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Mental Health Resources & Support for Schools:
Digital information resource:
An exciting new digital resource has been developed to support schools in accessing resources and information about mental health. The resource, which is shaped around whole school approaches to mental health, has been created as a new area on the Keep Your Head website and is designed to be an easy to navigate one-stop platform to support you with the following:
- Information on what is available to support schools through the local mental health offer
- Information on local training and development opportunities available to school staff on mental health
- Signposting to key national resources for further support/e-learning
The resource can be accessed here.
Mental Health Competency Framework:
We have also developed a digital self-assessment tool to support schools in conducting a mental health training needs analysis of staff and make informed decisions as part of a whole school approach to wellbeing. The framework can be used to understand where current levels of understanding of mental health are across all school staff, highlight areas for improvement and potential local training opportunities. The aim is to ensure staff at all levels have the confidence to support children and young people by building core resilience skills, identifying emerging concerns at an early stage and signposting to appropriate care pathways or interventions where possible.
To find out more visit the new school pages within the Keep Your Head website.
Other opportunities:
The Local Authority are also working closely with partners to enhance the mental health training and support offer available to schools across Cambridgeshire & Peterborough, including developing a local Designated Senior Mental Health Lead training package to be available through the DfE DSMHL grant, reinstating Mental Health forums for settings not currently accessing an established Mental Health Support Team, and a range of dedicated reflective sessions and networking events. Further announcements will be made in due course regarding these opportunities.
Please find below the SENDIASS Questionnaire, which is primarily aimed at parents/carers regarding the SEND Information, Advice & Support Service. The questionnaire is available until Friday 4 March 2022. Parent carers can also request to join a focus group with Pinpoint within the questionnaire.
Access the questionnaire here.
The Cambridgshire School Business Networking Group Website/Forum is up and running. The success of the group will depend on there being enough people to take part; please help us to grow the community.
Sign up here.
Annual Membership from 1 January each year, cost is £50.00.
We are really excited about the Community Discussion Forum where you can ask questions and relay information in a secure and professional environment.
Once the membership is rolling, we can then look at planning events and training.
Please share with anyone working within the Business/Finance/Administration function of schools and let's grow our community.
Talking Together in Cambridgeshire is holding a Festival of Stories from World Book Day on 3 March 2022 through to World Storytelling Day on 20 March 2022. Festival events will take place in Talking Together’s reach areas which include March, Chatteris, Wisbech, Huntingdon, Melbourn, Meldreth, Duxford, and North-East Cambridge City.
Talking Together will be working with partners including community groups and other services to bring the magic of stories to families of children aged 0-5.
The programme is now live! Please do take a look at the Festival of Stories website to see some of the great activities that have been planned. There are still more activities to be added, so be sure to keep an eye on the website. Further campaign messages will be released on the website and Facebook page.
If you are interested in learning more about the work of Talking Together in Cambridgeshire, please take a look at the Talking Together in Cambridgeshire Facebook page and website. If you have any questions please contact: community.literacy@cambridgeshire.gov.uk or 01223 699671.
The schools recruitment team at Cambridgeshire County Council are now inviting applications for the Cambridgeshire Paid Teacher Internship. You might like to consider this route to QTS for members of support staff who have the potential to be great teachers and would benefit from a salaried training programme over the course of two years. The programme enables you to retain and develop excellent staff members, grow your own teachers and make use of your apprenticeship levy funds (in year 2). Year One consists of a pre-ITE programme with support and training to prepare interns for the Postgraduate Teacher Apprenticeship with QTS in Year Two.
More details, information for prospective candidates and application forms can be found here. The closing date for applications for a September 2022 start is Monday 28 February.
If you do not currently have a member of staff suitable for the programme, but your school would be interested in employing a Teacher Intern next academic year, please get in touch to express your interest as we also interview and place candidates who are not currently employed in a school.
If you have any questions about the programme you can contact us using the details below.
