Information items
Covid-19 Information for Schools
Details and links to the key communications from the Department for Education are available on the Bulletin Board at the above link.
As you will be aware during October Half Term and the December Holidays, Gloucestershire County Council provided vouchers to families who usually receive Free School Meals.
As part of the Council’s commitment to ensure No Child Goes Hungry the scheme will run again through the February Half Term. More information is available on the Bulletin Board at the above link.
Further to the recent amendments to the guidance on mass testing, we have made some additions to the FAQs for secondary and special schools, which are available on the Bulletin Board at the above link. We have also produced a set of FAQs on the home testing programme for primary schools.
The Department for Education has confirmed it will not be mandatory to complete the Early Years Foundation Stage Profile (EYFSP) assessment in 2021. There will be no requirement to submit data to the local authority or to confirm completion of the EYFSP to the Department for Education. This is in recognition of the additional pressures and uncertainties that teachers are facing during this challenging time and aligns with the approach to KS1 and KS2 assessments this year. This change applies to schools who are early adopters of the EYFS reforms, as well as schools who are following the current statutory framework.
However, the DfE is asking teachers and early years practitioners to use their best endeavours to complete the EYFSP for children in the summer term, if at all possible, and to provide this important information to parents and to Year 1 teachers, should the situation at the time allow.
Schools and other education and childcare settings are currently responsible for sourcing their own PPE. With thanks to the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC), we have been fortunate to be offered free PPE for Covid-19 related use to support Gloucestershire County Council until March 2021.
Please note – this offer is not for special schools as those settings have recently been contacted regarding ordering PPE separately.
For more information please see the Bulletin Board at the above link.
All Schools
The final accounts closedown timetable and notes for financial year 2020/21 are now available to download on the schoolnet finance pages:
https://www.gloucestershire.gov.uk/schoolsnet/school-office/schools-finance/financial-guidance/year-end-guidance/
With effect from 2021/22, each maintained school must submit a Governors’ Budget Plan (GBP) to the LA showing its intentions for expenditure for the next three years and the assumptions underpinning each year’s budget plan. For more details please visit the Governors Budget Plan page on schoolsnet:
https://www.gloucestershire.gov.uk/schoolsnet/school-office/schools-finance/financial-returns/governors-budget-plan/
Pupil Premium Calculation change for 21/22 - the October 2020 Census is being used.
Further information is available on the Bulletin Board using the above link.
The full programme for Gloucestershire’s education conference is now available here. This year’s conference comprises a series of pre-recorded sessions from a range of local and national keynote speakers. Leaders and governors can access the sessions from 8th February 2021.
The training takes a 'Team Around the Child' approach to developing, monitoring and reviewing Personal Education Plans for Children in Care. The training is taking place on Friday 12th February 2021 and Thursday 25th February 2021. Both sessions run from 9.30am - 10.30am. For joining information please see the Bulletin Board at the above link.
This report is available on the Bulletin Board at the above link.
Primary
This brief newsletter outlines a range of free RE resources available for Gloucestershire primary schools. For more information please see the Bulletin Board at the above link.
Secondary
Cyber Girls First
The National Cyber Security Centre is running a competition to attract girls towards careers in cyber security. Registration is open now for The Cyber First Girls Competition which provides a fun but challenging environment to inspire young women to consider a career in cyber security. The competition is open to Year 8 students and registration is open until 3 February. More information is available on the NCSC website.
Governance
The DfE have published a framework to help schools and further education (FE) providers in England identify strengths and areas for improvement in their remote education provision. This review tool is not statutory and can be adapted to suit the school’s context: Review your remote education provision
In addition, Ofsted has released some guidance regarding what’s working well in remote education which includes 7 things schools should think about when planning and providing their remote learning.
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:
Single Central Record training - 24 February 2021 - 14.00-15.00
The Role of the Chair - 1 & 4 March 2021 - 19.00 - 20.30
Head/Chair/Clerk – 3 March 2021 – 09.30 – 11.00
Safeguarding Children – 16 March 2021 - 19.00 – 20.30
Single Central Record training - 17 March 2021 - 18.00 - 19.00
Training for New Governors – 22 & 24 March 2021 – 19.00 – 20.30
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