Early years |
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A message to all our Early Year's colleagues
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It is with great sadness that we are letting you know that our lovely friend and colleague Annette White has passed away at the weekend, after a devastatingly short battle with cancer.
We have lost an amazing teacher who devoted her career to the children families and practitioners of Portsmouth. Annette was an inspiration to us all. Many of you will have known her from her work as a teacher at Meredith, Goldsmiths (Bramble) and St Swithuns, and as an advisory teacher including her work with EMAS. Annette was a much loved colleague and friend to many of us in the city.
We will always remember Annette's devotion and passion for teaching, as well as being such a kind and giving friend who could always find wise words and humour to put a smile on everyone's face.
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As you can imagine the advisory teacher team have so many happy memories of working with Annette, as many of you will as well. If you have special memories to share then please feel free to contact Sue (sue.bowler@portsmouthcc.gov.uk) or Ella (ella.harbut@portsmouthcc.gov.uk) and we would be happy to collate these for her family.
School improvement |
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Survive the 'Deep Dive' Training Event |
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24 October 2019, 4pm - 5.30pm at the Training and Learning Centre
A specialist training event for Primary Middle Leaders focused on preparing them for the new Ofsted framework ‘deep dive’:
- Presentations from senior and middle leaders who have had either recent pilot or new term inspections
- Opportunities for Q&A with experienced colleagues
- A chance to develop a response to the ‘deep dive’ challenge for your school
Find out more and book your place here.
Ofsted
Ofsted and the DFE have released information about the IDSR for all Key Stages and also the sample primary prototype IDSR which is significantly different to last year's version. Please see this link.
Reports for the new inspection framework, which are again very different from previous ones are beginning to appear on the Ofsted website. Here is an example of a Section 8 inspection of a good school.
Mastery Readiness Programme |
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This year, the Solent Maths Hub will be running the Mastery Readiness Programme in Portsmouth, Southampton and surrounding areas. The Solent Maths Hub is part of as network of 37 Maths Hubs across the country, funded by the Department for Education (DfE) and co-ordinated centrally by the National Centre for Excellence in the Teaching of Mathematics (NCETM).
The Mastery Readiness Programme is for primary schools that want to adopt teaching for mastery in maths, but would benefit from a staged approach. Schools that are successful in implementing sustained and meaningful change through teaching for mastery have key foundations already in place.
More information can be found here. If you are interested please contact Jess Paul on jess.paul@solentmathshub.org.uk for further details.
Leadership, recruitment and retention |
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Teach Portsmouth Awards 2019
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 The second Teach Portsmouth Awards took place on Friday 4th October, with over 250 attendees coming along to recognise and celebrate the outstanding teaching taking place across Portsmouth. 11 awards were presented throughout the inspiring evening, including Lifetime Achievement, Unsung Hero, and Outstanding Contribution to Education. Congratulations to all our winners and nominees - we hope you had as much fun as we did!
Check out Teach Portsmouth on Twitter to see more photos of the evening.
Join us for the My Teacher on a Postcard Exhibition |
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29 - 31 October, 10am-6pm
The Teacher on a Postcard Art Exhibition will take place at HIVE on the lower ground floor of Portsmouth Central Library on the Tuesday 29th, Wednesday 30th and Thursday 31st October from 10am - 6pm (during half term).
Every postcard received has been placed in the competition and will be displayed digitally on two TV screens. There will be a special section for the shortlisted and winning postcards which will be displayed physically. Schools who entered the competition will be contacted shortly with the time and date that their postcards will be on display during the exhibition.
We would be grateful for your support in encouraging children to attend with their families.
NPQ Programmes
The University of Chichester in partnership with Ambition Institute has now begun its third year of successfully delivering NPQH, NPQSL and NPQML programmes. All courses are accredited by the Department for Education and are facilitated by experienced school leaders from a wide range of school, University and inspection backgrounds many of whom have considerable experience of the needs of Portsmouth schools.
Each course has a Course Leader who works with participants to ensure that they are fully supported in their programme and in the completion of the required assessment task. Face to face training sessions are complemented by materials, references and resources enabling further personal research and professional development.
The curriculum has been designed to meet the DfE requirements whilst also enabling facilitators to tailor the materials to meet the needs of each group and reflect the contexts of the different schools they work in. Participants therefore develop their own understanding of the roles and responsibilities of school leaders, are inspired in their leadership roles and are able to use their learning to enhance developments within their own schools.
