Changes to critical incident support

From 1 April 2017 there will be some important changes to Warwickshire’s Critical Incident support. This is the support provided to schools, colleges and other settings in the event of a sudden or unexpected incident that has a serious impact on the emotional wellbeing of an educational community such as the death of a child/young person, member of staff or parent/carer. 

Thankfully such incidents are relatively rare. The Educational Psychology Service provides direct support to somewhere between 20 and 30 events each year and telephone or email advice in a handful of other incidents. However, as those of you who have suffered a critical incident will know, by their very nature these events usually take you by surprise.

Sudden and unexpected traumatic events can cause significant stress at both an individual and an organisational level for educational staff, children and young people and their impact can be long lasting.  Bereaved children and young people are more likely than their non-bereaved peers to have a serious illness, a diagnosable mental disorder or to be excluded from school at some point in their lives.  Appropriate support delivered in a timely manner can go a long way to mitigating the impact of these incidents.

Please read the attached letter, flyer and SLA that will be included in your packs at the coming Head Teacher Briefings and will go out to all schools and colleges over the next weeks.

You are encouraged to discuss this issue with your senior team and governors.

Dr Helen J Kendall

Principal Educational Psychologist and SENDAR Manager

Would you like to be a Leader of Education in Coventry, Solihull and/or Warwickshire?

Overview

If you would like to work with leaders in other schools to improve pupil outcomes, you might want to consider applying to be a CSW Leader of Education. In addition to leading your own school which includes maintained, faith, free, academy or equivalent, you would have a school improvement role with a headteacher whose school is in challenging circumstances.

The goal of the CSW Leaders of Education is to increase the leadership capacity of other schools to help raise standards. This is an important element of the government’s plan to give schools a central role in developing a self-improving and sustainable school-led system.

Coventry, Solihull and Warwickshire Sub Region

The Teaching School Alliances across Coventry, Solihull and Warwickshire are working collaboratively across the sub-region to appoint CSW Leaders of Education (CSW LE) to work in a range of schools. As a sub region, we offer a single opportunity to schools, LA, HMI, Dioceses, MATs and governing bodies to engage effectively across this area to access high quality leaders with capacity to provide school to school support.

The Teaching School Alliances that work collaboratively to appoint CSW LEs are:

For further information please click here to see the attached poster OR email your enquires to cswteachingschools@gmail.com

Statutory census dates for maintained schools, academies and free schools

In the January edition of Heads Up, there was an article about the collection of data for the statutory school census on 19 January.

Maintained schools send their data to the LA, who then ‘clean’ the data by dealing with any anomalies or data issues, so they can send error-free information to the DfE. Schools return the data to the LA by the deadline of the day following the census day.

Academies and free schools send their returns directly to the DfE. They are responsible for ‘cleaning’ their own data anomalies. At the same time that they send the data to the DfE, they send a copy to the LA.  It is only at the point that the academy schools copy their data to the LA that the LA can process and formulate all the Warwickshire data. They need a full set of data to do this, which includes data from academies.

For the autumn term and spring term census dates, there is no issue. However, for the May census, there is a big issue regarding the data, because of returns to the DfE for pupil test and teacher assessment data. 

Although maintained schools return their census data by the next day in May, academies and free schools have several weeks more to return their data to the DfE direct. This means the LA cannot use the May census data for checking submissions to NCA (National Curriculum Assessment) tools, meaning they have to use the January data set which is very out of date.

We would therefore like to encourage ALL schools with pupils in Y6 and Y2 to return their May census data as quickly as possible, and before data submission to NCA tools, if at all possible.

Data submitted as part of the May school census will be used in the validation and moderation processes for the statutory primary assessment returns.

The Local Authority acts as the agent on behalf of the DfE therefore by submitting your May school census return promptly, we will be able to better support you with any school census queries.

If you are an academy or free school and would like to know more about our request, please contact Debbie Hibberd 01926 743015 to discuss it further.

Information: post-16 funding allocation statements for 2017 to 2018

The post-16 funding allocation statements for further education colleges, schools and academies should now be available on the EFA Information Exchange. 

All files will be located in EFA Information Exchange in the Document Exchange 'Revenue Funding' folder, under ‘AY 2017-18 (2017/18)’.

To access Document Exchange log into EFA Information Exchange and choose the Document Exchange tab at the top of the page.

As in previous years, the EFA has based funding allocations for 2017 to 2018 on your 2016 to 2017 lagged student numbers. The final allocation statement includes a breakdown of the calculation.

The EFA has published information to help you understand your allocation. The allocation calculation toolkit and guidance help you understand the data that has been used. If you have any queries please contact the EFA using their online enquiry form.

Business cases will be considered where there is a significant error in the data you have returned. The deadline for business cases is 7 April 2017.  Standard minimum thresholds will be applied to decide whether or not your case will be considered.  Please review the thresholds published in the supporting information before submitting your business case.

For support and guidance about EFA Information Exchange, please visit the support page.

Primary Schools PE and Sport Update

Primary PE and School Sport Premium Requirement – 4 April 2017

Schools should have on their website as a condition of the Primary PE and School Sport funding, details of how they have spent their PE funding by Friday 4 April.  This should include:

• the amount of premium received
• a full breakdown of how it has been spent (or will be spent)
• what impact the school has seen on pupils’ PE and sport participation and attainment
• how the improvements will be sustainable in the future.

