Spring term | 22 February 2021 | Issue 2
Primary & Secondary Leadership Hub meetings (MS Teams) on 1 & 2 March 2021
Join colleagues for a chance to catch up on all things Covid-19 related (and other topics) - to include the full reopening of schools on 8 March - and keep up to date with the latest information, both locally and nationally. Sessions hosted by members of the Devon SLS Schools Executive Committee.
Primary meetings:
-
Monday 1 March 2021 Central, South & West, 1.30pm - 2.30pm
-
Tuesday 2 March 2021 North & East, 1.30pm - 2.30pm
Secondary meeting:
-
Monday 1 March 2021 3.00pm - 4.00pm
Note that a calendar invite has been sent directly to secondary school leaders (no need to book). Question? contact us at devonsls@devon.gov.uk
|
Spring School Leadership Briefing
(MS Teams Live Event)
11 March 2021 (9.00am - 12.00pm )
Book online (booking is essential)
We are delighted to be welcoming Professor Tanya Byron back to Devon as a speaker for our Spring School Leadership Briefing. Tanya previously visited us as a keynote speaker at the Annual School Leadership Conference in October 2019 and we had an overwhelmingly positive response to her session.
|
Who is Tanya Byron?
Tanya is a Professor in the Public Understanding of Science and has four honorary doctorates. She is a practising consultant clinical psychologist specialising in working with children and adolescents with thirty years’ experience. She is also a journalist, author and broadcaster.
Tanya is a trustee of the NSPCC, patron of Relate, Ambassador of Place2Be and Grief Encounter. Tanya is an national and international government advisor on children, young people mental health and also digital media. Her independent government report - The Byron Review: Safer Children in a Digital World, was published in 2008 and informed legislative change.
Her TV presenting and on-screen credits include the BBC series Little Angels, House of Tiny Tearaways, Child of Our Time, Lose Weight for Love, The Truth About Child Sex Abuse, Horizon, Panorama as well as Bedtime Live for Channel 4. She has been nominated for BAFTA and RTS awards and won a Sony Gold Radio Broadcast Award. She wrote the BBC2 comedy series: The Life and Times of Vivienne Vyle, with Jennifer Saunders. She writes a weekly column every Monday for The Times since 2005. She has written five books and her most recent book: The Skeleton Cupboard, was a Top Ten Bestseller.
|
 DCC Devon Schools Key Information Website
Visit the private Education (staff only) website which hosts all the key information and guidance in one place so it can easily be referred to by school leaders and other senior staff. Here is the link to the website - schools are to log in via their usual DCC account.
Stay up to date with GOV.UK
Sign up to receive emails when there are changes to any coronavirus information on the GOV.UK website.
Headship can be isolating and overwhelming, particularly during these challenging times. We wanted to remind you that the team of aHead Professional Partners are here to provide confidential support and guidance to school leaders and can be contacted via email or phone:
E aHead-DevonSLS@devon.gov.uk T 01392 380518 / 07970 905511
aHeadSpace contact programme
We recently wrote to all primary and secondary school leaders to introduce the aHeadspace proactive contact programme. Not received this? Please let us know by emailing devonsls@devon.gov.uk.
Employee Assistance Programme (EAP)
Additional to the aHead Service, Devon SLS is delighted to offer an Employee Assistance Programme to its membership of school leaders. This is a new introduction to the Devon SLS offer and is provided by Education Support. The EAP provides members with free individual access to a confidential information, support and counselling service which is available 365 days a year, 24 hours a day via a dedicated 0800 telephone number (see below).
Read more - EAP Leaflet: Information, guidance and support for wellbeing
Contact Education Support: T 08000 856 148 (quoting Devon Schools Leadership Services)
|
 Guidance | Harmful online challenges and online hoaxes
Advice for schools and colleges to support their approach to harmful online challenges and online hoaxes | READ MORE
New Teaching School Hubs to be rolled out across the country
81 new Teaching School Hubs selected to provide high-quality professional development to teachers and leaders | READ MORE
Guidance | What maintained schools must publish online
The information that schools maintained by their local authorities must publish on their websites; last updated 12 February 2021, see new 'Remote Education' section which includes guidance on remote education provision expectations and the optional template to help schools publish information:
Extract re Remote Education:
You must publish information about your school’s remote education provision on your website. An optional template is available to support schools with this requirement.
Find out more about remote education expectations in the actions for schools during the coronavirus (COVID-19 outbreak.
 Open Consultation | High needs national funding formula: proposed changes
The DfE are seeking views on proposed changes to the high needs national funding formula (NFF), forming a part of the high needs NFF review.
This consultation closes at 11:45pm on 24 March 2021 | READ MORE
 School leader representative required for the Holiday Activities and Food Programme
DCC is seeking a wide range of partners to help develop the countywide holiday activities and food programme.
The Government’s Holiday Activities and Food (HAF) programme has been expanded to reach all Local Authority areas over the Easter, Summer and Christmas holidays during 2021.
This programme has provided healthy food and enriching activities during the summer holidays to children who receive benefits-related free school meals. It offers valuable support to families on lower incomes, giving them the opportunity to access rewarding activities alongside healthy meals over the school holidays.
A school leader is required to join this strategic group and virtual meetings are likely to be held on a weekly basis in the initial stages.
More information | Holiday and Food Programme presentation & 2020 Case Studies
If you have any queries, please contact the co-ordinators:
Melissa Filby – 01392 383000 or email melissa.filby@devon.gov.uk
Jackie Colby – 07970 481132 or email jackie.colby@devon.gov.uk
Interested? Please contact devonsls@devon.gov.uk
Devon & Cornwall Police partnership approach to violence prevention
We need to hear the voice of education.
