WE1 Early Years
Free teacher classroom resource.
These Class Clips are suitable for use with children at Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) in England, Wales and Northern Ireland and Scotland.
Early Years Teaching Resources
Oxford Brain Story (for professionals)
The Brain Story has several different types of resources to help professionals understand the science of how experiences shape our brains and the long-term implications for mental and physical health.
The Story aims to articulate the intergenerational cycle of adversity within families and how we can use our scientific understanding to improve outcomes for children and adults in the future.
This free online course is for professionals seeking a deeper understanding of brain development and its consequences for resilience and lifelong health.
Click Here for more information
Early years resources for learning at home
The BBC have been working hard to make home schooling just a little bit easier.
While the website focuses on learning resources for school-aged children, there is also material for pre-school children to benefit from educational fun at home.
Not a teacher? Not to worry - it's all made in collaboration with learning experts to make learning with at home with children as simple and engaging as possible.
For more inspiration, download the CBeebies Go Explore app to access games and videos featuring CBeebies favourites, from phonics with the Alphablocks to shapes with Hey Duggee.
www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize
Connecting Health & Learning Part One: The Science
New Podcast Episode!
The environments we create and the experiences we provide for young children and their families affect not just the developing brain and early learning, but also many other physiological systems and lifelong health. How do all these systems work together to respond to chronic stress? What do these responses mean for early learning and lifelong health? And what can we do to stop early adversity and stressors from leading to long-term consequences?
Derived from the science in our most recent working paper, the newest episode of The Brain Architects podcast addresses all of these questions by explaining how early childhood development and lifelong health are intertwined.
Using Science to Improve Outcomes
Accelerating Our Impact: Experimenting with an Innovation Mindset
In a new blog post for Capita, Hannah Barber, Project Manager at the Centre on the Developing Child, challenges us to be innovative and adaptive to solve pressing problems in the early childhood development field.
"Child development does not stop in a crisis. The foundations of lifelong learning, health, and behaviour are being laid now, in the narrow window that begins prenatally and continues particularly through ages two and three. These foundations will be as strong—or as weak—as the environment of relationships and experiences that young children find themselves in during this time. Waiting for the pandemic to be over to get back to work simply is not in the cards. Now is our time to do things differently."
WE2 An empowering curriculum
Children Looked After to be in school full time
Outcomes for Children Looked After (CLA) are always far below that of their peers. This attainment gap has widened significantly in Warwickshire over the past few years, and in 2019-20 even more so. Warwickshire CLA do not achieve as highly as CLA nationally.
It is important that all or our CLA are in school during this time. We know that schools are the safest places for them. You provide the consistency, stability and reassurance that our children need. You unlock their potential, enable them to have a greater sense of belonging and help them to see better futures for themselves.
Our carers and social care colleagues are keen to support you with continuing to provide the best education for our CLA. If you find apprehension or reluctance from families, please work with them and their social workers to risk assess and determine the best ways forward. We all need to encourage and support all CLA into your settings.
Personal Education Plans (PEPs) need to be reviewed remotely this term. They should be tightly focussed on closing the attainment gap, addressing SEMH and SEND needs, promoting personal development, opportunities and aspiration raising. Pupil Premium Plus enhances any support and intervention you provide. In these challenging and uncertain times, it is vital that individual needs continue to be identified and addressed promptly. Please speak to your Education Adviser if you require any additional PP+.
Education Advisers will be in touch with designated teachers throughout the lockdown period. We need to continue tracking and monitoring attendance (daily) and progress and attainment. Please do not hesitate to get in touch if there is anything you need or want to discuss.
Whilst CLA should be in school during this period, it is important to remember that any Children Previously Looked After (CPLA) may need the reassurance and continuity of attending school. Please liaise with parents/carers individually.
I thank you for your dedication and hard work in these very challenging times and wish you a positive and successful term.
Deena Moorey
Virtual School Head
Maths Hub - Supporting KS3 Students with SEND
Free mathematics professional development opportunity for maths teachers of years 7 - 9 and teaching assistants.
