 DASH Summer Conference | Friday 7 July 2017
Last chance to book!
This all-day Summer event is returning to the beautiful Bovey Castle
in the heart of Dartmoor National Park.
For more details
regarding the event, including speakers and how to book accommodation for the
Thursday evening (6 July), view the F L Y E R
Have you booked?
Check the current D E L E G A T E L I S T
To check your
accommodation arrangements, please contact Bovey Castle directly on 01647 445007.
D A T E F O
R YO U R D I A R Y | DASH Winter Conference
2017
Friday 8 December
2017 at the Flybe Training Centre, Exeter. More details to follow.
Headteacher Tea and Cake
Events | invitation from Dawn Stabb
See the recent
communication from Dawn Stabb with an invitation to all schools to attend
Headteacher Tea and Cake events:-
All Schools Invitation
| READ MORE
Maintained Schools Invitation (to
include network meetings) | READ MORE
Those wishing to attend the last event on Wednesday 12 July at the Devon Hotel, Exeter should book by contacting hannah.keyte@devon.gov.uk
(PA to Dawn Stabb)
Letter from
Jo Olsson and Mark Gurrey
See
letter about staff changes in safeguarding following the
establishment of the Devon Children & Families Partnership | READ MORE
Safety First Bulletin
Read the Health & Safety’s recently published “Safety First” Newsletter
for Summer 2017 which includes information on:-
- Bomb Threat & Evacuation
-
School Security
- Outdoor Education
- School Trips - Insurance
- INSET Day Health & Safety Training
- Swimming Pools and more....
READ MORE
Workshop Programme
Maximise the impact of Teaching
Assistants | View the F L Y E R
Message from Lorwyn Randall, Assistant Principal at Kingsbridge
Community College and local EEF designated Research school
I am writing to let you know that Kingsbridge Community College is running a workshop programme with the Education Endowment Foundation (EEF) to help schools in Devon maximise the impact of Teaching Assistants. As you know, Teaching Assistants in our secondary schools are working hard to support their students. They also represent a significant amount of our annual expenditure on staffing. Why then does the evidence suggest that their work can often have little or no impact on student outcomes? The answer to this question lies in the way that TAs are trained and deployed…
We are delighted to have Professor Jonathan Sharples, author of the EEF Guidance Report on successful TA deployment, joining us here in Devon for a workshop programme aimed at improving our training and deployment of Teaching Assistants. We will also be joined by experienced TA Lead Karen Sewell, Senior Leader of SEND for the South West Teaching Schools Alliance. Starting in September, and together with schools from across the South West, we will be exploring the evidence and working on practical strategies for transforming practice in order to turn the hard work of our TAs into measurable results for our students.
As one of 11 Research Schools nationally, Kingsbridge has worked closely with the Education Endowment Foundation to create a CPD offer that will support schools in improving outcomes for students through better approaches to working with TAs. As a member of the Leadership Team at Kingsbridge Community College, I am acutely aware of the financial challenges facing schools. That is why we are offering a free place to a colleague from within the school of the Lead Participant, giving two colleagues access to all three workshops at a total cost of £295.
Please be aware that this course is aimed at colleagues responsible for the leadership, deployment and professional development of teaching assistants and/or members of the Leadership Team with responsibility for Teaching and Learning.
Half of the places on the course have already been filled so reserve your place now to avoid disappointment. Email: flower.v@kingsbridgecollege.org.uk
I hope your colleagues can join us for this excellent opportunity to ‘Maximise the Impact of Teaching Assistants’ in schools across Devon.
For more information about the course, please see the F L Y E R or contact Lorwyn directly to
find out more or to discuss any other opportunities for working with us as your
local EEF designated Research School.
