Education Noticeboard - 21 March 2024
Welcome to the Education Noticeboard. A round-up of news, guidance and key updates for education settings. Included in this update:
- Director Update
- Cycle into Spring with Telford Bike Hub this half term!
- Make a Change is Back for 2024
- Volunteer Roles – Education Admissions Appeal
- Term Dates and Holidays for Academic Year 2025-26
- Happy Healthy Active Holidays Easter 2024
- Lawley Primary School – BIG Award
- Telford Skills Show 2024 is springboard to career opportunities
- ‘VOICES’ Domestic Abuse online platform
- Secondary Transition Days 2024-25
- Childcare Choices Updates
- Ofsted Best Start in Life Curriculum Roadshow
- Armed Forces Covenant Fund Trust – Service Pupil Support Programme
- Welcome to T & W Council’s Staff, Family and Friends Fun Run 2024
- Crucial Crew 2024 – BOOKING IS NOW OPEN
- Harper Adams University Experience Days
Director Update
Dear colleagues
Welcome to this week’s Education Noticeboard, and the last one of the term. I’m sure you are all looking forward to some well-deserved rest over Easter, so I hope you can take some time to relax and recuperate.
With the end of the term, there also comes the end of some colleagues’ time with us. I want to extend a huge thank you to all of our colleagues below who have either recently moved on, or will be moving on shortly:
Skills – Sue Marston, Marie Donnelly, Dean Griffiths, Claire Nelson, Marie and Stephen Blake, Dudley Evans, and Lynn Powell
Virtual School Team – Amanda Price
Achievement and Enrichment – Liz Smith
SEND & Personalisation 0-25 – Kim Tunbridge, Gwen Nutting, Jo Whitmore, Marianne Everett, Theresa Robinson, Rachel Atkin and Sarah Court (secondment).
Thank you all for your contributions, and I know you will all be missed within your respective teams, and within the wider service.
With all these changes also comes a change to the structure of Education & Skills. You can view the new Interim Structure here. This is in place from the 1 April and is likely to be for 6 months in the first instance.
Additionally, this also gives me the opportunity to congratulate some colleagues on their new roles:
Natalie Bevan - Strategic Lead SEND & AP Change Programme
Sarah Court - SEND and AP Change Programme Manager
Rebecca Carey - Service Delivery Manager Achievement and Enrichment
Best of luck to you all!
This week also saw the launch of Telford and Wrekin’s ‘Seen something? Say something’ communications campaign, which will help raise awareness of the signs and symptoms of child sexual exploitation (CSE) and encourages people to report any concerns via a new website – SaySomethingTelford.co.uk. As you all know, safeguarding is the responsibility of us all, so please take some time to explore the new website.
Lastly, I hope you find this week’s noticeboard insightful, and I look forward to seeing you all after the Easter break!
Best wishes,
Simon
Simon Wellman
Director: Education & Skills
Cycle into Spring with Telford Bike Hub this half term!
Learning to ride a bike can be tricky, that’s why our Learn to Ride sessions at Telford Bike Hub are so popular! Our cycling instructors have plenty of experience of working with children and helping them to understand the techniques and skills required.
Children learn to ride through games and confidence building activities, in an outdoor traffic free area. If your child has their own bike you are welcome to bring it along, otherwise you can use a bike and helmet from the Bike Hub at no extra charge.
Sessions last one hour and parents are asked to remain on site – there are benches next to the training area.
Spaces are available to book via Tickets Telford – search Learn to Ride or follow this link Telford Bike Hub - Learn To Ride (ticketstelford.com)
Make a Change is Back for 2024
Make a Change is a Telford and Wrekin Council safer Stronger Communities initiative in Partnership with the Young People’s Forum.
The initiative aims to get young people thinking about what they could do to make positive changes within their communities. They have the opportunity to develop a project that they would like to deliver and tell us about it.
There are five prizes of £2000 up for grabs to make projects happen!
Plus, young people can also win a bundle of fun personal prizes including cinema tickets, ice skating and many more.
There were some great projects funded in 2023 including:
- Woodside Youth Festival where young people organised a youth festival that included local services with information on issues such as knife crime, drugs and mental health
- Mental Health workshops at Dawley Youth Club delivered by Telford MIND.
Entries need to be submitted by a minimum of two young people age 11-18 and ideas should be either Health & Wellbeing or Environment related.
