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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.
Preparing for study, work and life |
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 Find out more about Portsmouth’s port
Portsmouth International Port is a major UK port, responsible for handling millions of customers and vital cargo. Annually, the port generates over £390m for the national economy.
For schools, the port offers bus tours of the site, led by one of their team of knowledgeable duty operations managers. You can find out about all the ships that use the port and the essential goods that they handle, and about their plans to become one of the UK’s greenest ports.
You’ll also get to tour the site at neighbouring Portico, who deal with international cargo, including the majority of bananas imported into the UK. Their team will demonstrate some of their machinery in action, including container handlers and cranes.
For younger children, you can see what is on offer at Portico in an episode of Grace’s Amazing Machines, available on BBC iPlayer here.
To find out more, email port.communications@portsmouth-port.co.uk.
School improvement |
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Highbury Primary School and Langstone Junior Academy rated 'good' by Ofsted
Congratulations to both Highbury Primary School and Langstone Junior Academy on their 'good' ratings following Ofsted school inspections which took place in December 2021.
Highbury Primary School:
"Staff use animal heroes linked to the school values, such as ‘confident Clyde’, to help pupils understand how they are expected to behave. Even the youngest children talk knowledgeably about these values as they are an integral part of school life. As one year 6 pupil explained, ‘The headteacher encourages us to live these values'."
Langstone Junior Academy:
"The headteacher and her committed team want the best for every pupil. They have high expectations of pupils’ learning and behaviour. Aspiration is something staff try to instil in pupils. Pupils excitedly strive to become ‘master learners’. They achieve this by showing they have developed certain qualities. One ‘master learner’, proudly wearing his ‘master learner’ polo shirt, told the lead inspector, ‘It is about having integrity and being responsible for your learning'."
Leadership, recruitment and retention |
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 Save the date - Teach Portsmouth Awards 2022
The Teach Portsmouth team are pleased to announce details for the Teach Portsmouth Awards 2022 including key dates and celebrity host.
The awards will return to Portsmouth Guildhall on Thursday 9 June 2022 from 6pm. There are 10 award categories in total including the new 'teaching assistant of the year award' and 'new teacher of the year award.'
Colleagues are invited to submit nominations for teachers, learning support staff, teams and senior leaders when online nominations open on Tuesday 1 March. You will have under four weeks to tell us who deserves an award before nominations close on Monday 28 March.
The website has now been updated to include top level information about the event including key milestones for your diary. More information about nominations will be included in a future bulletin.
Curriculum and CPD |
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Working together to improve the attainment of young males in our city
The University of Portsmouth is facilitating a community of practice for local school staff and practitioners. The focus of this group is collaboration and shared learning, in order to improve boys’ attainment in our region.
In partnership with Arts University Bournemouth and the University of Winchester, they are also delivering a series of free, online CPD sessions entitled ‘Being a Boy’.
African Caribbean Education Network (ACEN) research into the experiences of Black teachers
ACEN's research into the experiences of Black teachers is now the largest research campaign for this group to date. They have heard from over 100 teachers so far and there is still four weeks to go.
The research seeks to better understand the experiences of Black teachers in UK schools so that they can influence policy and report on the data to some of the bodies who have the power to improve experiences in both the state and independent sectors. Some key findings and policy recommendations from the research will be published in the TES in late February.
If you are a teacher who claims African or Caribbean heritage, you can complete the online survey to share your views. Please encourage colleagues to participate too. All data is treated with integrity and in the strictest confidence.
Focus on writing - training sessions for headteachers and English leaders
To support with the development of writing in Portsmouth schools, we have been able to secure some time from Rachel Clarke (English consultant for Primary English Education). Rachel has successfully carried out training with Portsmouth year 6 and year 2 teachers in the past.
Rachel will be offering two half day training sessions for headteachers and English leaders. The first training session will be for headteachers and English leads to look strategically at English provision in schools. The second training session will be just for English leads to look at the pedagogy of English teaching and implementation.
Headteachers and English leads: Tuesday 15 February 2022, 1pm - 4pm | Zoom link
English leads: Wednesday 16 February 2022, 1pm - 4pm | Zoom link
Due to the rising number of COVID-19 cases, these sessions will now be virtual.
Emotional health and wellbeing |
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Is This Love? - book a healthy relationships session now
A recent poll has suggested young people are still not receiving comprehensive and quality Relationships and Sex Education (RSE) since the subject became mandatory in September 2020. The survey undertaken by the Sex Education Forum has shown over a third (37%) of young people have learned nothing about ‘power imbalances in relationships’, and almost three in ten (29%) learned nothing about how to recognise grooming for sexual exploitation.
Portsmouth's Community Safety Partnership delivers an annual campaign to schools - ‘Is This Love?’ - to encourage discussion around healthy and unhealthy behaviours in relationships. For 2022, assemblies are being offered for year groups 9, 10 and 11. These will be delivered by Stop Domestic Abuse, our commissioned provider of domestic abuse services in Portsmouth. Accompanying lesson plan resources will also be provided and there will be the opportunity for confidential contact for pupils wishing to speak to someone post-assembly.
You can book for your school now - the preference would be for this to be in-person but they can also be offered in a virtual format. Contact charlotte.ferguson@stopdomesticabuse.uk.
Pebble project for children from military families
Pompey's Military Kids and Charlotte Mason (teacher and service pupil advocate at Miltoncross Academy) are starting some exciting work to support children from military families across Portsmouth. This is being funded by the MoD Education Support Fund.
