Notice: 11 March 2021
A round-up of news, guidance and key updates for education settings.
Included in this update:
- Executive Director Update
- Health & Safety - ventilation guidance
- Good News Stories
- Survey - consent rate of secondary school pupils taking the LFD test
- £79 million to boost mental health support for children and young people
- Confirmatory PCR testing following a test at home
- National Child Exploitation Awareness Day 2021
- Telford and Wrekin Early Help Assessment and Support Plan Training
- HR Skills Training: Employee Investigation - Spaces available
- SEND Newsflash – Letter to Parent/Carers of children and young people with SEND
- New Learning Support Advisory Teacher (LSAT) package prices for September
- Face covering in classrooms – advice and strategies to support
- HMI on remote learning for SEND
- Arthog Outdoor Education during Summer Term 2021
- Telford & Wrekin Music – Return to Schools 19 April 2021
- CPD courses – March 2021
Executive Director Update
Dear Colleagues,
This week schools and settings have welcomed children and young people back into their buildings and I would like to share my thanks for all the hard work, planning and continued support you have provided to your communities. Over the last year we have faced unprecedented challenge and I have greatly admired your ability to adapt to the fast changing landscape. The most recent lockdown has felt very tough and we know our children are delighted to be back at school. (We have seen their big smiles on your twitter feeds!) Because of your work it is no surprise that attendance rates have been outstanding this week! I also want to acknowledge our fantastic early years providers who have been open too all over the winter period and recognise the amazing work of our secondary schools who are delivering hundreds of tests with their pupils. My thanks for your hard work, commitment and support.
Jo Britton
Executive Director Children’s and Family Services
Health & Safety - ventilation guidance
Added: 12 March 2021
The importance of ventilation is being increasingly recognised as a critical control measure against the transmission of Coronavirus. Good ventilation helps to reduce the risk from aerosol transmission, where someone breathes in small particles (aerosols) in the air after a person with the virus has been in the same enclosed area. We have seen a number of outbreaks in offices and meeting rooms where this transmission route was suspected.
Staff will still need to socially-distance, and wear masks or face coverings where required, as good ventilation does not prevent droplet transmission, which can occur where people are within 2m of each other.
The HSE have recently produced the following guidance, which we would encourage you to read and implement:
Ventilation and air conditioning during the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic
Good News Stories
Take a look at some of the activities schools and settings have been up to this week…
Apley Wood Primary School have welcomed back their mini superheroes, take a look!
EYFS at Priorslee Academy have been creative while having fun.
At Old Park Primary everyone has been having a busy week, year 4 Orchestra, year 3 artists, year 2 making rainbows are just a few, take a look @OldParkPrimary
Take a look at the science investigations at Tibberton CE Primary School during British Science Week.
Congratulations to the Star Bakers at Charlton School #teamblue
If you would like your school or setting to be featured on the Noticeboard, or if your students have been taking part in an exciting project, please tag in @TelfordWrekin on social media and we will share your post.
Alternatively, you can send a copy of the full story via email to education.noticeboard@telford.gov.uk.
Survey - consent rate of secondary school pupils taking the LFD test
This survey is for secondary schools only.
We are undertaking this very short survey to find out the consent rate of pupils taking the LFD in your setting. We are seeking to gauge the level of motivation to undertake rapid tests across schools within the borough. Individual school names will not be used when sharing this information.
£79 million to boost mental health support for children and young people
Press Release from the Department of Health and Social Care: 5 March 2021
Millions more children and young people will have access to significantly expanded mental health services, backed by £79 million.
- Nearly 3 million children in England to be supported by mental health support teams in schools
- Around 22,500 more children and young people to access community mental health services
- 2,000 more children and young people to access eating disorder services
Young people have been uniquely impacted by the pandemic and lockdown, with NHS research suggesting 1 in 6 may now have a mental health problem, up from 1 in 9 in 2017.
