Covid-19 Information for Schools
In light of the continuing COVID-19 pandemic and the need to keep all schools and early years providers up to date on the latest information, advice and guidance (IAG) being issued, Sarah Poultney sarah.poultney@gloucestershire.gov.uk has taken the role of Education COVID Communications Lead for a temporary period. Sarah will be the first point of contact on COVID-19 related issues and any IAG that needs to be shared with schools and early years. We hope that this will help the education service to continue to respond to the current situation in a timely and consistent way.
Details and links to the key communications from the Department for Education (dated from 5.10.20) are available on the Bulletin Board at the above link.
The Department for Education delivered webinars for school leaders last week.The webinars were not uploaded to the DfE YouTube Channel immediately but are now available on the Bulletin Board at the above link.
COVID-19 is requiring Children’s Services to balance the duty to safeguard children with appropriate measures to minimise the spread of the virus as informed by national guidance. Please see the Bulletin Board at the above link for a briefing note that provides advice and guidance for local schools in relation to Children’s Services and provides updated contact details for Children’s Social Care, Early Help and Targeted Support Services.
A presentation that has been produced by the Department for Education to address frequently asked questions on testing for schools is available on the Bulletin Board at the above link.
The list of critical workers (key workers) who can send their children to school or other educational settings during the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak was updated by the Department for Education on 28.9.20 and is available on the Bulletin Board at the above link.
Ofsted resumed visits to schools from September. Findings from these visits have been recently published and are available on the Bulletin Board at the above link.
Sports are allowed in school where national governing bodies have developed guidance that has been approved by the government. This includes all common sports in schools. Further information is available on the Bulletin Board at the above link.
Schools are able to use any of the scrolling images/videos (re COVID-19) that are on the GCC twitter feed for digital signage (in school/on website). The DfE, in conjunction with DHSC, has published an animation explaining the symptoms that could indicate whether a child has COVID-19 and should get a test, when it is just a cold or something else and parents/guardians should check the NHS website or via their pharmacy. Please see the Bulletin Board at the above link.
All Schools
The government has at very short noticed signed into law regulations to restrict the value of redundancy and pension payments to employees leaving on grounds of redundancy or voluntary severance on or after 4th November 2020. It is essential that these regulations are applied to any employee in these categories with a leaving date on or after 4th November. Further details can be found on the Bulletin Board .
The Department for Education has published a new headteachers’ standards document.This replaces the 2015 publication and the standards remain non-statutory. https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/national-standards-of-excellence-for-headteachers/headteachers-standards-2020
The Model Pay Policy is now available on Schoolsnet. The policy has been updated in line with the School Teachers Pay and Conditions Document 2020 -2021. Further information is available on the Bulletin Board at the above link.
We are seeking views on changing the relevant area for Gloucestershire. (i.e. the minimum area to be consulted when all schools and academies undertake consultations on proposed admission arrangements).
Until now, we have asked all Gloucestershire schools to consult with interested parties within the whole of Gloucestershire plus 5 miles into the neighbouring counties.
Following feedback, we are suggesting a change to mean that each school’s relevant area would change to a minimum distance of 10 miles radius from the individual school. Where this distance falls outside of Gloucestershire, this area is adjusted to 3 miles into the neighbouring County.
We would like to seek your views on the proposed area by Thursday 26 November 2020. Post consultation the area will then be determined by Thursday 31 December 2020. Please use the link above to complete the survey.
Flexi-schooling denotes a child’s attendance will be divided between time at school and time at home. When parents/carers request this arrangement, they are asking for a pattern of provision that involves attendance at school together with times when educational provision will be provided at home. Please see the Bulletin Board at the above link for additional information.
Primary and Special
To support schools with developing and teaching great RE, Gloucestershire Standing Advisory Council on RE (SACRE) and RE Today are making two free online sessions available to local primary schools. Please see the Bulletin Board at the above link for further details.
Governance
DfE Updates
The following documents have been updated:
Governance handbook and competency framework
Local-authority-maintained schools: governance
Governance structures and roles
Academy trusts: governance
Letter from Baroness Berridge to academy trust members
Single Central Record Training for Governors - FREE training
Governor Services in conjunction with the Safeguarding in Education Team will be rolling out training to governors with safeguarding responsibilities in relation to the Single Central Record.
The aim of these free 1 hour sessions is for you to learn what belongs on your school's single central record (SCR) and your role in monitoring its compliance with safeguarding requirements.
The single central record (SCR) is the central record of the safeguarding checks that have been carried out on all staff and other relevant people.
We receive a lot of questions about how to monitor the SCR and we know that many governing boards assign a governor – usually the governor with responsibility for safeguarding – to regularly check the SCR themselves to make sure it complies with the requirements under Keeping Children Safe in Education (KCSIE).
Places are limited to 1 per governing board, for the governor with safeguarding responsibilities (not the headteacher or associate members). To book a place please click on one of the links below or email: governor.services@gloucestershire.gov.uk
Wednesday 11th November - 4.00-5.00 pm
Wednesday 11th November - 6.00-7.00 pm
Tuesday 17th November - 10.30-11.30 am
Wednesday 18th November - 2.00-3.00 pm
Thursday 19th November - 6.00-7.00 pm
Monday 23rd November - 9.00-10.00 am
All governor training until further notice will be delivered virtually. Above is the link to our training and this programme is continually being updated to reflect demand.
There are still places available on the following courses. To book a place click on the link or email: governor.services@Gloucestershire.gov.uk
Headteacher Performance Management - 3rd November - 7.00-8.30 pm
An Introduction to External Performance Data - 11th November - 9.30-11.00 am
The Established Clerk - 2nd December - 9.30-11.00 am
The Role of the Chair - 7th/10th December - 7.00-8.30 pm
