Summer term | 25 June 2021 | Issue 6
Primary & Secondary Leadership Hub Meetings - June 2021
(MS Teams)
Thank you to those colleagues who joined us at the latest round of Leadership Hub meetings on 16 and 17 June 2021.
Missed it? View the presentation slides here to see what we talked about on the day:
Question? Contact us at devonsls@devon.gov.uk
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School Leadership Briefing on 8 July 2021
Virtual event | 9.00am - 11.30am | MS Teams
In the light of the government announcements on Monday 14 June we wanted to let you know that in order to adhere to the extended Covid-19 restrictions, we have taken the decision to amend the School Leadership Briefing on 8 July to a virtual event (same date and via MS Teams). Speakers include:
- Hannah Woodhouse - Regional Schools Commissioner for South West England
- Dawn Stabb – Head of Education & Learning, DCC
- Andrew Brent – Senior Policy Officer, School Admissions Team, DCC
- Vivien Lines - Interim Head of Service, Children’s Social Care, DCC
- Lee Elliot-Major OBE – Professor of Social Mobility, University of Exeter
The virtual Briefing will now take place during the morning and we would ask that you register your intention to join us by completing this new online booking form. Please note that if you previously booked the event at Exeter Racecourse, we would ask that you re-book for the virtual event i.e. bookings will not be carried over.
Who's booked already? Check the current delegate list
The Briefing is fully subsidised and open to all members of Devon SLS i.e. school leaders within Devon primary and secondary schools, one delegate place per school – other colleagues are also welcome to attend (note charges apply). For full details please see the terms and conditions on the booking form.
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Annual School Leadership Conference
Saunton, Nr Braunton, North Devon EX33 1LQ
S P E A K E R S A N N O U N C E D &
Target audience: primary and secondary school leaders and other members of the school leadership team.
With guest speakers:
Mary Myatt | Education Adviser, Writer and Speaker
Ian Gilbert | Associate, Independent Thinking
Stephanie Davies | Associate, Independent Thinking
Penny Mallory | Former Rally Champion and leading authority on Mental Toughness
READ MORE AND BOOK ONLINE. Residential, non-residential and single day booking options are available. One booking form per delegate required. Terms and conditions apply, please see the online booking form for further details. Note that this is a new event - all previous 2020 bookings cannot be carried forward - please re-book for the 2021 event.
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Devon SLS | What does your school need?
Devon SLS is undertaking a strategic review of its business activities and events and would like your input to the following questions:
- How do you think Devon SLS could improve the services and / or support it provides to its members?
- Are there any additional services and/or support you would like Devon SLS to provide which it doesn’t currently offer?
- Are there any services and/or support which you currently find hard to procure for your school?
 Schools' COVID-19 advice to parents and carers - June 2021
Public Health Devon have provided some key messages to parents to include in your parents’ newsletter. Also see:
Reminder | Notification of confirmed positive Covid cases to the LA
Reporting of positive COVID-19 results through the Schools Smart Survey remains a priority as it provides more timely and vital local information to support the overall response to the pandemic.
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.
Additionally, Devon SLS member schools have access to the Devon SLS Employee Assistance Programme (EAP) - free individual access to confidential information, support and counselling service plus the option of purchasing for the whole school at a discounted price.
Question or need support? Contact us:
E aHead-DevonSLS@devon.gov.uk T 01392 380518 / 07970 905511
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 £483 million investment to boost and improve school buildings
Thousands of children to benefit from improved facilities, as the Government builds back better from the pandemic | READ MORE
£3.4 million to expand The Duke of Edinburgh's Award in schools
Department for Education investment will support pupils in deprived schools in England to take part in volunteering and extra-curricular learning | READ MORE
Promoting and supporting mental health and wellbeing in schools and colleges
Find out what help you can get to develop a whole school or college approach to mental health and wellbeing | READ MORE
Teaching about mental wellbeing
Practical materials for primary and secondary schools to use to train staff about teaching mental wellbeing | READ MORE
Education recovery support
A list of resources to help early years settings, schools and 16 to 19 education providers support children and young people’s wellbeing and education recovery | READ MORE
Summer schools programme
Details of the summer schools programme for secondary schools including funding, requirements for running a summer school and best practice evidence. Schools should now confirm their arrangements and secure their funding for their summer school by completing the confirmation form by 30 June 2021 | READ MORE
 Ofsted's Chief Inspector at the Festival of Education, 24 June 2021
Amanda Spielman gave a speech at the annual Festival of Education conference | READ MORE
ESFA Update | Latest news for academies
Read the latest update dated 23 June 2021
Keep up to date - the ESFA Update contains the latest information and actions from the Education and Skills Funding Agency (ESFA) for academies, colleges, local authorities and further education providers. Register for web alerts here.
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Academy Trust Handbook 2021 (also known as the Academies Financial Handbook)
Baroness Berridge, Minister for the School System, wrote to all academy trusts on 10 June 2021 informing them the name of the Handbook was changing to the Academies Trust Handbook (also known as the Academies Financial Handbook) to reflect its full range of content more accurately.
