Preparing for study, work and life |
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 Don't forget to register for the Careers and Apprenticeship Show 2021
Colleagues are reminded that registrations are now open for the Careers and Apprenticeship Show 2021 on 20 May 2021 from 9am - 7pm. Career leads as well as teachers are encouraged to get involved by signing up their class to explore a virtual conference environment.
Portsmouth City Council is proud to be supporting the digital event where young people in years 10-13 can meet over 60 employers from the south and south west. Those who attend will be able to speak with companies on the day as well as explore routes into employment and discover what industry sector they could work in.
The event is free to attend. For more information on the event, visit the Careers and Apprenticeship Show website today!
Early years |
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 Calling all year R teachers!
The Early Years team want to create a citywide set of 10 top tips for starting school and need your help. Come to a short virtual meeting on Friday 7 May between 9am - 10am to share your top ideas that will help parents prepare their children for a smooth school start in September.
The team are asking pre-school and year R practitioners to come together as a collective, to consider ideas for continued learning into the summer holidays that will give parents the best support and children the best start to school that they can have. So on Friday 7 May, grab a cup of coffee and bring your thoughts and ideas to the virtual meeting.
Please email Ella.Harbut@portsmouthcc.gov.uk to let the team know if you can attend. You will be sent a link to join the Microsoft Teams meeting.
 2021-22 early years development and training programme (starting summer term 2021)
Portsmouth's early years providers offer some of the best early years provision in the country. Over 98% of the city's providers are judged good or outstanding by Ofsted. This is something to be celebrated and to strive to uphold. As Portsmouth's early years team, we are committed to supporting you in maintaining high standards and continuing to develop and improve. Our evidence based training programme is highly successful in delivering courses, training and support which are both responsive to local need and the changing demands of the regulatory framework.
The programme is written and delivered by the highly skilled and experienced early years team to provide high quality training and continuous professional development for our outstanding workforce. We hope you join us in our 2021-2022 early years development and training programme and look forward to welcoming you to workshops and supporting your CPD needs, whatever they may be.
Watch the videos below to learn more about the programme:
Log on to the traded services website to book your package.
Any queries, please contact EYWorkforce@portsmouthcc.gov.uk.
Leadership, recruitment and retention |
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Teach Portsmouth Awards Live needs you!
Online nominations remain open for 7 award categories
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The Teach Portsmouth team are asking senior leaders or a senior colleague in your school to nominate peers for the Teach Portsmouth Awards. Since moving the date to give colleagues more time, online nominations have greatly reduced. The awards will take place on Thursday 8 July 2021 via Zoom video conferencing.
Without your nominations, the Teach Portsmouth Awards Live cannot go ahead. It's really important we recognise colleague's efforts during the pandemic but also celebrate teaching in Portsmouth as a whole.
The closing date for nominations online is Friday 7 May 2021. If you have not nominated a colleague in your school yet, please visit the Teach Portsmouth website as soon as possible. If you are unable to nominate or have problems accessing the form, please email teachportsmouth@portsmouthcc.gov.uk.
Deadline approaching for Teach Portsmouth annual survey |
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A big thank you to all the schools that have completed Teach Portsmouth's annual survey. The information we are collecting will help Teach Portsmouth gain a better understanding of how we can help Portsmouth schools recruit teachers as well as inform future teacher recruitment and retention campaigns. The data that is collected will be kept confidential and will not be shared with anyone outside the council.
In order to ensure we develop Teach Portsmouth to meet the needs of our schools, it is vital that as many schools as possible respond to the survey. Colleagues are reminded that only one survey is to be completed and returned for each school.
If you haven't already completed the survey for your school, it’s not too late. Simply click the button below and complete the survey by Friday 23 April 2021.
If you have any questions regarding the survey, please contact teachportsmouth@portsmouthcc.gov.uk.
New funding option for teacher QTS explored in upcoming webinar
Portsmouth City Council is inviting senior leaders and HR teams to learn more about apprenticeships that fund teacher QTS for local authority schools at an upcoming virtual information event.
Local authority schools are set to benefit from this new funding option after the DfE made changes to how teacher training is funded in 2021/22 for primary settings. The apprenticeship team are inviting colleagues to attend a webinar on Tuesday 4 May from 4pm - 5pm.
