Education Noticeboard - 23 November 2023
Welcome to the Education Noticeboard. A round-up of news, guidance and key updates for education settings.
- Director Update
- New Early Years SEND Support Referral Forms
- School Admissions Module (SAM Portal) – Guide and Training
- Notification to LA of pupil deleted from roll
- Pre-Suspension Hotline
- Reducing Parental Conflict: Amity Toolkit Training for Education Staff
- Telford and Wrekin Safeguarding Partnership Annual Reports
- Early Years Coordinators’ Termly Update – 30 November 2023
- ICO's Five Data Protection Top Tips for Early Years Settings
- Telford Skills Show: Thursday 14 March 2024
- 16 - 19 Telford & Wrekin Post 16 Prospectus
- Details of CPD courses to the end of the Autumn Term 2023
- Free of charge online briefing - ‘Children with a Social Worker’ – Thursday 30 November 2023
- Learning Language and Loving It Virtual Cohort
- Christmas Jumper Day
- Let’s raise the flag for Disability History Month: 16 November to 16 December 2023
- National Older Workers Week
- The DfE have published further advice on improving school attendance
- Early Years Practitioner Wellbeing Support
- Catch22 Delivers the National Citizen Service (NCS)
Director Update
Dear colleagues
There are some important updates and resources for you all in this week’s Education Noticeboard, as always, I hope you find the information about what is happening across Telford and Wrekin useful.
You may have seen last week a piece on the Pre-Suspension Hotline service. There has been a small tweak to the service as detailed in this week’s noticeboard, so please read more on that below.
There have also been some changes to key documents used by our schools, such as the SEND Support Referral forms, and the D1 Deletions form. Please ensure that you follow the guidance below and are using the most up to date versions of these documents. This will not only speed things up for our teams receiving your information but will also make sure you are receiving a prompt response where necessary.
As ever, there is plenty of detail on upcoming CPD courses and various training available to all of you. This also includes the Early Years Coordinators’ Termly Update which is taking place next week.
Have a great rest of the week, and a restful weekend.
Simon
Simon Wellman
Director: Education & Skills
New Early Years SEND Support Referral Forms
These Early Years SEND Support referral forms replace all previous versions of forms and should be used from this point forward.
The email address to send completed referral forms to is EarlyYearsSENDSupport@telford.gov.uk.
Request for Whole Setting-Based SEND Support Form
Request for Review - Early Years SEND Support Form
Request for Involvement - Early Years SEND Support Form
School Admissions Module (SAM Portal) – Guide and Training
In line with our admissions processes, our SAM portal guide has now been refreshed and is attached.
Training sessions to support new and existing school staff in using the SAM portal will be held on Teams on:
Monday 4 December 9:30am - 11am
Wednesday 6 December 1:30pm - 3pm
If you would like to attend, please email admissions@telford.gov.uk with your preferred date by 29 November and an invite will be sent to you prior to the session.
Notification to LA of pupil deleted from roll
In line with the Education (Pupil Registration) (England) Regulations 2006, schools have a statutory responsibility to inform the LA of any deletions from roll within 5 school days. In Telford & Wrekin this task is undertaken by completion and submission of the D1 form.
This has been reviewed and amended to include vulnerability factors that the LA must report on to the DfE. Please find the amended form below. Please use this form with immediate effect and delete any previous versions you may have.
The LA have updated their D1 form for all deletions from roll. One of the uses of this form is to ensure that we can track children who are withdrawn from schools successfully. This is part of ensuring that we are all safeguarding children. Many of those who move school, particularly those with a number of school moves are often more vulnerable.
To give the LA the best opportunity to track the destinations of children it is vital that we have as much information as possible available to us.
We appreciate your support in keeping all our children safe.
Please submit your completed forms to admissions@telford.gov.uk
Pre-Suspension Hotline
As you may be aware, due to continued high demand upon the service, access to the Pre-Suspension Hotline Service has been changed.
Unfortunately, since rolling out the new form, we have had a few teething problems with the BSAT Pre-Suspension Hotline link.
Please find below a new link for the service:
Reducing Parental Conflict: Amity Toolkit Training for Education Staff
Telford and Wrekin have secured funding to enable us to offer FREE TRAINING AND TOOLKIT for the Amity ‘Reducing Parental Conflict Toolkit’.