Lorwyn Randall | Randall.L@kingsbridgecollege.org.uk
Assistant Principal | Kingsbridge Community College | Tel: 01548
852641
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 18 October 2017
To contact the Forum: schools.forum@devon.gov.uk
Tel: 01392 382305
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
Education Finance blog | Governance and Compliance 54: Surplus Carry Forward Balances Explanation
Posted on 29 June 2017 by education.finance
Following up on the recent email that has been sent to some schools requesting an explanation of the year end surplus balances that are greater than £50,000 or 5% of School Budget Share.
By way of reminder, this is not a new request and is something that is asked of annually set out in the year end guidance letter. Section 4 of the ‘Scheme of Financing Schools’, stipulates that we do not require to report where the balance is less than the smaller amount of 3% of the budget share or £25,000, however we have focused on higher levels this year due to the current concern around school funding.
If you have received an email requesting an explanation and have not already done so, I would be grateful if you could provide information on how the school intends to use the surplus balance of 2016/17 in the coming year(s).
Please notify us by emailing financeschool-mailbox@devon.gov.uk
Many thanks for those who have already responded.
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.
Newsletters
| click H E R E to sign up and receive news and
udpates direct to your inbox.
M A S H
| the advice to anyone in Devon who may have suspicions of child abuse or
neglect is to contact Devon’s Multi-Agency Safeguarding Hub (MASH):
Tel: 0345 155 1071
| email: mashsecure@devon.gcsx.gov.uk
|
WRAP Training Questionnaire
At the most recent meeting of the Devon and Torbay Prevent
Partnership it was agreed that we need to escalate any feedback about the WRAP
training to the Home Office. It was agreed to circulate a
questionnaire and evaluate the results in readiness for the next meeting on 2
October at County Hall.
See this link to the WRAP Training Questionnaire. Please send
your feedback to jenny.rayner@devon.gcsx.gov.uk by
Friday 21 July 2017.
New | 'Devon Children and Families Partnership' Mailbox
From
Monday 3rd July, the DSCB Business Unit is changing their e-mail
address in order to reflect the recent partnership changes. The main e-mail
address for the newly formed “Devon Children and Families Partnership” will be:
childsc.childrenfamiliespartnershipsecure-mailbox@devon.gcsx.gov.uk
We
appreciate that this e-mail address is rather long and complicated, so for
convenience we have also established an alternative e-mail address, which can
be used to contact the business unit:
childrenfamiliespartnership@devon.gcsx.gov.uk
E-mails
to both of these e-mail addresses will be delivered to the same inbox. E-mails
that are sent to the old DSCB e-mail address will be forwarded to the new
address in the short term. This email address will however at some point no
longer be valid.
Safeguarding against Domestic Violence | Views on Health - survey
Message from Lorren Stainton
Safeguarding (Domestic Violence) Programme Officer
NHS England is currently undertaking two scoping exercises relating to safeguarding children, young people and adults are being safeguarded against domestic violence. The first scoping exercise will be targeted at Health. The second scoping exercise will be targeted at all agencies in the region who work with Health to help safeguard.
This second scoping exercise involves getting your feedback on; what you think is working in Health, what is not working so well in Health, and what we can do to improve safeguarding practices to address this safeguarding issue.
Please distribute this survey widely so that we can gather as much information as possible.
Safeguarding against Domestic Violence: Views on Health https://qualityhub.typeform.com/to/q0cebv
Please note that this link will expire Friday 7th July.
 Helpline | Advice and support on SEND processes
Headlines is a regular
newsletter from Dawn Stabb, Head of Education and Learning. Download
the lastest issue dated 20 June 2017 2017 | READ MORE
Education and Skills Funding Agency (ESFA)
e-bulletins
The Education and Skills Funding
Agency (ESFA) e-bulletins are issued weekly in term time and provide the latest
information for academies,
schools, colleges, local authorities and other post-16 providers.
To view/subscribe to the
latest bulletins | READ MORE
About
the Education Funding Agency | READ MORE
Devon and Torbay Prevent Partnership
Update | Stay Safe
An information film that provides advice on the steps to take to
keep safe in the event of a firearms or weapons attack has been produced by
National Counter Terrorism Policing in the unlikely event that the need ever
arises.
