Education Noticeboard

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

Included in this update:

Director update

Dear Colleagues,

It’s another busy week and although we have only just returned from Easter we include activities for the half term break for our children and families to consider. Our Telford & Wrekin council’s urban games are offering a safe and fun environment for our young people aged 8+ years with a variety of sporting sessions taking place in our local parks. PODs will also be running bookable sessions focused on children with SEND along with Shropshire BEAM.

This week’s Education Noticeboard provides information on how to sign up to one of the many training and development sessions available for you as professionals. You’ll find a variety of conferences, workshops and training events that will be taking place over the next few months such as CPD development, SOS+ criminal exploitation training, mental health lead training and many others, so make sure you take the time to have a look and engage for your continued development. For any of our teachers, social workers and non-technical professionals, West Mercia Police are hosting an ‘Online Safety Conference’ on 7 June that will demystify some of the threats we face online, this will also include some useful information about CSE.

For Telford and Wrekin’s schools and academies please take a look at the information provided about the Council’s new Management Information System in Education. We will need your help to support implementation. Further details included below.

This is also a final reminder that the post-16 SEND provider survey which closes on 30 April 2023, please can you continue to share this link with young people and their families. Booking forms for Crucial Crew are also due to be returned before the half-term break.

Finally, Deaf Awareness week will be taking place from 1 May. To increase the visibility of challenges the deaf community face and to educate others, a number of useful resources have been pulled together for your use.

Wishing you all a great rest of the week,

Simon

Simon Wellman

Director: Education & Skills

Pippin the cockapoo to become therapy dog at Telford school

This story was published on the bbc.co.uk website.

A nine-month-old cockapoo is set to become a therapy dog for pupils at a Shropshire school.

The cockapoo, named Pippin, successfully completed a training programme at Short Wood Primary School in Wellington, Telford.

She will now help to support and calm pupils with emotional and social issues.

Dr Laura Saunders, deputy head teacher, said reaction from the majority of pupils at the school had been positive.

She said staff had spoken to other local schools that use therapy dogs before they had decided that Pippin, who lives with Dr Saunders, was a potential candidate to help pupils.

"Well we'd thought about it on-and-off really, for a few years, but [had] never really kind of taken the step to do it, and then Autumn term last year, we thought the time was right," she explained.

The cockapoo went on to complete three levels of a therapy dog training programme at the school, run by Shrewsbury-based service Puppy and Friends Academy, where she learnt to support children with their social skills.

"Post-Covid, we've seen a lot of emotional and social issues and Pippin has really helped with that," Dr Saunders told BBC Radio Shropshire.

"So, we have children who are perhaps reluctant to separate from care givers in the morning, she really supports with that.

"If we've got children who perhaps aren't super confident with their reading, they're happy to come and sit with Pippin and read and hopefully as she progresses, she'll just be able to get involved more and more."

A new Local Authority Education Management Information System - Synergy Project

For some time we have been exploring a new management information system that will support the Council to undertake its statutory duties in a more efficient way. We have benchmarked ourselves against other LAs and we are unusual in that the Council does not currently have a universal system across our education teams which means our data is held in various places and it can therefore be difficult to ascertain information held about children who are known to different teams. We are also acutely aware that we make frequent and at times duplicate requests for information from schools and academies because we do not have access to a ‘live feed’ from your own MIS systems. Again we appear to be outliers here as all other LAs we have spoken to have a corporate system that is able to interact with their schools and academies.

So after researching the market and following a lengthy procurement activity we have recently purchased a system called Synergy - from Access Group - and implementation is now underway. You may be aware that the Council already uses Synergy for School Admissions and for Early Years funding. The new modules we have bought will complement our existing packages which will ensure a whole system approach. So fear not we are not changing the admission system yet again! The new system will provide a single view across all education areas within the Council, which allows us to review real-time data, make accurate timely decisions, and reduce time spent on dual input across multiple teams, which will bring about efficiencies and greatly improve the quality of information being kept.

It will take some time to implement the new system (this is an 18 month project) and education teams will transfer over to their modules at different times. Please bear with us if we appear to be duplicating requests in the interim. We will get there!