Schools Recruitment Team or Rachel Minett
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The first Cambridgeshire Apprenticeship Awards, which were held on Friday 11 February, were a huge success! Cambridgeshire County Council and Peterborough City Council jointly hosted the awards, which were held via a virtual awards ceremony. You can watch the event in full here. |
There is an opportunity to take part in the DfE funded Education for Wellbeing research programme to implement and evaluate a range of mental health interventions for pupils in years 7, 8 and 9: This is a valuable opportunity to introduce whole-class mental health and wellbeing interventions with support from leading experts in child mental health. Potential benefits to taking part include:
- The chance to receive free mental health and wellbeing training for selected school staff
- £1,000 remuneration in recognition of administrative commitments
- An evaluation feedback report for your school
- Contributing to the wider evidence base on what works for school-based mental health support and how it can best be delivered
- A letter of thanks from the Department for Education acknowledging your school’s important role in this project
To find out more about the programme, including whether your school is eligible and what is required, please click here or complete the online Expression of Interest form.
For more information contact educationforwellbeing@annafreud.org.
 YOUnited supports children and young people with their emotional wellbeing and mental health. Please share the following web address freely: https://www.cpft.nhs.uk/younited/
YOUnited is available to those up to the age of 25 and offers a range of support including therapies, counselling and guided self-help.
The Activity in Action Awards 2022 will recognise and celebrate the impact of individuals, groups, clubs, workplaces, schools and communities in Cambridgeshire and Peterborough as a result of their passion for, and commitment to, local sport and physical activity. To find out more and nominate an individual or organisation visit the website here.
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The Let’s Cook Project is a local social enterprise that’s on a mission promoting the skills, knowledge and confidence to cook from scratch. There is a team of qualified chefs, nutritionists and home economists providing training and support for communities. The vision is to see greater social, mental and financial wellbeing across society, achieved by sharing a passion for food and cooking. Thanks to support from the Children and Young People’s Fund an exciting new project is being rolled out. The Let's Cook Project is looking to recruit 10 groups, from across South Cambs and equip them with the skills, knowledge and confidence to run fun and inclusive cookery and food related activities that support improved physical, mental and emotional wellbeing in children and young people.
Hubs can be schools, early years settings, Cubs, Scouts or Brownies, Churches or Faith Groups or Holiday playschemes. Not for profit, voluntary, or educational organisations catering to children and young people (or their families) will be helped to bring practical cookery to the fore alongside activities around nutrition, reducing avoidable food waste and challenging the environmental impact of dietary choices too. Find out more here.
The Children and Young People’s Mental Health Strategy for Cambridgeshire and Peterborough is in development. There are some key priority areas which will be explored in detail during February and March in some online focus group sessions. Schools representation (key staff from primary, secondary, special schools, further education and SEND) at the focus groups is essential to ensure that the voice of schools is included in the development of the strategy. The focus groups that require schools representation at are:
Neurodiverse children and young people and mental health
Primary aged children and behavioural needs
11-18 years and mental health
16 – 25 years and mental health
If you are interested in attending a focus group on any of the above topics, please email nicola.greaves4@nhs.net for more information on dates and times. Places on the focus groups are limited and will be allocated on a first come, first served basis.
Schools are reminded that they should not operate their pool unless the plant is serviceable and is operated by a currently qualified and trained Pool Carer. All staff caring for school pools, the operation and upkeep of water treatment plant, chemicals, equipment and water hygiene chemicals must be trained on the LA approved course of instruction covering the full scope of their duties.
All Pool Carers must obtain the Cambridgeshire County Council or equivalent Small Pool Operator’s Certificate and must re-validate this training within 3 years by attending an update seminar.
Full details of the County Council Swimming Pool Guidance are available here and upcoming courses are available here.
For further information please contact Ian Roberts.
Centre 33s Young Carers Service are providing group support to young people aged 18 or under who are living with a family member with an eating disorder. Find out more here.
Reading, writing and being read to improve literacy skills. But what about soft skills? Community Administrator and Content Manager Joanna Opoku explores how storytelling can support children's emotional development, empathy, problem solving skills and more. Visit the Readingwise website here: https://readingwise.com/blog/how-can-storytelling-support-soft-skills-growth
Level 4 Award in Supporting Children’s Speech, Language and Communication Contact to register here. Target audience are Teaching Assistants, Early Career Teachers, SENCOs and teachers in primary and secondary schools. This is a five-day course taught in an online interactive classroom leading to the accredited qualification on successful completion. Course starts on Wednesday 9th March with 3-4 weeks between each taught day. 9.30am to 3.30pm each session. Cost £45 + vat.