Origin Maths Hub are offering secondary schools in Solihull, Coventry and Warwickshire the opportunity to participate in this free, research and innovation Work Group.
- This Work Group will explore what you can do to help KS3 students who struggle with mathematics (and may have SEND) to develop their thinking and reasoning.
- The sessions will focus upon key areas of the mathematics curriculum and will provide ideas and activities that can be used with SEND students.
- Each introductory session will be followed up with individual support and reflection. This will enable a bank of resources to be developed and disseminated to all participants.
- In light of the significant disruptions to children's education this year due to Covid-19, it is even more important to try to prevent a dip in students' mathematical attainment and attitudes as they move from primary to secondary.
Find out more and sign up here
Virtual School Reminder re PP+
The DFE have shared drawdown info on the PP+ for previously looked after children - those adopted from care, subject to Special Guardianship Order or Child Arrangement Order:
|
Pupil Category
|
2015-16
|
2016-17
|
2017-18
|
2018-19
|
2019-20
|
|
Adoptions Primary
|
74.2%
|
80.5%
|
81.9%
|
82.4%
|
83.5%
|
|
Adoptions Secondary
|
34.0%
|
43.4%
|
48.2%
|
51.8%
|
55.8%
|
|
SGO Primary
|
56.3%
|
61.4%
|
68.9%
|
74.1%
|
80.8%
|
|
SGO Secondary
|
32.5%
|
34.0%
|
37.7%
|
40.5%
|
49.2%
|
|
CAO Primary
|
34.3%
|
38.5%
|
48.3%
|
54.8%
|
60.2%
|
|
CAO Secondary
|
25.1%
|
23.5%
|
24.4%
|
25.1%
|
26.5%
|
As the January census is fast approaching, now is the time to ensure that all eligible families have approached you, in order to ensure you access the grant. You can claim £2300 per child to support their learning.
If you have any questions or would like advice regarding any of your previously looked after children, contact the Virtual School or your linked Education Adviser: virtualschool@warwickshire.gov.uk
Join our ‘Show You Care’ Campaign
Connecting with other people has never been more important for our wellbeing. During lockdown, when we can’t physically be with our friends and neighbours, we must find different ways of doing this.
We are therefore launching a new campaign for Warwickshire called ‘Show you Care’ and would love you to be part of it and share it with our communities. We are encouraging our residents to display a picture of a heart in their window, or share it on social media, as a tangible sign that they are thinking of others in the pandemic.
Displaying or sharing a heart can mean many things, but could include:
- I care about our key workers
- I care about my neighbours
- I care about my grandparents who I haven’t been able to see
- I care about missing my school friends and teachers.
What can you do?
- Share the attached templates with your customers, residents, partners, community groups etc.
- Ask them to colour or decorate them, or print the ‘ready to use’ versions
- Encourage them to take photos of them and send these into either the Warwickshire Libraries or Warwickshire Fire & Service social media accounts so that they can be shared further, and share them on their own social media accounts, possibly with their story of who they are especially thinking about
- Encourage them to display their coloured hearts in a prominent place e.g. in their window
- Use the hashtags #ShowYouCare and #BestWarwickshire to accompany the pictures on social media.
To help you do this, we have templates of hearts for sharing and colouring:
We are planning to release further updates on the campaign next week, including sharing the news of the campaign with the media. In the meantime, please do share the graphics and the campaign, and if you have any ideas of how we can extend the reach even further, do let us know.
WE3 Family of schools
Clarification of which children are expected to continue attending school
Critical workers: Parents whose work is critical to the coronavirus (Covid-19) and EU transition response include those who work in health and social care and in other key sectors outlined in the following sections. Children with at least one parent or carer who is a critical worker can go to school or college if required.