There is one module where we need the help of our schools and academies, which is implementation of the ‘Orchestra’ module. This is a module that we need to get cracking with over the next few months as it is the bit of kit that enables us to pull data from your Management Information System (MIS) and will be essential to smooth operation of the whole system. Some examples of the data we need to collect includes:

Pupils on roll – (UPN, ULN, former UPN)
Pupils’ personal information- for example DOB, home address and post code, surname, forename, middle name, gender, ethnicity)
Sessional Attendance Marks (AM and PM attendance marks, LEA, DFES code, school name, start date, end date, daily attendance / year attendance, attendance sessions, number of sessions attended, number of unauthorised sessions)
Leavers (Enrol status, pupils who have left/moved school, left the area)
Exclusions (type, primary reason, start date, end date, perm ex)

With this information coming into Education directly it will reduce the amount of time you spend submitting data and will help us create streamline processes for other referrals into different areas within Education. It will also reduce the duplication of work. You will have access to a secure portal linked directly to the council to allow the secure transfer of personal and confidential data.

There are many benefits to having Orchestra implemented into your school some of these are:

Protecting and keeping pupils safe allowing for quick intervention
Quicker responses to questions and to identify trends
Requests between schools and the Council will be streamlined and more effective.
Schools can be sent different reports securely
Reduction in duplication of requests to different services
Reduce the amount of manual input needed to send the Council key information securely

With open working and the sharing of pupil’s information this will allow for the Council and you to have accurate and up to date information. Ultimately each school and academy will need to agree to implement ‘Orchestra’ and sign a data sharing agreement. This agreement is with our Information Governance Team and will be released very soon. We really hope you can see the benefits of agreeing to implement ‘Orchestra’ and over the coming weeks we will explain this in a bit more depth at our various network meetings such as the strategic partnership board and at primary and secondary heads.

We will be looking for pilot schools who will assist us to test the process and provide feedback to help improve the way we work together. We will need to group schools according to what MIS system you have and will phase piloting as a result. For now, all we need to know is what your current MIS your school is using, whether you would like to be considered as part of our pilot and any immediate questions that spring to mind.

Please fill out the survey form, it should take no longer than a few minutes and return no later than 12 May 2023. If you have any further questions, please contact us at educationsystemsupport@telford.gov.uk

Simon

Simon Wellman

Director of Education

Is your school engaging children in debating activities?

St Georges C of E Primary School Debate Event

Debating is an essential life skill that helps children develop their confidence, argue their point of view, learn to think critically and independently- it builds their skills for the future!

Through 10 by 10, we encourage all schools in our borough to set up debating clubs and to take part in debating events, like the event recently organised by St George’s C of E Primary School when many schools across the borough joined in!

The children really enjoyed the day and had so much fun with their peers, debating on different topics. As they said, “In debating it doesn’t matter if you win or lose. You are still taking part in debating”, You see different people’s opinions and views. And you can make more friends!”

Watch this video to find out more! (at the end of it, Sally Sixsmith, Headteacher at St. George’s C of E Primary School gives details about the next debating event they are planning to organise and how your school can join in!)

10 by 10 has proven so popular, with so many borough families taking part already in this programme. This is also thanks to your continuous support to promote the 10 activities within your school, please continue to do so to enable more children to join in and get the best start in life!

We would love to hear about your school’s 10 by 10 activities and achievements, please tell us about them by emailing education.noticeboard@telford.gov.uk or if you post on social media, tag @TelfordWrekin in and use the #10by10 hashtag.

West Mercia Police – Online Safety Conference

West Mercia Police would like to invite you to the Online Safety Conference for front-line professionals hosted on Wednesday 7 June 2023.

The conference is for "non-technical" professionals such as teachers, social workers, health workers, and police officers who work with the public and need to be aware of basic online and digital risks. The event will feature a series of easy-to-understand sessions based on local incidents and crimes. Attendees will have the option to participate in-person or online and we encourage delegates to attend sessions that are most relevant to their roles.

During the first half of the day the aim will be to demystify some of the most challenging online threats we face. Using local cases, the conference will explain topics that may have previously felt too technical or complex to grasp. It will discuss the basics of cryptocurrency by looking at how young people are using it to deal drugs. The conference will explain ransomware in simple terms by looking at how a local school ended up in the national headlines after being attacked, and the conference will examine phishing and the epidemic of fraud and scams that now account for over half of all crime and often target the most elderly and vulnerable. The conference focus will be on what this means for you as frontline professionals engaging with the public.

The second half of the day will focus on Online Child Sexual Exploitation (OCSE), where the conference will explore how local children are becoming both victims and offenders of OCSE. The conference will delve into the causes and potential prevention opportunities, and you'll have the opportunity to hear from a range of professionals in this field, including clinical psychologists, social workers, detectives, and teachers.