More information about the PE and sport premium funding and advice on how to spend it can be found on the DfE website. 

Schools can also find further guidance including national case studies demonstrating the impact of the PE premium on the PE and School Sport CSW (Coventry, Solihull and Warwickshire) website

Childhood Obesity Strategy (COS)

Outlined in this strategy is a sugar tax levy to give more resources to schools to promote healthy active lifestyles.  Funding of the PE premium is most likely to be doubled with this levy, or at least the core funding could be, being approximately £16k for primary schools; however this funding is only confirmed till 2020. Schools will have to demonstrate the sustainability and impact of how they are spending their funding. 

The COS also states there will be voluntary healthy schools rating that will be taken into account during OFSTED.  Parents will be actively involved in this rating.

Schools will also have to identify a governor who will be the champion of PE and Healthy Active Lifestyles.  Further information is expected in the summer term. Headlines of the COS and what it means for schools can be found on our home page – www.peschoolsportcsw.org.uk  or the Government’s update can be found here - https://engage.dh.gov.uk/childhoodobesity/

Coventry, Solihull and Warwickshire Primary Premium Awards – 7 April

These are part of national awards that reward and recognise primary schools that are effectively and innovatively spending their Primary premium.  CSW will hold their own nominations, the winners of CSW will get through to the West Midlands awards, and these winners will then go through to the National award.  Closing date is 7 April, for further information visit www.peschoolsportcsw.org.uk/primary-pe-sport-awards

School Games Review

Currently School Games Organisers (SGO) and other key partners are being consulted on what the Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) will look like for the 2017 – 2018 academic year.  These will most likely link to the health agenda and participation, not just sport activities. Outcomes should be published by Easter. To find your local organiser and for more information about the School Games visit www.peschoolsportcsw.org.uk/find-your-sgo

Family Fund - £40 million

Sport England will be releasing information about a £40 million Family Fund, aimed at increasing physical activity and sport within families.  This could be significant for schools, as partners may want to work with schools and use schools facilities as hubs for their projects.  Further information will be available later in March.

Teacher assessment of writing at Key Stage 1 and 2 - further clarification

There have been lots of questions about assessment of writing and whether or not teachers still need to teach different genres of writing. The new national curriculum does not specify genres for any particular year group; however, close examination of the programmes of study and of national exemplification materials show that genres will need to be taught in order to meet the expectation of writing for different audiences and purposes.

Please click the attached link below for a downloadable document that explains this in more detail.

Securing accurate assessment of writing at Key Stage 1 and Key Stage 2 (pdf document)

Appendix 1 - Writing Contexts KS1

Appendix 2 - Writings Contexts KS2

New funding to boost schools facilities and healthy lifestyles

Schools to receive £415 million to transform facilities and help pupils get healthy start to life.

Schools are to receive £415 million to help pupils benefit from healthier, more active lifestyles, Education Secretary Justine Greening announced today (28 February 2017).

Primary, secondary and sixth-form colleges will be able to use the funding to pay for facilities to support physical education (PE), after-school activities and healthy eating.

Schools will also be able to use the new healthy pupils capital programme to improve facilities for children with physical conditions or support young people struggling with mental health issues.

Alongside the funding for the PE and sport premium, breakfast clubs and universal infant free school meals, it represents over £1.3 billion investment in the 2018 to 2019 academic year to help young people live healthier lifestyles. This builds on wider government work such as the recent sports strategy.

Education Secretary Justine Greening said:

Schools can really help our children get a healthy start in life from exercise and sport, and also from knowing what a healthy diet means. It’s not only good for them while they’re in education, but the health and wellbeing benefits can last a lifetime.

That’s why we’re investing £415 million in facilities to support sports, after-school activities and promoting healthy eating, so we can secure the future health of our young people.

Local authorities and larger multi-academy trusts will receive an allocation for schools and will make decisions locally on how this money is invested. Smaller multi-academy trusts (MATs), individual academies and sixth-form centres will be able to bid for grants for specific one-off projects.

The money - from the Soft Drinks Industry Levy - will be available to schools in the 2018 to 2019 financial year and more details on how the fund will be distributed will be published later this year. Government has also pledged to ensure that the amount schools receive will not fall below £415 million regardless of the funds generated by the levy.

The healthy pupils capital programme will build on the government’s plans for schools to provide a longer school day by changing the focus of the scheme to provide new facilities or improve existing ones to make it easier for a range of extra-curricular activities to be provided.

To view the full news release click here 

 

Relationships and Sex Education to be made compulsory in schools

It has been proposed nationally that Relationships and Sex Education (RSE) is made compulsory in all schools in England, the Government has announced. The proposal recommends all children from the age of four are taught about safe and healthy relationships. The proposal is yet to become law, but is certainly a positive step.

Warwickshire County Council, Public Health has developed age appropriate sexual health and relationship education programmes for  primary aged children called Spring Fever and for all secondary schools called Doing it!  A number of schools have taken advantage of these innovative resources  and with the changes publicised yesterday more schools will now be able to join them. This is a free service for all schools in Warwickshire.

