Notice: 20 July 2021

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

Included in this update:


Director Update

Dear all, 

By now I hope the end is in sight and wow what a year it has been!  The video below is a great big thank you for all of your efforts. We truly have noticed and we recognise that the children and young people of Telford are lucky to have you.  Many thanks to you for your support over the past 12 months, in my inaugural year in post, it has been a year like no other and one we won’t forget in a hurry. I know some provision continues over the summer holiday and I am grateful for colleagues in early years settings, those running holiday and food activities and those supporting the secondary school holiday programmes. Your endeavours will continue to make a real difference to the lives of children, young people and their families. I hope you all though manage some well-deserved rest too and I look forward to seeing you all soon.

I wish you all a terrific summer!

Simon

Simon Wellman
Director of Education and Skills


Thank you

A short video to thank all of the wonderful staff across our education settings.

The video below is a thank you to staff across Telford & Wrekin education and skills settings


Telford school scoops pioneering mental health award

Haberdashers’ Abraham Darby School has achieved the School Mental Health Award which is delivered by the Carnegie Centre of Excellence for Mental Health in Schools. They were awarded a Gold standard for their outstanding mental health and wellbeing provision.

Haberdashers’ Abraham Darby provides a wide range of activities to boost the wellbeing of pupils and staff, including yoga classes for staff, peer friendship groups, trained Emotional Literacy Support Assistants (ELSA’s) and close work with trailblazers and the NHS's Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services.

The trained mental health first aiders in year 13 have also created podcast to support parents and carers. They are also going to be delivering parent workshops on mental health from September.

Haberdasher’s Abraham Darby head teacher Mr Hadley said: “I am really pleased to receive external acknowledgement of the work we have put in on wellbeing and mental health. During a year when strategic and developmental work could have been put on hold Miss Owen has driven huge steps forward in this area of our school. The main point is; so many of our young people and staff are benefitting from the culture she and her team has created.”

The award was established in 2017 by the Carnegie Centre of Excellence for Mental Health in Schools, part of Leeds Beckett University, and the social enterprise Minds Ahead.

The Carnegie Centre of Excellence for Mental Health in Schools aims to strengthen pupils’ mental health by supporting schools to make a positive change at all levels of the UK's education system, improving students’ outcomes and life chances.

Professor Damien Page, Dean of Leeds Beckett’s Carnegie School of Education, said: “Achieving this award is not just recognition of a whole-school approach to mental health, it’s a recognition of the school’s commitment to improving the life chances of children.

“We’re truly proud to have worked with Haberdashers’ Abraham Darby in this vital work and look forward to further collaboration.”

Nationally, more than 1000 schools have signed up to take part in the mental health award. Dean Johnstone, founder and CEO of Minds Ahead said: “This award shines a light on the excellent work schools are doing to promote mental health for their community of children and adults.

“It is thrilling and humbling to learn about Haberdashers ‘Abraham Darby and the many other schools engaged in the quality award process. I’d like to offer my congratulations on this deserved recognition.”


Meadow licence for school to enjoy classes in nature

Old Park Primary and Nursery School in Malinslee has been awarded a licence by Telford & Wrekin Council to use an area of land bordering the school to create a nature-friendly outdoor classroom to bring their curriculum to life.

The 1.6 acre site has been left untouched since the former St Leonard’s County Infant School was demolished in 2007 and has become a hive of biodiversity that offers an exciting resource for the school to enrich its children’s learning and wellbeing.

The school was the first in the county to sign up to the ground-breaking Nature Friendly Schools project which champions the benefits of outdoor learning. The scheme lays the foundations for active learning, academic resilience and healthy young people who want to learn about and protect our precious natural world.

Read more about the scheme and how your school can get involved on the Nature Friendly Schools website.


Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games

In July 2022, Birmingham will host the XXII Commonwealth Games, the largest multi-sport event to be held in England in 10 years. Using the Games as a catalyst for youth development, the organising committee for Birmingham 2022 is investing in Games-wide youth engagement activity, putting young people at the heart of the games, to ensure the social benefits from Birmingham 2022 are experienced by all children and young people across the West Midlands.

The Learning Programme will see us introduce an array of exciting opportunities that your pupils and teachers can engage with, starting with:

  • Soft programme launch: Autumn Term 2021

Starting the academic year with a soft launch, this will include some light touch engagement activities, including digital and physical resources, mascot visits to schools and engagement with the launch of the Queen’s Baton Relay as it sets off on an epic journey across the Commonwealth. Towards the end of the autumn term, the team will also provide clarity around the specific activities that schools can engage with during the Spring and Summer term in 2022.

  • Official programme launch: January-July 2022

From January 2022, the Learning Programme will officially launch with a full programme of engagement activity. This will continue throughout the Spring and Summer terms taking us right through into the actual games.

Taking place from 28 July to 8 August 2022, the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games will be the largest international multi-sport competition to be held in England in 10 years. Through the accompanying learning programme for schools, the aim is to place children and young people at the heart of the Games by providing exciting engagement activities across KS1-5.

Get involved:

  • Meet Perry (mascot) School Visits
  • Queen’s Baton Relay
  • Digital Educational Resources
  • School Workshop Activities
  • Birmingham 2022 Cultural Festival

Queen’s baton relay:
An epic journey across the Commonwealth with one baton visiting all 72 nations and territories, reaching places to include Africa, America, Asia and Europe. The Relay will begin in October 2021 when Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II will place her message to the Commonwealth into the Baton.

Cultural festival:
A six month arts festival harnessing this once in a lifetime opportunity to positively disrupt the region’s cultural sector and inspire lasting change.

Mascot:
The Birmingham 2022 official mascot design is Perry, a bull covered in a patchwork of multi­coloured hexagons. Named after Perry Barr, which is home to international athletics stadium, the Alexander Stadium. Perry is cheeky, friendly and confident. He’s looking forward to meeting you.

Key dates:

  • Autumn Term 2021
    Early Engagement Activity
  • Spring Term 2022
    Official Launch in January (Full Programme)
  • Summer Term 2022
    Engagement Activity Leading to Games time
  • The Games
    Opening Ceremony: Thursday 28 July 2022
    Closing Ceremony: Monday 8 August 2022
  • Autumn Term 2022
    Post Games Legacy Engagement Activity

Visit the official Commonwealth Games website for more information, including submitting an application for Perry to visit your school in July 2021. For more information please contact the your team by email


NHS Cadets- Start your career pathway into health

NHS Cadets is a new scheme created in partnership between St John Ambulance and the NHS, to provide 14-18 year-olds from under-represented communities with opportunities to explore a career in healthcare.

The programme offers young people first aid training, courses to develop their leadership skills, and volunteering opportunities in the NHS - including vital hands-on work experience in hospitals. 

The exciting 12-month programme takes two hours a week to complete, and covers a wide range of skills and experiences.  It is completely free of charge, and participants will also be given an NHS Cadets polo shirt.

For more information visit the St John Ambulance website. Please email nhscadets@sia.org.uk for an expression of interest form. Please return this as soon as possible, once it is completed, to be considered for the programme.

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

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