Preparing for study, work and life |
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 Careers professionals highlight the issues facing young people
The recent ‘Right Here. Right Now.’ careers conference organised by EBP South brought together 175 Career Professionals and Career Leads from the education sector including schools, colleges and universities. The Conference is an annual event which takes on a different key theme each year. Careers Professionals from across the South are invited to the event.
The conference focused on the changing world of careers, from career pathways to new emerging careers. An analysis of feedback showed that Careers Professionals believed the biggest issue facing young people is that there is too much information about careers; and young people are unable to navigate their way through it. They also identified that students face a lack of understanding and mis-information from their parents.
EBP South, an educational charity that connects education and businesses said, over the past 21 years they continue to develop a combined programme of careers services which include practical encounters with employers alongside careers advice to enable young people to overcome the ‘cognitive burden’ and understand the different career options available.
The careers conference included industry speakers who gave insightful talks about how the jobs are changing and how companies are changing their recruitment process.
Careers Professionals said that due to the changing job market the most important skills young people need for the work place include; being flexible and adaptable, to be able to use transferable skills for the jobs that don’t exist yet.
Following the conference career professionals said they were going to invest more time into helping to support young people into future careers and would investigate emerging careers in more detail.
EBP contact : Lindsey McHugh
Early help |
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DBS status
Some schools have requested confirmation that the Early Help practitioners have a DBS in place before they can see children in the school setting.
Portsmouth City Council and Solent NHS Early Help staff all have a DBS in place and this is updated on an annual basis by their employing organisations
If you have any concerns please do not hesitate to contact Kate Slater, Head of Integrated Early Help & Prevention.
Leadership, recruitment and retention |
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Schools Forum Membership
There are currently two vacancies on Schools Forum to represent:
- Primary academy trusts
- Maintained primary school governors.
Schools Forum performs both a consultative and decision making role supporting the local authority and Cabinet Member for Education to approve school funding arrangements on an annual basis.
The primary academy role is open to all proprietors of an academy trust and not just head-teachers.
There are generally 4 or 5 meetings each year and the next few meetings are set out below:
10th July 2019
16th October 2019
4th December 2019
15th January 2020
All meetings are on Wednesdays at 4.30pm and are scheduled for 2 hours. They are highly unlikely to overrun and often finish early.
Contact: schoolsfinancialsupport@portsmouthcc.gov.uk
Tel: 023 9283 4236
Teach Portsmouth Week 30 Sept - 4 Oct 2019 |
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We are really excited to be able to tell you about Teach Portsmouth Week 2019, and how you can get involved. I am sure many of you will remember how fantastic the 2018 event was, and this year Teach Portsmouth Week is going to be even bigger and better!
Teach Portsmouth is an exciting opportunity to recognise and celebrate our current teachers and for everyone to experience the buzz of teaching. Children and adults alike will be encouraged to learn something new which will broaden their horizons and build confidence through sharing their ideas, skills and knowledge. This is an occasion for teaching to be celebrated and experienced no matter what your age! This week is part of the PEP's Teacher Recruitment and Retention Strategy and forms a really important part of promoting Portsmouth as the place to live and teach.
Teach Portsmouth Week 2018 is already featured on the new Teach Portsmouth website www.teachportsmouth.co.uk, and we will be advertising the events and activities for Teach Portsmouth Week 2019 here, and through the #TeachPortsmouth Twitter and Facebook feeds.
There are three ways you can get involved in Teach Portsmouth Week:
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Teach Portsmouth Awards : There are 11 awards to celebrate some of the great work in our city. Nominations are welcomed from schools, colleges, multi academy trusts and all partners involved in the Portsmouth Education Partnership. Please start to consider who you might wish to nominate. The deadline for nominations is Friday 28th June 2019. Categories and criteria here and nomination form here. For your diary, the Teach Portsmouth Awards evening is on Friday 4th October 2019, so please keep the date free!
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My Teacher Exhibition : there is going to be an art exhibition and competition on the subject of My Teacher on a Postcard. The details are still be being finalised for this. In a nutshell, contributions can include: A written piece (description, poem, story), a piece of artwork, a collage or a photograph. The My Teacher on a Postcard Exhibition has been inspired by the recent Twitter Art Exhibition (#TAE2019). We would love to receive 1000 postcards from around Portsmouth. More information will follow after May half term. We expect the exhibition will be last for a number of days during Teach Portsmouth week (w/c 30 September 2019) and we hope you will want to bring groups from your school to see the exhibition and vote for your favourite postcards.