Mentor Conference: Navigating the changing landscape
For primary and Secondary ITT and ECF mentors. Wednesday 2 March 2022, 16:30 - 18:00. Online. Free.
Creative Ideas in RE
For Primary schools – 1st March 2022, 3.30- 5.00pm, via Zoom, £29 for LA schools and £39 for academies. https://customer.jrni.com/?client=cambridgeshire&environment=religiouseducationservice#/events
RE and Ofsted
For Primary Schools – 16th March 2022, 3.30 – 5.00pm, via Zoom, £29 for LA schools and £39 for academies. https://customer.jrni.com/?client=cambridgeshire&environment=religiouseducationservice#/events
Body Image for Primary & Special Schools
2nd March 2022, 1.30pm-3.30pm – by zoom – Subscribing schools £35, Non-subscribing schools £45. Target Audience: For Primary and Special School colleagues, especially PSHE subject leads, KS2 teachers and school leaders.
Digital Lifestyles for Primary & Special Schools
8th March 2022, 9.30am-12.30pm – by zoom – Subscribing schools £35, Non-subscribing schools £45. Target Audience: For Primary and Special School colleagues, especially PSHE subject leads and school leaders.
Developing RSE in Primary & Special Schools
15th March 2022, 3.30pm-5.45pm – by zoom – Subscribing schools £35, Non-subscribing schools £45. Target Audience: For Primary and Special School colleagues, especially PSHE subject leads and school leaders.
What Ofsted expects of PE? What PE can expect of Ofsted?
1st March 2021 by zoom £45. Audience: PE teachers, subject leaders, SLT for all schools and settings.
Making Sense of Assessment in Physical Education
3rd March 2022 by zoom £45. Audience: This course is ideal for Primary, Special and Secondary School teachers who teach Physical Education.
Physical Education Subject Leader Network Meeting (Primary)
8th March 2022 by zoom £45. Audience: Primary phase PE coordinators
Level 4 Award in Supporting Children’s Speech, Language and Communication
For Teaching Assistants, Early Career Teachers, SENCOs and teachers in primary and secondary schools. This is a five-day course taught in an online interactive classroom leading to the accredited qualification on successful completion. Course starts on Wednesday 9 March with 3-4 weeks between each taught day. 9.30am to 3.30pm each session. Cost £45 + vat. (Click heading to book your place).
Strengthening practical work in Physics
28 Feb 2022, 09.30 – 15.30, Sawtry Village Academy, from £185 (bursaries available).
A Journey of Reading Through the Primary School
Diamond Education and Professional Learning. Thursday 3rd March and Thursday 5th May 2022 – 13.30 – 16.00 – ONLINE £70.00. Target Audience: Class Teachers.
Accessing Professional Support for SEND
Diamond Education and Professional Learning, Tuesday 22 March 2022 – 13.30 – 16.00. ONLINE £50.00. Target Audience: Class Teachers and TAs
Practical Mathematics in EYFS
Diamond Education and Professional Learning, Tuesday 1 March 2022 – 13.30 – 16.00 – ONLINE £50.00. Target Audience: Class Teachers and TAs.
Accessibility: Supporting Independence – Apple iPad Training
For all SENDCos, Teachers, NQTs, RQTs, TAs, and Classroom Staff. Thursday 21 April 2022, 15:45 – 17.15. Online. Free.
DfE Data Return - educational setting status form. The questions are here - Questions for Schools - Education Setting Status Form. Guidance is here.
Test and Trace Guidance for Primary Schools / Secondary Schools & FE Providers.
Links to all government guidance in one place / our updated Recovery Pack / latest LA structure chart / Self-isolation quick guide for parents.
Any questions or comments please contact EmergencySchool.Closure@cambridgeshire.gov.uk.
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