Education Noticeboard - 12 January 2023

Welcome to the Education Noticeboard. A round-up of news, guidance and key updates for education settings.

Included in this update:

  1. Director update
  2. Telford & Wrekin’s Cabinet approves funding increase for pupils
  3. Bright Spots: Your Life, Your Care
  4. Kids develop a passion for kickboxing
  5. Starting reception and transferring from infant to junior school – September 2023
  6. Spring School Census guidance notes: 19 January 2023
  7. Newcastle City Council prosecuted for death of six year old
  8. Telford & Wrekin Virtual School Conference: 9 June 2023
  9. Rawzone basketball sessions
  10. Speech and Language Theraphy (SALT) survey for education settings
  11. PODS after school clubs
  12. PODS befriending scheme recruitment event
  13. PODS Annual Review workshop
  14. Shropshire Beam: Virtual workshops for parents and professionals
  15. Early Years Professional Development Programme Phase 3
  16. National professional qualification in Early Years leadership
  17. Holocaust Memorial Day: 27 January 2023
  18. Chinese New Year: 22 January 2023
  19. World Religion Day: 15 January 2023
  20. An opportunity to place your CPD course bookings
  21. Early Career Framework CPD events
  22. Funding boost for support more young people to progress in education
  23. Careers boost for young people
  24. Smartwater offer from West Mercia Police

Director update

Dear colleagues

We are now fully in the swing of the Spring term, and the deadline to apply for school places, to start in reception or transfer from infant to junior school in September is almost here. Please help us with one last push to parents and carers, to remind them to submit the choices for their child.

Next week the Spring School Census takes place. A Special Education Notice has previously been sent out, containing guidance notes to download. This information has been repeated in this Noticeboard for you.

Recently Telford & Wrekin’s Cabinet approved the funding formula for 23/24 which had been consulted upon with School Forum. Schools will therefore shortly receive further information about their budgets soon. The Bright Spots survey for 2023 has also been launched, with communications sent directly to schools. We have provided links below as a reminder, as it is so important to get the insights from the children we collectively look who are living in the borough.

Also included this week are updates from the Virtual School, SEND, Early Years and CPD. There are also some links to resources for use in classrooms around Holocaust Memorial Day, Chinese New Year and World Religion Day. As always we would love to see what activities you undertake, please email us at 

We are now fully in the swing of the Spring term, and the deadline to apply for school places, to start in reception or transfer from infant to junior school, in September is almost here. Please help us with one last push to parents and carers, to remind them to submit the choices for their child.

Next week the Spring School Census takes place. A Special Education Notice has previously been sent out, containing guidance notes to download. This information has been repeated in this Noticeboard for you.

Recently Telford & Wrekin’s Cabinet approved the funding formula for 23/24 which had been consulted upon with School Forum.  Schools will therefore shortly receive further information about their budgets soon. The Bright Spots survey for 2023 has also been launched, with communications sent directly to schools. We have provided links below as a reminder, as it is so important to get the insights from the children we collectively look who are living in the borough.

Also included this week are updates from the Virtual School, SEND, Early Years and CPD. There are also some links to resources for use in classrooms around Holocaust Memorial Day, Chinese New Year and World Religion Day. As always we would love to see what activities you undertake, please email us at education.noticeboard@telford.gov.uk.

Wishing you a great rest of the week.

Simon

Simon Wellman
Director: Education & Skills


Telford & Wrekin’s Cabinet approves funding increase for pupils

Schools in Telford and Wrekin will receive more funding per pupil, after Telford & Wrekin Council’s cabinet approved the school funding formula for 2023/24.

At their meeting on Thursday 5 January 2023, the cabinet agreed the funding formula for schools, which will deliver an average increase in the funding per Telford & Wrekin pupil of 5.9%. 

The increase brings the total dedicated school grant fund for Telford and Wrekin in 2023/24 to £159 million for schools in the borough, including academies, with the exception of nursery schools, special schools and independent schools. The new funding will come into effect for maintained schools from 1 April 2023 and for academies from 1 September 2023.

At the cabinet meeting, members also agreed to continue to support, where appropriate, the borough’s growing schools by basing funding on estimated pupil numbers, rather than actual numbers, to avoid the delay in money reaching those schools where pupil numbers are expected to increase.

Councillor Shirley Reynolds, cabinet member for Children, Young people and Families, said:  “We are determined to continue to invest in schools, having spent over £36 million in our school estate in recent years, to support them to provide the best educational experience for every child and young person in our borough. We are allocating the school funding based on estimated pupil numbers to ensure there is no delay in our growing schools receiving the funding due to them, as their pupil numbers increase.”


Bright Spots: Your Life, Your Care

As part of our on-going commitment to improving outcomes for looked after children and young people, we are working with Coram Voice and the University of Oxford on Bright Spots, a programme which aims to improve the well-being of children and young people in care by identifying and promoting practices that have a positive influence on them.