Vulnerable children and young people include those who:
· are assessed as being in need under section 17 of the Children Act 1989, including children and young people who have a child in need plan, a child protection plan or who are a looked-after child
· have an education, health and care (EHC) plan
· have been identified as otherwise vulnerable by educational providers or local authorities (including children’s social care services), and who could therefore benefit from continued full-time attendance, this might include:
· children and young people on the edge of receiving support from children’s social care services or in the process of being referred to children’s services
· adopted children or children on a special guardianship order
· those at risk of becoming NEET (‘not in employment, education or training’)
· those living in temporary accommodation
· those who are young carers
· those who may have difficulty engaging with remote education at home (for example due to a lack of devices or quiet space to study)
· care leavers
· others at the provider and local authority’s discretion including pupils and students who need to attend to receive support or manage risks to their mental health.
Education update - protecting young people most at risk from Covid-19
The government has recently identified and written to a small number of Warwickshire pupils and students who are clinically extremely vulnerable to Covid-19. These children and young people are advised to follow shielding advice and not to attend school. If their parents or carers are clinically extremely vulnerable they can continue to go to school.
People are advised to discuss their specific circumstances with their GP or other medical professional responsible for their care if they have queries about being identified as clinically extremely vulnerable.
For help to access services and support, go to www.warwickshire.gov.uk/coronavirusvulnerable or call 0800 408 1447.
For full guidance on the new restrictions, visit www.gov.uk/guidance/national-lockdown
Schools with queries can email education-corona@warwickshire.gov.uk
Resources to support Remote Learning
NCETM and Maths Hubs online resources available
January 2021
Materials to support teachers and schools planning and delivering maths teaching in school and remotely at both primary and secondary level are available from the NCETM. All are accessible from the dedicated Covid support page on the NCETM website.
For primary schools and teachers, the 180 primary video lessons produced during the first lockdown are still available. Each lesson has an accompanying teacher guide, and PowerPoint slides of the lesson for teachers to adapt themselves.
There are also resources linked to the DfE guidance published in July 2020. These include ready-to-use training materials, a short introductory video, and a suite of 79 PowerPoints focusing on the ready-to-progress criteria found in the DfE guidance. Additional training materials addressing the transition between Year 6 and Year 7 are also particularly relevant when pupils in Year 6 have had their maths learning disrupted.
For secondary schools, an evidence-based guidance document to support discussions about recovery curriculum content and pedagogy is available, along with a series of ‘Planning to teach…’ videos and PowerPoint slides offering advice on teaching crucial KS3 topics. CPD materials include a one-hour training session to help understand the implications for Year 7 of the DfE primary guidance, and six Departmental Workshops for any teachers able to engage in collaborative professional development.
The 40 Maths Hubs which support all state-funded primary and secondary schools across England are continuing to offer some opportunities for support and online professional development. Get in touch with your local hub to find out more.
BBC Learning
The BBC is making extra educational content available for students during lockdown.
From Monday 11th January, CBBC, BBC 2, BBC iPlayer and BBC Red Button will be offering content for students, including daily lessons which will also be made available online. For primary school pupils there will be three hours of programming every weekday from 9am and at least 2 hours for secondary pupils on BBC 2, with programming to support the GCSE curriculum, including adaptations of Shakespeare plays alongside science, history and factual titles.
www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/learning/primary/all
Free data from Vodafone for UK students
We all know how important education is, but there are too many children and families struggling to stay connected digitally to their schools.
Vodafone has already given 250,000 free data SIMs to 7000 participating schools as part of their schools.connected plan, and they are now offering an extra 100,000 SIMs - with 30GB data for 90 days - to help students #KeepConnecting across the UK.
The plan also includes colleges, as well as primary and secondary schools.
Apply Now
Terms and Conditions
Free primary and secondary resources to learn from the once-in-a-decade Census.
The Office for National Statistics (ONS) has put together free primary and secondary resources to teach youngsters about the census, its importance in and for the community, and to understand the power of data.
The census - which takes place on 21st March 2021 - is a survey that happens every 10 years and gives us a picture of all the people and households in England and Wales.
