Schoolsnet Bulletin Board

With the summer break fast approaching, the NSPCC are doing a final push on getting their Speak out, Stay safe online programme out to Primary Schools. It’s such a good time for pupils to receive these messages before transitions and those important summer holidays.

Marcus Rashford MBE and Henry Dimbleby MBE are working with the Food Foundation to help promote the Government’s new Holiday Activities and Food programme.

A letter can be found here from Marcus Rashford MBE and Henry Dimbleby MBE who are asking Headteachers to send it on to parents and carers, and particularly those of children who qualify for free school meals.

Wales and Western Community Safety Managers have collaborated with Picturascope to create two new safety videos demonstrating the dangers of the railway. Content includes, level/foot crossing safety awareness, station safety and the dangers of electrification.

Guidance issued from the Department for Education (DfE)  makes it clear that there is an expectation for Year 11 students to receive tuition until the last Friday in June.  DfE has been very clear that there should be no use of the S code this year by schools as there is no need for study leave.  

Those schools intending to run a summer school this year will need to complete the online confirmation form by Wednesday 30 June to take part in the summer school programme. If you did not complete the initial sign-up form, you can still join the programme by completing the confirmation form.

Details and links to the key communications from the Department for Education are attached (updated from 9.6.21).

The Mangotsfield English Hub is looking to expand its team of Phonics Specialists. These teachers work with the Hub for an agreed number of days across the year to support other schools in developing their teaching of early reading and phonics. Closing date Friday 25^th June 2021 at midday.

This guidance has been updated to support teachers to prepare annual reports for parents following the cancellation of this year’s summer exam series and primary assessments, and partial school closures, due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. School reports on pupil performance: guide for HTs (DfE/STA, updated 10 June)

Introducing CyberSprinters, a new online game to help primary schools, clubs and youth groups teach children about cyber security from an early age. It is a free interactive game, developed by the National Cyber Security Centre – a part of GCHQ, aimed at 7 to 11-year-olds, and is available from today.

The attached flowcharts are designed to support decision making on choosing the appropriate tests for staff, students and their families. Please share with parents/carers as appropriate.

Gloucestershire Self-Harm Helpline is open every day of the year between 5pm and 10pm and provide emotional support, information, coping strategies and signposting via telephone, text and webchat.

Details and links to the key communications from the Department for Education are attached (updated from 24.5.21).

Further to the easing of restrictions on 17 May, it is important that control measures are maintained in schools such as bubbles & one way systems.

The NCETM and Maths Hubs have announced a year-long programme for primary schools (from September 2021).  The Mastering Number project is aimed at pupils in YR-Y2 and will focus on strengthening their understanding of number and fluency with number facts.

Pupil number forecasts are now available to download; it is a likely indication of pupil numbers over future years to enable you to plan provision.

Pupil number forecasts are now available to download; it is a likely indication of pupil numbers over future years to enable you to plan provision. The forecast is available via Perspective Lite.

Ofsted has published the third in its series of reviews into curriculum subjects, with a focus on mathematics.

Details and links to the key communications from the Department for Education are attached (updated from 18.5.21).

Following the further easing of restrictions, a template letter has been prepared for schools to use to communicate with their communities on how they can continue to support their schools in keeping infection rates down.

Webinar Time: Thursday 27 May 2021, 12:00 - 13:00.

Please click here to register.

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This is the most important survey to be carried out for many years regarding the travel needs of young people in Gloucestershire and will support a number of your initiatives and projects.  Positive changes to travel and transport, will improve young people’s access to current and future career options, as well as education and leisure opportunities.

In September 2020 a dedicated community social work support line was established in the period prior to a return to the school environment for all children and young people in the context of COVID-19. This was established in order to provide an additional layer of support to partners, in particular schools when planning for children.

The Children’s Commissioner is running the largest ever survey of children in England – The Big Ask – to inform society’s recovery post-pandemic. The Big Ask is keen to hear from children in all parts of the country and hoping schools will support with getting as many children to respond as possible.

Details and links to the key communications from the Department for Education are attached (updated from 10.05.21).

