day, with a ‘Meat Free Monday’ once every three weeks.

Educaterers provide 120,000 nutritious meals per week to over 200 schools in Warwickshire, Coventry, Leicestershire, Birmingham and Oxfordshire. Find out more about Educaterers on LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook and Instagram - @educaterers.

To find out more about Educaterers and to see its new menus, please click here  

Educaterers team members enjoy dressing up for themed menu days such as the recent World Book Day.

Warwickshire’s new provision, Young Carers Caring Together Warwickshire, marks five months in service

Did you know the Young Carers Caring Together Warwickshire service was launched on 1st October 2022 by Carers Trust and is commissioned by Warwickshire County Council. We thought it would be an apt time to remind you of the service and what it can offer to young carers.

Summary

Young Carers Caring Together Warwickshire’s service supports all young carers from age 6 years to age 18 years or up to age 25, with regards to a child with special educational needs and disabilities. Many young carers don’t think of themselves as a carer, the caring role often grows over time.

A young carer will likely look after one of their parents or care for a brother or sister. Young carers may do extra jobs around the home, cooking, cleaning or helping someone get dressed and move around. They may also give physical help to a parent, brother or sister who’s disabled or ill.

We can provide the following to any new or existing young carer:

Provide information and advice on everything around informal carers
Arrange activities that young carers can get involved in to meet new friends and have some time to themselves.
Provide one-on-one support with mental wellbeing
Help to signpost to a network of support services to further help young carers with their caring duties

Young Carer Assessments

Caring Together Warwickshire is commissioned by the Council to carry out an assessment with the young person to see how their caring role affects them. Assessments can be carried out at school, home or anywhere the young person feels most comfortable. Ultimately, it can provide the support a young carer needs to help themselves and the person they care for.

For more information or to make a referral please go to the Caring Together Warwickshire’s Young Carers website.

Would you like to become an Independent Panel Member to hear School Admission Appeals?

Warwickshire County Council are seeking volunteers to become independent panel members to hear school admission appeals. Independent Appeal Panels consider appeals by parents against school admission decisions in relation to schools within Warwickshire and some neighbouring counties. This is an important role and panels are required by law.

The County Council are looking for:

Lay Panel members - people without personal experience in the management of any school or provision of education in any school.
Non-Lay Panel members - people with experience in education (such as current and former headteachers) who are acquainted with educational conditions in the area, or parents of a registered pupil at a school.

Panel Members need only dedicate as much time as they are willing to offer to this voluntary role, and exercise good judgement and demonstrate sound reasoning skills to ensure fair consideration of every case.

To find out more visit www.warwickshire.gov.uk/jobs-volunteering/independent-panel-member-hear-school-admission-appeals