The Bright Spots Programme entails distributing a survey called ‘Your Life, Your Care’ with our looked after children aged 4-18. This is a great opportunity for us to hear their views and better understand how they perceive their care, well-being, the people they know, their rights and the chances they get. This information will help us all to improve our support and services.

The survey takes approximately 10 minutes to complete. It is aimed at three different age groups: 4-7 (13 questions); 8-11 (35 questions) and 11-17 (50 questions). Most of the questions are tick boxes, and all questions are optional.

We would appreciate your help with this. We are aiming to capture the views of as many children and young people as we can.

To maximise response rates, children and young people will be completing the survey with an adult they trust. In the school setting, this will most likely be their designated teacher or SENCO. Whilst we want as many children and young people to complete the survey as possible, we would suggest avoiding actions that single children out as looked after, such as pulling them out of class. It may be helpful to suggest integrating completion of the survey with pre-existing activities.

The survey needs to be completed between 9 January 2023 and 31 March 2023. The survey is online and can be accessed on any device that connects to the Internet: computer, tablet or smart phone.

Emails have been sent directly to schools, and the live links for children and young people to complete is listed below. We would appreciate if you could inform staff at your school that the survey will be happening, and instruct trusted adults to encourage all their children to complete the survey. 

We anticipate that the majority of young people will complete the survey online. However, if a child is unable to do this we have attached the printable version for each age group and also QR codes for each survey:

Brightspots survey: 4-7

Brightspots survey: 8-11

Brightspots survey: 11-17

You can find out more about the Bright Spots Programme and the ‘Your Life, Your Care’ survey on the Coram Voice website.


Kids develop a passion for kickboxing

We went to Bai Lang Kickboxing in St George's to see kids developing a passion for a sport different from the traditional ones that people participate in at school. It was great to talk to the children and see what kickboxing means to them.

As you will know, a child might develop a passion or talent for something unexpected; they just need to try it first. Getting involved in competitive sports is one of the 10 by 10 activities we want every child to try before age 10.

Placeholder

You can also watch the video on YouTube

Parents can take advantage of many different and exciting local offers on the 10 by 10 website


Starting reception and transferring from infant to junior school – September 2023

A reminder that the closing date for applications to start reception or transfer from infant to junior school in September is 15 January 2023.

  • Parents must apply if their child was born between 1 September 2018 – 31 August 2019.
  • Parents must apply even if their child is attending a nursery or pre-school on a school site or they have a child already attending the school.
  • Attending a nursery does not guarantee a school place.
  • If a child has an Education, Health & Care Plan the closing date was October 2022. Parents should contact the SEND Team immediately if they have not yet applied.
  • School places are allocated in line with oversubscription criteria.
  • See website for more information: www.telford.gov.uk/admissions.
    or contact School Admissions via an email to admissions@telford.gov.uk.

Spring School Census guidance notes: 19 January 2023

Guidance notes for the Spring 2023 (January) School Census for Headteachers, school business managers and school administrators are available to download.

The Spring School Census will take place on Thursday 19 January 2023, so please download the guidance' document, and familiarise yourself with it:

Guidance: Preparation for the Spring School Census

Please note that the test database for schools closes on Friday 13 January 2023.

Any enquires can be directed to Eileen Finnigan, Data Officer – School Organisation & Admissions, by email to eileen.finnigan@telford.gov.uk or by telephone on 01952 388136.


Newcastle City Council prosecuted for death of six year old

Newcastle City Council has been fined £280,000 after the death of a six-year-old girl who was hit by a falling tree in her school playground.

Ella Henderson was playing with friends at Gosforth Park First School in Newcastle upon Tyne on 25 September 2020 when a decaying willow tree collapsed.

The Year 2 pupil was freed from under the tree by emergency services and taken to Newcastle’s Royal Victoria Infirmary, where she died the following morning.

Her parents Neil and Vikki Henderson today paid tribute to their daughter and said every part of their family’s lives had changed since losing Ella.

Several other children were hit by the falling tree but managed to escape, some with superficial injuries.

An investigation by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) found the tree had decayed and was in a poor condition. Newcastle City Council had failed to identify the extent of the decay or to manage the risk posed by the tree.

Newcastle City Council pleaded guilty to breaching section 3(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 and was fined £280,000 and ordered to pay costs of £8,020 by South Tyneside Magistrates on 10 January 2023.

HSE Inspector Ashfaq Ali said: “This terrible incident led to the avoidable death of a young girl. HSE hopes others will learn from what happened to Ella. Our thoughts remain with Ella’s family.”

Mr and Mrs Henderson said: “We would like to thank the police and the Health and Safety Executive for their thorough investigations, and the kindness and sensitivity they have treated us with throughout. We are devastated beyond words to hear of the number of times that this outcome could and should have been changed. No family should ever have to go through what we are going through.