Spring Fever

Summary: Spring Fever is tailored to the sexual development phases of children. It offers an age appropriate method of acquiring the knowledge, attitudes and skills needed. As a result, children are better prepared for any subsequent sexual contacts in later life. They also better understand relationships and sexual health. Spring Fever offers fun and responsible support in providing relationships and sexual health education.

Schools that have given senior management support to the programme have noticed the benefits, not only to the children, but also the school itself. Teachers notice that the children become more open both in asking questions about human sexuality and in their interaction with one another.

Doing It!

Summary: Doing It! Is a sex positive Relationship and Sex Education (RSE) programme for Teachers and young people. The package covers work and campaigns suitable for all years groups from 7-13 and is a complete package of training and resources to be used in secondary schools across Warwickshire.

respectyourself.info, is the County Council’s web resource for 13 to 25 year olds in Warwickshire providing advice and education on relationships and sexual health. The site is safe and reliable, where young people can explore issues that are important to them. The site is monitored and supported by professionals who provide answers to encourage young people to take control of their relationships and to move at a pace they are comfortable with

To find out more about about Public Health Warwickshire’s work supporting RSE contact;

Luke Carter , Respect Yourself Programme Manager

lukecarter@warwickshire.gov.uk, 01926 414984

RAISEonline News

In April the Department for Education (DfE) will be launching a new service which will provide schools and other existing user groups with detailed performance analysis to support local school improvement as a replacement to RAISEonline.

The new service

The DfE have worked with users to ensure the service will be easier to navigate and use, whilst retaining familiar tools such as filters. Access will be granted through ‘Secure Access’, in line with other DfE services.

The DfE are also introducing new commercial arrangements to make the data that sits behind RAISEonline available to accredited suppliers who satisfy strict security and usage criteria. This will enable the market to develop innovative services which schools can choose to procure should they wish, in a similar way that many do now.

What’s next?

As the new service is DfE led, the Ofsted Helpdesk will close on 31 March. They are working with Ofsted to ensure as smooth a transition as possible for users.

When the new service is available they will contact you again with the link to the new site as well as information regarding your Secure Access log-in. They will also be providing a couple of short videos to get users familiar with the new service. 

In the meantime, watch out for updates on the RAISEonline Latest News page. 

Following the initial release the DfE will continue to improve the service based on user feedback, analytics and on-going user research. They will be keen to seek your feedback either through formal testing or through user surveys, which will be built into the new service. As part of those ongoing improvements the DfE are very focused on ensuring RAISEonline data is available earlier, as they know that’s a key area schools want to see addressed.

Free training for maximising the effectiveness of CPD in your school

**** WORKSHOP FOR WARWICKSHIRE PRIMARY AND SECONDARY SCHOOLS - LIMITED SPACES SO BOOK NOW! ****

Monday 3 April 2017, 1-5pm

at the Heart of England Conference and Events Centre, Meriden Road, Coventry, CV7 8DX

The Key, in partnership with Warwickshire County Council, are offering a free one-off afternoon session with John Collier, from the Britannia Teaching School Alliance, to unpack the principles of effective adult learning and professional development. Schools will have the opportunity to learn how to plan, deliver and refine CPD for optimal impact.

Free for members of The Key

This workshop is aimed at those who facilitate CPD and is suitable for participants from both primary and secondary schools.

• Part one will examine what effective CPD looks like, based on current research and the Department for Education’s Standard for teachers’ professional development

• Part two will unpick the habits of effective facilitators and explore solutions to difficult training scenarios

You will also have an opportunity to learn more about CPD Toolkit and how it can enhance CPD at your school.

This event is free for members of The Key. For non members the cost is £24. 

To book your place follow the link below:

https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/delivering-effective-cpd-facilitator-training-workshop-tickets-32320154452

Overview of the session:

How can you maximise the effectiveness of CPD in your school? The session unpacks the principles of effective adult learning and professional development to help in-school facilitators plan, deliver and refine CPD for optimal impact. Participants will also have an opportunity to apply their learning to CPD modules from The Key.

Session One overview:

The secrets behind the most effective CPD

Through this session, participants will begin to understand the secrets behind the most effective professional development. They will learn how to maximise impact by ensuring CPD at their school is:

• Focused
• Responsive
• Engaging
• Expertise-based
• Sustained

The session has been deliberately designed to rotate in focus between experiences, concrete examples and theory.

Learning objectives:

To connect experiences to the main challenges for delivering effective CPD 

To identify features of the most effective CPD 

To understand the key ideas behind planning, implementing and following-up the most effective CPD 

Session two overview:

Unleashing excellence - putting the ideas to work

This session focuses on developing confidence in planning and delivering effective professional development. Participants will have an opportunity to: 

• Develop an implementation plan for a module from CPD Toolkit from The Key
• Identify the habits of effective facilitators
• Practise introducing a module from CPD Toolkit from The Key
• Find solutions to difficult training scenarios

Learning objectives:

To apply the principles of effective professional development to the design and implementation of training sessions

To assess delivery skills and identify areas for improvement

Soldiers to School programme

With the ongoing success of the Soldiers to Schools programme across the West Midlands, 11 Signals and West Midlands Brigade will be continuing to go into schools during 2017.