This is a resource produced by Amity Training, the toolkit contains many resources that may be helpful to all practitioners who work with children and families where the conflict between parents is having a detrimental impact on the child/children. The resources in the toolkit can be used by those working directly with families where there is conflict. The resources within the toolkit can be used flexibly and can be tailored by each setting, to meet their own needs.
We are pleased to be able to offer a free training session for education staff to introduce the toolkit, once you have attended the training the toolkit will be provided to you, in electronic format, again this will be free of charge.
The training will be delivered by Education Safeguarding, via Microsoft Teams on Tuesday 5 December 2pm - 2.45pm and repeated at 3.30pm - 4.15pm on the same day.
If you would like to book a place, please email cpdschoolimprovement@telford.gov.uk and state your preferred session.
Telford and Wrekin Safeguarding Partnership Annual Reports
The Telford and Wrekin Safeguarding Partnership have published the annual reports for Children and Adults, 2022 – 2023. You can find these reports attached below.
Early Years Coordinators’ Termly Update – 30 November 2023
The next Early Years Coordinators’ Termly Update is taking place at a local hotel on Thursday 30 November from 4pm to 5.30pm.
This termly meeting will provide an update as follows:
- EYFSP (from Rebecca Carey)
- ‘Let’s Talk Pants’ resources (a presentation from the NSPCC)
- A Virtual School Update (from Anita Farrant)
- Outcomes from any Ofsted inspections and any relevant legislation
- Forthcoming CPD opportunities.
The update meeting will also provide an opportunity for delegates to network and share good practice before the end of term.
The cost is £105 per person, with a 10% discount per person for two or more bookings from the same school.
To book your place/s, please send a completed CPD booking form to cpdschoolimprovement@telford.gov.uk
ICO’s Five Data Protection Top Tips for Early Years Settings
It’s vital that early years settings have robust data protection practices in place to keep children’s information safe.
Following World Children's Day on 20 November, the ICO have created five practical data protection top tips for nurseries, pre-schools, childminders and other early years settings.
If you need to refresh your data protection practices or you’re just at the start of your data protection journey, the ICO is there to help you get that right.
The top five tips cover the topics most commonly asked about by the early years sector, including:
- what ‘personal data’ is
- how to deal with a request for personal information
- what to do with your CCTV footage
- sharing information when needed
- keeping information secure.
By following this advice, you’ll not only be keeping the children in your care and their families safe, but you’ll also be keeping your organisation safe too.
Head over to the advice for small organisations section of their website to read the tips.
And don’t forget, if you need any help or have any questions, you can talk with one of the team via their live chat, or give them a call on 0303 123 1113.
Telford Skills Show: Thursday 14 March 2024
Bookings are now being taken for the Telford Skills Show, on 14 March 2024, at Telford International Centre.
The event will run from 10.30am to 7pm.
Telford Skills Show: School booking link
16 - 19 Telford & Wrekin Post 16 Prospectus
It’s that time of year when our year 11 cohort are applying for their post 16 destinations.
The Telford 16-19 prospectus has information on the local offer including the new T levels, almost 300 A-levels, BTECs and Apprenticeships across six schools and colleges making Telford an inspirational hub for learning, opportunity, and achievement.
Please work with students to help them make informed decisions on their post 16 destinations and link to the prospectus from your websites.
Details of CPD courses to the end of the Autumn Term 2023
The CPD Booklet for the whole of the 2023-24 academic year can be viewed via Telford Education Services.