“We hope lessons will be learned from this and feel there needs to be better education and information around which trees are appropriate for school playgrounds and the size they are allowed to grow to. We would kindly ask that our privacy is now respected whilst we continue to try to navigate and rebuild our lives around the huge hole that has been created in our life without our beautiful Ella.”


Telford & Wrekin Virtual School Conference: 9 June 2023

Telford & Wrekin Virtual School is pleased to announce their 4th Annual Conference, supporting all young people with a social worker and previously Looked After Children. The event will take place Friday 9 June 2023 from 8:30am to 4pm. This year the theme is Relationships, Connection and Role Models.

Who should attend?
This conference is designed for Designated Teachers, Designated Safeguarding Leads and Nominated Governors for Children in Care.

About the conference
The conference will provide you with an opportunity to develop links with the Virtual School, Health and Social Care colleagues and with other Designated Teachers, Designated Safeguarding Leads and Nominated Governors, as we work together to increase the progress that Telford & Wrekin Children in Care make in school and beyond.

Even if there are currently no Children in Care at your school, it is important that you remain up to date with processes and expectations, should a child join you.  In addition, Ofsted is looking quite closely at the relationship schools have with the Virtual School, and information gained at network meetings has proven very useful to many schools during inspection. Educational outcomes for children in care and children in need are a key priority for Ofsted in the West Midlands region and inspectors have told us that they will be looking closely at how a school prioritises work with these children when making inspection judgements.

Keynote speakers

Mary Anne Hodd – Director and founder of Vital Voice
Mary-Anne Hodd is a Care Experienced trainer and consultant, a PGCE Psychology teacher and the founder of The Guarantor Scheme. Mary-Anne is passionate about connecting psychology and lived experience, where the child’s voice is the vital one in the room. Mary-Anne supports understanding of what it means to be in care, to be understood beyond our trauma, proudly contributing to the ever-changing narrative of what it means to be care experienced.

Nick Budge – Department for Education Children in Need Delivery Team Leader
As the Department for Education Children in Need Delivery Team Leader, Nick is responsible for the delivery of the Virtual School Head extension to children with a social worker. His role includes national oversight for the funding and delivery of this programme as well as working with local authorities to gather evidence on progress to inform future policy and delivery decisions. Nick works closely with the evidence and practice programme, which includes social workers in schools and designated safeguarding lead supervision to help shape delivery and sharing of emerging practice. Nick also contributes to the development of a range of wider education and school related policies to ensure proper strategic fit with the programme. In addition, Nick has a particular interest in the importance and use of data to support evidenced based decision making.

Nick Barwick – Director of Insight Wellbeing Services
Nick founded Insight back in 2015 where it was a small company offering support to foster carers and children in care. It has now grown into a service which offers mentoring, training and motivational talks, and consultation to local authorities working with care leavers. Nick grew up in the care system and feels very fortunate to have had only one foster family during the 9 years he was in care. He believes this security, stability, and consistency has played a huge role in who he is today

Workshops
Delegates will have the opportunity to attend two elective workshops during the day – please download the event flyer for full details, and indicate your preferences on the attached booking form. 

Pricing
£120 for 1 delegate
£180 for 2 delegates
£60 for each additional delegate, up to a total of 4 per school

Early Bird discount: Save £20 per delegate, if booked before 14 January 2023.

Booking your place
Schools booking by 14 January 2023 are guaranteed two places, with priority being given to the Designated Teacher/Designated Safeguarding Lead and the Nominated Governor for Children in Care. Any 3rd or 4th delegate places can be requested, with these names placed on a reserve list with allocation to be confirmed by 25 May 2023 –so please act quickly to secure your places.  (maximum 4 places per school).

To book, email your completed booking form, indicating your workshop choices and dietary requirements, to cpdschoolimprovement@telford.gov.uk.

If you have any questions regarding this event, please don’t hesitate to contact the Virtual School directly, via virtualschool@telford.gov.uk.


Rawzone basketball sessions

An exciting opportunity is available for all pupils aged between 4 – 16 years: weekly basketball sessions held Monday 6–7pm (term time) at Holy Trinity school. No experience of basketball is necessary.

Sessions are run by a head coach who holds a Level 2 basketball qualification, and has previously coached the under 15s at AVFC, assisted by between 4–7 DBS checked volunteers.

The session is split into 3 groups:

  • Younger age group.
  • Those who are new to the sport.
  • Under 11s team and potential team players.

First session is free, then the cost is £3 per session thereafter. Further free sessions maybe available (to be assessed on an individual basis).

Rawzone are open to recruit young people who know/have an interest in basketball to volunteer at sessions with a possible pathway to coaching qualifications.

If there are any queries please contact Jo Adcock, Engagement Officer – Virtual School, via email to jo.adcock1@telford.gov.uk.