The focus will primarily be on secondary schools though if there is availability, KS2 Primary classes will be considered.

The presentation last an hour and focuses on the life of a WW1 soldier in comparison to modern day soldiering by the use of comparing equipment and soldier life. Serving soldiers deliver the presentation which adds an element of empathy to the presentation.

It covers subjects such as who the soldiers were, what motivated them to go to war and what was the daily life amongst other things.

If you would like to arrange a visit from one of the soldiers to your school, or want further information about Soldiers to Schools WW1 presentations, please contact WO2 Ray Miller on:

11SIGX-HQ-G9-MCI-YEWO@mod.uk

Further information and resources can be found at www.army.mod.uk/training_education/25813.aspx”

Please click here to view the Soldiers to Schools poster

NB. It is possible that some soldiers attending schools will not have undergone CRB or DBS checking

Exciting opportunity for secondary schools and FE colleges

Digital Schoolhouse

Warwickshire County Council are teaming up with UKIE (the industry body for interactive entertainment businesses) to help bring the unique Digital Schoolhouse model to the county.  The Digital Schoolhouse programme (supported by Playstation) combines computing, fun, creativity, innovation and games industry expertise to equip pupils with 21^st century creative digital skills.  Secondary schools and FE colleges in Warwickshire currently have an opportunity to submit an expression of interest to become a local Digital Schoolhouse.  Those selected will benefit from a £6,000 a year bursary, personalised and ongoing training and support to improve digital skills teaching, access to adaptable resources and industry expertise. 

For more information, and to sign up, go to www.digitalschoolhouse.org.uk

Training

Closing the Gap

Wednesday 3 May

7-9pm

Aylesford School, Warwick

Induction: the Effective Governance of Schools

Thursdays 4 ,11 & 18 May 

7-9pm

Boughton Leigh Junior School, Rugby

Induction: the Effective Governance of Schools

Tuesdays 9, 16 & 23 May 

7-9pm

Stratford-Upon-Avon School

Special Schools Governance Conference

Wednesday 10 May

9.30am-12.30pm

Warwick Trident College, CV34 6SW

Joining or Setting Up a Multi Academy Trust

Thursday 11 May 2017

7-9pm

 Myton School, Warwick

Handling Complaints

Monday 15 May 2017

7-9pm

Myton School, Warwick

The Governor’s Role in School Improvement (part 1 of 2) -

School Self-Evaluation &Improvement Plans

Wednesday 17 May 2017

7-9pm

Myton School, Warwick

Head Teacher Appraisal &Teacher Pay and Performance

Thursday 18 May 2017

7-9pm

Nicholas Chamberlaine School, Bedworth

SENCo and the SEND Governor

Monday 22 May 2017

7-9pm

Aylesford School, Warwick

Clerks’ Conference

Tuesday 23 May 2017

9.30am-12.30pm

The Welcome Centre, Coventry

The Governor’s Role in School Improvement part 2 of 2:

Monitoring & Evaluation

Wednesday 24 May 2017

7-9pm

 Myton School, Warwick

Effective Classroom Visits (primary)

Thursday 25 May 2017

7-9pm

Aylesford School, Warwick 

Preparing for Ofsted

Before an Ofsted Inspector calls

Before their visit to a school, Ofsted Inspectors will check...

• Edubase
• Your school website
• Information about your school in the local press and on the internet
• Ofsted report and complaints
• Information about your Head teacher and Chair in the local press and on the internet

Getting ready for your Ofsted inspection

To help prepare for Ofsted, you can watch the videos featuring Belita Scott, Ofsted’s National Lead for Governance.

In the short clips she talks about governors’ experience of the Ofsted inspection.

They are available at www.youtube.com/user/Ofstednews

The videos cover:

• What questions governors might be asked by inspectors (4 mins)
• What governors can expect at inspection (1.36 mins)
• Governors in the final feedback session (1.38 mins)

There’s also a governance and inspection presentation that governors may find useful to read.

www.slideshare.net/Ofstednews/governanceandinspection041016

Governor Service Database

Thank you to the 150 clerks and schools who have replied to our request for updated Governing Board information.  However, we are still awaiting details from 93 schools.  Please can we ask Head Teachers and Chairs to check to make sure their Clerk has sent their completed School Governing Board details form to Governor Services?

We are hoping to have this task completed by the end of April 2017 so if we haven’t received an updated form from your school by 28 April we will be contacting the Head Teacher and Chair of Governors for the information required.

Safeguarding Training

This short online course is a great refresher on CHANNEL & the Prevent Duty for those who attended the recent training and also a good insight for those who were unable to attend.

The course is free to complete, is interactive and only takes around 25 minutes to complete.  You can access it via this link:

http://course.ncalt.com/Channel_General_Awareness/01/index.html

Governors are reminded to ensure their certificate of completion for the online course id held on file at school and included as part of the governor training evidence folder to show Ofsted Inspectors.

Governors can access other Safeguarding Training Events following this link to the Warwickshire Governor Services Training and Support Programme 2017 / 2018.

