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The Health and Safety Executive are currently inspecting schools in relation to their management of asbestos. These inspections commenced last year and, after an improvement notice, Cambridgeshire County Council provided all maintained schools with mandatory asbestos awareness training for free, and this was confirmed by the Director of Education in writing to schools.
This training is required under the Control of Asbestos Regulations (2012). Many schools took the opportunity to complete this training, however a small number are still outstanding and could be at risk if they have an HSE inspection, which may result in an improvement notice directly with the school, and comes with a monetary cost.
For further information please contact Samantha Halpin (Compliance Officer, Property Compliance)
We are consulting on school term and holiday dates for the academic year 2025 - 26.
Local Authorities have a duty to determine school term dates for Local Authority maintained schools. Foundation, Voluntary Aided, Academies and Free schools are responsible for setting their own dates and so may choose to follow a pattern and/or specific dates that do not match those set by Cambridgeshire.
The proposed term time dates are here: Cambridgeshire Proposed Term Dates 2025-26
Please see the link below to the consultation on the council website: School term dates - Cambridgeshire County Council
We welcome your views.
If you have any queries, on this, please contact Phil Nash (Senior Adviser for Leadership): phil.nash@cambridgeshire.gov.uk
 NHS Cambridgeshire and Peterborough provides HEAR – the free to use mental health text service
A new local mental health free text messaging support service is available across Cambridgeshire and Peterborough, having launched on the 13th November 2023.
HEAR 85258 is being funded by NHS Cambridgeshire & Peterborough, in partnership with the national service SHOUT. The free to use text service provides real-time support to people who are struggling with their mental health across the county.
When texting the word HEAR to 85258, the person will be connected to a trained volunteer who will offer them calm in a time or place of crisis. During the confidential and anonymous conversation, the texter will be supported while working on a plan of action and signposted to local and national mental health services.
Texting HEAR to 85258 is free, discreet and runs 24/7. It won’t appear on a mobile bill and requires no app, data, password, or registration.
HEAR 85258 is specifically targeted at school staff, students and their families and carers.
For more information visit: Text HEAR to 85258 | CPICS Website
Last year Learning by Questions (LbQ) ran 100s of supported trials in schools and they were such a success that we are running them again this year and would love you to experience the amazing results some of our Schools had last year.
Why not take less than 2 minutes to watch the video below and hear from teachers and senior leaders about the huge impact a six-week trial can have. Just click the link below.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fQwQ-hyALas
As well as “Learning by Questions” we now have a new product just for Year 6 teachers called “SATs Springboard”. It not only gives you Year 6 Diagnostic Assessments for Maths and English, but suggests specific SATs activities to help plug those gaps and ease the load in such a busy year group.
The video below shows exactly how our diagnostic sets work.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SIvrUXKTC34
Click the Calendly link below to book a short meeting with me and you could be up and running in less than 48 hours. You have nothing to lose, but so much to gain.
https://calendly.com/gary-trotter/lbq-supported-trial-meeting
I look forward to hearing from you.
Gary Trotter
The NHS Health Check can be conducted on school sites across Cambridgeshire and Peterborough to all eligible school staff aged between 40 and 74. An NHS Health Check is a free service delivered by Healthy You to help lower the risk of serious health conditions. It provides a quick and easy lifestyle evaluation as well as signposted support to help lower the risk of high blood pressure, Type 2 diabetes, heart disease, high cholesterol and a stroke.
Mini Health MOTs can also be undertaken for those members of the school team who are not eligible for the full NHS Health Check; this includes, height, weight, BMI, blood pressure and a lifestyle screening.
Visit: NHS Health Checks - Healthy You or to organise a school booking contact: jenniferseymour@healthyyou.org.uk or lesleygodfrey@healthyyou.org.uk
I have significant funding from Public Health to address the high number of non-swimmers transferring into secondary schools in Yr 7.
Being a non-swimmer is a safeguarding issue, so I can fund interventions put in place for Yr 7s or Yr 8s who are genuine non-swimmers.
If schools set up intervention lessons, I can cover all costs, and can signpost to swimming providers if needed. Please do talk to the appropriate people in your schools (PE Dept, FSM, Pupil Premium, SENCO etc) because we must make our children safe in and near water.
Any questions – please contact Ian Roberts
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Schools are invited to experience magical tales, learn how to take better care of our planet, and join in with nature-focussed activities at three, free online Festival of Stories events.
Booking links for the events will be shared in early January 2024, and more information about the Festival of Stories can be found on our Festival of Stories webpage.
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A Cambridgeshire NATRE RE meeting is being held on Thursday 7 December at Hinchingbrooke School Huntingdon. To find out more and to book a place please go to Religious Education - Learn Together (cambslearntogether.co.uk) or contact Charlotte Newman (cnewman@hbk.acesmat.uk).