Speech and Language Theraphy (SALT) survey for education settings

Please can we request that all education settings complete the survey for Speech and Language Therapy. 

The Local Area SEND Partnership have been working with Speech and Language Therapy (SALT) colleagues to review the current arrangements for delivering speech and language therapy across all settings, from community to acute to support our benchmarking with other areas. 

We are aware that for a range of reasons some education settings have made the decision to commission independent Speech and Language Therapy. If you are willing to share this information it will help us as a system to understand, both local Speech and Language Therapy (SLT) demand and capacity further to reflect the priority education settings have and are giving to Speech Language and Communication Needs (SCLN)

This survey will close on 27 January 2023.

Complete the survey


PODS after school clubs

Parents Opening Doors (PODs) hold after school clubs at the PODs Hub, during term time, at a cost of £3 per child:

Code Club
Monday, 3.45–4.45pm
9 January – 27 March 2023
Book: PODS Code Club

Minecraft Club
Tuesday, 4–5pm
10 January – 25 March 2023
Book: PODS Minecraft Club

Lego Club
Wednesday 4–5pm
11 January – 29 March 2023
Book: PODS Lego Club

The PODs hub is at 1 Hawksworth Close, Central Park, Telford, Shropshire TF2 9TU. 
For more information about PODs visit their website.


PODS befriending scheme recruitment event

Parents and carers of children or young people with a special need or disability, with some spare time to spend listening to and supporting other parent carers are invited to the PODs befriending scheme event:

Thursday 9 February 2023
10am–12noon
PODs Hub – 1 Hawksworth Close, Central Park, Telford, Shropshire TF2 9TU.

The event will explain more about being a befriender, the befriending scheme and the support that PODs can offer.

Places can be booked online: PODS Befriending Scheme Recruitment Event

If you are unable to attend on the day, but would like to know more about becoming a PODs befriender, please contact Kerrie by sending an email to kerrie@podstelford.org or calling 07309 753044.

For more information about PODs visit their website.


PODS Annual Review workshop

Parents Opening Doors (PODs), IASS and the SEND Team are inviting parents and carers to a workshop about annual reviews for children and young people with an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP).

“When a child or young person has an Education, Health and Care Plan there is an ongoing requirement for their plan to be reviewed every year, this is referred to as the Annual Review. This reviews must be undertaken in partnership with the child or young person and their parent, the review must take into account their views, wishes and feelings.”

The session will be held at the PODs Hub, 1 Hawksworth Close, Central Park, Telford, Shropshire TF2 9TU on Friday 27 January 2023, 10am – 11.30am. Doors will be open from 9.30am for registration. Parking is free, and refreshments will be provided.

Places can be booked online: Annual Review Workshop, or alternatively please contact Jayne Stevens via an email to jayne@podstelford.org or by calling 0777 534 2092.

For more information about PODs visit their website.


Shropshire Beam: Virtual workshops for parents and professionals

Shropshire Beam are pleased to provide the next timetable of virtual workshops for parents and professionals, starting in January 2023, which includes a workshop on understanding and responding to self-harm as this has been requested by popular demand.

The details needed are provided in the chart below, please click on link at the appropriate time of chosen workshops. All workshops will be done via MS Teams, though please note that we are unable to record sessions for those unable to attend. The workshops are designed to be informative and engaging, so please be willing to participate during them. All sessions have an average duration of 1 hour. 

There are four workshops, which will be rolled out to the end of February 2023, at various different times to enable more people to attend: 

  • Supporting Children and Young People with Anxiety
    The aims and objectives of this session are to look at psycho-education within the topic followed by practical suggestions of methods and techniques to help support the youth experience and their issues with anxiety.
  • Wellbeing Planning
    This is a workshop which explains and provides a tool for children and young people to support their general emotional health and wellbeing. It recognises triggers and promotes self-awareness, which can also be used as a relapse tool to support resilience.
  • Sleep Support
    This session aims to look at psycho-education within the topic followed by practical suggestions and advice which includes methods and techniques to help support the children and young people having difficulties with getting to sleep and staying asleep.
  • Understanding & responding to Self-Harm
    The aims and objectives of this session are to look at psycho-education within the topic followed by practical suggestions of methods and techniques to help support the youth experience issues with self-harm.