The ESFA have published the 2021 edition of the Handbook - which comes into effect on 1 September 2021 – as a PDF available to download. They have summarised the changes to the 2020 edition on page 9 of the PDF. This includes new information about:
- trusts’ existing obligations in relation to safeguarding, health and safety, and estates management
- parental representation on trust governance structures
- cybercrime
external reviews of governance
- renaming the financial notice to improve (FNtI) to notice to improve (NtI)
The digital handbook will be updated to reflect the 2021 edition on 1 September 2021.
 Working Group updates - Summer 2021
Here's a round up of this term's key messages and updates from the various working groups and statutory boards (up to 10 June 2021). These meetings are attended by members of the Devon SLS Schools Executive Committee and other school reps from both the primary and secondary phases.
Details of Devon SLS Working Group representatives are on the Devon SLS website.
 Devon Education Forum (DEF) met on 16 June 2021 - read the minutes on the DCC website. The next DEF meeting date is 17 November 2021.
 Schools Organisation, Captial and Admissions (SOCA) met on 25 May 2021 - read the minutes on the DCC website. The next SOCA meeting date is 21 September 2021.
 Schools Finance Group (SFG) met on 26 May 2021 - read the minutes on the DCC website. The next SFG meeting date is 14 July 2021.
 Prevent | Education Briefing - Spring 2021
See the latest key updates and messages from the Prevent Team in the Spring term Education Briefing newsletter | READ MORE
 SEND Helpline – now open every day!
SENDCo Helpline Monday – Friday (term time) 12pm-4pm
01392 287248 or email LDP-SencoHelpline@Babcockinternational.com
There is a Devon helpline for teaching staff, school leaders, school governors and SENCos to give you support.Click to edit this placeholder text | READ MORE
SEND Improvement Board Newsletter - Short breaks, key transitions and #DevonspeaksupforSLCN
Read the June edition of the SEND Improvement Board newsletter | READ MORE
If you have a questions or a story to send the team, please email childsc.sendimprovementprogramme-mailbox@devon.gov.uk
SEND Strategic Action Group | Feedback from meeting held 17 May 2021
Section B of Written Statement of Action - action for schools to ensure young people with SEND have a voice in school councils and to report it in their SEND Information Report on websites.
 Schools Health Education Unit (SHEU) Pupil health and wellbeing survey
Letters have been sent to schools inviting sign up to this free health and wellbeing survey for pupils, which will take place in the Autumn 2021. READ MORE and to sign up via this link.
School Nursing Service Review
Survey for young people of secondary school age
The school nursing service in Devon is provided by Devon County Council and provides health information and advice to children and young people of school age, whether they attend lessons in school or are taught from home or in another setting.
DCC are currently reviewing some aspects of the services that school nurses provide and are looking to obtain the thoughts of young people to inform review. Please could you share the link to the survey with young people of secondary school age and encourage them to complete it.
The survey takes about 5-10 mins to complete and closes on the 16 July 2021.
Information: Nuffield Early Language Invention – school recruitment now open
Every state school with a reception class in England can now apply for training and resources through an early year’s catch-up programme. The programme is funded by the Government, delivered by the Nuffield Foundation, to support thousands more reception aged pupils with vital communication skills.
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Keep up to date:
Schools and Childminders needed for the Early Years Funding Review Group
Message from Fran Butler | Early Years and Childcare Sufficiency Lead·Early Years Development, DCC
Last week we sent out a request for people to come forward if they are interested in being a part of an Early Years Funding Review Group. We have had six responses – thank you very much to those people.
We have not yet had anyone get in touch who is a childminder or from a school. Ideally, we need one childminder, an academy school and a maintained school (one with a nursery class and one with a governor//trustee run preschool). If you, someone from your team or someone you know is interested please email fran.butler@devon.gov.uk.
Please include in your response:
- Your Name:
- Provision Name:
- Provision Address:
- Telephone Number:
- Reason why you want to be a part of the group:
- Specific interest/s that you have in relation to early years funding e.g. 2-year-old funding, SEND, 3 and 4-year-old funding, deprivation, EYPP etc:
- Anything else that you feel is relevant
Thank you, we look forward to hearing from you!
 Religious Education June 2021 Newsletter
Take a look at the latest RE newsletter from Ed Pawson (Adviser to Devon and Torbay SACREs). Read the latest issue and subscribe for free to future issues. Babcock LDP – Religious Education.
 HROne Devon Schools Payroll Update | 21 June 2021
Changes to annual leave entitlements - VA, Foundation and Trust Schools
You will have already received communications regarding the changes to annual leave
entitlement. If you are a VA, Foundation or Trust school and do not want to follow the DCC
increase, please ensure that you contact HR Direct by the end of June 2021.
Contacting HROne:
South West Institute for Teaching (SWIFT)
Latest newsletter | 24 June 2021
In this issue, you can read an update on the RSHE Ready (Primary) programme and check out the sign-up journey for the reformed NPQ's and book your place at the Train to Teach | Get into Teaching Event next year. Plus the latest CPD offers AND...don't forget to book your place for the 2021 Summer Conference | READ THE NEWSLETTER HERE
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Devon Association of Governance (DAG) Newsletters
Read the latest Issue 224 (21/06/21) HERE
Clerks, company secretaries and governance professionals - don't forget to book a place on the online Clerks Forum on Wednesday 30th June at 5pm where we will be talking about induction. Please email dagclerk@gmail.com for a place.
Visit the DAG website to subscribe to newsletters and register for DAG membership.
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 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.
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