Preparing for study, work and life |
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Council of Portsmouth Students summit update
The Council of Portsmouth Students Summit Two took place on Wednesday 5 February 2020 with representation from 42 students across 11 different schools and colleges. The students took part in a range of fun and engaging activities, including group work to discuss ideas around the five action groups: teacher support and guidance, climate change, mental health, life skills, and sexism and stereotypes.
Minutes from the meeting can be found here and a PowerPoint summary is available here.
Take part in the 2020 Police Apprentice competition
Schools in Portsmouth have the opportunity to participate in the 2020 Police Apprentice. This year’s theme will be based around smart choices and keeping young people safe on our streets. Visit the website to learn more.
If you would like your pupils to participate, all you will need to do is download the pack and introduce the campaign, a great opportunity for a peer led event, assisting if required. We will provide you with the information you need to get started and prizes for participants. The competition will run from the end of January through to Wednesday 20th May 2020 with countywide winners being announced after May half term.
Please contact policeapprentice@hantspol.gov.uk to confirm your participation or if you have any questions.
Early years |
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Writers in Reception - the mechanics and the motivations
Join other Year R practitioners on a journey through gross motor to fine motor skill development and beyond to the place where we can truly engage and sustain children's interest and excitement to write! In this workshop, we will consider how creativity and imagination are key elements of successful writers and always hold onto the fact that "writing floats on a sea of talk".
The workshop is on Thursday 27 February from 1-3.30pm.
If you would like to book onto this Year R workshop please visit the website.
Cost: £35 for members of the Early Years Development Programme or £45 for non-members.
 Please find attached the Parent and Carer sufficiency survey. This will help us complete our sufficiency assessment for 2020 which is an important document that allows us to assess if there are any gaps in the childcare market across the city, and develop a future action plan to address any problem areas.
PLEASE CAN YOU SEND THIS TO THE PARENTS AND CARERS WHOSE CHILDREN ATTEND YOUR SETTING AND ASK IF THEY WOULD KINDLY COMPLETE THE SURVEY
This will ultimately benefit Parents and Carers, and you as childcare providers by allowing us to see if the childcare provision we offer is meeting the needs of consumers across the city. We very much appreciate your help in this matter.
Leadership, recruitment and retention |
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Inspiring future teachers at Teach Portsmouth Recruitment Fair |
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Teach Portsmouth welcomed future teachers to Charter Academy on 11 February to meet over 20 exhibitors from across the city. Attendees spoke with primary, secondary and post-16 providers as well as learning about routes into teaching. Attendees benefitted from face to face contact with education providers as well as opportunities to speak with career professionals directly.
Feedback from attendees proved extremely positive, commenting on the welcoming nature of exhibitors and the broad range of opportunities on offer. More recruitment events are planned in the future - so stay posted to the Portsmouth Education Partnership for more soon.
Portsmouth Inspiring Volunteers Awards
The deadline for nominating volunteers for the 5th annual Portsmouth Inspiring Volunteers Awards is 22 March 2020. These awards provide a fantastic opportunity to recognise the contribution that volunteers make to the lives of people in Portsmouth, and it would be great for these to include volunteers working with schools e.g. long-standing school governors, parent helpers or others who give their time for free. Nominating is straightforward, and every nominated person will be recognised.
To make a nomination click here. For more information or queries contact Together in The Hive, Portsmouth at volunteer@portsmouthcc.gov.uk.
Last chance to register for the Teacher Workload and Retention Conference! |
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The Portsmouth Conference on Teacher Workload and Retention will take place on Thursday 5 March 2020. This half day event will enable Portsmouth head teachers and school leaders the chance to explore how to manage and reduce workload and improve teacher retention, whilst ensuring Portsmouth children receive the best possible education. Don't miss your opportunity to hear from Sean Harford, Ofsted's national director of education and Janine Ashman, a member of the DFE working group on workload.
Learn more and reserve your free ticket.
Leadership programme opportunities
Teach First Leading Together Programme: Cohort 3 Recruitment
The Teach First Leading Together programme is a two-year professional development programme supporting the leadership teams in opportunity and priority areas.
The programme is open to primary and secondary schools and Teach First are aiming to recruit 34 schools for Cohort 3 of the Leading Together programme (due to commence in April 2020) in the Isle of Wight and Portsmouth (secondary).
High Potential (Middle and Senior Leaders) Programmes
The HPML and HPSL programmes aim to improve pupil outcomes in areas of highest need nationally by recruiting, selecting and developing middle and senior leaders with the highest potential; and by accelerating their career development to enable them to have the greatest impact in schools. The programmes are delivered by Ambition Institute.