The number of mental health support teams in schools and colleges will grow from 59 to 400 by April 2023, supporting nearly 3 million children. Mental health support teams work in a variety of ways, including enabling children to text their local mental health support team, with a health professional responding within an hour during the school day offering them advice, or providing families with tips on how to spot that the children and young people are struggling with their mental health.
The teams also help staff within schools and colleges to provide a ‘whole school approach’ to mental health and wellbeing through training sessions for parents or workshops for teachers.
Throughout the pandemic, these teams have continued to work virtually, providing vital support for young people during lockdown. Schools have hailed their success in supporting both students and staff. In Kent, teams have provided 20-minute telephone counselling sessions for parents struggling with the competing demands of life under lockdown, alongside virtual drop-in sessions for school staff on how to support children with their mental health.
Access to community mental health services will also be expanded, giving 22,500 more children and young people access to help and support by 2021 to 2022 – including talking therapies and cognitive behavioural therapy.
This accelerates the commitment to expand services as part of the NHS Long Term Plan, which will see an additional 345,000 more children and young people access mental health services by 2024.
As we near step one of the roadmap, with schools returning from Monday, the government has expanded the support available to children and young people who may be suffering from poor mental health as a result of, or exacerbated by, the pandemic.
Health and Social Care Secretary Matt Hancock said:
Over the last year great focus has rightly been placed on our physical health, but I am incredibly conscious of the impact the pandemic has had on people’s mental health and wellbeing.
Children and young people have been particularly impacted by disruption to their routine, education and social lives and I am committed to doing all I can to ensure mental health support is there for those who need it.
Our response to this global pandemic will not only treat the public health threat of coronavirus but ensure our clinicians have the resources to respond to the long-term impact on people’s mental health, to provide support to everyone in their hour of need.
Children and young people facing a mental health crisis will continue to get support through 24/7 crisis lines and will benefit from additional funding to support follow-up crisis treatment at home where necessary.
Eating disorder services for conditions like anorexia and bulimia will also be accessible to an additional 2,000 children and young people in the community. This follows NHS England’s plans to expand rapid access to specialist NHS treatment for young people with eating disorders across England, aiming to contact patients within 48 hours and beginning treatment as soon as 2 weeks later.
Minister for Mental Health and Suicide Prevention Nadine Dorries said:
This has been an exceptionally difficult year, especially for our children and young people, and we know it is having a real impact on mental health.
This additional funding will mean children who need to can access services in the community, as well as providing early intervention in schools.
I am committed to supporting everyone’s mental health and wellbeing, and doing everything we can to ensure young people who need help, get help.
Children and young people’s mental health services have remained open throughout the pandemic, adapting to deliver services remotely where appropriate.
NHS Mental Health Director Claire Murdoch said:
The pandemic has turned our lives upside down and hit children and young people particularly hard.
NHS mental health services have worked around the clock, proactively reaching out to and caring for children and young people despite challenging circumstances – and we stand steadfast in our commitment to continue to improve mental health care for each and every one of them.
This funding announced as part of the Spending Review last November will now support NHS England’s work to increase the number of mental health support teams in schools and colleges to 400 by 2023, and growing community services to treat more children and young people than ever before.
Paul Farmer, Chief Executive of Mind said:
It’s positive that the UK government have confirmed that £79 million of the previously announced £500 million investment in mental health has been allocated to support children and young people’s mental health. With schools re-opening in England next week, the commitment to having better mental health support for pupils cannot come soon enough.
We know that high levels of poor mental health and problems accessing mental health services were a problem for many children and young people even before the pandemic, and that coronavirus has disproportionately affected younger people. Over the past year, our young people have faced a whole load of additional challenges, including school closures, loneliness and isolation, and the knock-on effect of the recession causing problems for families such as debt, unemployment, housing and access to benefits.
There is still lots more work to be done to ensure that every young person gets the support they need for their mental health. But this is a positive step forward in cementing mental health at the heart of recovery from the pandemic and beyond.
