Included in this Edition of the Noticeboard

• Directors Update
• School & Post 16 Travel Assistance
• Quality Assurance Policy Feedback
• School Attendance Survey
• Residents invited to early Years Family Fun Day
• Outdoor Learning Workshop 
• A Special Approach to Making it REAL to support families and practitioners
• CPD Course
• Access to Uni Taster Day

Directors Update

An update from Simon Wellman

Dear colleagues

As we move ever closer to the end of the summer term, this week’s Education Noticeboard is shorter than usual, however it is still contains important information.

Please ensure parents and carers are aware that they need to make Travel arrangements for school and post 16 travel assistance for the new term by 30 June 2024. Details on how to apply for travel assistance are included in this edition of the noticeboard.

There is an opportunity for you to feedback on the revised Quality Assurance Policy, so please take time to review this and send through your comments to the team.

Learn Telford team are offering Access to Uni taster session which will provide some useful information to any of your students that maybe interested in exploring University as an option for their future.  

Also there is still a number of training opportunities available until the end of the Summer term which may be of interest to you and your staff.

Wishing you all a good rest of your week.

Best Wishes

Simon Wellman

Director Education & Skills

News

School & Post 16 Travel Assistance - Please apply before 30 June 2024

Telford & Wrekin Council looks to parents and carers to make arrangements for their (child)ren and young people to travel safely to their allocated school and/or post 16 provider, where possible.

If you are unable to transport your child or young person and you meet eligibility criteria listed on the council’s website, the council can provide travel assistance.

If you are applying for your travel assistance from September 2024, all applications must be received by the council by 30 June 2024.

Applications received after this date cannot guarantee that travel training or travel assistance will be in place for the start of the new term.

When will travel arrangements be in place?

The council aims put travel arrangements in place by the start of the new term, however, they can only start making arrangements after all applications are received on 30 June. Please submit your application as soon as possible.  You will receive notification of travel arrangements before the start of the new term.

If my child/young person already have travel assistance do I need to re-apply?

You will only need to re-apply in the following circumstances:

If you have moved house since you initially applied or your child is moving school, as your eligibility could have changed.

Parents/carers for children over the age of 16 must re-apply for assisted travel every academic year. If you received travel assistance for your young person in a post 16 setting this year you will be notified this by email.

How to apply:

You can submit your application NOW on the council's website and transport platform - School Travel Assistance (telford.gov.uk)

In order to submit an application, you will be required to login to your account or if you haven’t used the system before create a new account online. If you already have an email address registered with the council, please use this email when creating an account, this will help the council to link your existing travel assistance arrangements with your new account. 

Once you have created an account and submitted your application, you will receive regular notifications on your application progress, you can log on at any point to see the progress.  If you need support in creating a new account, please call 01952 384545 (Monday to Friday, 7.15am-5pm)

Quality Assurance

Quality Assurance policy feedback

Leaders invited to submit feedback regarding the Quality Assurance policy 2023/2024. 

In preparation for the review of the Quality Assurance policy 2023/2024, the local authority would like to invite school leaders to provide feedback. This feedback will be used to consider any amendments and additions which may be made to the existing policy.

Please follow https://forms.office.com/e/7M3NWYvifb to submit your feedback. The form will close for responses on Wednesday 26th June at 5pm.  

Download the policy below

quality-assurance-policy-2023-24.pdf (telfordeducationservices.co.uk)

Attendance

School Attendance Surgery – Friday 28 June 2024.

These ‘School Attendance Surgeries’ are an opportunity for schools and colleagues to join us to discuss complicated cases relating to school attendance. The surgeries will be via TEAMS and are held half termly on a Friday morning. Please book your place. The next session is on Friday 28th June 2024– the schedule of all dates is also attached.  

Schools will be aware that the DfE guidance ‘Working Together to Improve School Attendance’ expects the LA to be sharing good practice and also have a responsibility for communication and advice.

Therefore, we introduced these surgeries for schools to refer cases or to join us to listen to how schools and AST have worked together to manage complicated cases. Or, where school attendance related individual cases can be discussed (anonymised) in the surgeries.

