PEP Bulletin w/c 4 October 2021

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PEP Bulletin

7 October 2021

If you have information to be included in the next issue of the PEP bulletin, please send your text, image and link by Tuesday at 12pm to pep@portsmouthcc.gov.uk.

School improvement

Opportunities for collaborations of schools to apply for grant funding

The Laurel Trust is a grant-giving charity which works with collaborations of primary and special schools and early years’ settings to secure improvements in teaching, learning, and children’s wellbeing, thereby widening opportunity and reducing disadvantage.

They are now accepting applications from groups and networks of primary schools or from special and early years’ settings in areas of deprivation for funding linked to school improvement.

For the years 2021-2022 the trustees are particularly interested in creative and sustainable projects that will make a difference post-COVID and beyond.

Applications should be made using the online form. The closing date is Friday 26 November 2021.

Find out more

Curriculum and CPD

Park House NCCE Computing Hub

Park House Hub is the appointed NCCE computing hub for Portsmouth and Gosport. Phil Wickins, who many of you will already know from local courses and school support, is the local subject matter expert.

There are many fully funded training opportunities available, including face to face courses that come with a bursary attached. There is also free support for computing subject leaders, TeachMeets, online training and physical computing kit for free hire.

Get in touch via the Park House website:

Events and training
Physical computing Crumble kit hire (free)
Completely free one hour ‘health check’ review of your school’s computing provision, with ongoing support.

The next primary computing TeachMeet will take place online on Wednesday 17 November, 3.45pm - 4.45pm.

Upcoming languages events

ALL SCIOW: Re-talking the talk (Thursday 21 October 2021, 5pm - 6.30pm)

Speaking is the epicentre of language learning. However, so much lost time in the classroom has inevitably impacted on the oral confidence and ability of students.

This session, presented by Greg Horton, will consider how we can continue rebuilding the confidence to talk. It will offer tried and tested techniques for achieving authentic target language interaction.

This free event will take place at Thornden School, SO53 2DW. Register here.

ALL Primary Languages Conference Online 2021 (Saturday 6 November 2021)

Following the success of last year’s online Primary Languages Conference, the 2021 conference will take place on Saturday 6 November, 9am - 3pm via Zoom. The theme of the conference is ‘An ambitious primary languages curriculum’.

The cost of a ticket for ALL members is £5 and recordings of the presentations will be available for 30 days after the event. View the programme here and book your ticket here.

The 2021 Virtual Language Show (12-14 November 2021)

More than 70 expert talks for language teachers, language professionals and all those who love languages will be presented live and online via Zoom across three days in November and can be booked for just £1 per talk. View the full programme here.

'Climbing out of COVID' public forum event

The School of Education & Sociology at the University of Portsmouth invites local schools and children's services to join an emerging collaboration between themselves and the Queensland University of Technology's Centre for Child and Family Studies, School of Early Childhood and Inclusive Education.

Two public forum events will be hosted, with speakers from either county from research, practice, and strategy perspectives, focused on early childhood, with the aim of sharing interests and scoping potential for collaborations which make a positive impact.

The first forum will bring together a multi-disciplinary panel of researchers, advocates, policy makers, and service providers online to respond to the panel topic 'Climbing out of COVID with children and families in the UK and Australia: Where are we now and where are we going.'

This free online event will take place on Wednesday 10 November 2021, 9am - 10.30am and will include a Q&A session.

Find out more and register

Black History Month

Inspired by the Black Lives Matter protests of 2020, this year's Black History Month theme invites Black and Brown people of all ages in Portsmouth and throughout the UK to share what they are 'Proud To Be'.

We invite you to share your stories with Portsmouth: what discussions may you have had in your classrooms around Black History Month? Why not share your story or the stories of those who have inspired you - colleagues, pupils, member of the community.

Please contact Anna Potter if you'd like to have an informal chat to find out more and share your story. Email: anna.potter@portsmouthcc.gov.uk

You'll also find some useful links and resources on our website along with activities (this will be regularly updated and please send any useful resources to Anna Potter - anna.potter@portsmouthcc.gov.uk - to be considered for inclusion). A collection of anti-racism classroom resources can also be found on the Portsmouth Education Partnership website.

We’ll be celebrating Black History Month on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter throughout October, so get involved – like, comment, share and show your support for Black History Month 2021. #BHMPortsmouth

Emotional health and wellbeing

Free children's clothing for struggling families

With winter approaching KidsClothesLine can support struggling families with free clothing for their children.

They have a large stock of good quality, second hand coats, clothes and shoes and can supply a ‘wardrobe in a bag’ for children ages 2-16 years.

If any of the families that you deal with are in need of this service please email kidsclothesline@hotmail.com.

Please note they work from referrals only and not directly with families.

Violence Reduction Unit (VRU) newsletter

The September 2021 newsletter form the Violence Reduction Unit is now available. The newsletter includes updates from partners in Hampshire, Isle of Wight, Portsmouth, Southampton and the Youth Commission.

Read newsletter

Free resources for World Mental Health Day

To support your students this World Mental Health Day (10 October), Public Health England have created a new self-care resource to help students explore what self-care techniques work for them. The range of bite-sized activities cover topics such as mindfulness, connecting with others and kindness, and are supported by engaging videos and personalisable bullet journals.

This resource is underpinned by the Five ways to wellbeing framework and is designed to fit flexibly into the school day. It also covers core PSHE topics within relationships and health education.

Download now

Senior mental health leads in schools and colleges can now book a DfE-funded training course

From 21 September, state funded schools and colleges can book a place on a training course to help them implement an effective whole school or college approach to mental health and wellbeing, supporting recovery from the impacts of the pandemic.

Over 65 courses are available for school and college senior mental health leads, for all levels of experience, learning needs and preferences. The Department for Education is providing grants for up to a third of all schools and colleges to access training in 2020/21, as part of a commitment to offer this training to all schools by 2025.

To find out more about developing a whole school or college approach, learning outcomes for senior mental health leads, what training courses are available, and more information about how to access a grant, please visit this page.

If you would like to be notified when the grant application process opens, please enter your contact information here.

LA updates

Free books for schools gifted by The News, Portsmouth

The News, Portsmouth have up to 800 copies of the book Portsmouth and the Great War to donate to Portsmouth schools. The book details the city's contribution to the cause and was originally published in 1919 and re-printed in 2014 to mark the centenary of the start of the conflict.

The News is also offering some Charles Dickens children's adaptations and Horrible Histories books.

All books are available on a first come, first served basis.

If you are interested in this offer, please email kelly.rooker@portsmouthcc.gov.uk

Could you utilise your skills and experience to support our city's vulnerable children?

Join some of our foster carers at either of our forthcoming virtual events from 7pm on Tuesday 12 October or Tuesday 16 November to discover how fostering transforms the lives of children and young people.

Whatever your experience and circumstances, you'll find a form of fostering that is the right fit for you. We're currently in particular need of carers with the skills or experience to support children with complex needs or a disability, children over the age of 10 or unaccompanied minors arriving in our city who've been separated from their families.

If you've got room in your home and your heart, make room in your diary.