Curriculum and CPD |
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NQT - Assessment for Learning and Differentiation training sessions |
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The halfway point is upon us for NQT Induction for the vast majority of our new teachers in Portsmouth! In terms of CPD we now turn our attention to two key areas that schools, mentors and NQTs themselves are discussing, namely Assessment for Learning and Differentiation.
Please find attached a flyer which gives more details on the training sessions running either morning or afternoon on Thursday 12 March covering these two aspects of good and outstanding teaching and learning.
Any questions, please contact me at june.hutchinson@portsmouthtsa.org. To book, please use the dropdown menu on the website.
I look forward to meeting your NQTs then!
TeachMeet Portsmouth: 'Revision and Recall'
On Monday 9 March 2020, Portsmouth Grammar School will be hosting a TeachMeet from 5-7pm. You can attend either as audience members or as speakers: there is an opportunity to speak for 3 or 5 minutes. The focus is on Revision and Recall strategies so do come along if you are keen to pick up a few new ideas. Trainees are very much welcome.
For further information and to book tickets, click here.
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The Engagement Model - myth buster
The Engagement Model will replace P levels 1-4 to assess the progress of pupils who are not engaged in subject-specific study. The ‘Myth Buster’ sheet attached should hopefully reassure schools about the processes by which this will be embedded. There will be free training for schools in the summer term for which we will circulate details to schools nearer the time.
Portsmouth Training Hub Day: Raising Resilience
A Growth Mindset Approach to Building Resilience in Learning and Life
20 June 2020 // 9am-3.30pm // Portsmouth Academy
This thought provoking and challenging training day is designed to empower, up-skill and enthuse staff in the areas of Resilience, Growth Mindset and Independent Learning. The aim is to empower schools to create and continue to embed a culture of academic and emotional resilience that impacts pupils and staff. The day is being run in conjunction with the Thinking Schools Academy Trust.
Cost: £90 (includes lunch, refreshments, course notes and CPD certificate)
To book, email info@imagineforschools.co.uk or call 01684 310425.
 Westover Primary’s Walk To School Day
Westover Primary School showed its love for the planet this Valentines by holding a whole school Walk To School event. The school community left their cars at home to raise awareness of the dangerous air pollution levels within Portsmouth. The pupil led initiative, devised by the school’s Eco Club, saw almost 300 students walk to school from as far away as Southsea and Northend!
Read all about it in this news article.
Emotional health and wellbeing |
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Spaces still available for the Working with Parents course
Monday 9 March 2020 - 9am til 12noon
This course is for any school staff wishing to increase their skills working with parents to enable improved outcomes for pupils. It will cover working with parents of anxious children, working with angry parents, and working with parents who may have their own mental health needs. It will include a helpful resource pack. Please see attached for further info and complete the attached booking form.
Melanie Wells - melanie.wells@solent.nhs.uk
ELSA Training starts soon….book now! |
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ELSA (Emotional Literacy Support Assistant) training is due to start on Wednesday 26 February (Day 1). The training is over 5 days in total with an Educational Psychologist and covers a range of topics including emotional awareness, self-esteem, anger management, social and friendship skills, social communication difficulties and loss, bereavement and family break-up. ELSAs help children and young people learn to understand their emotions and respect the feelings of those around them. Sessions are designed to be fun and motivating for pupils and can provide them with the time and space they need to think about their personal circumstances and how they manage them.
ELSA training is available to book via Portsmouth Learning Gateway course code SCH/20/16. There is a £400 charge for the initial 5 days of training.
Please see attached leaflet for further information and contact details.
ORPHEUS newsletter - January 2020
The first official Orpheus newsletter is now available, providing news, events and updates on activities from project partners. It is an opportunity to see the wider work of the project partners since the kick-off event in October 2019.
View the newsletter here.
 Healthy relationship resources available
We're launching the Is This Love campaign for 2020, targeted at people aged 13-24, and would like to know if local schools are interested in getting involved.
The campaign has been developed by the Safer Portsmouth Partnership with the aim of raising awareness and reducing the acceptance of domestic abuse. We are keen for young people to be able to recognise domestic abuse in all of its forms and to understand that it is not their fault - and that they are not alone.
As part of the campaign, schools are able to request materials to use in lessons and assemblies. If your school would like to take part this year, please email Lauren Thomas confirming how many pens, posters and scratch cards you would like.
