DASH Update: Spring Term | 9 March 2017 | Issue 5

DASH

   Spring Term  |  9 March 2017  |  Issue 5

School funding

Education Finance Blog  |  Budget Preparation 1: SBS Calculator Finalised for 2017/18

At the School Forum meeting on 16th January 2017 the members of the forum voted against the recommendation to transfer the funding of £1.46 million from the Schools Block to the Central Block within the DSG that will cover the statutory duties provided by the Local Authority (note: this is new money to the Schools Block, but not new money to the Local Authority as a whole to support Education).

We have now received the following adjudication:

The Secretary of State’s adjudication is to uphold the dis-application request for the authority to receive the ESG funding of £1.46 million for 2017/18 for retained duties.

As a result, the webpage has been updated to show the approved School Budget Share Calculator. If you have already started your budget preparation, please review your figures to the new calculator – to ensure the information is correct.

N.B. FPS has not yet been updated to reflect the figures for 2017/18, but HCSS are currently working on this. There will be a follow-up blog entry to confirm both when this is available (anticipated within the next few days), and any related guidance.

Update on School Funding Issues  |  2 March 2017

See the special edition DASH Update dated 2 March 2017 which provides a summary of recent activity and meetings with representatives from both DAPH and DASH  |  READ MORE

Reminders

Admissions  |  Suggested Wording for an Own Admissions Authority School Website

A REMINDER to schools of the requirement to publish wording on their websites regarding their Admissions policy by 15  M A R C H  2017.

Admissions arrangements should be accessible from the school home page, to ensure that parents can access easily. Suggested wording can be found H E R E.

Events
DASH conf 2017

B O O K  N O W  |  DASH Summer Conference  |  Friday 7 July 2017

Speakers will soon be announced for this year's DASH Summer Conference which is taking place at Bovey Castle in the heart of Dartmoor National Park. Keep the date in your diary and B O O K   O N L I N E

A C C O M M O D A T I O N  |  Bovey Castle has agreed to make a number of rooms available at a considerably discounted rate of £159 sole occupancy to include breakfast.  Once the allocation of rooms has been taken up, further rooms will be subject to availability at best available rate. Please note that accommodation will not be subsidised / reimbursed by DASH; delegates to book and pay for their accommodation independently. Call the Reservations office on 01647 445007 and quote Devon County Council DASH Conference to ensure your booking attracts the preferred rate.

Whats New
The Key

Join The Key with up to 25% off membership prices

The Key’s services can help you save time, solve problems and increase efficiency.

Your school is eligible to receive up to 25% off membership of The Key's services (The Key for School Leaders, The Key for School Governors and CPD Toolkit) through our partnership with them.

Details were recently sent out via email from the DAPH Office (do contact DAPH if you haven't received the information). View the details about The Key offer and more information on how to join  |  READ MORE

Direct subscribers  |  if your school is an existing member of The Key, you are also eligible to join the group and benefit from the discount. Schools that currently have direct membership of The Key will need to confirm that they would like to extend their membership in line with the DAPH/DASH offer by 31 March 2017.

Contact The Key to discuss your subscription, quoting ‘DAPH/DASH offer’- email Ben Hardy Senior Account Manager,  ben.hardy@thekeysupport.com

Balloons

Balloons Charity  |  Twilight Childhood Grief sessions

Balloons aims to ensure that all practitioners who work with children will develop the skills & confidence to support grieving children & young people in their care.

The Childhood Grief sessions cost £40 per person wtih refreshments provided. Two dates are available to book, 15 March & 16 May 2017 (from 5pm to 7pm at Basepoint Business Centre in Exeter).  For more information and to book a session  |  READ MORE

GESP

A plan for the future of the area...

The local authorities of East Devon, Exeter, Mid Devon and Teignbridge and Devon County Council are working together, engaging with stakeholders and communities, to prepare a Greater Exeter Strategic Plan. This formal statutory document will provide the overall spatial strategy and level of housing and employment land to be provided up to 2040.