Children’s Minister Vicky Ford said:
For many young people this pandemic has amplified the feeling of lack of control, which can have such a huge impact on their mental health and wellbeing.
This additional funding will be absolutely vital and the new mental health support teams will enable even more children and young people to get the support they need quickly. It builds on the expert training programme we’ve introduced for school and college staff and our Mental Health in Education Action Group to address the mental health issues young people are experiencing and improving the help available.
This challenging time may be turbulent, but our commitment to improve mental health support remains firm and we are prioritising this as more pupils and students return to face-to-face education next week.
To help children and young people, their parents and carers manage their mental wellbeing, deal with stress and tackle issues like anxiety and uncertainty, Public Health England has a series of dedicated resources on the Every Mind Matters website.
This includes tips on self care and dealing with change.
Dr Alex George, government’s Youth Mental Health Ambassador, said:
This funding will make a huge difference to young people’s lives, and I am so pleased to see this level of commitment from the government and the Prime Minister.
The mental health support teams in schools, together with the child and adolescent mental health services are vital sources of support, and I will continue to work with the government on supporting the wellbeing of children and young people.
Education staff will be supported to respond to the emotional and mental health pressures some children and young people may be feeling as a result of COVID-19 as they return to school by the Wellbeing for Education Return programme backed by £8 million, and free online psychological training modules on how to provide practical and emotional support to children and young people affected by emergencies or crisis situations.
Confirmatory PCR testing following a test at home
Information from the Department for Education (DfE).
Around 1 in 3 people who have coronavirus (COVID-19) have no symptoms. By rolling out rapid testing to schools and universities at pace we are helping to uncover hidden cases of the virus, break the chains of transmission and stopping outbreaks before they get a chance to develop.
Students in secondary schools and colleges are currently testing on site – 3 tests, each 3 to 5 days apart – using Lateral Flow Devices (LFDs) as part of the rapid asymptomatic testing programme. Robust evaluations from PHE and the University of Oxford show that LFD tests are accurate, reliable and successfully identify those with coronavirus (COVID-19) who could pass on the virus without realising. The tests have extremely low rates of false positives. LFD tests taken on test sites, such as on school and college grounds, do not need a confirmatory PCR test. This is because these tests are done in a controlled environment and trained staff read the results.
If a pupil or student received a supervised school-based LFD test, as part of the rapid asymptomatic testing programme, and it was positive then they and other members of their household must self-isolate. PCR testing is not advised if you have received a positive result from an LFD test at a school or college test site. If a parent was to do this and it returned a negative result, the policy remains that the pupil or student, their close contacts, and other members of their household must still self-isolate.
All positive results from rapid tests undertaken at home do need to be confirmed with a standard PCR test. This is because these tests are not conducted in a controlled environment and will not have trained staff on hand. Following positive LFD test at home, a confirmatory PCR test should be booked online or by calling 119. Whilst awaiting the PCR result, the pupil or student and their close contacts should self-isolate. If the PCR test is negative, it overrides the self-test LFD test (at home only) and a child can return to school.
National Child Exploitation Awareness Day 2021
Sadly this vile crime takes place across the country but in Telford and Wrekin we will never ignore it. We are working hard with partners, including West Mercia Police and other organisations, to keep children and young people safe from harm and are continuing to invest in safeguarding services, to ensure the right support and help is available.
Throughout the week our CATE team will be hosting a series of online training events for staff to raise awareness of the signs, symptoms and what to do if people have concerns.
Online training
All sessions will take place online on MS Teams. Please click on the course title to find out more including dates and times of the event.
- Child Exploitation and Missing Children.
- Exploitation, the Police and Disruption.
- Child Exploitation and the Impact on Parents and Carers.
- Child Exploitation and Internet Safety.
- Child Exploitation Resources for Direct Work with Young People and Families.
Who are these courses for?
These courses would be beneficial for council staff who work directly with children, young people and families including teaching and education professionals.
