Schoolsnet Bulletin Board

Gloucestershire County Council is supporting the international campaign to tackle domestic violence which launched on 25 November.

The Outcome Report from the Gloucestershire Schools Forum meeting held on 15th November 2018 is attached.

When you have your three yearly whole school training could you please ensure that you include any Peripatetic Music Teachers that undertake work in your schools.

Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) are specific traumatic events which occur before the age of 18 and can be grouped into three types: abuse, neglect and household adversity.

We want to build a social movement that recognises the potential lifelong impacts of adversity in childhood and takes action to stop childhood harm.

We need you to take action on ACEs. Read more to find out how…

The local authority will continue to offer end of KS1 and KS2 Assessment and Moderation CPD in 2018/19. Details of the events are below:

Following national training events for local authorities in autumn 2018, KS1 and KS2 writing training materials are now available on NCA tools (‘Teacher assessment’ section). Schools may use these resources to help prepare for the moderation of teacher assessment.

The Standards and Testing Agency (STA) has provided updated information about the development of the online MTC that will become statutory for pupils in Y4 from 2019/20. The STA has published also the assessment framework for the MTC.  A national voluntary pilot will take place in June 2019.

The local authority is seeking to appoint to a senior post following the retirement of the current post holder.  Full details can be found using the links below:

Research shows that a play-friendly school is one where children are more likely to be happy, settled, in good mental and physical health, and open to learning; in other words, making time and space for play in the school day helps rather than hinders children’s education.

To reduce the risk to personal data being lost with printed payslips a change has been made to the way your National Insurance (NI) number is displayed within it.

Following the successful pilot project last year, we are pleased to offer headteachers and senior leaders opportunities to work with the Education Endowment Foundation (EEF) on maximising the impact of pupil premium.

Gloucestershire Clinical Commissioning Group (GCCG) would like to inform you of some recent changes relating to the local prescribing of a range of medicines, vitamins and minerals that are available to buy Over the Counter (OTC) from community pharmacies and supermarkets.

For the majority of NQTs, completed NQT assessment reports should be returned to NQTs@gloucestershire.gov.uk by 7^th December 2018. 

The new Emergency Closure Site will go live for you to test on Thursday 15^th November between 10:30-11:30hrs; you will have the opportunity to practice closing, opening and publishing messages.

You are invited to give evidence to the Durham Commission, which is exploring the role and value of creativity and creative thinking in our education system. The Commission, chaired by Sir Nick Serota will report in June 2019. 

The 2018 Safeguarding Audit will be available from 12^th November 2018 with a return date of no later than 18^th January 2019.

The Iain Grant Trust has funds available to help teachers of primary school children to travel abroad to study teaching methods in order to support development and extend professional development. 

Attached is the Data and Analysis team key dates for 2018/2019 data collections.

Many of you will be aware that since 31^st July 2018 the Gloucestershire Safeguarding Children Board (GSCB) has not been able to offer E-Learning as one of the training options. 

The agendas for the full day November and December primary and secondary English, mathematics and science subject leader meetings are now available.

The resources from the November briefings are now available

 Resources: HT and COG Briefing October/November 2018

Date: 7^th January 2019

Times: 9.15-15.30

Venue: Forest Hills Golf Club, Mile End Road, Coleford GL16 7QD

Cost: £40 per person to cover administration, venue and refreshment costs which includes lunch.

The Local Authority is proposing to make some changes to the local Penalty Notice Code of Conduct. This was last revised in October 2017.

Alongside the recent messages coming from the DfE and Ofsted relating to the issue of “Forgotten Children” or “Off-rolling” in schools and the increasing level of scrutiny recommended in these areas, you will also be aware that in 2017/18 there was an increase in the number of children and young people being electively home educated in Gloucestershire.

We have been alerted to a new email extortion scam.

We need your views on the way funding is allocated to mainstream schools for 2019/20 and beyond.

All newly registered providers are invited to a ‘New Provider briefing’ by way of an introduction to the service and a face to face information session.

Please see below for an important update from the DfE

The 2018 Annual Meeting of the LGPS Pension Fund, the pension fund for support staff, will be held in the Council Chamber, Shire Hall at 12 noon on Friday the 7th December 2018.

From time to time head teachers receive requests from parents for a flexi-school arrangement.

Gloucestershire County Council is inviting comments on its draft Gloucestershire School Places Strategy (SPS) 2018- 2023, which sets out the latest context and background for the Council’s strategic planning of school places and the issues that impact on places and demand across the Local Authority area.

October is Cyber Security Awareness Month and we would like to remind all schools to be vigilant to the threat of cyber-crime.

The advice line number is 0300 421 6976 and available on Tuesdays 1.30pm – 4.00pm.

You may be aware that we are currently trialling a banding process for post 16 students in FE colleges and we already have a banding system in place for our special schools and it therefore makes sense to explore the feasibility of moving towards a banding system for all pupils who receive additional resources from the High Needs Funding Block. 

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.