Find out more here Make a change 11 - 18 - Make a change 11 - 18 - Telford & Wrekin
View the launch video here Make A Change Launch - YouTube
Volunteer Roles – Education Admissions Appeal
We are looking for volunteers to join our Independent Appeal Panel which deals with primary and secondary school admissions and exclusion reviews.
The admissions panel considers appeals from parents or carers whose children have been refused admission to their preferred school. Our independent panel members consider the cases put forward by parents and schools and decide whether or not the appeal should be upheld.
You can find out more about this role: https://www.telford.gov.uk/info/20026/school_admissions/802/school_admission_review_panel_members
Term Dates and Holidays for Academic Year 2025-26
Enquiries usually begin during the Spring Term from staff who work in educational settings about future term dates and holidays. I am pleased to be able to share these with you for the academic year 2025-26.
There are two LA suggested PD day:
- Monday 1 September 2025
- Monday 20 July 2026.
Schools should add three further PD days or of course select all five of their own.
Schools are cordially requested to send a copy of all agreed PD days to attendancesupportteam@telford.gov.uk
Happy Healthy Active Holidays Easter 2024
Our bookings are now open for Easter 2024 Holiday Activities!
Don’t miss out on our jam packed Easter programme!!!
Please go to https://hhah.telford.gov.uk/ to register for HHAH.
Eligibility Criteria:
Reception – Year 11 benefit related FSM Children
SEND Children
Referral in by schools/services for vulnerable/at risk students or families identified that may benefit from the scheme.
If there is a child/children that you feel would benefit from this scheme who doesn’t qualify for FSM but can be included as part of the 15% allocated funding for our vulnerable and deprivation areas, please provide us with their details to the holidayactivityhub@telford.gov.uk email using Code SUMMER23
Lawley Primary School – BIG Award
Lawley Primary School are very pleased to announce that they have been awarded the BIG Award for a second time. The staff and children take bullying very seriously and have had to provide lots of evidence to show what is done in school, which was then assessed.
Please see the statement from the BIG Award Director:
“Lawley Primary School take bullying very seriously. Bullying can happen in any setting, but at Lawley Primary School the Children’s Safeguarding Team are trained peer mentors, that pupils can talk to if they are worried about anything.
The school has a clear and up to date anti-bullying policy, and staff are trained in all aspects of safeguarding.
Staff have had restorative justice training, which is very effective. Pupils have also been trained as play leaders to ensure a good experience for their peers during break times.
I am so pleased to award Lawley Primary School with the BIG Award for Excellence in Challenging Bullying for their second time.”
Val McFarlane, Director, Bullying Intervention Group
Telford Skills Show 2024 is springboard to career opportunities
It was fantastic to see so many people at the Telford Skills Show 2024 last week.
Around 3,000 people of all ages, including 1500 school children and 1400 further sign-ups, came to speak to up to 50 employers from across the region, including Capgemini, Ricoh UK, Lovell Partnerships and the army, during the day.
The event gave visitors an insight into apprenticeship, employment and training opportunities in Telford and Wrekin, the opportunity to speak to employers and take part in hands-on activities.
Our Job Box team were also on hand to give advice and guidance at the event and signpost towards Telford & Wrekin Council vacancies and apprenticeships and jobs with other employers.
‘VOICES’ Domestic Abuse online platform
The Domestic Abuse Commissioner is delighted to launch VOICES, her virtual platform for victims and survivors to influence change to improve the lives of others subjected to domestic abuse.
Victims and survivors, as well as friends and family bereaved by domestic abuse, can sign up on the link below to receive the VOICES email newsletter, which will include opportunities for victims and survivors to share their experiences, as well as providing relevant updates on the work of the domestic abuse sector, government and academics.
The Commissioner is also inviting victims and survivors to share their views in a survey on their experiences with the police.
Sign up
https://gov.smartwebportal.co.uk/homeoffice/public/webform.asp?id=270&id2=DE5506
Secondary Transition Days 2024-25
This year transition days for Year 6s moving to their new secondary schools will be happening on Monday and Tuesday, 1 and 2 of July 2024.
Details of the 2025-26 transition days will be confirmed in the summer term.
Childcare Choices Updates
From 12 May, parents of 9-month-olds and older will be invited to apply for their childcare codes ahead of our September 2024 rollout.
Here's how we’re continuing to support working families:
Ofsted Best Start in Life Curriculum Roadshow
Ofsted is running a Best Start in Life curriculum roadshow for Early Years settings, including childminders.