Message from Jacqueline Hawley, Head of Prevention for Devon and Cornwall Police
Crest Advisory and the Social Care Institute for Excellence (SCIE) have been commissioned by the PCC and the Chief Constable of Devon and Cornwall Police to help develop a new partnership-based approach to violence prevention. They are currently undertaking an analysis of violence in Devon and Cornwall and will be producing a report on the nature and extent of violence in Devon and Cornwall, its drivers, how to prevent violence and to develop a strategy for violence prevention. This will provide the evidence base for a four year programme of work and will inform commissioning decisions going forward.
Schools and education partners are key stakeholders in this work and we are keen to speak to partners about their experience of violence, its drivers and prevention. The kind of issues we want to discuss are:
- transitioning from primary to secondary
- children who are missing from education-school exclusions and absences, and falling out of mainstream education
- not being in education, employment or training as a young adult
- the link between vulnerability and education (LAC status, free school meals, SEN, involvement in the CJS)
- can schools do more to help the most challenging/ vulnerable students, how much more scope there is for violence prevention interventions in schools (strengths/ gaps), and to what extent schools could be more embedded within violence prevention initiatives/ partnerships
We are also keen to access data on school exclusions and missing from education (we have access to published DfE data but to get a clearer picture of issues in D&C, we would like to have access to more granular information. We can provide the necessary MOUs etc and non-disclosure agreements and have these in place with other partners for this work)
Please contact:
Sarah.kincaid@crestadvisory.com
Anna.Bennett@crestadvisory.com
James.Stott@crestadvisory.com
Keep up to date:
Babcock LDP Safeguarding Update | February 2021
Read the latest safeguarding updates from Babcock LDP including updates on:
- Right to Work - UK changes
- Single Central Record - update
- Ofsted visits
- MASH update
- Safer Devon Partnership - webinar
- NHS TALKWORKS
- S715 Audit update
- 'Ready for anything' policy
- NEW One Minute Guides
|
Devon Young Carers logo competition
Devon Young Carers are delighted to announce the launch of their logo competition to find a winning design to add to their Priority Plan 2020/1. Please encourage your young carers to take part - closing date is 31 March 2021 | READ MORE
Question? Contact Young Carers e youngcarers@devoncarers.org.uk
Young carers information for professionals
How you can help support young carers
Visit the DCFP website for more information on how you can help support young carers, advice on the referral process and download the Devon Young Carers referral form.
Emotional Wellbeing and Mental Health sub-group (formerly EH4MH)
Feedback from the last meeting held on 29 January 2021
There is a sense that we are sitting on a real emergency in respect of the emotional health and wellbeing of young people. This is both because of increase in neglect and harm and in terms of the wellbeing of all children and young people many of whom are isolated and fearful.
Adult mental health issues are also impacting on children.
Schools will play a key role in building back and identifying students who need additional support as well as actively implementing strategies to reconnect children and young people.
 SEND Operational Delivery Group
Feedback from the latest meeting held on 4 February 2021
There is a lot of work being done across agencies to develop the SEND transformation project. There is a strong desire to try and make SEND services easier to access for families and professionals and currently having locality based groups is being explored.
 SEND Improvement Board February 2021 Newsletter
SEND Transformation project, the new SEND Strategy 2021 - 2024 and good news stories on speech language and communication practices in Devon | READ MORE
Subscribe to the SEND Improvement Board newsletter HERE.
Champions for Change | January meeting update
Champions for Change is the voice of all children and young people in Devon who need extra help with their learning. The group is run by young people with SEND for young people with SEND. Read more about the virtual meeting held on 29 January 2021.
 Ofsted: coronavirus (COVID-19) rolling update
Ofsted guidance and information relating to coronavirus (COVID-19) for schools, early years, children’s social care and further education and skills providers.
Change made:
Added information that after February half term, remote monitoring inspections in schools will normally last for one day and involve 2 HMI.
 Message from the new Chief Officer for DCC Children’s Services
Melissa Caslake has shared the this message for Children’s Services staff and partners.
TSSW Update Newsletter | Issue 3
Read the latest news and updates from Teaching Schools South West | READ MORE
|
Read the latest DAG newsletter Issue 209 (8 February 2021) HERE
Visit the DAG website to subscribe to newsletters and register for DAG membership.
|
DAG Community Networks | Clerks Forum Thursday on 25 February 2021
DAG is supporting clerks, company secretaries and governance professionals with clerking responsibilities to come together and share their experience at an online Clerks Forum on 25 February at 5.00pm. For more information and to register, visit the DAG website.
 Welcome to our newly appointed Devon SLS Administrator
We are delighted to announce that Kathryn Mora has joined the office team as the new part-time Devon SLS Administrator, working 20 hours a week across 3 days during term time.
Part of Kathryn's role will be taking on responsibilities with the Schools Executive Committee, including the organisation and minuting of SEC meetings and administration around working groups / representation as well as general support to both the Business and Operations Manager (Clare Coates) and the Marketing and Events Co-Ordinator (Anna-Marie Tooth).
Contact the Devon SLS Office | E devonsls@devon.gov.uk T 01392 380518
School Leadership changes and Headteacher Email Updates
We should be grateful if you would kindly bring to our attention any known forthcoming or impending changes to school leadership roles eg. Headteacher, Head of school etc. as it is not always possible to pick these up, particularly within MATs and Federations.
Please email devonsls@devon.gov.uk
Additionally, to ensure that school leaders are well informed and kept up to date with important information from the Local Authority and the DfE, regular headteacher updates are being emailed directly to you via Dawn Stabb, Head of Education & Learning.
If you are not receiving these on a regular basis please let us know via email and we'll make sure you are added to the distribution list.
|