If you are worried about someone or would like more information visit the Family Connect website.
Find out more about how the council is tackling Child Sexual Exploitation.
Telford and Wrekin Early Help Assessment and Support Plan Training
The course is designed to support practitioners to produce high quality Early Help Assessments when working with children & families. Coverage will help introduce the redesigned EH assessment and how to effectively incorporate it when assessing strengths, needs and risks within the child & family setting.
Please Note: This training will be held on ZOOM.
The requirement to join the course is that you have firstly completed the Ollie - online Early Help Assessment and Support Plan Training.
Also you must have read all documents prior to attending as we will be using these documents throughout the session.
To Access the half day ZOOM training you will need to book on via Ollie training.
Ollie Training – Book your Place
You will receive all reading documents when you book on through Ollie. You will also receive your ZOOM invite Direct from the Trainer - Ted Daszkiewicz
(Please note: you may need to check your Junk email)
Objectives:
By the end of the training you will:
- Be introduced to the Telford and Wrekin Thresholds Guidance Document
- Early Help Assessment and Support Plan Guidance.
- Understand how the new EH assessment fits into integrated working.
- Interpret informed consent as part of the assessment process
- Understand the principles required for producing high quality EH assessments
- Be able to interpret information gathered and produce high quality outcome driven action plans. Incorporating the difference between actions and outcomes
- Understand the importance of recording/evidencing risk and vulnerability in children and families.
- Know how to effectively review Early Help assessments within the context of a Team around a Family.
Target Staff
Members of the children and families workforce who work in the Telford & Wrekin Safeguarding Partnership area, who work predominately with children and young people and/or their parents/carers who could potentially be involved in the assessing, planning, intervening and taking part in multi-agency processes where there are Early Help concerns.
Dates:
- Wednesday 12 May 2021
- 9.30am - 1.30pm
- Virtual (Zoom)
- Wednesday 23 June 2021
- 9.30am - 1.30pm
- Virtual (Zoom)
- Monday 12 July 2021
- 9.30am - 1.30pm
- Virtual (Zoom)
How to book:
All TWSCB courses are booked through Ollie, an electronic Learning Management System.
If you already have an Ollie account, please visit Ollie Telford & Wrekin Online Learning Portal and search for the course under ‘Adults and Children’, select ‘Enrol Me’, ‘Classroom Event’ and ‘View all sessions’. Please note that our course titles are prefixed with ‘TWSCB’.
If you do not have an Ollie account, please follow the instructions below.
To apply for a place on Telford and Wrekin Safeguarding Children Board training you require access to Ollie. If you are not a member of staff with Telford & Wrekin Council nor have an existing Ollie account you should complete an account request form.
Once your account is set up, login details will be sent to your email address by the Ollie team. This is not an automated process but we aim to respond to requests within five days.
Your account will last for 12 months from activation. After this time, if you require further access you will have to request your account to be reactivated.
You should check your browser settings to allow pop-ups from the site to ensure the courses load correctly.
Account request forms can be found on the Telford & Wrekin Safeguarding Partnership website or by requesting a form from ollie@telford.gov.uk.
Ollie Telford & Wrekin Online Learning Portal
A full user guide is available at the login page. If you have any queries please email the Ollie team at ollie@telford.gov.uk.
HR Skills Training: Employee Investigation - Spaces available
We have some spaces available on our HR Skills Session on Managing Employee Investigations on:
- Thursday 18 March
- 3pm - 5.30pm
- MS Teams.
Target Audience
This course is aimed at all members of School Staff and Governing Bodies that will be responsible for undertaking and commissioning employee investigations under any of the Schools Model T&W HR Policies.
Course Content
This session will provide training on commissioning and undertaking an employee investigation as required by a number of School HR Policies. This will cover questioning techniques, the writing of the final report and presenting this at a hearing.
Learning will be reinforced through practical case studies.
