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At the beginning of the summer term, this Teacher Bulletin highlights resources and information to help you plan for the coming weeks. You will find guidance and advice for exams, as we know how vital this is to both staff and students, as well as updates about tutoring and new resources for the classroom.
Exams 2022 information
This year students will sit exams, but as they have faced disruption to their education over the last two years, some measures have been put into place to make sure they aren’t disadvantaged.
The Education Hub’s top tips for exam preparation provides useful suggestions for pupils preparing for exams, including links to all available Advanced Information.
View the top tips and share them with students and parents
The start of xams is just 2 weeks away, from Monday 16 May. If senior leadership teams need some extra support, they should speak to their Exams Officer who will be able to help.
Ofqual guide for GCSEs, AS and A levels 2022
Ofqual has published an updated guide for schools and colleges on the awarding of GCSE, AS and A levels in England. The guide brings together existing information for schools and colleges on:
- changes to arrangements in 2022
- arrangements for special consideration
- arrangements for reasonable adjustments
- marking and moderation
- appeals and EPRS
- malpractice and maladministration
View the guide for schools and colleges
JQC recruiting teachers as examiners
Exam boards are offering an opportunity to join examiner teams in several subjects for this summer’s exam season. Examining gives you a chance to network with other subject experts, gain insight into the latest approaches to how your subject is assessed and earn extra income for approximately three weeks of work.
If you are interested, you can read more about the role of examining and apply through JCQ.
National Tutoring Programme (NTP)
The Secretary of State for Education will write to all schools early next week, w/c 2 May, to announce plans to improve transparency and help identify and support uptake amongst eligible schools yet to access tuition.
In the meantime, we wanted to share with you some recent updates to the NTP, to help you access tuition for the summer term and 22/23 academic year.
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School-Led Tutoring (SLT) funding – an additional £60m is being transferred to the School-Led Tutoring route for the current academic year, with each school receiving a 16% uplift in their final SLT instalment payable on Friday 29 April (LA maintained schools) and Monday 9 May (academies).
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Summer Tuition – schools have the flexibility to deliver tuition in the summer holidays, over July and August. You can utilise the SLT uplift funds to accommodate this. This includes tutoring offered by Tuition Partners, Academic Mentors and you can use the SLT uplift funds to deliver school-led tuition in ways that work best for your school.
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Pupil Swapping – we have adjusted the access rights to the individual tutoring package, teachers or tutors now have the flexibility to move a new pupil into an incomplete tutoring session to ensure the full 15 hours has been achieved so funding can be claimed. For example, if a pupil is absent or no longer requires tuition, they can now be replaced with another pupil who could benefit from targeted support.
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Plans for NTP – from September 2022, all schools will receive their tutoring funding directly and all tuition routes will have the same 60% subsidy rate. Schools currently engaged with Tuition Partners will be able to continue working with them. Similarly, schools with Academic Mentors can continue their employment into the 22/23 academic year or, if they wish to appoint new Academic Mentors, eligible schools can apply for one or recruit directly through headteacher nominations.
New Sustainability and Climate Change Strategy
Launched by the Education Secretary last week, the strategy aims to empower pupils and those working in education to fight climate change both inside and outside the classroom.
The strategy sets out plans to:
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provide support for schools in developing Climate Action Plans – including the provision of training so that every state funded school has a designated sustainability lead by 2025
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share good practice from schools who have incorporated sustainability and climate change into teaching across their curriculum
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develop a Primary Science Model Curriculum with an emphasis on nature
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introduce a new GCSE in Natural History
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include climate change and sustainability in science teachers’ CPD
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develop a National Nature Park to help children and young people get more involved in the natural world, as well as providing teachers with free climate education resources through the Nature Park’s virtual hub.
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introduce a Climate Leaders Award to celebrate the work of children and young people who are protecting their local environment and developing their sustainability skills and knowledge
Free period products available to schools and colleges
Statutory guidance to keep school uniform costs down
School uniforms are helpful in fostering a good learning environment and can promote the ethos of a school. To make sure school uniforms are affordable for all families, our guidance sets out how you should keep the costs of their uniforms down. Schools are required to take steps to do this before September 2022, taking actions including removing unnecessary branded items and allowing more high-street options, like supermarket own-label uniforms.
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