More than 40% of Cambridgeshire & Peterborough schools have still NOT claimed their £1,200 grant to train a Senior Mental Health Lead.
To claim the grant, sign up to your chosen course here - https://onlinecollections.des.fasst.org.uk/fastform/senior-mental-health-leads.
Then complete the form here - https://onlinecollections.des.fasst.org.uk/fastform/senior-mental-health-leads-confirmation.
*NEW* Opportunity to claim a second grant if the trained lead has left!
The application process remains the same as the first-time round with one additional step: when completing the online form, the applicant needs to tick the declaration to confirm the previously trained senior mental health lead at the setting has now moved on from the role.
Full details of the grant and how to apply can be found here - https://www.gov.uk/guidance/senior-mental-health-lead-training.
In 2023 - 25, Queen's University Belfast (QUB) and LexiaUK are partnering with the Education Endowment Foundation (EEF) and RAND Europe to evaluate the effectiveness of Lexia Core5 Reading (Lexia).
The trial will assess the impact of Lexia on the reading skills of struggling readers in Year 2. This is an exciting opportunity for upto 224 primary schools in England to contribute to educational research. The findings will help fellow schools make an informed choice when deciding which interventions improve student outcomes based on empirical evidence.
Two cohorts of schools will take part in the trial: cohort 1 (112 schools) is running from June 2023 - july 2024, and cohort 2 will run from June 2024 to July 2025.
The evaluation findings will be reported after cohort 2 have completed the trial in 2025.
112 schools are now being recruited to take part in cohort 2 for the trial which will run from June 2024 to July 2025.
To participate, your school must meet eligibility criteria and must complete the Memorandum of Understanding. Find out more with this Lexia Cohort 2 Fact Sheet and contact lexia@qub.ac.uk.
Willingham Primary School and Honeypot Pre-school is offering a wide selection of surplus resources (many more than pictured) free to any schools that would like them. For more information please contact David Morel, Headteacher.
Giglets Education is hosting an online Christmas storytelling event on Friday 8 December. Storytelling events are run throughout the year, and they're a great opportunity for schools from across the UK to come together in one place to experience the magic of storytelling.
This year's Christmas story will be the ‘The Lonely Unicorn'; a magical creature loses his friends but on his travels finds some new ones in this fun and engaging, rhyming tale.
The event is open to all pupils, but will appeal most to those aged 5-9.
The event is completely free, and is always fun and interactive.
Please click this link to find out more about the event and to sign up - and feel free to share this information with anyone you think will be interested!
An exciting new, (but familiar) school trip experience is available from January 2024. Burwell House will be running curriculum-based day visits from Nene Valley Railway and Sacrewell Farm following the closure of Stibbington Centre this summer. This includes the extremely popular WWII Evacuation days, with a new opportunity for a train journey at Nene Valley Railway, and a selection of geography, rivers, and habitat days at Sacrewell Farm. The courses will provide a unique, fun day outside the classroom covering areas of the curriculum which may be challenging to cover in school.
For more information and enquiries, please contact: Burwell.outreach@cambridgeshire.gov.uk
Elklan 11 week ‘Speech & Language Support for 5-11s’ - £425 (includes copy of Language Builders)
An e-learning course providing practical training activities for staff working in primary schools to enable them to develop the speech and language skills of ALL children but especially those with speech and language difficulties and English as an Additional Language. Delivered over 11 weekly sessions you will access 10 interactive online learning sessions and 11x1 hour weekly group webinar sessions with your tutors – local Speech and Language therapists and Specialist teachers. For homework you will practice skills in your school to complete your learning log to demonstrate your understanding. Learning log activities are submitted weekly for marking. On successful completion of your learning log you will receive a nine-credit award in ‘Supporting Language and Learning for 5-11s’ at Level 2 or Level 3. Total time commitment: Level 2, 50-60 hours, Level 3, 70-80 hours.
Places available via booking bug below.
https://cambridge.council.bookingbug.com/home/37069-SEND
Elklan 2 day course for SENCO’s/teachers /SLT - £200 covers both days training, the Elklan ‘Language Builders’ manual, and lunch. Held at Hemingford Pavilion.
11th and 6th June 2024 –Delivered jointly by a Speech and Language Therapist and Specialist Teachers
This 2 day course for provides the necessary understanding to direct and utilise the skills of Elklan trained Teaching Assistants. It also supports teachers to use strategies to support children with speech and language needs. The course covers the theory and practical elements of the 11 week ‘Speech and Language Support for 5-11’s’, and explains the additional portfolio activities that Teaching Assistants complete as part of the accredited course. We will look at strategies to support a range of needs including Blank levels, Information Carrying Words, Vocabulary development, Attention and Concentration, Memory, and Speech difficulties.