Throughout the conference, we hope delegates will share their own professional experiences and challenges. There will be question and answer facilities during each topic area, with an opportunity for discussion following the deliveries and potential further collaboration. In addition to providing valuable CPD for professionals, we hope this conference will act as a springboard for longer-term collaboration and prevention work.

Technology is transforming all of our lives at an eye-watering pace, and we urgently need to come together as professionals to share experiences and ideas about how we can adapt to deliver our respective services to the public in an increasingly online world.

Any queries can be directed to Scott Thomas-White, Education Safeguarding Coordinator, via email to educationsafeguarding@telford.gov.uk.

Telford & Wrekin Safeguarding Partnership Newsletter – April 2023

The Telford & Wrekin Partnership News and Updates Newsletter for April 2023 is now available to download:

Download; Telford & Wrekin Safeguarding Partnership News and Updates: April 2023

Summer 2023 School Census Guidance Notes – 18 May 2023

Guidance notes are now available to download for the Summer 2023 School Census, which will take place on Thursday 18 May 2023.

Download: Summer 2023 School Census: Guidance notes

Post 16 Provider Survey - Feedback from Young People, Parents, Carers and Families

Last chance to complete the Post 16 Provider Survey
Please can we request that the survey link and information is shared with young people and their families.

Please share your feedback - the Post 16 Provider Survey has been extended until Sunday 30 April 2023.

We would like to provide the opportunity for young people, parents, carers and families to share their experiences of attending a post 16 provision.

The survey can be completed by anyone who is attending a post 16 setting, or parents, carers, family members or support workers.

Your feedback will help us understand what is working well in post 16 education in Telford, but also to identify things that could make the experience in Post 16 education even better.

Please share your feedback to 'Make a Difference' for children and young people with special educational needs and/or disabilities in Telford & Wrekin.

Download: Special Edition Newsletter – Post 16 Provider Survey

Complete the Post 16 Provider Survey

Early Years Talk Boost – Free Training

The Early Talk Boost was developed because between 40 and 50 % of children growing up in socially disadvantaged areas of the UK are starting school with delayed language. As the early years offers such an opportunity for rich language experiences, it makes sense to start supporting language development at pre-school and nursery so that children have a good foundation when they start school. The Early Talk Boost intervention has been designed by I CAN communication advisors – specialist teachers and speech and language therapists.

Early Talk Boost supports a range of skills that give children’s language a boost:

Attention and listening: foundation skills for speaking and listening.
Learning and using new words: research shows that children with weaker vocabularies are at risk of difficulties with reading.
Building sentences: putting words together is a vital skill for having conversations and telling stories.

Each school or setting attending will receive an Early Talk Boost pack worth £500 per classroom of three and four year olds (Childminders will be able to access a childminder pack). Due to Family Hub funding we can now train staff on a rolling programme and provide childminders with a pack.

Suitable for Teachers, EYFS leads, Setting leads, Room leaders, SENDCo, Childminders.

Stoke Speaks Out is a tool developed by Speech and Language Therapists as part of a School Readiness plan. A quick and easy tool to assess children’s language skills in the EYFS. The screen can be used with children between the ages of 2 and 5 years 11 months and it identifies delays in understanding and spoken language and aids target setting.

Suitable for Teachers, EYFS leads, Setting leads, Room leaders, SENDCo, Childminders.

Please download the flyer for dates, times and venues.

To book a place please send an email to talkingchildcare@telford.gov.uk.

New EHE policy and Multi Agency Forms (MAM) for all schools

New Elective Home Education (EHE) Policy and Mult Agency Meeting (MAM) form are now available for all schools. There have been key changes to the school responsibilities regarding who must attend the MAM. The appendices within the policy includes work flow diagrams to support schools and leaders with the EHE process.

The new MAM form incorporates the pupil passport information for EHE, so schools only need to complete and submit one form for pupils who are considering elective home education.

Please ensure that all staff who have responsibility for pastoral, attendance and safeguarding within schools are aware of the new policy and forms.

Please note that copies of the old form and policy should be deleted and only the new policy and forms to be used.

Download: Elective Home Education Policy 2022-23

Download: Multi Agency Meeting form

All EHE Enquiries should be sent to the team email address: EHE@Telford.gov.uk

Educational Visit Leader training – Wednesday 3 May 2023

Places are available on a theory course designed to support and inform staff who lead or are learning to lead educational visits.

