Schoolsnet Bulletin Board

Details and links to the key communications from the Department for Education are attached (updated from 27.09.21).

The Gloucestershire Safeguarding in Education Team (GSEP) will be rolling out training to Headteachers in relation to the Single Central Record. The aim of these free one hour sessions is to update knowledge on what belongs on your school's single central record (SCR).

Gloucestershire local authority (LA) wishes to appoint new external moderators to complete statutory end of KS1 and KS2 writing moderation in June 2022. 

We all recognise the growing problem with congestion outside the school gate. Let’s face it, it’s not going to get better unless we take action and here’s how you can make changes and help promote cleaner air for your children.

Traded Services are pleased to announce the launch of their new Traded Services Survey.   It has been a number of years since they have reached out to customers in this way. The survey is a platform for schools to provide open and honest feedback on the full range of services they offer. 

Details and links to the key communications from the Department for Education are attached (updated from 27.09.21).

Following the request for nominations for the Secondary School Maintained and Academy Governor Representative vacancies (close of nominations was 5:00pm on 24 September 2021), please see the attached document for the results.

Following last week’s Ofsted Curriculum Roadshow (Friday 24 September), please click here for the presentation slides. 

Following changes to the Department for Education (DfE) guidance on using pupil premium, the webinar will outline: key changes to the guidance and implications for school leaders; essential ingredients of an effective pupil premium strategy and tutoring options for 2021-22.

Gloucestershire schools at times place students in alternative provision to better meet their needs. This is often for short periods of time. Gloucestershire County Council would remind schools that ideally provision used is Ofsted registered.

Schools are asked to make all staff, parents and carers aware of the temporary fuel situation and that this may have an impact on the availability of some home to school transport. Where unavoidable every effort will be made to ensure that the impact is minimised.

The Odyssey Computing Hub are keen to develop local subject leader networks to support computing curriculum leaders in their role.

All pupils at imminent risk of permanent exclusion from school have seen their situation improve after TALC involvement, new figures have revealed. New data shows that those children with an imminent risk of permanent exclusion, had all seen their likelihood of exclusion reduce within the first 12 weeks of TALC involvement.

The deadline for the Pupil Premium Plus self-declaration is 7 October 2021. Children who have been looked after by an English or Welsh local authority immediately before being adopted, or who left local authority care on a special guardianship order or child arrangements order (previously known as a residence order) have been allocated £2345 in funding if in Years Reception to Y11.

‘Inspiring Families’ at Cheltenham Borough Council are continuing the Book Bank Scheme. The scheme provides schools with children’s books which families can take home for free.

Please find attached the Schools Forum Outcome Report from the meeting held on 16 September 2021.

A reminder to all schools that the UK Food Information Amendment, also known as Natasha's Law comes into effect from October 2021.

In light of the updated School IDSR guide (Ofsted, June 2021), Analyse School Performance (ASP) contains updated IDSRs (release date: 7 June 2021).

Although the incidence of positive cases amongst students is high in some schools, there are very low levels of illness: the vast majority of young people are only displaying very mild symptoms or are in fact asymptomatic. Also important to note, is that the number of new cases across the county has been falling steadily week on week.

All school staff and their dependent family members, can access specialist support from a 24 hour Employee Assistance Programme (EAP).  Recognising what a challenging time this is for schools, the county council has given free access to the EAP until end of April 2022 to all schools, academies, MAT’s and independents in Gloucestershire, to support them to look after their staff wellbeing.

As part of a series of events to support schools with their curriculum, we are delighted to announce that David Shears will be leading a webinar session entitled, Evaluating your Curriculum Intent.

The team of advisers leading the Subject Leader Network Meetings are delighted to be running primary English, mathematics and science meetings this Autumn term.

The team of advisers leading the Subject Leader Network Meetings are delighted to be running secondary English, mathematics and science meetings this Autumn term.

The Holocaust Educational Trust offers free training and support for RE teachers about the Holocaust.

The Primary Science Subject Leaders Network Meetings are taking place on 11, 12, 13 and 18 October 2021.

Next year’s Make Your Mark consultation (the UKs biggest youth consultation) will take place in February, concurrent with the next Member of Youth Parliament (MYP) Elections and we’d like to make both stand out events for all young people in Gloucestershire. But we need your help.