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Pebble project (beginning in February with pebbles completed by Easter)
In order to promote the support of service children in schools, service children will be invited to paint/draw an eye on a pebble and create an art installation with the slogan 'Keeping an eye out for service children'. A social media platform will enable schools to share their creative pebbles. Currently there are plans to collect the completed pebbles and photograph them in the shape of an eye across Portsmouth.
If you would like to take part, please email Charlotte Mason at CMason@miltoncross.portsmouth.sch.uk by February half term to confirm how many service children you would like pebbles for.
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Free training for school staff
In the summer term a face to face CPD session will be delivered for service pupil premium school leads on how best to support service children in PCC across their primary and secondary contexts. The aims of the CPD are: to broaden the understanding of life as a service child, to promote the sharing of good practice, to establish networks during year 6-7 transition, and to signpost areas to enable further support.
Portsmouth Young Carers Service (PYCS)
Young Carers Action Day
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Did you know that Wednesday 16 March 2022 is Young Carers Action Day? Young Carers Action Day is an annual event, organised each year by Carers Trust. It’s a day for raising public awareness of young carers and young adult carers, the pressures and challenges they face, and the incredible contribution they make by caring for their family members and friends. It is also a day to call for more action to support young and young adult carers and give them the extra bit of help they need to live full and healthy lives.
This year's focus is on 'Taking Action with Isolation'. It would be fantastic if all schools and colleges in Portsmouth could focus on 'young carers' at some point during the week beginning 14 March. Information and free activity ideas from the Carers Trust, including promotional posters are available here.
PYCS are creating short PowerPoint presentations that will be suitable to share with a class, tutor group or as part of an assembly for all age groups. These will include a link to a short 'young carer' film excerpt relevant to the age group the presentation is created for.
We also have capacity to deliver young carers assemblies in person or can visit young carers groups throughout the week and have some availability to bring a display and chat informally with young people at college during their lunch breaks.
Please contact us if your school/college would like a visit from one of our team or you would like a copy of our PowerPoint presentations (to be sent out the week beginning 7 March): youngcarers@portsmouthcc.gov.uk
 It’s HIV testing week from 7-13 February
If you’re worried about your own or someone else's HIV status, why not take the FREE finger prick test? It's quick and easy to do with Portsmouth's Sexual Health services, or you can order a home test kit. There are now ways to prevent you infecting others or from becoming infected yourself. Knowing your HIV status makes sure you can build fulfilling relationships and have a healthy and safe sex life. Give HIV the finger: a finger prick test is all it takes!
Help your children get the most out of the internet
The National Crime Agency's CEOP Education team aim to help protect children and young people from online child sexual abuse. Their latest campaign #AskTheAwkward explores how to talk to your secondary aged children about online relationships. As parents we know these are not always easy topics to have conversations about.
Talking regularly with your child about relationships and sex can help develop shared understanding, trust, and support between you. This includes being aware of the positive opportunities technology provides for their social and romantic lives.
#AskTheAwkward has been created to help you to explore online relationships with your secondary aged children, making these conversations part of everyday life. Watch the films and find resources to help you start the conversation today!
More information can also be found on the Safe4me website.
Harmful sexual behaviour support service for professionals
SWGfL and The Marie Collins Foundation has created a support service for professionals working with children and young people in tackling harmful sexual behaviours, funded by the Home Office and in collaboration with the Department for Education.
The support service is available for anyone in England working with children and young people, particularly, designated safeguarding leads within primary and secondary schools and alternative provision. Support is also available to early years provision, colleges and wider safeguarding professionals (including police, social workers and health care professionals).
Free take-home nutrition leaflets
Public health England's new scan, swipe, swap activities toolkit uses the excitement of the NHS Food Scanner app to encourage young people to explore what's in their food and make healthier choices. Engaging AR technology brings food labels to life as your pupils scan their way to healthier swaps.
Look out for a class set of take-home leaflets being delivered with your school fruit and veg box to inspire pupils and their families to make healthier swaps at home. Want to send all pupils home with the leaflet? Simply order more online and you’ll also receive free classroom display assets and an Eatwell Guide poster. You can also access digital leaflets via the Schools Zone.
Special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) |
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Moving Forward education and employment event
Moving Forward is an exciting event for young people aged 14 - 24 focusing on education and employment for those with a learning disability. This is a free event which will showcase all of the services and employers who support young people with learning disabilities in the area. The event is being held at Portsmouth Football Club on Thursday 17 March 2022, 9.30am - 4pm. There is no need to book - just turn up on the day.
LA updates
 Foster Portsmouth mark Race Equality Week
Foster Portsmouth is marking Race Equality Week between 7-13 February by celebrating the vital contribution of their foster carers from the black, Asian and minority ethnic community.
Tamara Groen has provided supported lodgings for vulnerable young people in the Portsmouth area for four years. Tamara shared, "As a woman of colour and daughter of an immigrant, I am particularly passionate about immigrant and refugee rights. This led me to hosting young people, particularly unaccompanied asylum-seeking young people, through supported lodgings."
All children from the BAME community entering foster care need the opportunity to celebrate their history and cultural heritage. They also require support to manage any racism and discrimination they may experience.
To reflect the looked after children and young people in our city, we need additional foster carers from diverse backgrounds. This includes more carers from the black, Asian and ethnic minority community.
 Latest self-isolation guidance
You must self-isolate immediately if you have coronavirus symptoms, have tested positive, or have been told to do so by NHS Test and Trace.
The new rules mean people with COVID-19 in England can end their self-isolation after 5 full days, as long as they test negative on day 5 and day 6 and do not have a high temperature.
Report your LFD test results after taking each test.
Dates for your diary
1-28 February 2022
LGBT+ History Month
7-11 February 2022
National Apprenticeship Week
16 February 2022
Free online Scratch programming training | 3.30pm - 5pm
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