Key Learning Outcomes
- To be consistent in decision making around the need to commence an investigation.
- To be able to undertake an effective and fair investigation into any employment matter and present this confidently at a formal hearing.
Charges & Booking
Schools who buy into HR/Employment Services £40.00 plus VAT per delegate
All other schools £55 plus VAT per delegate.
Where non-attendance or cancellation occurs within ten days of the course date, full cost recovery will be charged, without exception.
If you are unable to attend we would encourage you to send a colleague in your place so you will not be charged.
These can be made through our online learning platform (Ollie).
or via email to: hrhelpdesk@telford.gov.uk
If you are interested in us delivering these sessions for a group of you please email hrhelpdesk@telford.gov.uk and we can discuss your requirements in more detail.
SEND Newsflash – Letter to Parent/Carers of children and young people with SEND
Please download this letter from Vicky Ford, the Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Children and Families, to children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND), their families and carers and those who work to support them.
This letter highlights key information and support that is available for children and young people with SEND as they return to full attendance and school and college. Information included about:
- Attendance at Education Settings
- Public Health Advice
- Testing
- Face Coverings
- Vaccinations
- Education Recovery
- Therapies
- Mental Health and Wellbeing
Please share widely with children and young people with SEND, families and carers and those working to support them, the letter is available for parent/carers to download on the SEND Local Offer.
For more information or enquiries please contact us at: SENDandInclusion@telford.gov.uk.
SEND Local Offer - Parent Carer News
New Learning Support Advisory Team (LSAT) package prices for September
This year, there will be a change to the charges for our Learning Support Advisory Teachers (LSAT). Traditionally we have operated on a financial year, from April to April. However, in order to align our services better with other areas of SEND, and to best fit our planning and delivery with school’s needs, we will be moving to an academic year from September 2021 (September to August).
In order to accommodate this change, schools have been asked to buy into the Summer Term separately. As of September, there will be new packages and prices for our service, with reducing costs as more sessions are bought.
All business managers or financial administrators of schools will have been informed of these changes, so please make yourself aware of what the new pricing structure looks like if you haven’t already.
If you have any questions, please contact your LSAT for further advice.
Or, email SENDandInclusion@telford.gov.uk
If you would like to find out more about the services the LSAT Team provides, please take a look on the SEND Local Offer.
SEND Local Offer – Learning Support Advisory Teachers (LSAT)
Face covering in classrooms – advice and strategies to support
The use of face coverings presents significant challenges to children and young people with sensory impairment. It can impact on their access to learning and affect social interactions.
Updated guidance from the DfE on the wider re-opening of settings from 8 March 2021 clearly states:
Exemptions:
Some individuals are exempt from wearing face coverings. This applies to those who…
‘speak to or provide help to someone who relies on lip reading, clear sound or facial expression to communicate’. The same exemptions will apply in education and childcare settings…
On Face coverings
‘Face visors or shields should not be worn as an alternative to face coverings. They should only be used after carrying out a risk assessment for the specific situation and should always be cleaned appropriately’.
‘Transparent face coverings, which may assist communication with someone who relies on lip reading, clear sound or facial expression to communicate, can also be worn’. There is currently very limited evidence regarding the effectiveness or safety of transparent face coverings, but they may be effective in reducing the spread of Coronavirus (COVID-19).
Schools coronavirus (COVID-19) operational guidance (publishing.service.gov.uk)
Further education coronavirus (COVID-19) operational guidance (publishing.service.gov.uk)
It is not the role of the Sensory Inclusion Service (SIS) to issue public health advice around the use of facemasks.
The current use of face coverings (which obscure lip patterns and/or muffle speech) is likely to result in a need for reasonable adjustments under the Equality Act (2010).
Reasonable adjustments might include:
- Seating plans – where students with hearing loss are seated at the front of the class to maintain the minimum distance between themselves and the teacher. Hearing aids have an optimal range of 1-1.5m.