Funding to cover the full cost of the programme for participants from a category 5 or 6 school is applied for by Ambition Institute.
If you wish to find out more about the NPQ Programmes being offered, please go to our NPQ page or email NPQ@chi.ac.uk
Curriculum and CPD |
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 On Wednesday 11th September, the Lord Mayor, Councillor David Fuller and the Lady Mayoress, Mrs Leza Tremorin, held a formal reception (on behalf of the City of Portsmouth) so that he could thank all the staff, students, parents, Governors and volunteers at Admiral Lord Nelson School for their excellent work over so many years that resulted in us being recognised as Creative School of the Year 2019 in the highly prestigious TES Awards in June.
In the Lord Mayor’s speech and those given by our CEO of our Academy Trust (Steven Labedz) and Hayden Taylor (our School Governor) to all the local dignitaries and members of our School community, Admiral Lord Nelson School was praised for its 25 year commitment to delivering a curriculum that is broad and balanced for all and that has always focussed on ensuring that all of our young people are empowered to develop creatively, not just in the performing arts and design subjects but across all aspects of school life.
Students, staff and Governors were treated to a rare opportunity to enjoy the delights of the Lord Mayors Banqueting Suite at the Guildhall and a lovely time was had by all! Thank you to the Lord Mayor and Lady Mayoress for their kindness and their warm hospitality.
 On Tuesday 1th October we were delighted host 7 School Leaders from Nigeria at Admiral Lord Nelson School. They chose to visit our school to learn more about our inclusive ethos, our creative curriculum, how state education works in the UK and especially how we focus on developing young people into lifelong learners with a true understanding of the wider world. During the day they met the senior leadership team, talked to students, discussed our curriculum, behaviour policies and learnt about how we support students with a Special Educational Need or Disability (SEND). They were very impressed with all of the students and staff that they met and thoroughly enjoyed being in their lessons, talking to them about their learning and their opinions on what makes Admiral Lord Nelson School special.
It is always a privilege to host International School visitors as ALNS as we develop our collaborative work even further. They described our school as “amazing and inspiring” and thought our school moto summed us up perfectly - Dare to Dream, Aim to Achieve!
Musicing Around - Inspiring a New Generation
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The team at Portsmouth Music Hub is making an important commitment to children in our city. The award-winning organisation, which has championed music and cultural opportunities for young people over the past 8 years, will be delivering an exciting new initiative in 2019/2020 which aims to inspire the imaginations of the very youngest in our community.
Musicing Around will provide a range of musical and cultural events, workshops and concerts for children in Key Stage 1 and Early Years. Children will be encouraged to watch, take part, learn and be inspired. Want to know more visit www.portsmouthmusichub.org.
Registration now open for the 12th UK Junior Memory Championship 2019/20
The purpose of the Junior Memory Championship is to equip children with valuable and effective memory skills helping them achieve their very best results in SATs and other end-of-year tests. The memory skills show your children how much they can improve their learning - when they know how. Through the JMC we've seen the impact of memory training for over a decade now. Each year between 20,000 and 25,000 children participate becoming more confident and successful learners. The real value in the JMC is in the training materials for you to teach your children. As an added incentive, we also run an online competition which is not compulsory but there for those children who enjoy a bit of competition!
Free help with teaching computing
The National Centre for Computing Education offers free training for Portsmouth schools and has a local co-ordinator who is happy to run sessions.
The website gives further details: https://teachcomputing.org/
 Fashion and textiles opportunity with The D-Day Story, Portsmouth
After a successful pilot in 2019, The D-Day Story is offering schools the chance to take part in a project to design and make garments or other textile items inspired by the objects on display in the museum. The project will start in January and finish with a celebratory event at the museum in May. For details please contact Tracy Teasdale, Learning Officer with Portsmouth Museums on 023 9283 4752 or tracy.teasdale@portsmouthcc.gov.uk.
Deadline for expressions of interest: Thursday 17 October.
www.theddaystory.com
Image: Garments made by Year 10 pupils at Priory School in response to a visit to The D-Day Story
Dance Live!
Dance Live! is a brand-new dance event for schools and colleges brought to you by The Guildhall Trust.