Course Content:

This course is designed to support and inform staff who lead or are learning to lead educational visits. No previous experience is necessary.

The course, certified through the Outdoor Education Advisors Panel, covers the planning, approval and emergency procedures that Visit Leaders must follow in their setting including:

Benefits and perceived barriers to Visits.
Legal expectations.
Visit planning, leadership and evaluation (including risk assessment).
Action points to follow up on after the course.
Who to contact for further advice.

Dates:

	Time	Delivery	SLA	Non- SLA
Wednesday 3 May 2023	2pm-5pm	Via Microsoft Teams	£45	£80
Wednesday 11 October 2023	2pm-5pm	Via Microsoft Teams	£49	£88
Wednesday 7 February 2023	2pm-5pm	Via Microsoft Teams	£49	£88
Wednesday 1 May 2024	2pm-5pm	Via Microsoft Teams	£49	£88

To book please email EdVisits@telford.gov.uk. Other Dates – School/Establishment Bespoke courses are also available.

Virtual School Annual Conference: Relationships, Connection and Role Models – Friday 9 June 2023

Telford & Wrekin Virtual School is pleased to announce their fourth Annual Conference, taking place Friday 9 June 2023 at The Mercure Hotel.

This year the theme is Relationships, Connection & Role Models

Supporting all young people with a social worker, and previously looked after children.

Who should attend?

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

The conference will provide attendees 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 Telford & Wrekin children in care make in school and beyond. Even if you currently have 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 children in care when making inspection judgements.

Keynote speakers:

Mary Anne Hodd: Director & 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 DfE 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 see the flyer for details and indicate your preferences on the booking form.

Booking and pricing

£120 for 1 delegate.
£180 for 2 delegates.
£60 for each additional delegate, up to a total of 4 per school.
Any 3rd or 4th delegate places can be requested, which will be 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, please 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 email to virtualschool@telford.gov.uk.

DfE fully funded Mental Health Lead training – extended to 31 March 2024

Join a network of Mental Health Leads who have gained the DfE Mental health Lead qualification over the past 12 months. Three days of face-to-face training based in Telford, with trainers who work in and understand the local context.

The course is for:

Those appointed to be the mental health lead for a school or college. The senior mental health lead is established in their role and/or has completed comprehensive senior mental health leadership training prior to coming on this course.

Course content:

A 3-day course for mental health leads. This discussion-based course is linked to a level 4 qualification and allows leads to share experiences and learn from others to deepen their knowledge, skills and understanding. There is a significant focus on developing the ethos and culture of your setting to support and develop mental health of staff, pupils/students and parents, leadership and Management, co-production with children through pupil voice, parents, carers and the community, staff development and support, identifying need and monitoring the impact of interventions, exploring how trauma leads to mental ill health in pupils/students and adults and the role of the curriculum, teaching and learning. You will have 6 months to complete a portfolio alongside the course to gain the certification and also a level 4 qualification in Mental Health Aware Leadership. Each session you attend will provide the information you require to complete the portfolio.

If learners do not wish to complete a portfolio and gain the Level 4 accreditation, they will receive a certificate of completion following their third day of attendance.

Modules:

Understanding the Role.
Ethos and Culture.
Leadership and Management.
Pupil Voice.
Parents, Carers and Community.
Staff Support and Development.
Mental Health Interventions.
Targeted Approach.
Curriculum, teaching and learning.

Dates and venue:

24 May, 5 July and 20 September 2023 at Brookside Central, Bembridge, Brookside, Telford TF3 1LP

Registering with the DfE and booking a place:

The application form is available online, and you can book your place via the Network website.

For more details visit the Severn Training and School Alliance website. Any queries can be sent by email to Sian.deane1@taw.org.uk, alternatively call 01952 387237

Appropriate Body ECT Registration: Important information – Shropshire and Telford Education Partnership

Details of Early Career Teacher (ECT) registrations for the Summer term and September 2023 are as follows:

Summer Term 23 ECT Registrations
You can register your ECT for Summer Term 2023 now but please note the deadline for registrations is Friday 26 May 2023.

September 2023 ECT Registrations
In order for us to streamline systems and to improve the registration process for schools, we will be purchasing a new ECT Manager system which we envisage will go live in June/July 2023, this system will replace our current portal.