The timetable is as follows:

Date & Time Workshop Name Booking Link
Wednesday 18 January 2023
9am start
Sleep support

Microsoft Teams meeting

Click here to join the meeting

Meeting ID: 394 159 833 28
Passcode: M5xLty

Monday 23 January 2023
5pm start
Supporting children and young people with anxiety

Microsoft Teams meeting

Click here to join the meeting

Meeting ID: 388 094 657 346
Passcode: HfMH5w

Wednesday 1 February 2023
1pm start
Understanding and responding to self-harm

Microsoft Teams meeting

Click here to join the meeting

Meeting ID: 393 316 915 63
Passcode: uyw8NH

Wednesday 8 February 2023
2pm start
Wellbeing planning

Microsoft Teams meeting

Click here to join the meeting

Meeting ID: 319 622 846 575
Passcode: TZacjt

Wednesday 15 February 2023
11am start
Sleep support

Microsoft Teams meeting

Click here to join the meeting

Meeting ID: 386 217 310 594
Passcode: 7Ezoto

Wednesday 22 February 2023
9am start

Supporting children and young people with anxiety

Microsoft Teams meeting

Click here to join the meeting

Meeting ID: 313 589 969 716
Passcode: REG5D7


Early Years Professional Development Programme Phase 3

A funded training opportunity is available for those working in the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS).

What is the purpose of the training programme? 

The programme will offer specific in-depth training for up to 10,000 Early Years professionals from all participating Local Authorities in England over a 2 year period.  There will be staggered start dates across the 2023\25 period with a total of four cohorts, the first of which is due to start in February 2023. The EYPDP offers a comprehensive package of professional development that is based on current Early Years pedagogy. It will help to build upon practitioners’ skills and knowledge to improve the quality of adult-child interactions.

The programme provides support for practitioners to:

  • Improve skills to identify children at risk of speech, language and communication needs
  • Provide an understanding of the theory of child development in early mathematics
  • Develop skills to support children’s self-confidence, relationships, and self-awareness through expertly developed Personal, Social and Emotional Development training 
  • Improve engagement with parents and carers to support the home learning environment

What does the programme entail?

  • The programme consists of online self-study eLearning and regular facilitated webinars in which practitioners will meet with their tutor and other Early Years professionals on a weekly basis. The programme is expected to take no longer than 8 months to complete.
  • There will be a total of 4 cohorts of learners, with staggered start dates across the 2023/2025 period. The training will be broken down into modules for Early Mathematics, PSED and Communication and Language, plus an Action Planning module.

For further information see download the programme brochure and visit the Early Years website.


National professional qualification in Early Years leadership

The closing date for applications for the February cohort of the National Professional Qualification in Early Years Leadership (NPQEYL) is fast approaching and we’re keen to ensure as many Early Years leaders, particularly leaders in PVI settings and childminders with leadership responsibilities, know about the NPQEYL. 

To help Early Years leaders and aspiring leaders understand more about the benefits of the NPQEYL, we’ve published a blog on the Foundation Years website: Please read and share this with your networks.

Evidence shows that leadership quality has a positive impact on educational outcomes. Likewise, investing in Early Years professionals’ CPD improves the quality of early years education. The NPQEYL fills a gap in early years leadership courses, providing high-quality, evidence-based leadership training for Early Years leaders/aspiring leaders. The NPQEYL responds to:

  • the impact of the pandemic on children’s progress in all areas of learning
  • the revision of the Early Years Funding Strategy statutory framework
  • the need to offer a way for leaders/aspiring leaders to develop the skills required to meet their leadership responsibilities.

Queries can be sent via email to Lisa.seymour@telford.gov.uk.

For more information visit the Foundation Years website.


Holocaust Memorial Day: 27 January 2023

Holocaust Memorial Day is an annual commemoration of those who lost their lives in the Holocaust and subsequent genocides such as Cambodia, Darfur and Bosnia.

Taking place on Friday 27 January 2023, this year’s theme is ‘Ordinary People’.

The theme this year highlights the ordinary people who let genocide happen, the ‘ordinary people’ who actively perpetrated genocide, and the ordinary people who were persecuted.

It prompts us to consider how ordinary people, such as ourselves, can play a bigger part than we might imagine challenging prejudice and discrimination today.

The Holocaust Memorial Day Trust have produced a range of educational materials to support your school. There are materials suitable for a range of ages and topics.

We are also holding a Commemoration and Exhibition on Friday 27 January 2023 at Telford Minster, Southwater Square. The ceremony will be attended by local community members, dignitaries and young people. Whilst there are limited spaces at the event your school would be welcome to send representatives, please contact us by e-mail yourviewsmatter@telford.gov.uk or call 01952 382104 for more information.

If you are holding an event related to Holocaust Memorial Day 2023 please let us know too. Please send details and photos via email to  Education.noticeboard@telford.gov.uk or tag us in your social media posts @TelfordWrekin.


Chinese New Year: 22 January 2023

Recent events have highlighted the ever-increasing need for pupils to learn about our shared world history as well as have an understanding of the cultures and beliefs of the people living in our community today. Chinese New Year is celebrated on Sunday 22 January 2023.

