Information items
Safeguarding
As we have entered a third national lockdown with schools and colleges being closed to the majority of pupils, please ensure that your Safeguarding Policy reflects the local restrictions and remains effective. In some cases, a coronavirus (Covid-19) annex or addendum that summarises any key local restriction related changes might be more effective than re-writing and re-issuing the whole policy. It is important that all staff working in the school or FE provider are aware of the revised policy.
The Department for Education opened a consultation to KCSiE for 2021 on 10th December 2020. The consultation can be found here, together with a second consultation on Sexual Violence & Sexual Harassment between children in schools and colleges. Further information is available on the Bulletin Board at the above link.
In light of the Government’s announcement to close all schools and colleges until at least February half term for most pupils, Alter Ego Creative Solutions has decided to make the ‘streamed to be seen’ performance of Chelsea’s Story aimed at Year 8 students available to all Gloucestershire Secondary Schools from now until the end of March 2021. Please see the Bulletin Board at the above link for additional information.
Please see the Bulletin Board at the above link for information regarding Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL) Support Hubs for Spring Term 2021, with dates and times, examples of content and an extended invitation to relevant staff.
The EU Settlement Scheme is a free scheme which enables EU citizens resident in the UK, and their family members, to obtain the status they will require in order to live and work in the UK after 30 June 2021. Further information is available on the Bulletin Board at the above link.
Covid-19 Information for Schools
Further to the latest announcement of the closure of schools to all but vulnerable children and children of critical workers, we are waiting for further detailed guidance from the Department of Education.
In the interim, the following information may be useful in planning for the closure period:
- The definition of critical workers was updated on 31 December 2020 here. Early years staff, including those that work in EY settings, are critical workers and their children should be accepted into school.
- Schools should review their risk assessments, in light of local infection rates and staffing issues, which will inform the number of children who will be able to be accommodated safely on site and accompanying bubble sizes. The LA will support reasonable and proportionate decisions made by heads and governors.
- Attendance at school is not dependant on both parents being critical workers; if one parent is a critical worker then their child should be attending school.
- All early years settings should remain open to all children, including those that are Governor run/ located on school sites.
- The quality of, and access to, remote learning is a priority. Good resources are readily available including the Oak Academy. Last night’s announcement mentioned that additional funding will be made available for laptops to support remote learning. Again we are waiting for clarification on the details.
- We anticipate that we will revert back to attendance reporting procedures that were implemented during lockdown 1. We will confirm this as soon as possible.
- We are investigating with Public Health colleagues the expectations around timescales in testing children attending school, using the lateral flow devices that have been issued.
- Caterlink have sent a communication to all relevant schools detailing arrangements for the provision of school meals for children eligible for FSM and for those children attending school. We are awaiting an announcement from the Government about a new scheme for schools, with their own contracts, to be able to purchase vouchers. These will not be offered by GCC.
- CEV staff and children should resume shielding with immediate effect.
- We are working to consider which GCC staff will be able to visit schools but, until further clarification is received from the DfE, this will be for essential safeguarding purposes only.
- We are waiting for DfE guidance to consider if they plan to reintroduce short term legislative changes in relation to EHCP provision and assessment timeframes. Following any directive, risk assessments which include EHCP provision will need to be reviewed.
The F40 are campaigning for substantially increased school funding to meet the costs which schools are having to sustain because of the coronavirus pandemic. A questionnaire which is aimed at finding out more about the financial impact that the
Demands placed upon school staff this year have been enormous. We want to reassure you that the safety, health and wellbeing of staff is a priority for all services providing support to schools. Please see the Bulletin Board at the above link for tips for heads and school leaders as we approach the end of the winter term.
All Schools
Please see the Bulletin Board at the above link for a message from Chris Spencer, Director of Children's Services regarding the retirement of Jane Lloyd-Davies, Head of Education Outcomes and Intervention.
Please see the Bulletin Board at the above link for advice to help schools prepare for the colder weather.
A series of pre-recorded sessions from a range of national and local key note speakers will be available online from the end of January/beginning February 2021. Please see the Bulletin Board at the above link for additional information.
Grants of up to £1000 are available to schools to develop extra curricular music activities e.g. lunchtime and afterschool clubs. Bursaries of up to £200 are available (paid to the school) to enable those students, that can least afford it, to have access to tuition, exams and instrument hire. Additional information is available on the Bulletin Board at the above link.
The 2020 Annual Meeting of the LGPS Pension Fund, the pension fund for support staff, was cancelled this year. Copies of the Pension Fund’s Annual Report for 2019/20 are available to download at www.gloucestershire.gov.uk/extra/pensions/investments or can be obtained by phoning 01452 328949.
Gloucestershire County Council has launched a public consultation on its draft budget for 2021/22, and is calling on all stakeholders to have their say on the proposals. To find out more about the budget proposals, and to fill out the survey, go to www.gloucestershire.gov.uk/budget2021-22. Further information is available on the Bulletin Board at the above link.
Primary
This programme, run by retired Educational Psychologist, Mary Gurney, is being offered to all Primary Schools within Gloucestershire free of charge for the Covid recovery period. The programme is about helping children to re-build relationships and restore self-confidence and resilience after the disruption they have experienced during the Covid pandemic. Please see the Bulletin Board at the above link for further information.
Governance
Above is the link to our training programme which is continually being updated to reflect demand. To book a place on any training courses, ask the school office to book you on or email: governor.services@gloucestershire.gov.uk
There are still places available on the following courses:
Headteacher Performance Management - 11 January 2021 - 7.00-8.30 pm
Single Central Record training - 14 January 2021 - 9.00-10.00 am
Training for New Governors - 19 & 25 January 2021 - 7.00-8.30 pm
Governors and Pupil Premium - 3 February 2021 - 7.00-8.30 pm
Exclusions training - 4 & 11 February 2021 - 7.00-8.30 pm
The Role of the Chair - 6 & 11 February 2021 - 9.30-11.00 am & 7.00-8.30 pm
REMINDER - Governor Services Traded Services Packages (LA schools)
This is to remind all schools that have purchased one of our traded services packages that includes a training element, that these need to be used by 31 March 2021. If you are unsure what your school has left to use, please contact Governor Services: governor.services@gloucestershire.gov.uk
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