Hampshire, Isle of Wight, Portsmouth & Southampton (HIPS) Child Exploitation Newsletter
The first edition of the HIPS Child Exploitation Newsletter is now available. This is a new quarterly newsletter to keep professionals in all four areas up to date with issues and progress and flag up local and national campaigns.
Special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) |
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 SEND Survey 2020 launched
Portsmouth City Council, in collaboration with Portsmouth Parent Voice and Dynamite youth group, have launched their annual surveys, inviting young people aged 0-25 with special educational needs and/or disabilities - and their parents and carers - to give feedback about the services and support available now and to help shape future services.
The SEND surveys are available online until 31 March 2020. Young people aged 13-25 can complete their online survey here, and the parent & carer survey is here.
Please include the text above in your school newsletters and on your website to encourage families to complete the survey. Many thanks.
Special Educational Needs & Disability Careers Fair 2020
Wednesday 25 March 2020 // 2.30-4.30pm // Portsmouth College
Portsmouth College are holding a careers fair which will provide the opportunity to speak with and gather information from local organisations that provide services for adults and young people with learning disabilities. A variety of providers will be attending including Creative Advances, Dynamite and Go Create Care.
Please share the attached letter with parents/carers who are interested in the event and ask them to return the slip to the email address on the letter to confirm their attendance.
School buildings and school places |
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Kier breaks ground at Mayfield School
A ground-breaking ceremony took place at Mayfield School on Thursday 13 February 2020, marking the start of construction of the new school. The £26m development will provide state-of-the-art facilities for over 1,200 pupils in Portsmouth.
Take a look at the photos from the ceremony in this news story here.
LA updates
Updated information to early years and educational settings on the Coronavirus (COVID-19)
A letter to schools from Helen Atkinson, interim Director of Public Health, Portsmouth City Council, can be found here. This contains advice to individual members of staff and parents (if asked), and action for headteachers:
Please continue to promote good hand hygiene among staff and pupils, as well as ensuring they know to Catch it, Bin it, Kill it if they have a cold or cough. Please use the 'coronavirus poster for schools' attached to help promote this. Both actions help to reduce the spread of germs, including coronavirus. You can also display the 'Coronavirus NHS' poster attached in areas where it can be seen by staff and parents and you might also find the PHE poster for educational settings useful to display.
If parents of children at your school are expressing concerns a template letter that you might feel is beneficial to issue to them is attached.
Department for Education ministerial portfolios confirmed
The Department for Education has announced its ministerial team’s portfolios.
Our team will be visiting a number of local groups across the city to understand local concerns and ideas to make communities and our city safer. Ideas and suggestions will be gathered to help decide how best to spend the £90,000 Building Safer Communities fund.
The team behind the Building Safer Communities project will be visiting local groups in Buckland, Eastney, Milton, Paulsgrove, Portsea and Somerstown throughout February and March.
The HR news information is located on the human resources Google homepage and maintained schools and any academy with an HR Traded Services agreement can access it here.
Further information can be obtained by contacting HR.
Dates for your diary
25 February 2020
Designated teacher training - Virtual school : Session B
1.30pm - 3.30pm
Book a place via the PLG or tel 023 9268 8076
25 February 2020
FFT Aspire Training for Primary Schools: Middle leaders, SENCOs or Subject leaders
10am - 12.00noon - Civic Offices
Book a place via the PLG
25 February 2020
FFT Aspire Training for Secondary Schools: Middle/Subject Leaders or SENCOs
1.30pm - 3.30pm - Civic Offices
Book a place via the PLG
2 March 2020
LA Heads Breakfast Briefing
8am - 9.30am - Conference Room A, Civic Offices
2 March 2020
Emotion Coaching
9.15am - 12.15pm - The Portsmouth Academy Training and Learning Centre
Book a place on PLG
3 March 2020
Behaviour as Communication
9am - 12.00noon - The Portsmouth Academy Training and Learning Centre
Book a place via the PLG
5 March 2020
Teacher Workload and Retention Conference
Learn more
5 March 2020
Secondary Heads Conference Meeting
1.30pm - 3pm - ALNS
13 March 2020
Developmental Trauma or PACE
9.15am - 12.30pm - The Portsmouth Academy Training and Learning Centre
Book a place on PLG
17 March 2020
Working with refugees and asylum seekers in school
3.45pm - 5.15pm
Book a place via the PLG or tel 023 9268 8076
25 March 2020
Introduction to Autism & Neurodiversity (ND)
3.45pm - 5.15pm - The Portsmouth Academy Training and Learning Centre
Book a place via the PLG
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