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In school activities : Some ideas are attached. We know from last year that you will have your own ideas - we can't wait to hear about them. It will be great to evidence all the fantastic work in schools this week across the city. You can help us to do this by sending us details of any scheduled activities as soon as they are planned for potential media coverage, or by sharing photos and media clips that you can of anything you are part of. I am sure all schools will want to take part in some way or other and we will remind you nearer the time about how to promote what you are doing. For example, you can send photos and media clips to Sarah Lee at TeachPortsmouth@portsmouthcc.gov.uk and we will upload them to our Teach Portsmouth Facebook and Twitter pages, or alternatively you can post them onto social media using the hashtag #TeachPortsmouth.
Seminar on managing supply agency costs
17 June 2019 : 10.00 - 11.30 am
Civic Offices, Guildhall Square, Portsmouth
Are you looking to reduce your expenditure on supply staff? If so, come along to the seminar for business managers and head teachers at the Civic Offices on Monday 17 June from 10.00 - 11.30. At the event you will hear from council leads on procurement and managing agency staff on how to get the best out of your supply agency arrangements, and also hear from Chris Purnell, business manager at Miltoncross School, who has negotiated a significantly more favourable deal for schools in the TKAT group. There will also be plenty of time for schools to share experience and ask questions. Bookings (free of charge) via the traded services website.
Any queries contact alison.critchley@portsmouthcc.gov.uk.
Curriculum and CPD |
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Portsmouth students to dance in new Dame Darcey Bussell competition
Thirteen schools in Portsmouth have been chosen to take part in the regional final of a brand new UK dance and fitness school competition. Supported locally by Portsmouth City Council and the New Theatre Royal and hosted by Dame Darcey Bussell DBE and Diverse Dance Mix (DDMIX), the event is taking place on Saturday 8th June and aims to engage children in creativity, culture, fitness and dance to address a generation where screen time often supersedes fitness time.
Dance groups made up of pupils from years 3 to 7 (aged 7 to 12) from the following schools will be competing:
- St George’s Beneficial CofE Primary
- Fernhurst Junior
- Solent Junior
- Beacon View Primary
- St Paul’s Catholic Primary
- Isambard Brunel Junior
- St Swithun’s Catholic Primary
- Copnor Primary
- Lyndhurst Junior
- Mayville High School
- Highbury Primary
- Flying Bull Primary
- St Edmund's Catholic School
Portsmouth is one of seven UK cities chosen to take part in the competition. School dance groups have been rehearsing two and a half minute routines chosen from five genres of dance and each group has submitted a video of their performance for Dame Darcey to judge.
The finalists will be photographed with Dame Darcey and will receive a certificate signed by her. Tickets for the show are available from the New Theatre Royal box office and parents and carers of performers will be given priority access.
 State Schools and the Foyle Schools Library Programme
The Foyle School Library Scheme accepts applications from state funded schools in the United Kingdom. The scheme recognises that there is no statutory requirement for schools to have a library and that many school libraries are in a desperate situation through underfunding and underdevelopment. Encouraging children to read widely from an early age will provide a major boost to improving literacy levels, which is a key educational objective. You can apply for between £1K and £10K.
Priority is given to primary schools. They do not consider applications from nursery/early years only establishments. Secondary schools are also eligible although primary schools are given a higher priority.
For more information and how to apply click on the link below.
 The Releasing Potential 2019 conference brings together a range of important voices to explore transitions in, to, and from education and social care settings.
Take a look at the flyer and programme of events for further information.
General Admission: £85 Student: £40
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Children remember D-Day with the Royal Marines
On Friday 7 June military musicians and children from across Portsmouth will be taking part in the D-Day 75 commemorations, performing a special open-air concert and a song composed especially for the national event.
Portsmouth Music Hub and more than 40 young musicians from the Portsmouth-based Royal Marines School of Music have joined forces to stage an hour-long concert that conjures up the words and music of the war-time period, and more than 1,000 primary aged children will be watching, singing and joining in.
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Multiplication tables check administration guidance
The guidance is for schools that are participating in the June 2019 pilot and wish to access the system before this.
