Schoolsnet Bulletin Board

The Educational Psychology Service is preparing the rollout of training for all Gloucestershire schools as part of the DfE’s Wellbeing for Education Return training package.

Secondary schools are aiming to maintain social distancing between teachers and pupils so they can be considered separate to the year group bubble, but if this was breached any teachers that had close contact would also need to self isolate.

TALC is being set up to support schools provide additional help to those who need it, when they need it

The Inter Faith Week website, www.interfaithweek.org, contains many ideas for online activities.

With immediate effect, partial or full closures due to confirmed Covid cases are to be reported on the school closure system.

The attached briefing note and risk assessment template details the approach that needs to be taken to support attendance for vulnerable children and undertake the appropriate risk assessments.  This process builds on previous guidance and is an essential part of ensuring that vulnerable children across the county are protected and have access to the support they need. 

GCC are hosting a series of live webinars, led by Professor Barry Carpenter (Professor of Mental Health in Education, Oxford Brookes University), to support schools through the process of long term recovery. FREE for Head Teachers and Senior Leaders.

We are asking all schools to sign up a new Data Sharing Agreement to so that we can continue to share vital data and information in a secure way. The Data Sharing Agreement (DSA) explains the range of data and information covered by the agreement and how the data and information is expected to be used.

The recent Missing Person's protocol for young people and children has now been published – this protocol has worked closely with partners from Health and Education to close gaps between professionals to ensure we can safeguard all children. 

Details and links to the key communications from the Department for Education are attached.

We have created a handout for teachers and other professionals to share with the children and young people they work with.

The FAQs for primary schools have been updated.

If the weather allows, keeping windows and doors open to get some ventilation from outside is a good method of reducing risk in classrooms, but you will already be mitigating the risks in lots of other ways (personal hygiene, cleaning, minimising contacts and mixing etc.) so there is no reason for a class to sit in a cold room.  

DfE guidance says that schools are not expected to create NHS QR code posters for their entrance or their classrooms as they have registers of all the children and staff on site. 

You will be aware that, for this year only, there is a requirement to Phonics check current year 2 pupils.

The Schools Forum Outcome report from the meeting held on 17 September 2020 is now available.

Gloucestershire County Council works in partnership with the Department for Education, Ofsted and other organisations to help ensure all children receive a suitable education in a safe environment, wherever this is delivered.

The DfE has implemented a new Helpline available to early years settings, schools and colleges who have been informed of a confirmed case of COVID-19 within their setting.

Please note: The new Helpline number in the letter has recently been updated.

Please see attached a Covid-19 log of updates and information.

The Standards and Testing Agency (STA) has published guidance for schools administering the PSC to Y2 pupils (2020 Term 2). 

Please see attached a flowchart outlining what parents should do if their child is ill.

In response to the on-going coronavirus pandemic and to support disadvantaged and vulnerable Children and Young People, the Department for Education (DfE) will be issuing further laptops to support home learning.

With Covid-19 there has been a marked increase in children and families accessing food support and with a predicted rise in the number of new vulnerable families due to the economic impact of Covid, it is important now more than ever to be aware of the support available to ensure families don’t go hungry.

Thank you for all of your support with the changes to the ParentPay refund process in recent months. 

Promoting and Securing School attendance. 

Working together to support children return to school and monitor attendance.

Gloucestershire local authority (LA) wishes to appoint new external moderators to complete statutory end of KS1 moderation in June 2021. 

The Standards and Testing Agency (STA) has confirmed that KS1 and KS2 writing moderators who were approved to moderate in 2020 and/or 2019 are permitted to undertake external moderation in 2021.

The number of Covid-19 cases in the county is rising, and as you will be aware there have been some recent cases within schools across the county.

We know that some children will spend a significant amount of time travelling to and from school on dedicated or public bus services, and there is concern that the guidance set out at the start of the academic year, isn’t always being adhered to.

The STA has added transitionary year information for ‘The engagement model’, outlining arrangements for the 2020/21 academic year, to its general guidance (July 2020) for schools to use when assessing pupils working below the standard of national curriculum tests.

STREET have created some safety advice for young people on how to help a friend who may be experiencing domestic abuse or teenage relationship abuse.

(1) Early Help: Supporting practitioners in the use of the Neglect Toolkit
(2) MASH Children Services: Returning completed
(3) Neglect Toolkit multi-agency training        

“Neglect is the persistent failure to meet a child’s basic physical and/or psychological needs likely to result in the serious impairment of the child’s health or development……...” (Working Together 2018)

As all children return to educational settings in the context of COVID-19, we are anticipating an increase in demand from practitioners in the community who have safeguarding concerns about a child. We want to make it simpler for practitioners to get the right support, at the right time, from the right service.

Cycle Ready has successfully rolled out a new secure online booking solution for all future Bikeability training.

The ‘contains framework’ sets out four tiers of restrictions for education settings, which should be used as a last resort in areas subject to local restrictions.

Below is the link to the daily DfE attendance survey.

The South West Health Protection Team have set up further COVID-19 educational setting webinars for any educational setting to attend. The sessions will cover infection prevention principles and then discuss scenarios to illustrate this.

The Department of Health and Social Care are sending schools and further education institutions an initial supply of ten test kits.

Details and links to the key communications from the Department for Education are attached (updated from 26.8.20)

The LGA are passionate about supporting mental health and wellbeing in schools and the wider community.

Advice from Occupational Health regarding school staff returning to work is attached, along with a set of FAQs.

Late on Tuesday 25 August, the Government published new guidance on the use of face coverings in education.

Details and links to the key communications from the Department for Education are attached.

Please see the attached Traded Services Offer for September 2020.

As part of the National Tutoring Programme, the government has announced an early years catch-up programme focused on raising outcomes in speaking and language skills among young pupils whose education has been disrupted by coronavirus at a crucial time.

The FAQs published last term have been updated for the school restarts this September. 

The RSC has now launched its communications strategy to reassure parents and students that schools and colleges are ready for their return in September.

From the Autumn, schools will be able to access support for children and young people who have been most affected by school closures during the outbreak through the National Tutoring Programme.

Please see attached schools resources  for Covid-19.