Schoolsnet Bulletin Board

We are aware of a new viral hoax which is similar to the Blue Whale and Momo hoaxes seen previously.

Read a message from Radio Gloucestershire about their campaign to grown 2,020 trees from seed!

During Covid-19, we have seen children working remotely and sending pictures to teachers and staff showing what they have been up to whilst out of the classroom.

Please ensure that you add a paragraph to your Acceptable User Policy to reflect that professional judgement must be used by staff before uploading these pictures to the school website.

Barnardos See Hear Respond is a new service developed to fill the widening gap for children and young people during COVID-19.

The Department for Education has announced several reforms to EYFS.

Pleased find attached a letter which outlines the need for the sharing of pupil level data to ensure we are able to fulfil our statutory safeguarding responsibilities.  The agreement for signature will follow shortly. 

Following our previous updates regarding the changes to the ParentPay refund processes, we now need to repeat the process we followed in April and June (as the funds available in the GCC ParentPay account have reduced significantly).

Cycle Ready is rolling out a new secure online Booking solution for all future Bikeability training.

The Gloucestershire Schools Forum Outcome Report from the meeting held on 18 June 2020 is now available.

The Best Value Statement is now incorporated into the NEW SFVS return. Therefore there is no need to carry out a separate exercise.

Date: Monday 6th July 2020 
Times: 1:00-2:30pm or 3:30-5:00pm (choose your session)
Trainers: Dr Hugh van't Hoff (GP & Director, F4L) & Pete Kirby (Curriculum Developer, F4L)

Please find attached a template document: Safeguarding & Wellbeing Re-Opening COVID-19 Action Plan for Schools, produced by GHLL and GSEP.

The Safeguarding in Education Team have updated the Covid19 Annex for the settings Child Protection Policy, following the release of the amended DfE guidance issued on 1^st June  (found here).

There have been temporary changes to SEND  legislation as a result of COVID-19. 

Severn Trent Water are currently working with Public Health England and Asset Management & Property Services to protect schools from lead.

The Safeguarding in Education Team has updated the COVID-19 Annex for the settings Child Protection Policy, following the release of the amended DfE guidance issued on 20^th May 2020 (found here).

Based on the value of the meetings already held and as part of Gloucestershire Safeguarding Children Executive’s on-going commitment to Gloucestershire Schools through these unprecedented times, we have set up some additional dates for the virtual meetings for Designated Safeguarding Leads.

A school has reported receiving an email about updating IT details, by clicking on a an embedded link.

A Frontline Professionals Survey.

RE Today Services I NATRE are providing RE teacher support products and services as a fully integrated support package.

Can plants enrich your teaching? 

Survey for Teachers, TAs and others in schools.

The pupil number forecast is now available to download; it is a likely indication of your pupil numbers over future years to enable you to plan provision.

The pupil number forecast is now available to download; it is a likely indication of your pupil numbers over future years to enable you to plan provision.

Based on the value of the meetings already held and as part of Gloucestershire Safeguarding Children Executive’s on-going commitment to Gloucestershire Schools through these unprecedented times, they have set up some additional dates for the virtual meetings for Designated Safeguarding Leads.

The Music Works is having to change some of the ways they do things in response to the coronavirus outbreak and resulting social distancing measures.

They are continuing to do whatever they can to help young people across Gloucestershire fulfil their potential by making the music they want to make.

Due to the changes affecting school meals/ activities currently, the refund process on ParentPay is changing temporarily.

The new Ofsted Framework, published in May 2019 for inspections from September 2019, and the research reports leading to this Framework show the importance of the ‘intent’ of the curriculum.
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As we become accustomed to new ways of working, some of the queries that the Gloucestershire Safeguarding Children Executive have been receiving are particularly around safeguarding pupils whilst they learn remotely.

The MOD have recently opened up applications to their education support fund.

In response to multi-agency learning from a number of recent Serious Case Reviews undertaken in Gloucestershire, the Gloucestershire Safeguarding Children Executive has produced a Practice Briefing on Professional Curiosity.

During this difficult time the Business Service Centre (BSC) is working to ensure that arrangements are in place for all groups of paid staff. With that in mind, this communication outlines the Council’s position on processing payments to claims based (zero-hour and casual) staff.

E-Bug is an exciting, fun and free microbiology, hygiene and health education resource for children and young people from ages 4 – 18.

As part of Gloucestershire Safeguarding Children Executive’s on-going commitment to Gloucestershire Schools through these unprecedented times, they have set up some virtual meetings for Designated Safeguarding Leads.

With the ‘normal’ way of working being heavily disrupted we appreciate your plans for the submission of budget plans on the May 22nd 2020 may have been affected.

Please find attached further information regarding our response to vulnerable children at this time.

The Safeguarding in Education Team has developed a special Covid-19 one minute guide on the role of the DSL during this unprecedented time.

The Safeguarding in Education Team has produced, for all Educational Settings that purchase their Traded Service, an Annex for the settings Child Protection Policy, as suggested in the Department for Education (DfE) guidance issued on 27^th March 2020 (found here).

Due to the coronavirus (COVID-19), the Department for Education (DfE) has suspended the 2020 Keeping children safe in education (KCSIE) consultation.

Due to the current Covid -19 situation, this requirement has been postponed, and therefore the information is no longer required for 2019-20.

ThinkuKnow have created packages to help support children and their families over the coming weeks and months and have launched #OnlineSafetyAtHome

Please see attached additional guidance on safe working practices at these times and updates from traded services and HR.

Gloucestershire’s councils and partners have created a community help hub to connect local people who need help, with others who can provide the support they need.

Thank you for your on-going work in supporting children so those critical to our coronavirus response can continue to do what is necessary for the country. It is a constantly changing picture and you are all working incredibly hard to do all that is being asked of you.

RE Today, in partnership with NATRE, have produced a series of free, quality assured online resources to support parents and their children with the provision of RE activities for use during the coronavirus crisis.

The following advice will go a long way to helping you secure yourself online.

Draft SFVS submissions are welcomed at this time while Full Governors sign off is not possible, we will be posting notifications regarding potential extension on deadlines including GBP as soon as we have heard from the ESFA. Thank you for your continued work and support.

Some Schools have already reported that parents and carers of children in receipt of free school meals are being targeted by fraudsters.

Please note the attached instructions for the Schools Emergency Closure website.

The Secretary of State has allowed Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector to temporarily suspend all routine inspections of schools, further education, early years and social care providers.