Please do not complete any ECT registrations for September 2023 on the current STEP registration portal otherwise these will have to be re-registered on ECT Manager.

We are currently in the process of creating the system with ECT Manager and will keep you informed as soon as the details have been confirmed via email and our website.

ECT Fees – September 2023
Due to the increase in upscaling processes and financial costs associated with this, we will be increasing the ECT fee to £175, per ECT, per year, from September 2023. If you have an ECT who is already registered with us and is due to progress onto year 2 in 23-24, we will invoice for the agreed two year programme rate at the time of registration of £150.

We will update our website with all the details after the Summer Term ECT registration deadline of 26 May 2023

Please email ECF@stepwm2.co.uk with any queries relating to our ECF/AB offer and systems. You can email info@stepwm2.co.uk for any queries relating to finances,

For more details on the STEP offer please visit the website.

The King’s Coronation – School resources

The country will soon be celebrating the Kings Coronation. In the lead up to this historic event, a number of classroom resources are available for schools to use.

Toolkit – Coronation of His Majesty The King & Her Majesty The Queen Consort

Royal Collection Trust: School Resources for the Coronation 2023

Historic Royal Palaces: Schools Coronation Project Learning Resources

Royal Coronation Early Years Resources

Deaf Awareness Week: 1 – 7 May 2023

Deaf Awareness Week will take place 1-7 May 2023.

There are over 50,000 deaf children and young people in the UK. It has also been reported that people who are deaf or have hearing loss are 50% more likely to have poor mental health, meaning that is vitally important that we show support to the deaf community.

Deaf people communicate in lots of different ways. Listed below are some of the common ways deaf people communicate. Some people will use a combination of these, and some people might use different approaches depending on where they are and who they’re with.

There are at least 24,000 people across the UK who use British Sign Language (BSL) as their main language.

Many deaf children and young people communicate with others using spoken language, sign language and lip reading. Also some may use hearing technology like hearing aids and cochlear implants.

The aim of Deaf Awareness Week to increase the visibility of challenges the deaf community face and to educate others on how they can support them. Deafness is often overlooked within education and the workplace, because deafness is not a visible condition, deaf and hard of hearing individuals often feel misunderstood, unseen, invisible and isolated.

Free Resources for Deaf Awareness:

Telford & Wrekin support

Free Deaf Awareness packs

Twinkl

Royal National Institute for Deaf: Communication tips

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).

Establishing yourself as a SEND Leader (LSAT 302)	Wednesday 3 May 2023	4pm to 5pm
Newly Appointed Designated Safeguarding Leads' Training (2 days) - part 1 (SG 102)	Wednesday 3 May 2023	9.15am to 4pm
Motivational Interviewing for Education Settings (SG 205)	Wednesday 3 May 2023	1pm to 4pm
Newly Appointed Designated Safeguarding Leads' Training (2 days) - part 2 (SG 102)	Thursday 4 May 2023	9.15am to 4pm
Safeguarding Training for Newly Appointed Governors (SG 103)	Tuesday 9 May 09 2023	9.15am to 3.30pm
Child Development: Supporting self-regulation development and positive behaviour outcomes with children in the EYFS (EY 313)	Wednesday 10 May 2023	9.15am to 12noon
SOS+ Criminal Exploitation Training for Education Professionals (SG 207) – see separate article	Wednesday 10 May 2023	10am to 11am
SOS+ Criminal Exploitation Training for Education Professionals (SG 207) – see separate article	Wednesday 10 May 2023	4pm to 5.30pm
Safety Intervention Training (formerly MAPA training) - Part 1 - CPI accredited (BSAT 201)	Thursday 11 May 2023	8.30am to 4pm
Understanding Intent, Implementation and Impact within the EYFS in a school (EY 319)	Thursday 11 May 2023	1.15pm to 4pm
Accredited Safer Recruitment Training (FULL)	Thursday 11 May 2023	9am to 4.30pm
Prevent Awareness (SG 101)	Thursday 11 May 2023	9.30am to 11am
EYFS Moderation Trialling (CPD 612)	Tuesday 16 May 2023	1pm to 4pm
Understanding Children’s Development in the EYFS – Milestones, Theories and Approaches (EY 314)	Wednesday 17 May 2023	9.15am to 12noon
Safeguarding Training for Newly Appointed Governors (SG 103) – part 1	Wednesday 17 May 2023	5.30pm to 7.30pm
Safety Intervention Training (formerly MAPA training) - Part 1 - CPI accredited (BSAT 201)	Thursday 18 May 2023	8.30am to 12.30pm
Effective Support and Supervisions in the EYFS (EY 306)	Thursday 18 May 2023	4pm to 5.30pm
Raising Awareness of Child Protection (SG 108)	Thursday 18 May 2023	9.30am to 11am
The Importance of the Early Years Foundation Stage in Schools (GO 603)	Tuesday 23 May 23 2023	5.30m to 7pm
SOS+ Criminal Exploitation Training for Education Professionals (SG 207) – see separate article	Tuesday 23 May 23 2023	4pm to 5.30pm
Designated Safeguarding Leads Refresher (SG 107)	Wednesday 24 May 2023	9.15am to 4pm
Behaviour Support Intervention Refresher Training - Non-accredited (BSAT 302)	Thursday 25 May 2023	8.45am to 12.30pm
Early Career Teacher Network (CPD 720)	Thursday 25 May 2023	4pm to 5pm (with optional informal ‘drop in’ 5pm to 5.30pm)
Governors' Responsibilities for Exclusions (SG 104)	Thursday 25 May 2023	5pm to 7pm