2023 is a year of the Water Rabbit, starting from January 22 2023 (Chinese New Year), and ending on February 9th, 2024 (Chinese New Year's Eve). The sign of Rabbit is a symbol of longevity, peace, and prosperity in Chinese culture. The rabbit is the fourth animal in the Chinese zodiac. The rabbit is known to be the luckiest out of all the twelve animals. It symbolizes mercy, elegance, and beauty. People who are born in the year of the rabbit are calm and peaceful.

Many pupils and staff have expressed a desire to learn more about other countries and events in history that have an impact on our world today. Chinese New Year is celebrated around the world and the teacher’s resource pack has been created out of a desire for pupils to learn more about East Asian culture and history that has an impact on our world today. This cross-curricular topic not only covers many elements in History but addresses many fundamental Spiritual, Moral, Social and Cultural (SMSC) and personal, social, health and economic (PHSE) aspects of the curriculum as a whole.

The Multicultural Development Team (MDT) are working with the Chinese Arts and Culture Centre in Telford this term to deliver free resources and workshops, specifically for Primary and Secondary schools, to celebrate Chinese New Year and Chinese Culture in schools.

MDT support for individual schools to plan and develop staff knowledge is available upon request. The resource pack is free to primary and secondary schools. A flavour of what is contained within the workshops for pupils can be found within a short video clip.

If you have not yet booked a free Chinese Cultural workshop, there is availability for a bespoke purchase or to reserve a place on upcoming free events.

The following resources are available to download:

Resource Pack: Primary

Resource Pack: Secondary KS3

If you would like to express an interest in the workshops please contact Kirsty Holden and Qamar Maqsood within the MDT team, via email to Multicultural.Development@telford.gov.uk.


World Religion Day: 15 January 2023

World Religion Day is celebrated on the third Sunday in January every year, and is a reminder of the need for harmony and understanding between religions and faith systems. On this day, communities of different faiths have the opportunity to get together and listen to each other, as well as celebrate the differences and commonalities that the delicate intermingling of culture and religion brings.

There are approximately 4,200 religions around the world. While many people live their lives without religion, faith in a higher being or power works for the majority of people. Whatever the reasons, we are all for the idea of people being unified despite differences, and celebrating them (Source: National Today)

A range of resources online can be found to support schools on this day including:

BBC Teach (primary and secondary resources)

Telford and Wrekin SACRE (Standing Advisory Council on Religious Education)


An opportunity to place your CPD course bookings

The CPD Booklet continues to be available on the Telford Education Services site to the end of the academic year 2023.

Course bookings with a course code are made by sending a completed CPD booking form via email to cpdschoolimprovement@telford.gov.uk

Other courses and briefings without a course code are usually booked by sending your email address name and school name to cpdschoolimprovement@telford.gov.uk (unless stated otherwise).