The four minute film, Stay Safe: Firearms and Weapons Attack sets out three key
steps for keeping safe. The film is accompanied by an online information leaflet.
The film and leaflet advise that if you are caught up in an incident to ‘run,
hide and tell’ – guidance which can be applied to many places and situations.
The film and the leaflet can be
accessed H E R E on the National Police Chiefs' Council
website.
Meningococcal ACWY conjugate vaccination (MenACWY)
The 2017 school leaver cohort (teenagers born between 01/09/1998-31/08/1999) is now eligible for urgent catch-up with MenACWY vaccination. These young people should be invited by their GP practice for vaccination over the coming months.
We are writing to request your help in raising awareness of the vaccine prior to the summer break, and encouraging students to take up the vaccination when it’s offered by their GP.
See the L E T T E R addressed to headteachers and issued by Public Health England dated 26 June 2017 or for more information READ MORE
School Census Bulletin – Summer 2017 (4)
The Department for Education have issued guidance regarding the recording of absence for year 11 leavers | READ MORE
Admission Arrangements 2019-20
The next admissions policy cycle will begin in the autumn term.
The number of schools responsible for their own arrangements is increasing. In
order to support schools to meet their statutory responsibilities, the
following programme will be available:
-
September
draft policy documents will be sent to all maintained schools and to Traded
Service academies for approval. Governing boards and academy trusts should
have a meeting scheduled to consider these drafts and whether any changes
are to be proposed
-
October
voluntary aided and other faith schools should forward their proposed
policies to Diocese for comment as early as possible in October
-
November
those schools wishing to take part in the LA-hosted consultation should
confirm their proposed policies with the Policy Officer by 1 November
-
5
January the
LA-hosted consultation will end
-
February the
policy must be determined by the admissions authority for each school by
the end of February. A governing board or academy trust meeting must be
scheduled in all cases. The Cabinet of the LA will determine arrangements
for community and voluntary controlled schools.
-
15
March own
admissions authority schools must confirm their determined policy to the
LA and publish on websites by 15 March
-
15
May
this is the deadline for formal objections to the Office of the Schools
Adjudicator.
All schools are requested to respond to communications within
these dates. Every maintained school and Traded Service academies will receive
support for their policies and the consultation process.
During the consultation period, schools are asked to:
- Publish
their own proposed policy on their website
- Feature
the consultation in their newsletters and in communication with their
parents
- Post
a consultation flyer from the LA on the school notice board(s)
- Flag
up any parent or community groups they feel may have an interest in
admissions policies.
Should any schools be unsure about their admissions policies or
whether they have met their responsibilities to publish policies on the school
website and, for academies, on the academy trust website, advice is available
from the LA Policy Officer.
 Guidance | Performance points: comparing KS4 or 16-to-18 qualifications
An introduction to calculating the performance points for key stage 4 or 16-to-18 qualifications | READ MORE
Official Statistics | Maintained schools and academies inspections and outcomes as at 31 March 2017
This data on maintained schools and academies covers January to March 2017 (provisional) and September to December 2016 (revised) | READ MORE
Blog | Ofsted -
developments in education inspection
Changing our approach to short
inspections: your views wanted
Message from Sean Harford,
National Director, Education
Earlier this month, we launched a consultation on changes to the
way we carry out our short inspections of good schools. Your views on these
changes are very important to us.
We know that short inspections are generally popular with
headteachers and other school leaders. They are collaborative experiences,
encouraging constructive discussions between inspectors and school leaders. And
they’re not as high-stakes as a full inspection. Indeed, almost 80% of
respondents to a survey last year told us they were a welcome and positive
change. So we are very keen to keep those benefits.
For a link to the online questionnaire and to read the full
article | READ MORE
Guidance | Cloud
software services: how schools should protect data
Data protection guidance for schools considering
using cloud services ('the cloud') to hold sensitive information
| READ MORE
| 