By working together we are seeking to deliver the best possible outcomes for the provision of new homes, jobs and infrastructure for existing and future generations, while also protecting and enhancing the environment. Find out more about how the plan affects you  |  READ MORE

NPS logo

NPS SW Newsletter  |  Spring 2017

Read the latest news and updates from NPS South West in the Spring 2017 newsletter  |  READ MORE

Consultations

Reminder: Commissioning Strategy for Community Health Services Children and Young People 2016-2020

The South Devon and Torbay Clinical Commissioning Group is seeking views on its draft commissioning strategy for community health services, children and young people, 2016-2020. The draft strategy is HERE and the survey is HERE. It is asking for key stakeholders to comment on three areas:

1.    Priorities that underpin the draft strategy for South Devon and Torbay

2.    Outcomes proposed in the draft strategy

3.    How we should commission the future service for this area.

The children’s services are currently delivered by Virgin Care Ltd in Devon, and Torbay and South Devon Foundation Trust in Torbay. The priorities and outcomes have been developed through engagement events and activities with children, young people and their families. Views are from those who have had experience of services in the past, as well as those currently using these health services.

Feedback is requested by 17 March 2017.

Education Forum

When attending meetings of Devon Education Forum (DEF), its sub-groups and other statutory or working groups, DASH Representatives provide a summary of key messages and issues affecting the secondary phase.

  • Details of Membership on DEF, agendas and full minutes of previous meetings and other information about DEF can be found on the DEF website
  • Date of next DEF 15 March 2017

To contact the Forum: schools.forum@devon.gov.uk         Tel: 01392 382305

Schools Finance

To view the objectives, Terms of Reference and minutes of meetings for Schools' Finance Group, which is a sub-group of Devon Education Forum, visit the SFG Website

Organisation

To view the objectives, Terms of Reference and minutes of meetings for School Organisation, Capital and Admissions (SOCA), which is a sub-group of Devon Education Forum, visit the SOCA website.

Safeguarding
DSCB

DSCB Newsletters  |  click H E R E to sign up and receive news and udpates direct to your inbox.

Babcock

Babcock Safeguarding Update  |  January & March 2017

See link below to the January edition for those schools who may have missed it.

The March edition includes updated guidance on the Single Central Record and a link to the new Model Safeguarding Policy which should be urgently adopted by all schools to ensure compliance.

READ MORE  |  J A N U A R Y        M A R C H

CP Pathway

Child Protection Pathway

The new CP pathway was launched on the 1st February 2017.

The new model will provide a robust approach to balancing risks and strengths, identifying and building on the assets around the child and harnessing these to reduce risks.

So far seven multi-agency workshops have been held across Devon, providing an introduction to the strength based approach to child protection to over 500 practitioners. 500 are booked on the remaining courses. There are limited places available but  more  workshops will be available throughout the year. Also, two videos have also been developed for practitioners and families to use which are available online. These videos give an overview of the new approach - for information about these and also the workshops  |  READ MORE

For further information, copies of report templates and guidance on the new child protection process visit T H I S  L I N K to the Devon Safeguarding Children Board website.

Brolly

The Local Authority Designated Officers (LADOs) Training Events

The Local Authority designated Officers (LADOs) are holding a series of short training events across the county to increase practitioner confidence in understanding how and when to use the service.

Learning outcomes from the training are;

  • Understanding the role of the LADO.
  • Feel confident about your role and responsibilities where there are concerns about someone who works with children.
  • Feel confident about what should and need not be referred to the LADO (Thresholds).
  • Understanding the Managing Allegations process.

The dates for training are:

16th March 2017   2-5pm County Hall, Exeter

20th April 2017   2-5pm Filleigh Village Hall, Barnstaple

18th May  2017   2-5pm Heathfield Community Centre, Newton Abbot

To book a place you need to be registered with CPD on line. For instructions how to set up a CPD account please click H E R E.  Visit the DSCB website to book a place on the training.