We had a very productive and varied discussion relating to school attendance at these surgeries, we now invite you to book a slot on the next one on Friday 28 June 2024

We have also arranged an additional Attendance Briefing on Wednesday 3rd July to discuss the new PN Regulations, along with other attendance issues.

We invite you to attend these TEAMS sessions for free by requesting a place via the CPD booklet. Please see the surgeries details attached. There is a copy of the booking form attached then send to  CPDSchool.Improvement@telford.gov.uk or alternatively, here is a link to the CPD booklet:

Telford Education Services Website

Download link to Surgery dates

Download Booking Form

Early Years

Residents are invited to Early Years Family Fun Day on Saturday 6 July 2024

Next month we will host a new family fun and information event in Telford Town Park to help families understand more about the different childcare support options which are available to them.

The Early Years Family Fun Day will take place on Saturday 6 July between 11am and 4pm in Telford Town Park.

The event is at providing families with vital information on the different funding entitlements and resources which are available to them as they navigate their way through parenting. This includes:

• Childcare funding entitlements for 0–5-year-olds
• Happy Healthy Activity Holiday clubs for 5–16-year-olds
• Wrap around childcare options for 5- 11-year olds
• Family Hubs

Experts will be on hand to offer advice about the various types of childcare support for families as well as provide guidance on what they are entitled to and how to apply.

As well as being an information event, there is also plenty of family fun activities organised to keep the whole family entertained from storytelling with Sal Tongue to workshops by Telford & Wrekin Music and Lola’s Caribbean Kitchen who will be demonstrating her exquisite Caribbean cooking.

There will also be a sporting theme to the event as local provider ‘Active Future’ offer children the chance to take part in their Nerf battles and ‘Cyclone’s Football’ who will be encouraging children to improve their footballing skills whilst having fun.

Download flyer

Outdoor Learning Workshop and Online Network by James Kitney

Thrive Together Stronger Practice Hub West Midlands – training opportunities

Outdoor Learning Workshop - Ryders Hayes - Thursday 1st August 11.30-12.30pm

CPD

CPD courses to the end of the Summer Term 2024

Further details of these and all other courses are available in the 2023-24 CPD booklet on the Telford Education Services website and on the Ollie website.  Summer Term courses will appear on next week’s noticeboard

The CPD Booklet can be viewed via Telford Education Services.

As always, courses can be booked by completing and returning a CPD booking form to cpdschoolimprovement@telford.gov.uk (unless denoted differently)

Other Resources & Information

Access to Uni Taster Day

I don’t have A’levels or the qualifications to go to university – will I be able to go?

Is it worth going to university- what are the benefits?

Can I afford it and what help is out there?

What about student debt?

We will guide you through the answers to these frequently asked questions and bust some myths along the way!

FREE  one day information course about all things relating to our Access to Higher Education diplomas and how they can get you to university.

FREE lunch provided

FREE creche places available for this one day session (limited)

Always wanted to learn at a higher level but thought it was out of reach?

This short course will give you all the information you need to understand how to get yourself to university and beyond via our excellent Access to Higher Education programmes.

Why go to uni? You will meet the Access to HE team and learn all about the diplomas we offer: Education, Health Professionals and Psychology. You will learn how these gateway courses to Higher Education can lead to an array of degrees and ultimately career paths. We will talk you through the pattern of study and the units each diploma covers as well as how you earn vital UCAS points when you study with us.

Remember Access to HE is equivalent to three A-Levels and is not for the faint hearted- but it is a life changing and incredibly rewarding diploma. We'll inform you of what attributes and skills you need to go the distance and reach your university goal.

Are you eligible? There are some important requirements to be able to undertake the course that we will guide you through.

This is your opportunity to meet the team and get support with making your application for Access to HE. Come with a list of questions and we will be happy to answer them.

Session Details:

• 10-12.30 Morning session- information about our A2HE diplomas and target setting
• 12.30-13.00 Lunch break, lunch will be provided on the day
• 13.00 -2.00 Afternoon session- eligibility, finance and is the course right for me?
• 2.00 Q&A and next steps
• Finish
• Please bring your own drink

A creche is available for this short course. Places are limited. You must email us at support@learntelford.ac.uk if you require this facility with the age of your child/ren and any dietary requirements