Heads Up - 3 December 2020

Gloucestershire County Council sent this bulletin at 03-12-2020 03:46 PM GMT

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Colleagues are encouraged to see the Bulletin Board which is updated as new information arrives.

3 December 2020

Heads Up replaces the Covid-19 Briefings and will be published weekly until further notice.

Covid-19 Information for Schools

Key Communications from DfE for Schools (23.11.20 - 27.11.20)

Details and links to the key communications from the Department for Education are available on the Bulletin Board at the above link.

Impact on schools from Tier 2 regulations

On 2 December Gloucestershire moved to Tier 2 restrictions for Covid-19. Revised guidance can be found here. Further information is available on the Bulletin Board at the above link.

New funding to support schools

The Department for Education has announced new funding which will be backdated to 1 November and cover the current half term, with detailed guidance due to be published shortly. It is designed for schools and colleges facing significant funding pressure, and will cover the costs of high levels of staff absences over a minimum threshold, to help ensure schools and colleges can remain open. Further details can be found here.

Open Days

Department for Education guidance continues to advise against all unnecessary visitors to school sites and we are advising that open days should not take place in a physical form. Virtual tours have proved successful for many schools and are a good alternative until the national restrictions are relaxed.

Christmas Card &Gifts

School communities are having to forgo many of their usual ways of celebrating the festive season this year due to the current restrictions and this could include the arrangements for the giving of cards and gifts within schools. Additional information is available on the Bulletin Board at the above link.

Extra measures ahead of next summer’s exams

The government has announced a package of support for students sitting exams and other assessments next summer. The press release can be found at https://www.gov.uk/government/news/extra-measures-to-support-students-ahead-of-next-summers-exams

All Schools

Fraud Awareness Warning

Internal Audit has received intelligence that primary schools may be targeted by threat actors applying pressure to make a payment supposedly against a High Court Writ. Further information is available on the Bulletin Board at the above link.

Remote Learning

The Oak National Academy continues to update its guidance for schools, including support with planning remote offers, both in mainstream and in specialist/SEND provision, webinars on best practice and case studies from a range of settings. For more information go to Get started: How to use Oak to support your school.

Rebuilding learning: reconnection, recovery and resilience

A series of webinars, led by Professor Barry Carpenter CBE, OBE, PhD (Professor of Mental Health in Education, Oxford Brookes University), to support Gloucestershire schools through the process of long term recovery are now available to view via YouTube. Please see the Bulletin Board at the above link for additional information.

Registration of newly qualified teachers (NQTs) for Spring Term 2021

If you have appointed an NQT who will join your school in the Spring Term, please complete the NQT registration form and send to NQTs@gloucestershire.gov.uk by 22^nd January 2021. The form can be found via the Bulletin Board at the above link.

Newly Qualified Teachers (NQTs) Primary CPD Programme 2020-21

Following the success of the 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 Bulletin Board at the above link.

Volunteering Survey

Please see the Bulletin Board at the above link for a message from Gloucestershire VCS Alliance, on behalf of health, care, voluntary and community organisations across Gloucestershire.

Previous issues of Heads Up, for the current academic year, are available on Schoolsnet at this link

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