Please find attached an update of the GCC COVID-19 Risk Assessment to support schools and educational settings in Step 3 of the Government Roadmap from 17 May 2021. The aim of the risk assessment is to implement protective measures in government’s operational guidance to minimise the risk of transmission COVID-19 in schools. 

Gloucestershire County Council and the NHS are supporting some local research that will go on to shape how local healthy weight services are delivered in Gloucestershire over the coming years and require secondary schools to help circulate a link to a short survey to parents of Year 7 children.

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has created a Stress Indicator Tool which is available for free to all employers with 50 or less employees.

The survey will help you understand your school’s risk profile for work-related stress.

Further to the recent update at the headteacher briefings, and communication by Phil Haslett regarding the Joint Additional and High Needs Transformation Programme (JHNTP), the Alternative Provision Assessment Survey link, has been sent to all primary headteachers via email and also set out below.

Please see below a message from Clare Medland, Head of Service - Commissioning for Learning, Education, Children’s Services.

If you are finding that parents gathering at pick up and drop off times and not adhering to social distancing is particularly problematic at your school, District Local Authorities can arrange for a Community Protection Officer (aka Covid Marshall or equivalent) to attend the school and help create an even safer school environment, by chatting with parents and students at the school gates.

One third of primary schools in England have already enrolled on the Nuffield Early Language Intervention (NELI) programme to support disadvantaged children in their language skills, particularly in light of the lost learning due to COVID-19.

We recently shared details of additional wellbeing support which the county council is giving to all schools, academies, MATs and independents from 1 May. We have launched a Schoolsnet page which gives details of the offer. More information is now available here.

The Educational Visits Training arranged for Monday, 24 May 2021 is now fully booked so the Safety, Health & Environment (SHE) team has quickly set up an extra session on Wednesday, 26 May 2021 at 9:30am.

The operational guidance for schools was updated on 10 May and confirms that there is an expectation for schools to deliver curriculum for Year 11 and 13 to the end of the summer term.

Please find attached guidance for dealing with a COVID case during an educational visit. This guidance and the SHE model risk assessments for educational visits with COVID measures can be downloaded by schools from the Document Library on eVisit.

Following the announcements on 10 May on the easing of restrictions, the operational guidance for schools has been updated here. These changes will be effective from 17 May.

Future Me Gloucestershire is about young people, for young people, by young people.

Our second interactive resource pack for young people (Year 9 onwards) on education, training and employment is now available.

Details and links to the key communications from the Department for Education are attached (updated from 4.5.21).

We look forward to welcoming you to the virtual attendance network meetings after such a long time and would ideally like to meet the attendance officer and the member of SLT with responsibility for attendance in your school.

Details and links to the key communications from the Department for Education are attached (updated from 26.4.21)

The Safety, Health & Environment (SHE) team will running an online training session for Headteachers, EVC’s and other staff involved in managing educational visits and off-site activities.

The ‘Little Troopers at School’ programme offer three new projects FREE for schools that have children of Armed Forces personnel within their setting.

Recently a small number of children have presented to Gloucestershire hospitals following consumption of sweets containing cannabis, which closely resemble regular confectionary (please see photograph below for one example). 

Schools have until 11:59pm on Tuesday 4 May to claim for additional costs incurred from providing locally sourced vouchers to pupils eligible for benefits-related free school meals between Monday 4 January and Friday 5 March, when pupil attendance in school was restricted. You can also claim for lunch parcels provided during this period and up until the start of the Easter holidays.

The county council is giving all schools, academies, MAT’s and independents in the county, free access to specialist support to look after their staff wellbeing over the next twelve months.

The Department for Education (DfE)  is launching a new process to validate complete systematic synthetic phonics (SSP) teaching programmes. This process is for both previously assessed programmes and new applicants.

An extension to the deadline has been given and the deadline for SFVS return is now 31^st May 2021. 

As part of the wider recovery package to support children with their mental health and wellbeing and to catch up on missed face-to-face learning, the Department for Education is providing £200m to enable as many secondary schools as possible to deliver face-to-face summer schools this year.

Schools are being contacted regarding the home cooking kits, which were part of the DFE funded HAF programme over the Easter Holidays.

Details and links to the key communications from the Department for Education are attached (updated from 20.4.21),