Guidance for the COVID-19 vaccination programme for children and young people can be found here.

Please find attached the latest version of the schools flowchart.

Due to demand, an additional webinar has been arranged with Paul Williams, Senior HMI on Monday 20^th September.

The military children’s charity, Little Troopers has new free resources launching this term as part of their Little Troopers at School programme. The resources are specifically for secondary schools to help support children age 11-18 with a parent serving in the British Armed Forces.

Details and links to the key communications from the Department for Education are attached (updated from 06.09.21).

Please find attached a template Warn and Inform letter which you may want to use and adapt if you have a positive Covid-19 case in your setting. This has been requested by some schools but there is no requirement to use it. It is intended for the purpose of providing reassurance to parents.

On 8 September, the Department for Education (DfE) released further guidance about how schools can apply for Academic Mentors and Tuition Partners for this academic year.

Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) can lead to educational problems for pupils in later life. But, Gloucestershire County Council’s trauma informed approach to dealing with ACEs can help to support pupils with additional needs.

The Department for Education (DfE) continues to request the daily return of the Educational Setting Status Form by 2pm. This data is used nationally and locally to enable services to be available to support people with COVID and for the local authority to put in place measures to help prevent the spread of COVID through schools.

The Education Creditors (vendor) look up facility has been enhanced with greater functionality and standardisation with GCC.  The vendor list will now show the last four digits of the vendors bank account which will help you identify the correct vendor when there are several similar options.

Details and links to the key communications from the Department for Education are attached (updated from 30.8.21).

A reminder that if you have appointed an Early Career Teacher (ECT) or have an existing Newly Qualified Teacher (NQT) join your school this term, the local authority is able to provide your Appropriate Body service. This includes all of the administrative requirements, alongside in-school support for your ECF induction processes and bespoke visits where needed.

Pupil premium guidance has been updated and includes a new template (attached) that schools MUST use and publish on their websites by 31st December 2021.  Example statements for primary, secondary and special schools will be published shortly. 

To help remind families of the importance of their support at this critical time, the attached letter from Professor Sarah Scott, Executive Director of Adult Social Care and Public Health and Chris Spencer, Director of Children’s Services has been drafted for schools to share with parent/carers.

New Department for Education guidance for school leaders, school staff and governing bodies on school-led tutoring which is being introduced as part of the National Tutoring Programme in 2021/22.

Where schools engage a worker, i.e. not paid through payroll, they always need to consider employment status. Since April 2017 where a worker is engaged through an intermediary e.g. personal service company, schools need to consider whether the worker is within scope of the off payroll working rules or IR35. The Council has always recommended that schools use the HMRC CEST ( check employment status for tax) to do this.

Schools are requested to submit their GCSE results as soon as possible using the proforma attached.

Ahead of our response to the Department for Education consultation, we wanted to provide an opportunity for schools to review and contribute to the local authority response.  During the session we will review the purpose of the consultation and the long-term aim of moving to a hard national Funding Formula.  We will also share our proposed response to the questions raised in the consultation, providing an opportunity for comments and feedback from schools to be included before submission. 

An introductory session to Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) in reception for teachers who are new to teaching EYFS. This includes newly qualified teachers, teachers  who have been teaching later year groups, and those who are returning to EYFS.

Details and links to the key communications from the Department for Education are attached (updated from 23.8.21).

Thank you to all those who provided their views on this proposal in the summer. The Council has now published a statutory notice of its intention to close The Cheltenham and Tewkesbury Alternative Provision School (CTAPS) and enlarge The Stroud and Cotswold Alternative Provision School (SCAPS), creating a single Pupil Referral Unit.

The following update contains information from Gloucestershire County Council around changes to Department for Education (DfE) exclusion terminology from September 2021 and reminder of statutory duties in relation to reporting exclusions. 

Internal Audit’s activity within schools is prioritised based on risk and as such a sample of schools were audited during 2020/21.  Due to the Coronavirus pandemic a remote auditing approach was taken.  Individual reports were issued to each school and a number of recommendations were made.  As these findings could apply to other schools, the information is being shared with all schools.

As the new academic year starts the primary aged pupils registered with GFAPS and who attend the Joys Green Centre in Lydbrook move in to their new classrooms at Olympus Park in Quedgeley.