- Allow breaks where required as students may become tired due to working harder to hear and follow lessons and conversations.
- Consideration of individual or small group delivery in good acoustic conditions.
- Focus any TA support to post and pre tutoring of sessions.
- Note taking during lessons.
- Content of lessons being given to CYP prior to lessons.
- When using TEAMS, use captioning, spotlighting and consider appropriateness of the chosen background / lighting.
- Can virtual learning be used to support the student in school.
- Involve the family to check equipment and support learning.
Useful strategies may include:
- Use captions with PPT – live caption is available with the online Microsoft PPT.
- Provide key vocabulary and information prior to a lesson so students are aware of the words to be used and can look words up for clarity and understanding.
- Allow extra time for processing information – students will be working harder to hear your voice.
- Gain the students attention before speaking.
- Reducing background noise.
- Create opportunities for students to socialise at 2m distance with ventilation so that they can remove their masks and engage with their peer.
- Effective use of radio aids where provided, by the teacher and in group discussions/ work.
- Ensure access to good quality ICT advice/ provision.
- Utilise the services of SIS to advice on strategies to increase curriculum access and to support sensory impaired CYP in these challenging times
- Alert sensory impaired students individually to changes in arrangements for moving around the school, to ensure they have understood.
- It will be impossible for students to interpret facial expressions so be explicit with instructions and praise, and avoid generalised statements, such as ‘over there’ or ‘this way’.
- Ensure all resources are modified in advance for VI students, as advised by the QTVI, to avoid the need for unnecessary support in class. Make sure they have their own copies of all printed resources.
- Be discreet when talking to a student about their sensory needs, to avoid embarrassment.
- Students who wear spectacles should be encouraged to wear a mask that fits tightly across the nose to avoid steaming up. It may also help to wash them with detergent and allow the glasses to dry naturally.
This information is available to download as a PDF: Face Coverings in Classrooms Sensory Inclusion Service 2 March 2021.
If you have any questions about supporting a child or young person with a sensory impairment in your school please contact the Sensory Inclusion Service by email:
graham.groves@telford.gov.uk, Theresa.robinson@telford.gov.uk or your supporting teacher of the deaf.
HMI on remote learning for SEND
Summary of Ofsted’s research findings on what has been learnt about how remote education is working for children and young people with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND).
This can be useful for if and when our SEND pupils are self-isolating.
Read the report What’s working well in remote education.
Arthog Outdoor Education during Summer Term 2021
Learning outdoors has many educational and health benefits in normal times. In addition, during the pandemic:
- The risk of infection is reduced outdoors;
- ‘Social distancing’ is often easier to maintain outside;
- Being outdoors in natural settings has a positive impact on mental health and well-being.
The current operating environment is defined by the Department of Education Guidance (February 2021) which states that:
- From 8 March 2021 no educational visits are permitted and this will be reviewed at the end of the Spring Term
- From 8 March 2021 Outdoor Learning can take place. In addition to using their own playgrounds and gardens, many schools routinely use outdoor areas adjacent to and nearby the school for educational activities, sometimes designated as a ‘Local Learning Area’. It should be possible to continue to use many of these venues within current limitations, especially if they are within walking or cycling distance of the establishment.
- From 29 March 2021 the Government Roadmap out of lockdown (February 2021) includes the intention for outdoor sports facilities to reopen and further relaxation of outdoor venues, including theme parks from 12 April 2021.
- The 17 May 2021 is the earliest date for residential accommodation for groups with final restrictions being lifted at the earliest date of 21 June 2021 – this will need to be confirmed with the Department for Education.
In response Arthog Wales, Arthog Outreach and Sky Reach High Ropes are working collaboratively to maximise the expertise of staff, equipment and facilities to create Covid-secure Outdoor Education. The Outdoor Education Team are also working to support schools in their self-led outdoor learning activities.