Dates for your diary

Patch Meetings:

Tuesday 9 May 2017 – Brooke School (Rugby)

Thursday 11 May 2017 – Nicholas Chamberlaine School (Bedworth)

Tuesday 16 May 2017 – Stratford School (Stratford Upon Avon)

Thursday 18 May 2017 – Aylesford School and Sixth Form College (Warwick)

All meetings will start at 7pm and finish at 8.30pm

Governors’ Forum: (including presentations for Long Service)

Tuesday 20 June 2017 – (venue to be confirmed) 6.30pm start

WES Governor Subscription 2017/18

In January 2017, Warwickshire Education Services (WES) sent out service offers to all maintained schools for the academic year 2017/18.

As a reminder, the deadline for schools to make their decision to choose the service(s) they wish to buy back was Wednesday 1 March 2017.

Governor Services is part of the WES subscription and therefore it is also time for governing boards to renew their subscription to Governor Services.

Governing boards should have been involved in discussions regarding which services they currently subscribe to and which they would like to purchase for 2017/18.   To help reach that decision please click here to see a copy of the 2017/18 Training and Support Programme which includes all of the services available.  Please can we ask you to take the time to look through the Programme before you make your choice for the next year.

If you would like further information or have missed the deadline and would like to subscribe to our services please contact Gurby Dhesi on 01926 745137 or via email: gurbydhesi@warwickshire.gov.uk.

Medical Conditions Awareness Training – Subsidised offer arrangements from 1 April 2017 to 31 March 2018

ChatHealth - new school nurse messaging service

Warwickshire School Health & Wellbeing Service and Warwickshire Young People’s Substance Misuse Service have introduced a new way for young people to get advice and support about health related issues via a new nurse messaging service.

ChatHealth is an award-winning school nurse messaging service for young people aged 11-19 years, available Monday to Friday from 9am to 5pm.

This service has been highly acclaimed by the Department of Health which encourages the use of mobile and social media to improve access to healthcare – particularly for young people. ChatHealth has been awarded an Innovation Challenge Prize from NHS England and multiple other awards for innovative use of communication in healthcare and improving patient experiences.

The aim is to further improve access to healthcare for young people and to continue improving the quality and safety of the services.  Young people have helped develop the promotional material which we are using to advertise the service in schools.  The number to text is 07507 331 525.

Read our information leaflet to find out more about the service, outcomes, information on safety and frequently asked questions.

For more information please contact the School Health & Wellbeing Service on 03300 245 204.

HENRY - A Healthy Lifestyle programme for Warwickshire parents and carers of 0-5 year olds

Please share the information below with parents and families of children aged 0-5 years

The HENRY Programme What is HENRY? HENRY is an eight week healthy lifestyle programme available across Warwickshire for parents and carers of 0-5 year olds. It is free to join and there are creche facilities available for the children. There are 5 themes that the programme covers: Parenting confidence Physical Activity What children and families eat Family lifestyle habits Enjoying life as a family What do I get on a HENRY programme? Everyone that joins a HENRY programme receives a free tool kit which includes everything you will need during the programme and helpful resources to use at home.   Who will deliver the programme? HENRY programmes are run across Warwickshire by health visitors and community nursery nurses who have been specifically trained as HENRY group facilitators. Is HENRY for me? HENRY is a universal programme that can help and support everyone with a young baby or child. Would you like to: Feel confident as a parent? Reduce mealtime stress? Enjoy being active as a family? Encourage your child away from screens and the TV?  Support to give your child a healthy start? If you answered yes to one or more of those questions ... then HENRY is for you! Weekly sessions Week 1 - Decide what changes you want to make and set your own goal Week 2 - How to juggle life with young children so you all get what you need Week 3 - How to respond to children's needs without giving in to demands Week 4 - Positive mealtime tips for a happy family - reducing mealtime stress for everyone Week 5 - Ideas for active play to help children learn, develop and stay happy Week 6 - Food groups, food labels, portion sizes for under 5s, first foods and snack swaps Week 7 - Understanding and managing your child's behaviour for a happier home Week 8 - Celebrate your success as a parent and plan the future for your family

For more information or to enrol on a HENRY programme near you:   Speak to your local health visiting team   Refer through Fitter Futures Warwickshire   Email the HENRY Co-ordinator for Warwickshire:HENRY@swft.nhs.uk   Speak to Rachel Wareham, HENRY Co-ordinator for Warwickshire: 07468 708863

To download a flyer about the project please click here

Two-day SCERTS training course

The SCERTS model is a comprehensive, multidisciplinary educational approach designed for people working with children with autism. It provides a framework for those who are implementing a comprehensive educational plan helping children progress through the stages of becoming a competent social communicator. Participants of this course will learn how to determine meaningful, purposeful and motivating goals and strategies based on a child’s developmental stage, functional needs and family priorities.

A two-day training course on SCERTS will take place this June, providing:

• An introduction to the SCERTS model
• An understanding of the neuroscience of social competence in children with autism and social emotional learning differences
• Ability to identify the developmental stages and essential social communication and emotional regulation objectives
• Ability to use the SCERTS Practice Principles to identify objectives and appropriate strategies

Dates: Tuesday 27 June and Wednesday 28 June 2017

Location: Dunchurch Conference Centre

Time: 9am – 4pm

Cost: £250 per person (this includes refreshments and a light lunch)

Cancellation within 10 days will incur full charge.