Colleagues can register their interest as well as learn more about apprenticeship options on the Portsmouth Education Partnership website today!
Virtual event - Coming back stronger: leadership matters
UCL Centre for Educational Leadership’s (CEL) first thinkpiece Coming Back Stronger: Leadership Matters written by Visiting Professor Christine Gilbert has now been published.
Colleagues are invited to join the accompanying online Public Leadership Forum on Tuesday 27 April at 5pm. The event is free of charge.
In this forum, Professor Christine Gilbert argues that the pandemic forces leaders to find time for reflection and prioritise thinking about the future. The forum will give schools the opportunity to come back stronger by building learning about schools’ creativity in managing the disruption and complexities of the crisis into collaborative thinking, planning and action.
Curriculum and CPD |
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 Family Learning (part of the Community Learning Service), will be delivering a variety of free courses and workshops at The Learning Place during the summer term, including:
- Supporting your child with English (course)
- Promoting the health and wellbeing of children and their parents (workshops/courses)
- Parent power (course)
For further information parents can visit the website or contact The Learning Place via thelearningplace@portsmouthcc.gov.uk.
A poster promoting the courses and workshops is available to print. Please share this with your school communities by sending a printed version to any families who may benefit from this input, or share via social media.
#HampshireRE webinar series: RE GCSE and disadvantage
Religious education and disadvantage: is GCSE religious studies at a crossroads? This upcoming webinar in the #HampshireRE series will take place on Monday 26 April, 6pm - 7.30pm.
This webinar will consist of two key research presentations from Dr David Lundie and Deborah Weston and will be followed by questions and discussion. It will be of particular interest to secondary RE teachers as well as school leaders and advisers aspiring to form research based KS4 curriculum, likely to raise achievement for all young people.
Secondary schools needed for University of Portsmouth research project
Dr. Valentina Migliarini, lecturer in education and sociology at the University of Portsmouth, is looking for secondary schools to take part in a research project during the academic year 2021/22.
The project explores how the aesthetics, sensibilities and worldviews of hip-hop culture and its expressive elements can be used for reconceptualising the practice of inclusive education. It intends to apply hip-hop based education and pedagogy to reframe science teaching and behaviour management strategies in secondary schools.
Teachers and wellbeing teams in participating secondary schools will be interviewed through focus groups by the principal investigator. They will be trained in how to use hip-hop based education to teach science and for counselling. Teachers will then have the possibility of trialling this practice for a period of four months.
If you are interested in being part of the project or would like further information, please contact Sarah.Christopher@portsmouthcc.gov.uk.
New model music curriculum for schools |
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The long-awaited Model Music Curriculum for key stages 1-4 was published last week.
The document has already sparked lively debate and discussions on pedagogy and repertoire and whilst it is non-statutory guidance, it may be helpful in reinvigorating a school’s music curriculum.
The summer term music co-ordinators' network meeting on Wednesday 12 May at 4pm will focus on this document and provide an opportunity for discussion and questions. Links for this meeting will be sent nearer the time.
Portsmouth music services 2021/22 |
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Portsmouth's highly regarded music services are now available to buy on the Portsmouth traded services website.
The music provision on offer includes:
- Instrumental and vocal teaching (individual and small group)
- Curriculum music lessons
- Whole class instrumental teaching (Getting Ready 4 Music; Ready 4 Music; Ready 4 More Music)
- School ensembles and after school clubs
- Portsmouth Music Programme
- Bespoke music advice, training and workshops.
Schools are asked to book by no later than 2 April 2021 to ensure that arrangements can be made in good time for the start of the 2021/22 school year. For any queries please contact portsmouthmusichub@portsmouthcc.gov.uk.
Emotional health and wellbeing |
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Self-care and COVID-19 webinar for young people aged 13-25 |
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Southern Health NHS Foundation Trust in partnership with Unloc are hosting a free webinar aimed at young people (aged 13-25) in Portsmouth on self care and COVID-19.
The webinar will be held via Zoom on Thursday 22 April from 4.30 to 6pm. It is open to everyone, whatever their experience with mental health.
Young people from across Hampshire and the New Forest will have the opportunity to chat mental health, wellbeing, looking after yourself and COVID-19.
Please share the link below with young people who may be interested in attending.