The administration guidance provides details on:
- how to use the MTC system (including the pupil ‘try it out’ area)
- how to administer the MTC
- how to use pupil access and other check arrangements
The MTC system guidance includes instructions and screenshots to help administrators use the MTC system, and should be used alongside the MTC administration guidance.
Young Poets changing the world
Portsmouth Music Hub's One World campaign harnesses the power of music and the arts to engage children and young people, to challenge their thinking and inspire them to change behaviours. The message is simple; how we interact with our environment and how we sustain our planet's precious resources really will shape our future, and the future of generations to come.
Music lies at the heart of One World, but the campaign has included art competitions, short films, story-telling in schools and an extensive use of web-based media, and on Thursday 23 May, at a special prize-giving ceremony at Milton Park Primary School in Portsmouth, poetry was in the spotlight. Children and young people of all ages put pen to paper, fingers to keyboards, and described their feelings for the environment. Deforestation, ocean pollution and recycling plastics were just some of the many aspects of environmental awareness on display.
Go to the Portsmouth Music Hub's website to learn more and hear examples of the poetry.
Attention MFL Teachers!
MFL colleagues may be interested in a qualification offered by the Chartered Institute of Linguists, which might provide an opportunity for schools to recognise the practical communication skills of their young linguists. It could be suited particularly, perhaps, to language learners who are undertaking a Duke of Edinburgh award or to those language learners who have chosen not to continue on to a GCSE course but would still appreciate having their language learning competence accredited.
Real Lives | CIOL (Chartered Institute of Linguists) https://www.ciol.org.uk/real-lives
Open accessible summaries in language studies (OASIS)
Oasis is an online database of one-page summaries of peer-reviewed studies on language learning, language teaching, and multilingualism, written in non-technical language. At present, there are over 250 summaries online with new ones being added every week. The OASIS database is fully searchable. All openly available, users can browse by category (for example, language being learnt or topic) or use the search function to find summaries relevant for them. Teachers, teacher educators, curriculum developers, CPD providers, policy makers, parents, students, researchers, and anyone interested in language research can explore OASIS to learn out about what's going on in language learning and teaching research. Want to stay up to date? Then sign up to the OASIS newsletter by emailing ‘alerts’ to oasis@oasis-database.org.
Emotional health & wellbeing |
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Getting kids more active - 10 minute shake-ups!
10 Minute Shake Ups from Change4Life with Disney are back this summer. This campaign is designed to help children get active for 30 minutes a day with 10 minute-bursts of active fun inspired by their favourite characters from Disney Pixar's Toy Story 4 and Incredibles 2 and Disney's Frozen and The Lion King. Evidence shows that regular physical activity before, during and after school is associated with improved self-esteem, academic achievement and concentration levels in children. Take-home games packs will be arriving in schools through the School Fruit and Veg Scheme between 3rd and 28th June. The packs will arrive with a headteacher letter, which doubles as a poster to display in your reception area to let families and the wider community know about the activity.
If you're planning on doing some 10 Minute Shake Up activity in your school please let Cheryl Scott know as it might be something we can do positive promotion around: Cheryl.scott@portsmouthcc.gov.uk. For more ideas on keeping kids active and a chance to win an expert-led Disney themed 10 Minute Shake Up experience visit the PHE School Zone.
FREE child criminal exploitation and police partnership information sharing workshop
Hampshire Constabulary are holding 10 free police events across the county to deliver information to education staff and all partner agencies about threat, risk and harm relating to County Lines, Child Criminal Exploitation and to outline the importance of sharing information with police using the Community Partnership Information Form.
The next Portsmouth event is being held on Monday 8th July 13:00 – 15:00 (arrival from 12:45) at The Inspiration Suite @ Village Hotel Portsmouth, Lakeshore Drive, Portsmouth, PO6 3FR.
Exploitation Risk Assessment Toolkit
Please see attached the updated Exploitation Risk Assessment Toolkit. This has been amended to consider the risks of all forms of exploitation, to take account of the latest research and findings from Joint Targeted Area Inspections on this topic. The toolkit contains guidance on its use and what to do in response to the level of risk the child is assessed at.
Please ensure that you familiarise yourself with the toolkit, the 4LSCB MET Information Guide and the One Minute Guides on sexual exploitation and criminal exploitation, so that you are able to identify children who may be vulnerable to exploitation and know what to do in order to appropriately safeguard them.
