Warwickshire secondary school teacher wins national award
Romayne Charles of Higham Lane School, Nuneaton has won Secondary School Teacher of the Year at the Pearson Teaching Awards which was held at The Brewery, London. The event was hosted by BBC presenters Anita Rani and Sean Fletcher, and was aired on BBC Two on Sunday 28 October. The programme ‘Britain’s Classroom Heroes’ includes a short film about Romayne and her excellent work and is available until 25 November on BBC iPlayer.
Romayne Charles is subject leader for Social Sciences at Higham Lane School, and has been teaching there for seven and a half years.
The Pearson Teaching Awards celebrates outstanding teaching across the UK, and gold winners are nominated for awards by pupils, parents and colleagues. The awards celebrated their 20th anniversary this year, where 13 teachers and schools were celebrated as gold winners for their outstanding work in education.
Councillor Colin Hayfield, Portfolio Holder for Education and Learning, said “We are very proud of Romayne Charles’ great achievement in winning this prestigious teaching award. In Warwickshire we put children at the heart of all that we do and inspirational teachers like Romayne are a huge part of this.”
Latest news from the Department for Education (DfE)
1. Chancellor announces £400 million 'in-year bonus' for schools
In last week's autumn budget statement the Chancellor Philip Hammond announced that a one-off fund of £400 million has been set aside to pay for school equipment and facilities. This will amount to an average payout of £10,000 per primary school and £50,000 per secondary school.
Budget 2018 - Summary of announcements (Ref. 14)
2. Condition Improvement Fund
The 2019-20 funding round for the Condition Improvement Fund (CIF) is now open to applications from eligible academies. The Fund provides an opportunity for academies and sixth form colleges to apply for capital funding to address significant condition need. This includes funding projects to address health and safety issues, building compliance and poor building condition.
Academies or sixth-form colleges rated good or outstanding by Ofsted can also apply for funding available to support a small proportion of expansion projects.
New applicants must register to use the CIF portal by 5pm on 30 November 2018.
To find out more and apply:
https://www.gov.uk/guidance/condition-improvement-fund
3. Ten new buying deals for schools
The Schools Commercial Team (SCT) within the DfE has reviewed a wide range of deals to ensure they are compliant with procurement regulations, are suitable and value for money. The review has also taken into account feedback from schools already using the deals.
The recommended list now includes deals in four new categories: leasing services, legal services, office supplies and professional services. New deals have also been added to existing categories.
For a full list of recommended deals visit: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/deals-for-schools/deals-for-schools