There is a separate session for maintained nursery schools and any school with pre-reception age attending.
This event will be held in Walsall on Monday 15 April (further details available on registration).
This half-day event will offer the opportunity to learn more about our Best Start in Life research reviews, what an effective curriculum for communication and language, PSED and physical development looks like in the early years, and how we look at the prime areas of learning at inspection.
Two representatives from your setting are welcome to attend. Each person attending will need to register separately.
Current Ofsted Inspectors (OIs) are asked not to attend this event, as specific training is provided for inspectors separately.
There is no charge for attending one of these events and spaces are available on a first-come, first-serve basis.
Please find the registration link for the session below:
Armed Forces Covenant Fund Trust – Service Pupil Support Programme
Schools supporting Service children in the UK can now apply for the latest round of the Service Pupil Support Programme which will award grants of £5,000 to £80,000 to projects supporting Service children along their educational pathway.
Applications close midday on the 8 May 2024 and you can find full details, including application guidelines and our funding priorities for this round, on the website. For assistance with the grant application, please email armedforcescovenant@telford.gov.u
Welcome to T & W Council’s Staff, Family and Friends Fun Run 2024
The T&W Council Staff Fun Run was introduced in 2021 as a fun initiative to support the health and wellbeing of staff members following the lockdowns of 2020. In 2022 the event expanded to include family members, and in 2023 further still to include friends and family. Alongside the actual Fun Run, there is also the opportunity to participate in a Couch-to-5K (C25K) course for complete beginners looking to try out running for the first time, or for people who may have had a go in the past but want to return to running.
This year, the team would love for more colleagues from our schools and academies across Telford to get involved and join in the C25K and the Fun Run to help support your health and wellbeing and socialising with other colleagues from across the borough.
We invite you to join our Couch-to-5K programme starting on 11 April 2024 and also sign up for our 5K Fun Run on Thursday 13 June 2024 at 6pm.
Links for more details and to secure your place for either or both events are below:
https://www.telfordtheatre.com/whats-on/all-shows/telford-and-wrekin-council-staff-fun-run/5021
https://www.telfordtheatre.com/whats-on/all-shows/couch-2-5k/5020
Please share with your staff team as an idea opportunity to support their health and wellbeing, and if anyone has any questions about the events please don’t hesitate to email FunRun@telford.gov.uk and the team will be happy to answer them.
Crucial Crew 2024 – BOOKING IS NOW OPEN
Crucial Crew is back for the 29th year and booking is now OPEN.
Crucial Crew is a multi-agency partnership event aimed at Year 6 students designed to provide them with life skills and knowledge that will help to keep themselves and others safe, both now and in the future.
Crucial Crew aim to raise students’ awareness of important safety issues, encouraging them to think about their own and others safety and guiding them on what to do in a number of potentially unsafe situations.
This year the event is taking place between 24 June 2024 and 12 July 2024, excluding transition days.
Booking is now open until 10 May 2024, so complete the form by clicking on the link.
Harper Adams University Experience Days
Animals Experience Day – 18 April 10:00 – 15:30
Our Animals programmes delve into the diverse world of animals, encompassing everything from beloved pets to exotic wildlife, both locally and globally. Whether your passion lies in veterinary care, physiotherapy, animal sciences, or Zoology, our array of courses caters to all interests.
Join us for our Animals Experience Day, where you'll embark on a journey filled with fun sessions and activities that unveil a world of exciting career possibilities and academic interests. Meet our friendly staff, passionate experts, and fellow students, and discover the incredible opportunities waiting for you within our vibrant Animal Studies community.
Individual bookings – Years 10 – 13 (and beyond): Animals Experience Day 18 Apr 2024 | Harper Adams University - Events (harper-adams.ac.uk)
School Group Bookings – Years 11 – 13 and equivalent: email events@harper-adams.ac.uk
Explore Learning In Telford
Harper Adams University and Telford College will be hosting activities in Telford Town Centre on Friday 5 April at Meeting Point House and around Southwater. If you want to find out more about the exciting new digital, future-facing courses that the two institutions will be teaching in the brand new Quad in Station Quarter this September, then pop in and join us whilst we show you more about the digital pathways and activities that students could join us on this year, and the careers that courses with us could lead to.
There’s no need to sign up to the event, but feel free to drop in to Meeting Point House or find us in Southwater where you can explore more, and get started in finding out about next steps and joining one of our new pathways.