Safeguarding
As all children return to educational settings in the context of COVID-19, we are anticipating an increase in demand from practitioners in the community who have safeguarding concerns about a child. We want to make it simpler for practitioners to get the right support, at the right time, from the right service. Please see the Bulletin Board at the above link for more information.
The following updates are available on the Bulletin Board at the above link.
(1) Early Help: Supporting practitioners in the use of the Neglect Toolkit
(2) MASH Children Services: Returning completed
(3) Neglect Toolkit multi-agency training
“Neglect is the persistent failure to meet a child’s basic physical and/or psychological needs likely to result in the serious impairment of the child’s health or development……...” (Working Together 2018)
STREET have created some safety advice for young people on how to help a friend who may be experiencing domestic abuse or teenage relationship abuse.
Gloucestershire Police are aware of a video circulating on TikTok and other platforms such as Facebook, Instagram and Snapchat which shows a male taking his own life. For parents’ awareness, the still of this video is an image of a male with a beard, seated at a desk. Whilst social media platforms have removed the original video, it has been widely re-shared and some users are embedding the video within others to trick other users into watching it.
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Welcome to the start of term. I do hope that the last week has gone as smoothly as you could have planned for. Please view my full message on the Bulletin Board using the above link.
Covid-19 Information for Schools
Further advice re testing and shielding can be found in this letter available on the Bulletin Board at the above link.
The Health & Safety Executive (HSE) has announced that alongside businesses in other sectors that are already being checked, HSE will be carrying out spot-checks in schools as they return to full capacity for the start of the Autumn term.
Spot checks will take the form of an initial phone call to review the measures taken for reopening, to minimise spread of the virus causing Covid-19. Calls made to schools will evaluate duty holders’ knowledge and awareness of the relevant government guidance. Schools must cooperate with the HSE and, based on evidence seen, should have no difficulty providing the information sought.
The latest version of the COVID-19 Risk Assessment for Schools is now available on the SHE webpages on Schoolsnet. This update is to reflect recent changes in the government guidance. Any changes from the previous version have been highlighted to make it easier for schools to identify what is new and to review their own risk assessments. More information about risk assessments including open days and open evenings is available on the Bulletin Board at the above link.
The Government guidance for the full opening of schools states “PHE is clear that routinely taking the temperature of children is not recommended as this is an unreliable method for identifying coronavirus (COVID-19)”. Further information is available on the Bulletin Board at the above link.
The World Health Organisation (WHO) published a new statement on August 21 on when children should wear face coverings. This was in response to the latest available evidence which suggests that:
- although younger children may have lower susceptibility to infection compared to adults, this may vary by age among children
- older children such as teenagers may play a more active role in transmission than younger children.
Consequently the organisation now advise “children aged 12 and over should wear a mask under the same conditions as adults, in particular where they cannot guarantee at least a 1 metre distance from others and there is widespread transmission in the area”. In the light of this, the Government has updated its guidance on the use of face coverings in schools and colleges. Please see Bulletin Board for more information.
The 2020/21 Consistent Financial Reporting (CFR) Framework has been updated to include guidance for coronavirus (COVID-19) related funding.
Under Income, section l18 now states how grants provided specifically in connection with COVID-19 should be recorded. The full Framework document is available on GOV.UK here.
All Schools
If you have appointed an NQT who will join your school in the Autumn Term, please complete and return a NQT registration form by 22nd September 2020 to: NQTs@gloucestershire.gov.uk The form can be found on the Schoolsnet website via the following link: https://www.gloucestershire.gov.uk/schoolsnet/glosed/networks/newly-qualified-teachers-nqts/
If your Induction Tutor would like to attend the Induction Tutor Updates meeting, which will be held virtually, please book via the schools’ ordering website, GCC Plus: www.businesssupportservices.org Information about this can be found on the Schoolsnet website via the following link: https://www.gloucestershire.gov.uk/schoolsnet/glosed/networks/newly-qualified-teachers-nqts/
Following the success of previous years’ CPD programme we are running a similar programme this year, built around the Teachers’ Standards, supporting NQTs in their induction year. The initial events will run ‘virtually’. Information about the programme can be found on the Schoolsnet website via: https://www.gloucestershire.gov.uk/schoolsnet/glosed/networks/newly-qualified-teachers-nqts/
A vacancy has arisen within the Gloucestershire Schools Forum membership for a Primary (Maintained) Governor member, and nominations are currently being sought for this one seat. If you would like to put your name forward please see the Bulletin Board for further details. Nomination forms need to be returned to the clerk by 5:00pm on Friday 25 September 2020.
Please see the Bulletin Board to view documents for reference regarding this consultation.
Your school is invited to take part in the UK Youth Parliament By-Elections for Gloucestershire, which are happening in October 2020. This project fits well with the Citizenship curriculum and is actively supported and encouraged by all of Gloucestershire’s MPs. We hope that many more schools will be able to get involved this year and would like to know whether your school would be willing to support an online, text voting election. More information is available on the Bulletin Board using the above link.
A special day is being organised to publicly thank the people who have gone above and beyond their normal duty in Gloucestershire during the Covid-19 pandemic. More information is available on the Bulletin Board at the above link.
The Council’s Black Workers staff network consists of staff from City and County Council and Gloucestershire Fire and Rescue Service. We are in the process of planning Black History Month 2020 and encourage others across the Council, Traded Services and Schools to get involved: Black History Month - Dig Deeper, Look Closer, Think Bigger: Celebrating Black Voices and Black History takes place each year in the UK during the Month of October. The theme this year is “Let's End Racism”.
This week the DfE has published new guidance called Development Matters to support delivery of the revised EYFS framework, which will support more than 2,800 early adopter schools as they deliver the new framework this year. More
This week, the EIF has published a suite of new resources to coincide with the start of the new school year. Social and emotional learning (or SEL) is an essential part of every child’s education and it will be critical to children’s ability to re-engage and learn when they go back to school following the Covid-19 lockdown. More
The Standards and Testing Agency (STA) has published guidance for schools administering the PSC to Y2 pupils (2020 Term 2). Schools can select past materials (2017-2019), including modified versions. Schools will be required to submit results for Y2 pupils to the local authority by the end of the autumn term.
The STA has added transitionary year information for ‘The engagement model’, outlining arrangements for the 2020/21 academic year, to its general guidance (July 2020) for schools to use when assessing pupils working below the standard of national curriculum tests.
Cycle Ready has successfully rolled out a new secure online booking solution for all future Bikeability training. Please see the Bulletin Board for more information and a School User Guide.
Heads Up replaces the Covid-19 Briefings and will be published weekly until further notice.
Note: Items are listed in the order of importance and/or urgency.
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