SOS+ Criminal Exploitation Training for Education Professionals

A SOS+ Criminal Exploitation Training course is being provided to schools in Telford & Wrekin free of charge, led by St Giles Education Trust in partnership with the Education Safeguarding Team. There is no limit to the number of delegates who can attend from each school.

A choice of dates and times (delegates only need to attend one date):

Wednesday 10 May 2023 – 10am to 11.30am
Wednesday 10 May 2023 – 4pm to 5.30pm
Tuesday 23 May 2023 – 4pm to 5.30pm

Each session will consist of a 60 minute presentation, followed by a 30-minute Q&A session. Delegates will leave the sessions able to:

understand how county lines are set up
understand how young people are groomed, recruited and exploited; specifically exploring examples that involve educational settings
recognise key signs and indicators that children and young people are being exploited or at risk of county lines involvement by unpacking what this looks like within an educational setting
understand how school exclusions can increase the risk of students on the periphery
recognise how to mitigate risks practically when considering exclusions learning from successful examples
understand the perspective of an expert witness who is a survivor and/or perpetrator of a county lines operation, including how county lines operations use girls and young women
develop initial interventions and long-term strategies to prevent and reduce the risk of students of criminal exploitation, and gang and county lines involvement within educational settings.

Bookings can be made by sending a completed CPD booking form via email to: CPDSchool.Improvement@telford.gov.uk.

Level 5 Certificate in Primary School Physical Education Specialism

Places are available on a bespoke primary school physical education qualification for primary school staff – but expressions of interest needed immediately after half term, if not before.

What is the Level 5 qualification?

A bespoke primary school physical education qualification for primary ‘school staff’ (PE Coordinators, teachers and/ or teaching assistants with a sporting bias) developed by the Association for Physical Education (AfPE) and Sports Leaders UK.

Please note: Due to the pitch of the course (Level 5; equivalent to foundation degree) and the nature of the content, this course is predominantly targeting current practitioners, preferably with QTS status.

Why?

Much has been stated about the importance of the current physical education and school sport premium funding and the ability of schools to, not only evidence actions, but also show impact. This qualification is an ideal vehicle for demonstrating an investment in the improvement of teaching in physical education as well as upskilling current staff.

Content

The qualification enables delegates to understand the requirements of the primary school physical education curriculum. They will acquire the knowledge and skills that underpin 'good or better' teaching and learning within primary school physical education. Candidates will also review and evaluate the PE, physical activity and sport programme at their host school, identifying potential ways to improve policy and practice.

Tutors/ Assessors

The tutor, Chris Jew, is an experienced physical education specialist, known and regarded across the county. His background is in the leading of Physical Education, being the leader of a School Sport Partnership and a current School Games Organiser for East Shropshire. This will be his ninth year of delivery of this course.

Delivery

The average learning time for this qualification is 141 hours. This is broken down as follows:

6 days attendance at a Shropshire based delivery centre (42 Guided Learning Hours). This is provisionally equally mapped across the three terms during the academic year 2023/24. The initial session is planned for October.
In-school development work (99 nominal hours). This will involve a series of assessment tasks to be completed by the delegate via a portfolio of evidence. There will be at least one external assessment of teaching a ‘good or better’ physical education lesson.