The Primary programme, Let’s Count, includes 14 cross-curricular resources to choose from, covering key areas of the curriculum. The flexible and time-saving resources will support your school through Covid-19, engage children and families in learning and celebrate the local community.
The resources also offer professional development training for teachers, with an exclusive session about progression in statistics across the primary years.
To sign up, go to: letscount.org.uk
The Secondary School Programme, Census2021, has been developed to raise awareness of the census and engage students with the power of data. The ONS has created an inspiring teaching initiative called the Secondary Education Programme. Teachers can access and download free school and curriculum-linked lesson plans and flexible activities designed to bring the census to life for students aged 11 to 18 years.
To find out more, go to: censuseducation.org.uk
If you have any questions please contact Sally Bannister - 07452 940469 or sally.bannister68@field.census.gov.uk
Maths Hub - Free Opportunity for Teachers of Years 5 - 8
Origin Maths Hub are offering primary and secondary schools in Solihull, Coventry and Warwickshire the opportunity to participate in these free, cross-phase Work Groups.
- These Work Groups are a fantastic opportunity for primary and secondary schools to work together (local if possible), focusing on the transition from primary to secondary.
- Teachers will have the opportunity to explore mathematics curriculum and pedagogical continuity over Years 5 to 8.
- Ofsted and EEF publications have highlighted the need for a focus on continuity at transition from KS2 - 3 and their recommendations include improving knowledge and understanding of pedagogy and curriculum in the other key stage.
- In light of the significant disruptions to children's education this year due to Covid-19, it is even more important to try to prevent a dip in pupils' mathematical attainment and attitudes as they move from primary to secondary.
Find out more and sign up here
An Introduction to Restorative and Relational Practice (school staff)
Free Learning and Development Opportunity.
We are all passionate about making Warwickshire the best it can be and over the past months WCC Children and Families has been investing in exciting new ways to support the people we all work with. Restorative Practice is at the heart of this.
Restorative Practice is all about relationships. We understand that those relationships are crucial to ensuring young people and their families build on their own strengths and find their own, sustainable solutions. Restorative Practice encourages those who work with children and families to focus their time on building quality relationships that inspire positive change. This extends to how we support one another in our teams and how we connect with colleagues across our organisations and beyond. Ultimately, working WITH and alongside people improves the outcomes we can achieve together.
This interactive, virtual 1.5-hour introduction to restorative and relational practice will give you an opportunity to learn more about restorative approaches, values and tools which can be used in your day-to-day work.
If you would like to know more, or would like an informal conversation, please email restorativepractice@warwickshire.gov.uk
Booking Form - SCC CS565 An Introduction to Restorative and Relational Practice (Primary Schools)
Booking Form- SCC CS566 An Introduction to Restorative and Relational Practice (Secondary Schools
All sessions run from 3:30pm to 5:00pm
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Introduction to RP Schools (Primary)
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Introduction to RP Schools (Secondary)
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25/01/2021
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01/02/2021
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08/02/2021
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24/02/2021
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03/03/2021
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08/03/2021
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18/03/2021
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22/03/2021
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29/03/2021
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22/04/2021
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26/04/2021
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06/05/2021
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12/05/2021
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20/05/2021
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25/05/2021
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09/06/2021
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07/06/2021
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16/06/2021
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22/06/2021
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01/07/2021
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Widgit Online
The UK’s third national lockdown has once again closed schools, with students having to adapt to home/virtual learning. As we did during the first lockdown, we want to help parents, teachers and carers who use symbols to support children or learners' education.
To make sure symbol users have access to the systems and resources they need, we would like to offer free and unrestricted access to Widgit Online and its ready-made materials for 30 days.
If you already have an individual account subscription or trial you can use the same code to unlock all of the ready-made materials available in Widgit Online, worth over £180. More information and instructions can be found here:
https://bit.ly/2QGH1f7
Please share this post with anyone you feel would benefit from access to Widgit Online.