Course Date Time
Teaching and Delivering Outstanding EAL Provision for New to English Pupils and Advanced Bilingual Learners in Primary Schools (CPD 712) Tuesday 17
January 2023
3.45pm to 6pm
Absence Management of Employees
To book, please send an email to: co-operative.admin@telford.gov.uk
Wednesday 18
January 2023
2.30pm to 5pm
Safety Intervention Refresher Training (formerly MAPA Refresher Training)
CPI accredited (BSA 212)
Thursday 19
January 2023
8.45am to 12.30pm
Newly Appointed Safeguarding Governor Induction Training 
Part 1 (SG 103)
Monday 23
January 2023
5.30pm to 7.30pm
Developing the Behaviour Policy
(PSS 103)
Tuesday 24
January 2023
4pm to 5.30pm
Online Safety – a Safeguarding Responsibility
(CPD 609)
Tuesday 24
January 2023
4pm to 5.30pm
Designated Teacher for Children in Care Network Meeting (Post 16 )
To book please contact virtualschool@telford.gov.uk
Wednesday 25
January 2023
4pm to 5.30pm
Establishing Yourself as a SEND leader, for new and returning SENCOs
(LSAT 302)
Wednesday 25
January 2023
4pm to 5pm
Child Development: Supporting self-regulation development and positive behaviour outcomes with children in the EYFS (EY 313) Wednesday 25
January 2023
9.15am to 12noon
Newly Appointed Designated Safeguarding Leads' Training (2 days)
Part 1 (SG 102)
Wednesday 25
January 2023
9.15am to 4pm
The Strategic Role of Governors
(GO 601)
Thursday 26
January 2023
4pm to 6pm
EAL and SEND?
(CPD 601)
Thursday 26
January 2023
1.15pm to 4pm
Safety Intervention Training (formerly MAPA training) 
Part 1 - CPI accredited (BSAT 201)
Thursday 26
January 2023
8.30am to 4pm
Newly Appointed Designated Safeguarding Leads' Training (2 days)
Part 2 (SG 102)
Thursday 26
January 2023
9.15am to 4pm
Awareness Raising of Emotion Coaching 
Level 1 (PSS 0041)
Tuesday 31
January 2023
4pm to 5.30pm
Taking the Chair 
Part 1 (GO 504)
Wednesday 1
February 2023
4.30pm to 6.30pm
Cover Supervisors - preparing for the role
(PSS 010)
Wednesday 1
February 2023
3.30pm to 5pm
Safety Intervention Training (formerly MAPA training)
Part 2 - CPI accredited (BSAT 201)
Thursday 2
February 2023
8.30am to 12.30pm
Listen with Lucy
(EY 023)
Thursday 2
February 2023
1.15pm to 4pm
Accredited Safer Recruitment Training
FULL
Thursday 2
February 2023
9am to 4.30pm
EAL & Maths
(CPD 603)
Tuesday 7
February 2023
3.45pm to 6pm
Preparing for Statutory Assessment at the End of KS2
(CPD 504)
Wednesday 8
February 2023
9am to 12.30pm
Meeting the Statutory Safeguarding and Welfare Requirements of the EYFS (EY 009) Wednesday 8 February 2023 4pm to 5.30pm
Preparing for Statutory Assessment at the End of KS2
(CPD 504)
Thursday 9 February 2023 9am to 12.30pm
The Importance of the Early Years Foundation Stage in Schools
(GO 603)
Thursday 9 February 2023 5.30m to 7pm
Raising Awareness of Prevent 
(SG 101)
Thursday 9 February 2023 1pm to 2.30pm
Managing Sexual Violence & Sexual Harassment in Schools
(SG 201)
Thursday 9 February 2023 9.30am to 12.30pm
Taking the Chair 
Part 2 (GO 504)
Wednesday 15 February 2023 4.30pm to 6.30pm
Supporting SEND in the Classroom for Early Career Teachers 
Part 1 (LSAT 502)
Wednesday 15 February 2023 1.15pm to 4pm
Newly Appointed Safeguarding Governor Induction Training 
Part 2 (SG 103)
Wednesday 15 February 2023 5.30pm to 7.30pm
Behaviour Support Intervention Refresher Training - non-accredited
(BSAT 302)
Thursday 16 February 2023 8.45am to 12.30pm
Meeting the OFSTED requirements and developing reading strategies for EAL learners at KS2
(CPD 714)
Thursday 16 February 2023 3.45pm to 6pm
Early Career Teacher Network (combined event)
(CPD 720)
Thursday 16 February 2023 4pm to 5pm (with optional informal drop in 3.30-4pm + 5-5.30pm)
Understanding Children’s Development in the EYFS – Milestones, Theories and Approaches
(EY 314)
Thursday 16 February 2023 9.15am to 12noon

Early Career Framework CPD events

Please see below a quick summary of the events for the rest of the academic year – for Early Career Teachers and Induction Tutors / Mentors.

To book a place please send a completed CPD booking form via email to cpdschoolimprovement@telford.gov.uk

Our ECT Induction Manager Claire Killick looks forward to seeing as many of you as possible at these events, which are all free of charge for ECTs who are registered with Telford & Wrekin Council as the Appropriate Body.

Course Title Date Time
Early Career Teacher Network (CPD 720) – this event is now combined for Year 1 & Year 2 ECTs Thursday 16 February 2023 4pm to 5pm (with optional informal drop in 3.30pm to 4pm + 5pm to 5.30pm)
ECT Induction Tutor and Mentor – Termly Update (CPD 516) Tuesday 7 March 2023 4pm to 5.30pm
An Introduction to EAL for Early Career Teachers (CPD 527) Wednesday 15 March 2023 3.45pm to 6pm
Early Career Teacher Network (CPD 720) – this event is now combined for Year 1 & Year 2 ECTs Tuesday 23 May 2023 4pm to 5pm (with optional informal drop in 3.30pm to 4pm + 5pm to 5.30pm)
ECT Induction Tutor and Mentor – Termly Update (CPD 516) Thursday 8 June 2023 4pm to 5.30pm

Funding boost for support more young people to progress in education

This is an update from the Department for Education

  • Young people to benefit from cash boost so they continue to have access to high-quality courses including T Levels, A levels and other technical and vocational qualifications.
  • Targeted funding increases to support engineering, construction and digital subjects to help with the additional costs of teacher recruitment and retention for these key subjects.
  • Part of the government’s drive to make sure more young people climb the ladder of opportunity and businesses can tap into the skilled workforce they need for the future.

Young people aged 16-19 are set to benefit from a funding boost that will ensure they can continue to access high-quality education and go on to secure great jobs.

The government has today (Monday 9 January) announced increased funding rates worth an additional £125 million for schools, colleges and other providers delivering education to 16- to 19-year-olds next year (2023 to 2024).

The funding will mean young people, regardless of where they live or their background, will continue to have access to the courses and qualifications they need to build successful careers. These include T Levels and A levels and will also help meet the future skills needs of businesses and the economy.