To book a place, click here to complete the booking form or email meltwells@warwickshire.gov.uk

Click here to view the flyer

Primary and secondary CPD: practical classroom strategies to help learning stick

*** Offered through the Community Academies Trust Teaching School (CATTS) ***

Date: Wednesday 15th March 2017

Time: 3.15pm - 4.45pm

Venue: The Polesworth School, Dordon Road, Dordon, Tamworth, Staffordshire B78 1QT

Speaker: Caroline Bentley-Davies

Caroline Bentley-Davies still teaches pupils in revision sessions in schools from Newcastle to London. Her best- selling books ‘Outstanding Lessons Pocketbook: How to be an Amazing Teacher’ details the good practice she has observed in many schools and shares the teaching tips from many talented teachers.

In this session staff will review strategies to help pupils ensure that their learning is remembered, recalled and reviewed so that pupils can face the challenges of final assessments. 

Start time: 3:15pm  

How ‘Sticky’ is our teaching?

• Practical classroom strategies to help learning stick
• Sticky Learning for exam success

Finish: 4:45pm

Cost: £35 + VAT per delegate

Further details are available on the CATTS website

Please contact Michelle Borders, Teaching School Coordinator at The Polesworth School for more information or to book: M.Borders@thepolesworthschool.com

Improving Teacher Programme

*** Offered through the Community Academies Trust Teaching School (CATTS) ***

The Improving Teacher Programme is used by the National College for School Leadership that empowers teachers to consistently deliver high quality lessons.  Through practical and interactive development sessions, participants will build confidence as they generate ideas and strategies on how to improve their practice.

Who is this programme for?

This programme is for schools and teachers, who want to advance, develop and improve their teaching practice and deliver consistently good lessons. The Improving Teacher Programme provides a targeted support programme to enable teachers to deliver ‘good’ lessons more consistently. The key objectives for this programme include, developing teachers to understand the impact of the programmes’ concepts on ‘good’ teaching and learning, and be able to deliver these concepts through consistent practice.

Dates:

The course will take place from 1.30 – 4.30 pm over 6 sessions and will be operated out of two sites, Higham Lane School in Nuneaton and The Polesworth School near Tamworth.

Cost:

£450 + VAT per delegate.

For further information please visit the CATTS website or contact Michelle Borders, Teaching School Coordinator: M.Borders@thepolesworthschool.com

Creating Impact with Technology - Strategic Leaders Conference for Headteachers and School Leaders

• Ever dreamed of being a member of a band? Get ready to pick up an iPad, select your instrument of choice, and become the newest member of the iPad GarageBand, led by the creator of the iPad band concept, David Kirklan, who is looking forward to meeting his latest band members! 
• MINECRAFT Education Edition is an open world game that promotes creativity, collaboration, and problem solving in an immersive environment. There has been much talk about this, but now it is time for less talk and more action – ignite that passion for learning! 
• Understand why WeLearn365 is so much more than just email and see how it can support learning and administration in your school.
• To finish we are all going on an adventure – no passport required! Explore coral reefs and the surface of Mars, all in an hour. Here is your chance to get hands-on with Google Expeditions and experience a technology that allows teachers to take pupils on immersive, virtual journeys

Primary Headteachers’ Briefings

The Local Authority holds termly meetings to brief all headteachers on key local and national developments in education. External speakers are also invited to share expertise and to provide professional development opportunities. The meetings are an opportunity for headteachers from across the county to network, share good practice and develop collaborative working.

SPRING TERM BRIEFINGS

Primary Heads North and East

Date: Tuesday 28 March 2017

Time: 9am-12pm

Venue: Coventry TechnoCentre, Coventry University Technology Park, Puma Way, Coventry, CV1 2TT

Primary Heads Central and South

Date: Wednesday 29 March 2017

Time: 9am-12pm

Venue: Stratford Upon Avon Racecourse, Luddington Road, Stratford upon Avon, CV37 9SE

Booking your place

If you would like to attend the spring term briefing please confirm your place by emailing schoolpartnerships@warwickshire.gov.uk no later than Friday 17 March.

As you will appreciate resources are limited so to ensure that there is no wastage on the day we do need to confirm numbers for catering one week prior to the briefing. Therefore we will regrettably be unable to confirm your booking after the above deadline.

Past papers and presentations

Papers and presentations from past meetings held during this academic year are available online at http://www.warwickshire.gov.uk/headteachersbriefings

Secondary Heads' and College Principals' Briefings

The Local Authority holds termly meetings to brief all headteachers on key local and national developments in education. External speakers are also invited to share expertise and to provide professional development opportunities. The meetings are an opportunity for headteachers from across the county to network, share good practice and develop collaborative working.

Spring Term 2017 Briefing

Date: Friday 24 March 2017

Time: 9am-12pm

Venue: Nettle Hill (The Round Conference Room), Brinklow Road, Ansty, Coventry, CV7 9JL

Booking your place

If you would like to attend the Spring Term briefing please confirm your place by emailing schoolpartnerships@warwickshire.gov.uk no later than Friday 17 March.

As you will appreciate resources are limited so to ensure that there is no wastage on the day we do need to confirm numbers for catering one week prior to the briefing. Therefore we will regrettably be unable to confirm your booking after the above deadline.