Commitment

School: The release of staff for 6 days throughout the academic year. The ability for SLT to support and mentor, where appropriate, allowing opportunities/ time for the delegate to apply skills and knowledge within the school day.
Delegate: An understanding of the need to meet the nominal required guided learning hours, to complete all assessment tasks and to be proactive in further developing knowledge and skills at their home school.

Costs

The total delegate cost, including course fees to Sports Leaders UK (£200), is £1300 per delegate. This covers the delivery days, internal verification and the external assessment and remote support via the course tutors/ leaders.

Certification

All delegates will be internally verified by Trusted Sports’ Alliance staff and externally verified via the awarding body and on successful completion of this qualification delegates will be able to assist and develop the raising of standards within primary school physical education teaching.

Awareness Raising

At this initial stage my aim is to continue raising awareness and to gauge potential interest from local primary schools in Telford & Wrekin as we look to recruit for the seventh year of delivery. Feedback from current delegates is that the course is both demanding and challenging yet on completion allows for a step change in the delivery of high quality PE.

Application Timeline

By 26 May 2023: An expression of interest is currently being sought. To register or confirm interest please email Chris Jew, stating candidate’s name and home school.

September 2023: Candidates will then be asked to enrol on the course before the end of the first half-term in autumn so all is ready for the initial October delivery date.

For further information, please refer to the Sports Leaders’ UK website and/or contact Chris Jew, Head of Service for the Trusted Sports’ Alliance, via email to chris.jew@trustedcsat.co.uk or by calling 07704 710536.

Something different for young people aged 8+ this May half term

Telford & Wrekin Council’s urban games offers a fun and safe environment for young people aged 8+.

Sports sessions in your local park including cycling, cricket, football, basketball and lots of others. Hosted by professionals and qualified coaches from AFC Telford United, Shropshire Cricket and Telford Bike Hub – come along! There’s something for everyone at venues across Telford.

AFC Telford United - Multisport

Week1

	1pm-3pm	3.30pm-5.30pm
Monday 3 April 2023	Sutton Hill MUGA	Malinslee MUGA
Tuesday 4 April 2023	Leegomery MUGA	Donnington MUGA
Wednesday 5 April 2023	College MUGA	Arleston MUGA
Thursday 6 April	Ketley MUGA	Stirchley MUGA

Week2

	1pm-3pm	3.30pm-5.30pm
Tuesday 11 April 2023	Woodside MUGA	Haygate MUGA
Wednesday 12 April 2023	Overdale MUGA	Lawley MUGA
Thursday 13 April 2023	Brookside MUGA	Aqueduct MUGA
Friday 14 April 2023	St Georges MUGA	Lightmoor MUGA

Shropshire Cricket

Week 1

	1pm-3pm
Monday 3 April 2023	Brookside MUGA
Tuesday 4 April 2023	Sutton Hill MUGA
Thursday 6 April 2023	Leegomery MUGA

Week 2

	1pm-3pm
Thursday 13 April 2023	Arelston MUGA

Telford Bike Hub

Week 1

	12noon-2pm	2.30pm-4.30pm
Thursday 6 April 2023	Woodside MUGA	Aqueduct MUGA

Week 2

	12noon-2pm	2.30pm-4.30pm
Thursday 13 April 2023	Donnington MUGA	St Georges MUGA

For more information, contact details and full addresses - or to download the timetable - visit the Telford Urban Games webpage.

PODS May activity sessions

Join PODS this May for a variety of activities (parent/carer attendance is required, with bookings being taken via Ticketsource:

	Date	Time	Price
Cake Making	Thursday 4 May 2023	4pm	£3	Cake Making booking link
Blists Hill Victorian Town	Saturday 6 May 2023	11am	£3	Blists Hill booking link
Games Session	Thursday 11 May 2023	4pm	£3	Games booking link
Craft Session	Saturday 13 May 2023	11am	£3	Craft Session booking link
Inflata Nation	Wednesday 17 May 2023	4pm	SOLD OUT	Inflata Nation booking link
Enginuity	Saturday 20 May 2023	11am	£3	Enginuity booking link
Wolf Yoga	Thursday 25 May 2023	4pm	£3	Wolf Yoga booking link
Active Session	Saturday 27 May 2023	10am	£3	Active Session booking link

Shropshire BEAM – May half term workshops 2023

Shropshire BEAM workshops are run on a drop-in basis and are held at their Wellington base: 9 Market Square, Wellington, TF1 1BP. All workshops are first-come, first-served; therefore please arrive promptly if you wish to join. All workshops over May half term will last approximately one hour.