Minister for Skills, Apprenticeships and Higher Education Robert Halfon said:

Our ambition is to transform young people’s life chances by giving them the chance to climb the education and skills ladder of opportunity.

That is why we are investing in resources and skills qualifications that will offer more learning for students and access to high-quality qualifications including T Levels, A Levels and technical qualifications.

The funding announced today will see:

  • The national funding rate for students aged 16 and 17 and students aged 18 and over with high needs increased by 2.2% to £4,642. In addition, funding will continue to be provided for an extra 40 hours per student to support them catching up on time lost due to the pandemic.
  • An increase in funding rates for engineering, construction, and digital subjects to help education providers with the additional costs of recruiting and retaining great teachers so young people benefit from excellent teaching.

The funding is part of the £1.6 billion for further education announced at Spending Review in 2021. It is in addition to the extra £291m announced for 16 to 19 education in 2021 to 2022 and the £400m increase in funding that the government provided in 2020 to 2021.


Careers boost for young people

This is an update from the Department for Education

Primary school pupils to benefit from careers support and change to law will give more young people access to advice about technical education.

  • New careers programme will open primary school children’s eyes to the world of future job possibilities and challenge stereotypes.
  • Young people to benefit from new law so they learn about the variety of exciting career routes available to them including technical routes to jobs as well as academic.
  • Part of government’s drive to make sure all young people get high quality advice to make informed choices on the skills needed for a successful career.

Primary school pupils are to benefit from a new careers programme that will encourage them to think about future jobs early, whilst nurturing aspirations and challenging stereotypes. 

Evidence shows that children start to form ideas about their future as they start primary school. By linking lessons in an age-appropriate way to different careers, training and skills, the programme will bring learning alive and inspire pupils about the world of work. It will also provide opportunities for pupils to meet employers and role models from a range of industries, helping to raise aspirations and link their learning to future skills, jobs and careers. 

From 1 January, young people will also benefit from strengthened careers advice through a change in the law that will see all year 8- 13 pupils have at least six opportunities to meet a range of providers of technical education. By hearing directly from training providers, pupils will get to understand the full range of opportunities available to them, including apprenticeships, T Levels and Higher Technical Qualifications, not just a traditional academic route. 

This builds on the requirement that every secondary school should offer their pupils at least one experience of a workplace by age 16 and a further work experience by age 18, giving them the opportunity to get a sense of the skills that are valued in the workplace to forge a great career. 

The primary school scheme will be rolled out across 55 disadvantaged areas of the country where school outcomes are the weakest and have been for some time and delivers on a commitment in the Schools White Paper. It will support more than 600,000 pupils in over 2,200 primary schools, giving them the kick start they need to boost their ambitions, and is backed by £2.6 million.

Minister for Skills, Apprenticeships and Higher Education Robert Halfon said:

To deliver the future workforce that this country needs, it is essential that careers advice and work experience helps young people from all backgrounds to climb the ladder of opportunity.

The changes we are making to boost our careers programme will raise ambitions from an early age for thousands of children in primary schools across the country, while providing opportunities to unlock talent, think about skills, engage with employers and discover different workplaces.

The new primary careers programme will be coordinated by The Careers & Enterprise Company (CEC), working with Teach First who will provide training and support primary school teachers in disadvantaged areas to deliver the scheme to their pupils.

Oli de Botton, CEO of The Careers & Enterprise Company said: I know from my time as a Headteacher how important it is to inspire young people about their future – raising their sights and dispelling stereotypes. Our new primary programme will bring careers inspiration to children early in their school life by connecting them with role models and showing them how different subjects relate to jobs.  

"This programme will develop the skills of teachers to deliver career-related learning in lessons. It will help young people from disadvantaged communities explore the world of work in exciting and meaningful ways, raising aspirations and reducing barriers - encouraging children to dream big.”      


Smartwater offer from West Mercia Police

West Mercia Police are inviting schools to become a Smartwater protected, where they would offer a free SmartWater Kit and signage, funded by the Police and Crime Commissioner.

SmartWater is a water based solution which contains a unique forensic code. Each pack contains its own individual forensic signature; by marking property with Smartwater, if an item is stolen it is more likely that we can trace that item back to its rightful owner.

Becoming a protected school not only will give you a kit free of charge we can also offer you some signage to be put on display around the premises, as research shows that 74% of acquisitive crime offenders would not break into a property with a SmartWater sign on display.

Training
We also offer out training sessions with our accredited exploitation and vulnerability trainers for your staff and parents, raising awareness of adverse childhood experiences, child sexual exploitation, modern day slavery and organised crime gangs. If this is something you would be interested in please email trainerswdbc@westmercia.police.uk.

About

Every week during term time we publish a new update for the education community. It includes essential briefings and specialist information about education.

Recent posts

Archives

Tags