Resources to help support young carers in schools
Guidance from Carers Trust and The Children’s Society explores the challenges young carers are facing during the COVID-19 crisis and offers practical guidance for school staff on how to identify and support young carers ‘back to school’.
Action for Carers have published top tips on identifying and supporting young carers in education during the COVID-19 crisis.
Book your session on unhealthy relationships and domestic abuse - years 9/10/11
All secondary schools can now book their free session from Safer Portsmouth Partnership about healthy and unhealthy behaviours in relationships and the signs of domestic abuse. Book your slot on this online sign-up form.
The 'Is This Love?' session is available during the summer term and can be delivered socially-distanced on site or online via Zoom or Microsoft Teams. Resources include a presentation (delivered by Chantelle Knight, PHSE development framework officer at Portsmouth City Council), pre- and post-lesson plans and a scratch-card quiz.
Watch a short video of Chantelle explaining more on the Safer Portsmouth Partnership website and sign up now.
Loss and bereavement
A twilight session has been scheduled on the topic of 'An introduction to supporting loss and bereavement'. The workshop will be delivered remotely on Thursday 6 May 2021 by Simon Says, the child bereavement support charity.
This is open to all staff in Portsmouth schools, colleges and settings. Spaces should be booked via the Portsmouth Learning Gateway (course code: SCH/21/21).
A reminder that there is a loss champions network, led by Lucy Lynch from Craneswater School (llynch@craneswater.portsmouth.sch.uk). Lucy is also available, through the Inclusion Outreach Service, to advise staff from other settings and can signpost to resources or sources of support.
Kooth - mental health support for young people over Easter break
As we head towards Easter, this is just a reminder that Kooth, the online counselling and emotional wellbeing service, is available for young people in Portsmouth over the Easter break.
11-18 year olds (up to 25 with an EHCP or care leavers) can sign up at kooth.com and access free online counselling, self-help tools and a range of wellbeing activities and resources.
If you'd like to learn more about the service, Kooth is hosting ongoing online webinars for professionals which will explore how Kooth can be built into the work you do and how to signpost young people to the service.
Details of sessions and registration links can be found by clicking below.
Video resources from the Mental Health Support Team (MHST)
What is the MHST?
Due to the disruption of COVID-19, the MHST's time in schools has been significantly reduced. The team is therefore keen to reach all staff in school settings, to increase people’s knowledge and confidence in accessing the service.
A brief 20-minute video gives an introduction to MHST, to share their criteria, what they can offer and how to get in contact.
Resilience and anxiety management
The Portsmouth MHST recognise the impact that COVID-19 has had on the wellbeing of many. Parents have faced huge pressures and changes over the last year inclusive of home schooling, isolation, and balancing home working.
A 30-minute 'self-help' video on resilience and anxiety management has been created to offer parents support. The video provides general advice and an overview of tools and strategies that might be helpful in supporting your mental wellbeing day-to-day as a parent, teacher or adult.
NHS Every Mind Matters: physical and mental wellbeing lesson plans
The important relationship between physical and mental wellbeing is the focus of Every Mind Matters' new, flexible lesson plans for 10-16 year olds. These new resources have been developed with teachers and include short, fun activities such as creating a wellbeing jigsaw or designing a poster to promote getting active, and are supported by a video featuring MC Malik who discusses how he uses physical activity to support his mental health.
Like all Every Mind Matters content, this resource is mapped to the national curriculum helping you to cover core PSHE topics within Relationships and Sex Education (RSE) and Health Education. Click below to visit the School Zone and download these resources for free.
LA updates
HAF Fun Pompey
From Tuesday 6 April to Friday 16 April children can access activities, sports and food through Portsmouth City Council's HAF Fun Pompey programme. The programme is part of the government's national Holiday Activities and Food initiative and is available for families with children aged 4-16 years old. Free spaces are available for those in receipt of benefits-related free school meals and all FSM participants will have food provided.
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Most of the programme is face to face with some brilliantly inventive remote opportunities. Whilst some activities are now fully booked, there is still a wide range of activities for families to book on to.
Please share this information with families who might benefit. A poster about the programme is available to download here for sharing with families.
For information about the activities available and details on how to book, visit the PYC website. If you have any questions about the HAF Fun Pompey programme please email HAF@portsmouthcc.gov.uk.
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.
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