Arthog Wales
Arthog Wales will remain closed for residential visits until 7 June 2021 (second half of the summer term). All of our schools that have bookings in the summer term will be contacted before Easter to discuss options and alternative outdoor education activities. For Arthog Wales, all invoicing and journal transfers according to standard booking conditions are suspended for the Summer Term.
Arthog Non-Residential Activities
We come to you, and run activities either on your site or in the immediate locality. Pre course planning will ensure maximum use of your venue and include the option of the climbing tower, archery and problem solving activities.
Activity days off site – the very best that Telford and Shropshire have to offer
The exact activities will depend on your location, but the great thing is Shropshire and Telford have many wonderful outdoor activity venues. Some we use already, some we have developed for this summer, to ensure choice near all our schools. Minibus transport provided in line with CV-19 safe travel guidance.
It may be that we are taking your children and young people into areas they are familiar but doing activities and adventures they cannot normally access because it requires highly qualified leaders and specialist equipment e.g. rock climbing on Wenlock Edge or paddling on Blue Pool in Telford Town Park. Or it could be that by combining our collective local knowledge we can go to hidden delights and esoteric places, or find wildlife otherwise missed.
Fees
Fees will vary on your final agreed programme but as a guide a school day for an activity group (based on 10-12 participants will cost £210-£230. So a class of 30 with 3 activity groups would be £630 to £690.
T&WC Arthog Guarantees
1. Safety
To ensure the health and well-being of all involved and Covid-secure practice, Government Guidance, T&WC Instruction and Adventure Industry best practice are all being followed. As part of the pre-course process we will need to be informed of each school’s own Covid management risk assessment and procedures to ensure compliance.,
2. Educational Quality
As usual, we plan all courses with our schools. The bespoke nature of our provision means we can ensure the educational quality of the Arthog tradition. If it is not possible to deliver as requested, we will be honest and say so to avoid any disappointment.
3. Financial Security
During these challenging times we would like to reassure our users and parents that Telford and Wrekin Council are adopting a supportive and flexible approach to bookings. Invoices will be issued after a course has taken place and will be based on the actual numbers attending. You can book secure in the knowledge that if operating conditions do change and a planned programme cannot go ahead your school or college will not be left with a financial liability. We ask that you work with us closely so that we can match our resources to your need.
4. Educational Visit Notification
As Arthog Wales, Arthog Outreach and Arthog Sky Reach are owned and managed by Telford and Wrekin Council, and relevant sections of the Form 16A are included in their booking processes, no notification to the Outdoor Education Advisor is required.
To find out more or to make a booking enquiry please email: adventure@telford.gov.uk
Telford & Wrekin Music – Return to Schools 19 April 2021
We are really excited to return to schools week commencing 19 April 2021 to recommence music lessons in schools.
Although there have not been any major changes to how we can teach and the space that we require, we do understand that we need to have a flexible approach once we do return.
All of our tutors have been asked to contact their schools to ensure they understand what will be expected of them and to help with any planning that schools need with our return, we do know that lots of children are really looking forward to getting back to their instrumental lessons.
Our Whole Class Music Projects will continue and will be a mix of live and ‘live’ streamed into schools until half term when we will review our decision again in collaboration with schools.
We will review our Ensemble/Rock Schools in May.
All music service tutors are asked to follow best practice DFE guidance for Asymptomatic Testing, however we have not been provided with Home Testing Kits. If you are willing to adopt the Music Tutor that comes into your school into your own testing regime then that would be appreciated.
Our tutors will continue to comply with school risk assessments and we have risk assessments in place for the activity. Where tutors are identified as vulnerable, there will also be an individual risk assessment in place.
To contact us our email address is telford.music@telford.gov.uk.
For up to date information about all of our events please go to our Facebook page.
CPD courses – March 2021
Details of all of our courses can be found in the CPD Booklet, which is available on the Telford Education Services website. Unless stated otherwise, the majority of course bookings are made by sending a completed CPD booking form via email to cpdschoolimprovement@telford.gov.uk.