Schoolsnet Bulletin Board

Every school maintained by the Local Authority should have a whistleblowing procedure. Whistleblowing procedures protect staff members who report colleagues they believe are doing something wrong or illegal, or who are neglecting their duties. 

Coming soon – the programme for the new look Education Conference 2019 on 5^th & 6^th March at the Cheltenham Racecourse.

The Gloucestershire Safeguarding Children Board (GSCB) has developed a series of one minute guides on topics such as Neglect and CSE for schools, which will be published on a monthly basis.

Please encourage them to sign up to Gloucestershire County Council’s list of suppliers for small works up to £15k.

The Gloucestershire branch of the RIBA (Royal Institute of British Architects) is holding a photo competition for all students and teachers in Secondary schools across the county.

Deadline: Friday 23^rd November

The Standards and Testing Agency (STA) has published statutory guidance for assessing and reporting the EYFS profile and the national curriculum at KS1 and KS2 for the academic year 2018/19.

Gloucestershire County Council with partners in health and education are launching an exciting competition to engage young people in sixth-form schools and colleges across Gloucestershire to design a campaign which raises awareness of the risks associated with antimicrobial resistance (where antibiotics are no longer effective).

County lines gangs use children and vulnerable people to courier drugs and money.

This year was the 10^th Anniversary of the Junior Memory Championship and the launch of the Asian Junior Memory Championship in Singapore. The purpose of the Junior Memory Championship  is to equip children with valuable and effective memory skills helping them achieve their very best results in SATs and other end-of-year tests.

Children’s Social Care now has a new vision for ‘Building the Best’ Service.

Twilight sessions are being held around the County to introduce the new 2018 Lodeseeker.

Gloucestershire Trading Standards are urging schools to be on their guard when taking phone calls from an individual purporting to be a member of Gloucestershire Fire & Rescue Service.

You will remember that in 2010 the Director of Education, Learning and Libraries, then Jo Grills, signed a blanket letter advising that all Gloucestershire County Council staff out in schools held a valid CRB check (as it was in 2010).  Please note that with changes to the Disclosure and Barring Service over the years, the 2010 blanket letter now no longer applies.

Would you/colleagues and your pupils like to become explorers for the day, witnessing some of the Arctic’s key physical (natural) and human features in the process? Do you wish to know more about the area at the ‘top’ of our planet and understand why it is like it is?

The Pupil Premium Grant Financial Year 2018-19 calculator is now available.

Gloucestershire County Council and Gloucestershire Clinical Commissioning Group are currently commissioning for a provider of support to young carers and young adult carers. We are looking for young carers to be involved in an evaluation panel on Tuesday 23rd October.

We are taking bookings for central training for teachers, introducing the Facts4Life approach to health resilience and mental health.

This Education Support Fund has been extended for another two years. The bidding round opened on 14 September 2018 and closes on 19 October 2018.

The next meeting for secondary senior leaders (assistant and deputy headteachers) will take place on Tuesday 27^th November, 1.30pm-3.45pm at the National Star College, Ullenwood, Cheltenham, Gloucester, GL53 9QU.  Please save the date.

School budgets are under strain across Gloucestershire and beyond. The prospects for 2019/20 are particularly challenging not least because, in common with other local authorities, we are struggling to contain spending on High Needs. A consultation paper setting out some options for next year will be published next week.

In 2017, due to product obsolescence, RM SecureNet was discontinued.

After completing product assessments (with input from schools) and the required procurement process, the Local Authority (LA) contracted with Angel Solutions for a replacement system, which was implemented in August 2017. 

The School Emergency Closure website and process is changing soon. During the last week in September you were sent an email by Deborah.peake@gloucestershire.gov.uk asking you to confirm some important details as we need to send you secure login information. If you have not yet responded to the email, please can you do so as quickly as possible as this will enable the roll out of the new simpler School Emergency Closure site and allow a test day to be arranged for schools to practice.