	Suitability	Date	Time
Mindfulness Moments	All ages	Tuesday 30 May 2023	11.30am
Emotions Skill Builders	KS3 & KS4	Tuesday 30 May 2023	3pm
Understanding Emotions	KS1 & KS2	Thursday 1 June 2023	11.30am
Creative Writing	KS3 & KS4	Thursday 1 June 2023	3pm
Arts and Crafts	All ages	Saturday 3 June 2023	1pm

Please note: to use any of the Shropshire BEAM services, including the workshops, you must be registered with them. You can register online beforehand or you can register when you turn up.

Schools’ Air Quality Monitoring for Health and Education Project

The Schools’ Air Quality Monitoring for Health and Education (SAMHE) Project is a project designed with and for schools, which aims to provide high-spec air quality monitoring resources to schools, along with a range of age-specific related activities and experiments linked to the curriculum. It’s run by six universities with the backing of the DfE. Schools get a free high spec air quality monitor that measures carbon dioxide (CO2), volatile organic compounds (VOCs) particulate matter (PM), temperature and relative humidity. Teachers and pupils can access their data through a specially designed interactive Web App, seeing how air quality changes over the course of hours, days or weeks and months.

As well as being available to teachers and pupils, the data from each monitor is recorded in a national database. They are looking to recruit 1,000-2,000 schools covering the full range of school types, sizes, locations and building styles. This will generate enough data for their project scientists to analyse in order to understand schools' air quality across the UK. Their overall aim is to understand and improve long-term air quality for all schools.

The SAMHE (pronounced Sammy) team are looking for expressions of interest from schools, which can be registered online.

Information on what being involved looks like is also available online, as is a range of FAQs.

The COVID-19 pandemic highlighted the importance of good air quality from an infection control perspective, but there is increasing evidence on the impact of poor air quality on health more widely, and on educational attainment. The research team estimate that each child breathes around 7.2 million litres of air while at school, so the quality of air within school is vital.

We’d encourage you to register your school and gain insights into the indoor air quality in your school, obtain educational resources to use with pupils and help gather useful information that should help to understand and improve air quality in schools nationally.

Important information regarding this year’s Crucial Crew

This year’s Crucial Crew is back to a face to event at Telford College. The booking form went out to all primary schools on 21 April 2023.

The forms will need to be returned before the May half term break.

The contacts we have sent to are the most up to date we have, but would advise you to check that you have received this communication. If you have not received any communication please contact either Lyn.Stepanian@telford.gov.uk or Sharon.bailey@teford.gov.uk via email.

Walk to School Week: 15 – 19 May 2023

Walk to School Week is back and the theme for 2023 is Walk with Wildlife! It will take place on 15-19 May 2023 and the Active Travel and Road Safety Team would like more Telford and Wrekin schools than ever to join the challenge.

Walk to School Week is the perfect way to celebrate National Walking Month this May. Pupils are encouraged to walk – or cycle, wheel or scoot, to school everyday for a week. It’s a great way to get pupils active and well on their way to fulfilling their recommended 60 minutes of exercise per day.

As this year’s challenge involves ‘Walking with Wildlife’ the children will be introduced to a different animal throughout the week and each animal has their own theme.

Over the five days pupils will be encouraged to Walk for Inclusion, Walk for Sustainability, Walk for Health, Walk for Mindfulness and Walk for Friendship.

Some great topics to discuss and pupils will also learn about the importance of walking and the difference it can make to individuals, the community and the planet.

Walk to School Week packs are available through the Living Streets - Walk to School week website.

Packs include a wall chart to track your classes progress, stickers, activity diaries, teacher guidance and 30 pupil rewards.

If you would like any further information visit the Walk to School Week website or email helen.smith2@telford.go.uk.

NHS 75th anniversary

To help mark its 75th anniversary, the NHS has teamed up with Inspiring the Future to inspire children to consider a career in the Service. The NHS Ambassadors’ programme connects NHS staff with schools to give talks – in person or virtually. By talking about their job, NHS staff will help to illustrate the connection between what students are studying in the classroom and the potential opportunities available in the NHS recognising that the Service has over 350 different careers on offer.

Schools and teachers who would like to arrange a talk, should visit:the NHS75 Talks website.

This entry was posted by Claire on Wednesday, 26 April 2023.

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