For action
Action for schools: Back to school preparation to ensure strong attendance next year
This article will be of interest to senior leaders and attendance leads
We have revised the attendance toolkit originally produced for the national attendance campaign we began earlier this year, with top tips for schools on preparing during summer term for 'back to school' September 2024.
For families facing complex barriers, schools are reminded to refer to the guidance to put support in place for individual needs.
Quality data is key to tackling school absence. 90% of schools are voluntarily sharing daily attendance data with DfE and using the Monitor your school attendance tool. Wonde have recently emailed all schools asking you to approve the updated data fields and therefore improve the quality of data you will receive. To benefit, simply log into your Wonde portal and agree to share them.
2. Review the request in your permissions area
Action for schools: Access Relationships, Sex and Health Education (RSHE) resources to raise awareness of testicular torsion
Testicular torsion is a time-critical emergency where a testicle twists, cutting off the blood supply and causing sudden scrotal pain. The testicle can die within six hours without emergency surgery.
With torsion occurring in 1 in 1,000 boys aged 10-20 NHS England, through the Getting It Right First Time (GIRFT) programme, is working to raise awareness and improve education among young people, parents/carers and teachers to ensure boys experiencing severe testicular pain and other symptoms of torsion can recognise the signs and understand to act quickly.
Teachers can access NHS-endorsed online resources developed by clinicians, including information for teenagers/parents and lesson plans for use in RSHE lessons. In collaboration with NHS England’s Youth Board, GIRFT has also developed three posters for display in boys’ toilets.
Further information on causes of testicular pain is available on the NHS website.
Action for schools: Maximise the use of your National Tutoring Programme (NTP) funding with holiday tuition
Schools can use the National Tutoring Programme (NTP) to contribute to 50% of tutoring costs until 31 August 2024. This includes using your school’s grant to deliver tuition in the holidays.
This can help pupils get a head start in preparing for the new academic year, including:
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pupils with persistent absence
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pupils working below the relevant test or grade boundary
News and developments
Information for all education settings: Webinar recording on measles, the MMR (measles, mumps and rubella) vaccination and managing outbreaks
On Monday 4 March DfE hosted a webinar on measles, with speakers from the UK Health Security Agency, the NHS and Inspire Education Trust. Watch a recording of the webinar.
Information for all settings: Additional teachers’ pension funding from April 2024
The department has secured £1.25 billion to support eligible settings with the increased Teachers’ Pension Scheme employer contribution rate in financial year 2024 to 2025.
This will mean additional funding including £923.7 million for mainstream schools, £136.4 million for high needs and £9.3 million for local authorities for their centrally employed teachers.
Information for early year settings and schools with early year provision: Vodcast for schools on the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) Profile
The Department for Education has published a vodcast for schools to support teachers completing the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) Profile.
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provides an overview of the EYFS Profile;
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addresses potential myths;
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answers commonly asked questions and
- signposts where you can find further support on completing the Profile.
Information for schools and further education settings: New activity for the Maths Hubs Programme
The Maths Hubs Programme will expand its offer in 2024, including:
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an increase in recruitment numbers for Mastery Specialists, including Further Education Mastery Specialists
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a new continuing professional development (CPD) project for KS3, supporting students in making the best possible start at secondary school
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expansion of Specialist Knowledge programmes aimed at non-specialist teachers and teaching assistants
Information for schools: New guidance promoting 2 hours of high-quality PE for all pupils and equal access to sport and physical activity
Access the new guidance which showcases examples supporting schools to reflect on how to achieve the Government ambitions for all schools to deliver a minimum 2 hours PE and equality of access to all school sport and physical activities.
This includes a wide range of school approaches to embedding PE, sport and physical activity.
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