The Joint Waste Team is inviting all primary school pupils in Gloucestershire to take part in an exciting new competition to create their very own Christmas recipe showing how to use up all those seasonal leftovers.

The DfE has updated the guidance for Ofsted and local authorities regarding unregistered independent schools and out of school settings.

GHLL are really pleased to be able to forward from Stonewall two new guides which were launched on 26^th September 2018.

The deadline for submitting the Half Year Return is 16th November 2018.

Following the successful pilot project for KS1 literacy last year, we are pleased to offer subject leaders and senior leaders opportunities to work with an Education Endowment Foundation (EEF) Research School on two projects in 2018-19:

• Improving literacy at KS1
• Improving literacy at KS2

Now that temperatures are decreasing, it is essential to check schools can log into TREND and that all of the TREND network cables are connected. 

The Gloucestershire Schools Forum Outcome Report from the meeting held on 20^th September 2018 is attached.

To help schools raise awareness of hate crimes and incidents amongst staff and pupils across Gloucestershire, the charity Victim Support has suggested some ideas of what organisations can do and posters for use during or around National Hate Crime Awareness Week 2018.

During this time, any urgent referrals or queries should be sent to the Occupational Health Unit by email ohu@gloucestershire.gov.uk

 A number of schools have changed email address from the standard "@gloucs.sch.uk". As you will appreciate it is important that the LA has an up-to-date list of the Head Teacher, Chair of Governor and Admin email addresses.

The Pavilion, Hatherley Lane, Cheltenham, Glos GL51 6PN.

The local authority (LA) is seeking to appoint a team of external moderators to complete statutory end of KS1 and KS2 writing moderation in June 2019.

Schools need to be aware of fraudsters attempting to commit fraud by trying to change supplier bank account details.

A small working party has been very busy, putting together a variety of resources/activities for schools to use, with Pittville Park as the focus.

Following funding from Heritage Lottery Fund, Gloucestershire Wildlife Trust have opened a new education centre at Greystones Farm in Bourton-on-the-Water. This recently renovated centre features a dedicated education room, an education garden, working dairy farm and replica Iron Age roundhouse.

The DFE has made further changes to KCSiE.  Many schools have reissued part 1 to staff as part of their start-of-term safeguarding update.  The 19th September changes are minor and as far as we can see at this stage, do not require the document to be reissued to staff.

The Local Authority has reviewed the EHC needs assessment process and as a result of this, the decision has been taken to no longer hold Team Around the Child (TAC) meetings towards the end of the process.

The Home Office in co-operation with other Government Departments has issued guidance on the Criminal exploitation of children and vulnerable adults for professionals working in education, health, housing, benefits, law enforcement (police) and related partner organisations.

The GSCB has developed a series of one minute guides on topics such as Single Central Record and CSE for schools, which will be published on a monthly basis.

The referral form for Prevent/Channel has been updated. The aim of Prevent is to support individuals where there is a potential risk of radicalisation and violent extremism.

The Standards and Testing Agency (STA) has published guidance for statutory teacher assessment (TA) for the academic year 2018/19.

Gloucestershire Safeguarding Children Board will be holding Designated Safeguarding Lead forums for schools as part of Traded Services in each of the localities starting in October. 

The local authority will continue to offer end of KS1 and KS2 Assessment and Moderation CPD in 2018/19.

The first network meetings are in November and December 2018.

Each subject package of three meetings is  £240.00 per delegate, which includes the venue and catering costs.

Following the success of previous years’ CPD programme we will be running a similar programme this year, built around the Teachers’ Standards, supporting NQTs in their induction year.

Following the successful pilot project for KS1 literacy last year, we are pleased to offer subject leaders and senior leaders opportunities to work with an Education Endowment Foundation (EEF) Research School on two projects in 2018-19: Improving literacy at KS1 and KS2.

The inaugural Education Leads Information and Networking Event to will be held at The Growth Hub, Oxstalls Campus on October 10th between 6pm and 8:30pm.

The Governors September Budget Plan Forecast 2018/19 template is now available to download at school budgets 2018-19.