Courses can be booked by completing and returning a CPD booking form to cpdschoolimprovement@telford.gov.uk
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Let's Talk PANTS Insight session - KS1-2 and SEND (Free of Charge) |
Tuesday, November 27, 2023 |
10am to 11.30am |
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Literacy Pathway – Group 3 |
Tuesday, November 28, 2023 |
Morning |
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Literacy Pathway – Group 4 |
Tuesday, November 28, 2023 |
Afternoon |
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Induction Training for New Governors (GO 502) |
Wednesday, November 29, 2023 |
9.30am to 3.30pm |
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Early Years Coordinators Termly Update (EY 007) (please refer to separate article) |
Thursday, November 30, 2023 |
4pm to 5.30pm |
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Children with a Social Worker – online briefing (please see separate article) Free of Charge |
Thursday, November 30, 2023 |
4pm to 5pm |
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Reducing Parental Conflict (please see separate article) Free of Charge |
Tuesday, December 05, 2023 |
2pm to 2.45pm |
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Reducing Parental Conflict (please see separate article) Free of Charge |
Tuesday, December 05, 2023 |
3.30pm to 4.15pm |
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Get to know Sparkyard! - Online training via Out of the Ark (Free of Charge) Please book via telford.music@telford.gov.uk |
Tuesday, December 05, 2023 |
4.45pm to 5.45pm |
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Webinar Series: Developing Core Skills in Primary Music. S5: History of Music (Free of Charge) Please book via telford.music@telford.gov.uk |
Wednesday, December 06, 2023 |
4pm to 5pm |
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Wednesday, December 06, 2023 |
1pm to 3.45pm |
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Governors' Responsibilities for Exclusions (SG 104) |
Wednesday, December 06, 2023 |
5pm to 7pm
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Understanding Nurture (PSS 101) |
Thursday, December 07, 2023 |
9.15am to 12noon |
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Literacy Pathway – Group 1 |
Monday, December 11, 2023 |
Morning |
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Literacy Pathway – Group 2 |
Monday, December 11, 2023 |
Afternoon |
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Literacy Pathway – Group 3 |
Tuesday, December 12, 2023 |
Morning |
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Literacy Pathway – Group 4 |
Tuesday, December 12, 2023 |
Afternoon |
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EAL for Beginners (CPD 726) |
Tuesday, December 12, 2023 |
1.15pm to 3.30pm |
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CSE Termly Online Briefing for EY, KS1 & KS2 |
Wednesday, December 13, 2023 |
1pm to 2pm |
Free of charge online briefing - ‘Children with a Social Worker’ – Thursday 30 November 2023
This briefing will take place 30 November from 4pm to 5pm and will provide an opportunity to explore and understand good practice relating to ‘Children with a Social Worker’.
The overall aim of the briefing is to work with school leaders to create a culture of high aspirations and to bring greater awareness to the disadvantages that this cohort of children can experience.
Delegates will be introduced to the ‘Children with a Social Worker Team’ of Education Advisers, and the briefing will include:
- Responsibilities
- Key research and data
- Key concerns (such as attendance, suspensions, and modified timetables)
- Communication with social care and other professionals
Delegates will also have an opportunity to share what they need from members of the team - in terms of advice, support, guidance, and training.
To book your place on this free online briefing, please send an email to cpdschoolimprovement@telford.gov.uk with your name, school name and email address.
Learning Language and Loving It Virtual Cohort
Learning Language and Loving It Timetable Virtual Delivery Response Cohort
Via Zoom on Tuesdays 6.30pm - 9pm
During the Learning Language and Loving It programme, you will learn Practical strategies for helping children in the classroom to build language, emergent literacy and social skills, no matter what their learning and communication styles are, and even if they have special needs.
The strategies can be easily woven into everyday activities. Each strategy is designed to engage and maintain the interest of the child, making language and literacy-learning a fun and natural part of their day.
The programme will provide you with ample opportunity to practice each strategy with the children, and to receive feedback from your Programme Leader to help you adapt the strategies, as needed.
These strategies include encouraging children to initiate and engage in conversational interactions, encouraging extended individual and group conversations between adults and children, and supporting adults with how to model more sophisticated language to expand children's oral language.
For those who receive the training, you will benefit from:
- Funded CPD opportunity for staff who work with children in your setting
- 1:1 personalised coaching from speech and language therapists and early years experts
- High quality and internationally researched training that provides guidance for Early Years practitioners in promoting social, language and literacy learning in Early Years settings
- An approach which enhances the everyday language learning environment for every child in the setting, including children with speech, language and communication needs, those with or at risk of delay, second-language learners and typically developing children
- Opportunity to inform practice in a national evaluation of what works in early years.
To be eligible for this programme, you must:
- Have onsite access to a computer with an internet connection as well as a device, such as a tablet. This technology is required to record videos of all staff-pupil interactions and upload onto a secure online access point for video review sessions
- A computer or laptop with webcam and microphone, as well as email access to take part in the online live workshops
- Nominate a senior member of staff (such as the nursery teacher or room lead) to take part in the training who can support other colleagues with the programme
- Complete and return a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU).
To express your interest in this free fully-funded programme, please complete this form.