Places available via booking bug below.
https://cambridge.council.bookingbug.com/home/37069-SEND
British Gymnastics Intermediate Trampoline Refresher & Teachers Award (Part 1 & 2)
30th & 31st January, 1st, 7th & 8th February 2025– 9am-4pm – Cangaroo Trampoline Centre, Whittlesford, St Ives. £280
Audience: KS3/4 secondary PE staff, trainee PE teachers
Level 5 Certificate in Primary School PE Specialism/Level 6 Award in Primary School PE Subject Leadership
6/8 dates starting 13th February 2024 – 9.30am-4.30pm. Sunley House, Papworth Everard. £1125/£1400
Audience: PE Leads and all teachers in primary school PE. It is also ideal for HLTAs, Tas and sports coaches employed in schools.
Audience: Any teacher, coach or assistant in KS1 and KS2 who teaches dance type activities.
Physical Education & School Sport Conference
14th February 2024, 9.30am-4.30pm – Burgess Hall, St Ives. Early Bird offer if booked prior to 1.12.23 – Cambs & Peterborough schools £75, all other schools £90
Audience: All people involved in delivery of PE & School Sport in Primary, Secondary and SEND schools and settings.
New Agreed Syllabus for Religious Education
For all schools, Tuesday 7th December, via Teams, 3.30 – 5.00pm, £29 for LA schools and £39 for academies This webinar will introduce the new syllabus, what is new for schools to consider and what schools will need to do to update their curriculums over the academic year.
Forest School Summer Training
Places still available of the Level 2 Forest School Assistant and Level 3 Forest School Leader training. Find out more by clicking the heading.
CYP Asthma Training Tier 1
For all school staff. This is a free online training endorsed by NHS England. Tier 1 is for all staff and Tier 2 would provide staff with a deeper knowledge and understanding. This training will help towards Asthma Friendly School accreditation.
Promoting Inclusivity in your STEM Curriculum
For secondary teachers. 09 Jan 2024, 16.00 – 18.00, Ormiston Bushfield Academy, from £50 with £35 subsidy available
Preparing Pupils for the GCSE Assessment of Practical Skills
For secondary teachers. 17 Jan 2024, 14.00 – 16.00, Swavesey Village College, from £80 with £50 subsidy available
Diagnostic Teaching and Dealing with Misconceptions in Secondary Science
For secondary teachers. 2 sessions starting 07 Mar 2024, 16.00 – 17.00, remote delivered, from £90 with £60 subsidy available
NEW - Managing Complaints - including responding to serial and persistent complaints (Book under Leadership and Management of Safeguarding Tab)
Audience: Headteachers, Senior Leaders, Governors, Designated Safeguarding Leads, Aspiring Leaders in schools and academies across all phases.
Monday 11 December 13.30-14.30 Virtual course, £35
NEW - Dealing with Challenging Parents (Book under Leadership and Management of Safeguarding Tab)
Audience: Headteachers, Senior Leaders, Designated Safeguarding Leads, Aspiring Leaders in schools and academies across all phases.
Monday 11 December 09.30-11.00 Virtual course, £55 (90-minute course)
Single Central Record (Book under Leadership and Management of Safeguarding Tab)
Audience: Headteachers, Senior Leaders, Designated Safeguarding Leads, Aspiring Leaders in schools and academies across all phases.
Friday 8 December 11.30-12.30 Virtual course, £35
Peterborough Museum Teacher Open Evening
For all teachers, particularly primary history and science leads or those responsible for trips. Tuesday 16th January 2024, 17.00-18.30. Peterborough Museum, free.
End of KS2 Moderation
For primary teachers. 3 sessions starting 8 Dec 2023, 13.00 – 16.00, West Town Primary Academy, from £285 with £185 subsidy available
Promoting Inclusivity in your STEM Curriculum
For secondary teachers. 9 Jan 2024, 16.00 – 18.00, Ormiston Bushfield Academy, from £50 with £35 subsidy available
Preparing Pupils for the GCSE Assessment of Practical Skills (Science)
For secondary teachers. 17 Jan 2024, 14.00 – 16.00, Swavesey Village College, from £80 with £50 subsidy available
Body Image for Primary Schools
13th February 2024, 1.30pm-3.30pm. Online. £40 subscribing schools, £50 for non-subscribing schools.
Audience: PSHE Leads and KS2 teachers in primary schools.
Drug & Alcohol Education in Primary & Special Schools
13th February 2024, 3.30 pm - 5.30 pm. Online. £40 subscribing schools, £50 for non-subscribing schools.
Audience: PSHE Leads & teachers in primary and special schools.
Exploring Gender
27th February 2024, 2 pm - 3.30 pm. Online. £40 subscribing schools, £50 for non-subscribing schools.
Audience: Teachers in primary, special and secondary schools.
An Afternoon with Andy Whittaker
7th December 2023, 13:30, at Allia Future Business Centre, Peterborough United Football Club.
For Primary School Headteachers in the Cambridgeshire area. Join us for an afternoon session with keynote speaker Andy Whittaker. £100 per head.
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