There is further information on Exploitation available here on the PSCB website and details of how to book onto the PSCB 'Working with Vulnerable and Exploited Children' training course can be found here.
In order to ensure that all those who work with and come into contact with children are aware of this toolkit, we ask that you share this information with your colleagues as widely as possible.
FREE symposia for students and teachers
As part of the Gender and Education Association conference hosted at Portsmouth University, there are two free symposia on 24th June, the pre-conference day. One organised especially for students and early career researchers and one organised especially for teachers, education leaders, and education researchers.
For both, registration is required, spaces are limited, and lunch is provided.
Just over 50 people have already signed up for both free events but there is space for more to join. For the main conference 25-27th June 175 attendees have registered to attend so far, though only the events on the 24th are free.
School buildings and school organisation |
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 Northern Parade Schools - Official Opening
On Friday 17th May Northern Parade officially opened their new buildings as part of their school expansion project funded by Portsmouth City Council. They were joined by the Lord Mayor, local councillors, the architect and contractors from the project and members of the Kings Group Academies for the event.
The afternoon started with a tour of the whole school; they showcased the new studio with a performance from Mr Mogridge and his band of steel pans, "Pan Parade", and a wonderful performance from some of Northern Parade's gifted and talented students, put together by dance teacher Mrs Gardener. The event coincided with the Kings Group's 50th birthday so children from Pythons class sang Happy Birthday in Spanish.
Finally, after some words from the Chair of Governors for the Schools, the Lord Mayor and Mayoress officially opened the buildings and revealed the new Northern Parade Studio sign.
Northern Parade would like to all those involved in the organisation of this event, to all of the staff for ensuring the school looked at its best and to all of the guests for attending.
Booking and billing for minibus hire
Schools wishing to book minibus should do this using the dedicated email address minibus@portsmouthcc.gov.uk, rather than via the traded services website. Payments will continue to be taken through the traded services website, as "in arrears" charges for the journeys booked.
Employee Assistance Programme (Workplace Wellness)
Portsmouth City Council work in partnership with Right Corecare Ltd, to provide confidential employee helpline and counselling services also known as Workplace Wellness. This service is provided to Maintained and Academy Schools alike, it is open to other customers by agreement.
Representatives from your school are invited to a free short information session to find out more about the support offered to staff through Workplace Wellness, the provider of our Employee Assistance Programme (EAP).
Workplace Wellness are running 30 minute information sessions in the Civic Offices on Wednesday 19 June and Tuesday 25 June. The sessions are a chance to understand more about the benefits of the EAP and how it can offer support to staff.
The EAP can help staff with a range of legal and information advice including housing, relationships, money, health and wellbeing, rights and retirement as well as supporting emotional wellbeing in the workplace.
Specialist support is also available through the EAP for managers to help support their roles.
The information sessions are on the following dates and times:
Wednesday 19 June - Conference Room B, Civic Offices
9am, 9.30am, 10am, 10.30am, 11.30am, 12noon and 12.30pm
Tuesday 25 June - Conference Room A, Civic Offices
12.30pm, 1pm, 1.30pm, 2pm, 3pm, 3.30pm, 4pm. 4.30pm
To find out more or book a space, please contact Gareth Spooner (Staff Wellbeing Coordinator, Portsmouth City Council) on 023 9268 8518 or email.
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Start collecting your milk bottle tops!
Schools and nurseries are invited to take part in collecting milk bottle tops which will raise money for charity and raise awareness of recycling.
There will also be a prize for the school that collects and donates the most. PCC will provide a bin for collection, and collect/deliver the tops from the school to the recycling company. Each bag of bottle tops delivered will be weighed and the local company donate £30.00 per half tonne of milk bottle lids, which will go to the Lord Mayors charity on behalf of all the schools that have taken part. The winning school will be able to select a piece of playground equipment or furniture made from recycled plastic.
If you wish to take part, send an email to recyclingandrubbish@portsmouthcc.gov.uk.
Specific details about delivery of bins and contact details for collection etc. will be sent to the schools that wish to take part following the half term break.
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Secure mail update
Please note that PCC are no longer using the Proofpoint encrypted email system due to technical difficulties. Instead, we are now using a different system for sending secure emails and all emails sent using a .secure account are sent using end to end encryption. You will see a normal email in your inbox which you can reply to, as you would any other email, and providing the school's email system is set up as per the government standard, you can be assured that emails are encrypted.
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