Christmas Jumper Day
It's time to put on your most Christmassy jumper and help kids in the UK and around the world.
Christmas Jumper Day is a national annual event created by the international charity Save the Children. On Christmas Jumper Day, people are encouraged to donate money in exchange for wearing a festive Christmas jumper. Since its first event, Christmas Jumper Day has become more and more popular in many schools and workplaces.
All the money raised goes towards helping children around the world who are currently living in poverty. The charity helps to provide food, shelter, and education for the children, aiming to give them a better quality of life. Save the Children also ensures that children have access to medical treatment, including vaccinations, that will keep them safe against disease and infection.
The event encourages everyone to see the world as we hope our children do: a colourful place, full of happiness.
To join in with Christmas Jumper Day 2023, wear a Christmas jumper to school, work or wherever you are going on the 7th of December.
Free school resources to help celebrate Christmas Jumper Day
Fundraise for Christmas Jumper Day (savethechildren.org.uk)
Let’s raise the flag for Disability History Month: 16 November to 16 December 2023
Disability History Month takes place 16 November - 16 December 2023.
This year’s theme is Disability, Children and Youth.
As part of this, Telford & Wrekin Council’s Employee Disability Group are inviting you to meet them outside Southwater One on 14 December 2023 at 11am to raise the flag and mark the opening of the month.
There will be stands with information and materials from both internal and external services and there will also be a chance to hear professionals and those with lived experiences. This event provides an opportunity to raise awareness and show solidarity with your employees and local residents with disabilities.
The group look forward to seeing you there.
National Older Workers Week
National Older Workers week is taking place from 20 to 24 November 2023.
Multigenerational teams are good for business; they bring a wealth of different viewpoints and insights. Over 50s are a valuable part of this multi-generational workforce and contribute a wealth of experience. With an ageing workforce and labour shortages, this demographic will become increasingly dominant and important (by 2025 one in three workers will be 50 or over).
For more information on activities that are taking place and to find out what you can do to support older workers, please click on the link National Older Workers Week
The DfE have published further advice on improving school attendance
The DfE remain very concerned about the effect this will have on children. As the Department for Education (DfE) points out in its blog “Why is school attendance so important and what are the risks of missing a day?” We know that the highest attendance rates are linked with the best outcomes at all key stages.
To read the full article please visit the link below:
DfE Article: Improving School Attendance
If you have any questions, you can contact the Attendance Support Team at attendancesupportteam@telford.gov.uk or call 01952 385222.
Early Years Practitioner Wellbeing Support
The Department for Education has published an Early Years Practitioner Wellbeing Support resource on the Help for Early Years Providers platform: Early years practitioner wellbeing support - Help for early years providers - GOV.UK (education.gov.uk)
The resources bring together:
- Information on the benefits of investing in staff wellbeing in early years settings
- Case studies from four early years settings who have shared their insights on best practice to support staff wellbeing
- A list of external resources for early years practitioners and managers.
Catch22 Delivers the National Citizen Service (NCS)
The New Offer for 2023
Engaging in local NCS Community Experiences will support young people to:
- become world-ready and work-ready
- have greater confidence, resilience, and well-being
- feel able to have an impact on the world; and - have respect and tolerance for difference and diversity.
We achieve the above by running our experiences for young people with the following objectives:
- developing life skills and supporting independent living
- building employability and work-readiness
- providing opportunities for volunteering and social action.
Structure
- The programme is approximately 16 hours long, with different structures available.
- Bespoke Programmes available for schools, designed to meet the needs and wants of you and your students
- Term time Programmes for schools, plus HT and summer Programmes on offer for students
- We use the skill builder framework to design our Programmes around the three key themes listed above. Young people will leave our Programmes having grown in: listening, speaking, problem solving, creativity, staying positive/ resilience, aiming high, leadership, teamwork.
Our offer to schools and students include; bespoke enrichment activities, after school enrichment programmes and access to our HT and summer programmes. We have a variety of different workshops available to compliment and supplement the school’s curriculum. These include employability, enterprise, citizenship, health & wellbeing sessions, plus collaborations with organisations like Tik Tok to run our Create Academy Sessions.
We would love the opportunity to speak with you and learn more about the specific needs of your school and discuss how we can work together in the future.
For more information, contact Zoe Broome - Zoe.Broome@catch-22.org.uk