Embracing an ever-evolving digital world and how this is changing the face of modern performance, Dance Live! will see schools and colleges able to compete with choreographed routines to the backdrop of a giant digital screen with pupils showcasing a range of skills from dance, performance and off-stage technical skills to creative design.
With a focus on raising aspirations and developing skills for creative career choices, Dance Live! will deliver a range of supportive workshop opportunities for schools.
Expressions of interest must be received by 6pm, Friday 25th October 2019 for your school to participate in Dance Live! 2020.
Learn more and register your interest here.
Emotional health and wellbeing |
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Pan-Hampshire and Isle of Wight Self Harm Pathway for Non Health Professionals
This pathway relates to all children under 18 years who present with self-harm behaviour in the community and can be viewed here.
Wear Red Day - 18 October 2019
Each October Show Racism the Red Card holds its annual Wear Red Day!
The 5th annual Wear Red Day will take place in England and Wales on Friday 18th October.
Wear Red Day is a national day of action which encourages schools, businesses & individuals to wear red and donate £1 to help facilitate the delivery of anti-racism education for young people & adults throughout England, Scotland & Wales. For just £5, SRtRC can educate one child for a whole day.
For information on how to get involved, visit the website.
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Special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) |
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Portsmouth Adult Learning Disabilities: Celebration and Learning Event |
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Friday 8 November, 10am-4pm at Gunwharf Quays training academy (entrance opposite Marks & Spencer)
This event is for anyone with a Learning Disability, parents/carers and professionals. Drop in any time during the day to visit stalls, workshops and interactive activities which will show case and celebrate what is available in Portsmouth for adults - with a focus on Independent living, Community, Employment and Health.
The event should be of particular interest to anyone approaching transition to adult services.
For further information and to register please visit the website.
Post 16 and higher education |
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The Department for Education has launched the new T Levels campaign to raise awareness of new pioneering post 16 courses, equivalent to 3 A levels, giving students the skills employers need.
Visit the new website to find out more.
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Funding opportunity - Safer Communities Fund
The Police and Crime Commissioner have opened a new round of funding, details here. Organisations, including schools, are invited to bid for sums of between £500 and £50,000 for projects in a range of areas including:
- Domestic abuse areas to fund includes "promoting healthy relationships to CYP"
- Hate crime includes "raising awareness in schools"
- CSE and on-line grooming includes, "educating young people"
- Child criminal exploitation includes, "raising awareness of county lines"
- Restorative practice includes support to schools to introduce the practice.
PCC is planning to submit at least one bid for funding to support education in these areas, complementing our PSHE offer. Schools may also wish to consider their own bids - the deadline is midday on Thursday 31 October.
Contact: alison.critchley@portsmouthcc.gov.uk - 023 9284 1973.
Updates from the Virtual School
An update from the Virtual School is now available to read, including information on upcoming Designated Teacher training, governor training, the multi-authority Virtual Schools conference, and the Attachment Aware Schools Project.
Brexit: preparations for schools in England
Guidance for schools in England on how to prepare for Brexit has been published with updated information for those applying for qualified teacher status after Brexit.
In the event of a no-deal Brexit:
- teachers that have applied for QTS before the exit date will be able to continue with their application under the previous system as far as possible
- teachers with EU, EEA or Swiss qualifications who have not applied before the exit date will still be able to apply for QTS after Brexit under a new system, but will need to provide a letter of professional standing from a competent authority or other relevant body in the EEA country, or Switzerland, where they are recognised
Read the full guidance here.
Parenting Surgery
For parents of school aged children.
Parents who do not have a lead professional working with their family can contact the family hub to book a session at a parenting surgery. These 30 minutes slot offer an opportunity to discuss specific behaviour issues and understand what is on offer in the city. Parents may receive some direct tools and strategies or be signposted to the program of discussion group which run across the city. Alternatively parents can book directly onto the topic based discussion groups.
To book a 30 minute slot view the attached flyer and contact your nearest Hub on the number provided.
 Applying online for school places
If your child is moving up to junior school or secondary school next year, then the window for applying for school places is open now. The deadline for transfers to secondary school is 31 October 2019, and the deadline for transfers to junior school is 15 January 2020. (Applications for starting school open on 4 November 2019.)
Please share the above information through your school newsletters where possible.
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