Contact | safeguardingelearning-mailbox@devon.gov.uk

BBC

A World Elsewhere: The Return

By Clara Glynn

A useful tool for Prevent training, this BBC Radio 4's drama is about Rida, a Glasgow Asian teenager, who was radicalised on the internet and travelled to Syria. Now eighteen months later she has returned and been arrested at Glasgow Airport. This drama explores what happens to Rida next  |  L I S T E N  H E R E

Send

SEND Strategy Consultation - closes 17 March 2017

Consultation begins on Devon’s Strategy for Children& Young People with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities

The way that education, health and social care services are delivered to children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) and their families has undergone significant change, both nationally and locally.  Since 2014, changes from central government have driven the need to re-design services and review working practices.  These changes have come at a time where increasing demand, both in numbers and complexity of need, is being placed on education, health and social care services.  To view more details and a link to the Consultation  |  READ MORE

SEND Update Newsletter

Read the latest news in the February 2017 SEND Update newsletter  |  READ MORE

Recommended Reading
Raiseonline

RAISEonline to be replaced April 2017

In April 2017, The Department for Education (DfE) will be launching a new service which will provide schools and other existing user groups with detailed performance analysis to support local school improvement as a replacement to RAISEonline  |  READ MORE

Children and young people briefing 3: Early Help special

Read the latest newsletter from Jo Olsson, Chief Officer for Children's Services (interim)  |  READ MORE

Children and Young People Educated Out of Year Group

Research suggests there can be academic, social and emotional disadvantages to educating children/young people out of year group. Read the advice from Babcock LDP and Devon County Council on the process  |  READ MORE

Education Funding Agency (EFA) e-bulletins

The Education Funding Agency (EFA) e-bulletins are issued weekly in term time and provide the latest information and actions from Education Funding Agency (EFA) for academies, schools, colleges, local authorities and other post-16 providers.

To view/download the latest bulletins  |  READ MORE

To find out more about the Education Funding Agency  |  READ MORE

H O W  T O  S U B S C R I B E  |  READ MORE

Consultations
SecEd

SecEd Newsletter

SecEd prides itself on being written by teachers, for teachers and offering a positive and constructive voice for teachers and school leaders working in secondary education across the UK.

Read the latest news and updates  |  READ MORE

Guidance

Non-Standard Admission Schools

The Local Authority is now required to contact parents and highlight both the existence and the option at KS4 of studio schools and UTCs. To read the information that LA's must make available to parents  |  READ MORE

Also see amendments to the School Information Regulations 2017 HERE

Contact  |  Andrew Brent  |  Policy and Strategy Officer (Education) on 01392 383000

Change to Enhanced Redundancy Pay – School Support Staff

Following previous communications and further delays in the introduction of the Government’s Public Sector Exit Cap, we are now in a position to confirm that the change to the Council’s enhanced redundancy pay will take effect from 1 April 2017.

 This will affect all Devon County Council employees including school support staff but excluding teachers  |  READ MORE

Department for education

Research and analysis  |  Do two inspectors inspecting the same school make consistent decisions?

This study looks in detail at the reliability of Ofsted's new short inspections of schools  |  READ MORE

Guidance  |  Staffing and employment: advice for schools

Guidance for managing staff and employment issues  |  READ MORE

Research and analysis  |  Teacher workload survey 2016

Findings from the 2016 teacher workload survey  |  READ MORE

Policy paper  |  Reducing teacher workload

What the government is doing to reduce unnecessary workload for teachers, including details of the workload challenge  |  READ MORE

Press release  |  New funding to boost schools facilities and healthy lifestyles

Education Secretary Justine Greening has announced that schools are to receive £415 million to help pupils benefit from healthier, more active lifestyles. Primary, secondary and sixth-form colleges will be able to use the funding to pay for facilities to support physical education (PE), after-school activities and healthy eating  |  READ MORE

Correspondence  |  School inspection newsletter: academic year 2016 to 2017

These updates for inspectors and stakeholders contain information and guidance about Ofsted's inspection work in schools  |  READ MORE

Authored article  |  HMCI's monthly commentary: March 2017

Ofsted's Chief Inspector, Amanda Spielman, comments on a newly published study into the reliability of Ofsted's short school inspections  |  READ MORE

Governance
DAG logo

DAG Newsletters - view the latest newsletters on the DAG website

Read Issue 115  |  23 February 2017

Devon Association of Governors (DAG) e-newsletter, the fortnightly digest of the articles published in the DAG website.  In order to open these news articles, you need to log in to the DAG website first. To register, please complete the website registration form