Past papers and presentations

Papers and presentations from past meetings held during this academic year are available online at http://www.warwickshire.gov.uk/headteachersbriefings

Vulnerable Learner Services' Training Nurture Conference

Friday 30 June 2017

Dunchurch Park Hotel

Rugby Road, Dunchurch, Rugby, CV22 6QW

9am–4pm

The Warwickshire Nurture Groups Training Team is excited to announce that the first Warwickshire Nurture Group Conference will be taking place at Dunchurch Park Hotel on 30 June 2017.

The day will be a celebration of the excellent range of nurturing approaches being used in Warwickshire and will feature presentations from local practitioners and key figures from the Nurture Group Network.  Helen Stollery who is the Nurture Group Network’s Head of Training will deliver the keynote speech and all delegates will be invited to attend a Lego Build to Express workshop led by Angi Franklin.

The conference is available across all settings and phases and would be of interest to nurture group practitioners and Headteachers from settings with existing nurture provision as well as to those who are looking to develop nurturing approaches.

The cost of this conference is £55 per person to include a buffet lunch.

To book a place please press control and click here

To view the flyer please click here

Staying in learning - support for young people who are not participating (NEET)

Key deadlines for Key Stage 4 destination performance measures

** This article contains key dates for schools regarding Key Stage 4 destination performance measures (the percentage of students staying in education or employment after Key Stage 4 (destinations)

In order to ensure that the data Prospects produces on behalf of the LA is as accurate as possible, Prospects need the support of all secondary and special schools. Prospects have allocated one of their advisers to act as a link for each school to improve communication and data sharing.

A detailed timetable will be sent from marie.connolly@prospects.co.uk to all nominated secondary and special school data contacts, which sets out the information required from schools (Sarah Bradwell will also forward onto all secondary and special headteachers for information). Below are the headline dates and deadlines:

Y11 & Y12 Cohort Checks

In January, Prospects sent each secondary school a spreadsheet containing the names and contact details of all the students that the school Census identifies as being at that school. Schools should check the details as soon as they are able Identifying those no longer at the school, adding the full details of anyone studying in Y11 or Y12 who have been missed from the list;  updating any details that may be missing or inaccurate such as addresses, missing phone numbers or email addresses. Final deadline for return: Friday 31 March

Y11 & Y12 Final Cohort Confirmation

In early April each school will be sent a final cohort check, this will allow a final cross-check of data from all schools. Final deadline for return: Friday 28 April

Y11 Intended Destinations

On the same spreadsheet as the cohort checks, there will be a column allowing each school to record the intentions of each student after completing Year 11. Final deadline for return: Friday 28 April

Y11 & Y12 Offers of Learning

The offer of learning is a single column that appears on the cohort checks spreadsheet. Final deadline for return: Friday 1 September

Y12 & Y13 Enrolments

A list of the new Year 12 and Year 13 students. ULN, name, DOB, address, postcode, phone Number, mobile number. Final deadline for return:  Friday 15 September

Previous Y11&12 Students Destinations

During the first two weeks of September 2017, each school will be sent a list of their previous Year 11 and 12 students with four empty columns allowing for the recording of new destinations. The spreadsheet should be returned as soon as each school has obtained a significant number of destinations or at the end of each month. This will then allow Prospects to update our database, add any additional destinations that we have obtained through our network of advisors and data streams. Final deadline for return: Friday 22 December

Interim Annual Activity Survey Report

From November 20117 to December 2017 Prospects will send each school a summary of Year 11 destinations First version: Friday 8 December. Second version: Friday 12 January

Final Annual Activity Survey Report

National statistics close at the end of January 2018, during the first week of February 2018 Prospects will send each school a final summary document as well as a final list of destinations.

Local contact:

Karen Allen
Operations Manager Coventry & Warwickshire
Mob: 07827-936247
karen.allen@prospects.co.uk

2016 Destinations

NEET (Not in Education Employment and Training)

NEET levels are similar to last year; however, the percentage of young people whose status is not known has reduced from 9.5% to 4%, which means the NEET levels are more reliable than in the past. Warwickshire compares well with the national and regional average:

Year 11 destinations

In 2016 96.6% of Year 11 pupils moved into learning and work; the table below provides more detail of the destinations young people moved into and individual school destinations information is being sent out this week.

September guarantee

99% of Warwickshire pupils in Year 11 received an offer of learning for Year 12

Free NEET and risk of NEET re-engagement activities

Warwickshire County Council is committed to reducing the number of young people who are not in any form of education, employment or training (NEET). These young people will likely be those who face multiple barriers to their participation and need a different type of offer. Many of these young people fall into recognisable groups: they may be young parents, have learning difficulties or disabilities, or a history of offending. They may already be receiving support from local services, but require a package of help aimed specifically at returning to work or learning.

No one agency can do this alone, therefore, a range of partners are working together across Warwickshire to support more young people to engage.

A directory will soon be available on-line aimed at all practitioners who have a role in supporting or working with young people. It will identify all the FREE programmes currently on offer with information about how schools, sixth forms, college and other practitioners can make referrals.

The grid in this link identifies some of the NEET re-engagement activities taking place across the county.

For further information please contact Sarah Bradwell, Schools and Settings Partnerships Manager. Email: sarahbradwell@warwickshire.gov.uk

Skills for Employment update

Grant opportunities to be announced at Skills Conference

The third Warwickshire Skills conference for business and education leaders takes place on 13 March at Chesford Grange Hotel near Leamington Spa.  Some of the thousands of learners who benefitted from the Skills for Employment programme in the past two years will describe the impact on their lives. The University of Derby will reveal a new model to quantify the economic benefits careers and employability activity provides to individuals, businesses and the wider economy. Delegates will discuss what more could be done to help education providers respond to local skills shortages.

Details of new grant opportunities in 2017 for schools, colleges and education/business partnerships will be announced at the conference and will appear in the 5 April edition of Heads Up.

Grants worth more than £1 million awarded

Grants worth more than £1 million were awarded in 2015-2016. Conference delegates will receive a new booklet which summarises the grants individual schools, colleges and partnerships have received and the careers support provided to young people with the funding.  A digital version of the booklet can be obtained from 14 March by emailing a request to skillsforemployment@warwickshire.gov.uk

Free Skills Conference bookings can be made here until noon on 9 March:

https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/skills-conference-2017-warwickshire-tickets-30948331292

Job Centre Plus careers support for schools

Jobcentre Plus (JCP) Support for Schools is a government funded initiative launched in January 2016. It aims to inspire young people, teachers and parents to think about the world of work and informs them of the huge range of opportunities now available.  It also supports students in their transition from school to work, training or further study and offers access to the Jobcentre Plus network of employers and expert advice on the local labour market and employer expectations.

This support is focused particularly on young people at risk of becoming NEET or otherwise disadvantaged in the labour market, for example those with a health or disability issue.

JCP School Advisers can provide support to schools and young people (Years 8-13) covering areas such as:

• Route into apprenticeships and traineeships: advice on opportunities and how applications should be made.
• Work experience: Jobcentre Plus has a large and well-established network of employers.  School Advisers can support schools by finding work experience opportunities. They also provide advice and support for schools wanting to hold careers events, jobs fairs, employer days or visits to work places.
• Local labour market knowledge: School Advisers can provide information on which employers are recruiting; the skills that employers value and modules on CV writing, interview skills, on-line presence, career pathways etc..

The Warwickshire School adviser is Akhil Chawla email Akhil.Chawla@dwp.gsi.gov.uk or call Akhil on 07502014438 or Clare on 07585882180

WCC Apprenticeships and Work Experience

Warwickshire County Council provides a top class apprenticeship scheme – we are very proud to be one of only three local authorities nationwide named as one of the National Apprenticeships Service’s Top 100 Apprentice Employers, and we were also nominated for Best Apprenticeship Scheme at the 2014 Training Journal Awards, the 2015 PPMA Excellence in People Management Awards, and the 2016 CIPD Awards.

A Warwickshire apprentice is always guaranteed a genuine job role in a supportive working environment, where they will 'earn and learn' in service areas that provide real experience in specific professional sectors. These include Social Care, Civil Engineering, Environmental Conservation, IT, Accountancy, Project Management, Vehicle Maintenance and more – few other local employers can offer such a diverse range of vocational pathways that launch careers!

Along with employing, mentoring and supporting our apprentices, we also link with a college or training provider to deliver the qualification and off the job learning of the apprenticeship. We always link with a provider who we know and trust to deliver excellent training for our learners and who have a proven track record of delivering apprenticeships in specific sectors.

The Council doesn’t recruit apprentices just to deliver apprenticeships and job opportunities to school leavers – we do it to train our employees of the future. We endeavour to ensure that every apprentice we take on completes their apprenticeship and is retained wherever possible. Since September 2012, Warwickshire County Council has recruited 142 apprentices. Of those that have now completed their apprenticeships, 70% have been retained within the council and a further 23% have gone into employment elsewhere or gone on to study further at university. Currently there are 62 young people on apprenticeships within the county council.

Warwickshire also offers a work experience placement scheme; open to all who seek work experience as part of school, college, or simply to boost their CV. Most of our service areas offer work experience placements, and anyone who is interested in doing work experience with WCC need only look at our brochure and tell us where in the council they’d like to gain some experience. We will then seek to create a placement in that service area.

Support for schools recruiting apprentices

The Apprenticeship Hub at Warwickshire County Council will be happy to support you and your school with advice and information about apprenticeships and the apprenticeship levy*. We can help you to choose a training provider, promote your apprenticeship vacancies, and for those schools who are part of the WCC levy, enable you to pay for apprenticeship training through the Digital Apprenticeship Service.

(*More information about the apprenticeship levy can be found in the February issue of Heads Up)

Before recruiting an apprentice, it is important that you are engaged with a training provider who will provide the apprenticeship training for your apprentice once they are in post. The provider will support you with the recruitment of the apprentice by advertising the role for you, and some providers even assess the candidates for you if you prefer that. The Apprenticeship Hub can help you to choose a provider. We have engaged with a large number of providers in the Warwickshire sub-region and in many cases used their services for apprenticeships at WCC, so we are able to provide a balanced view on who you can benefit from engaging with for apprenticeship delivery.

For more information about apprenticeships or work experience with Warwickshire County Council, call 01926 418040 or email apprentice@warwickshire.gov.uk.