PEP Bulletin w/c 7 March 2022

View in your web browser | Sign up for more alerts

PEP Bulletin

10 March 2022

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

NCFE Level 3 Diploma in Sport and Physical Activity (Outdoors)

Do you know about the exciting and action packed new NCFE Level 3 Diploma in Sport and Physical Activity (Outdoors) in Portsmouth? This course gives students a career pathway for the marine and maritime industry – combining hands on watersports coaching up to instructor level with classroom based discussion and workshops.

The course follows a syllabus that is both practical and theoretical. This is split 50/50 with hand-on activities delivered at the Andrew Simpson Centre and classroom-led sessions at Bayhouse Sixth Form.

Students do not need any prior experience in watersports to enrol on the course. Support with transport can be available if necessary.

There is a taster day for interested students (year 10 or 11) on Wednesday 6 April 2022, 10am - 3pm at the Andrew Simpson Centre. The taster day gives those interested an opportunity to try land and water-based activities as well as find out more about the course. Course tutors will be on hand to answer any questions.

Register now

NCS is back for the summer of 2022

NCS (National Citizen Service) is back for 2022, along with a one week stay at the water sports activity park at Land & Wave!

If you know someone who is in their final year of secondary school, or you are indeed that person, this summer could be a chance to treat yourself to the two week break you truly deserve.

This July and August a number of two week courses are running across a variety of dates that are specifically designed to give the utmost excitement and independence.

Funded GCSE revision days

The Southern Universities Network has partnered with Twenty Twenty Learning to provide a variety of fully funded GCSE revision days for students in 2021-2022. Available to arrange at times convenient for the school and your students, the programmes include:

GCSE English language (year 10 and 11 or year 9 preparation)
GCSE maths (year 10 and 11 or year 9 preparation)
GCSE study skills (year 9, 10 and 11)
Presentation and communication skills (year 9+)
Sixth Form induction (year 11)
Applying to UCAS (year 12 and 13, post-16)

Find out more

A celebration of HM The Queen’s Platinum Jubilee by the young people of Hampshire

This year will mark the seventieth anniversary of Queen Elizabeth’s accession to the throne, and celebrations of this Platinum Jubilee are being planned across the country. The Lord-Lieutenant of Hampshire, Nigel Atkinson, asked for a special event to be organised for the young people of the county, and a commemorative celebration is being planned to take place at Winchester Cathedral on Friday 20 May 2022, 7.30pm - 8.15pm with the procession ‘form up’ at 6.30pm.

All young people of secondary school age are welcome to attend, but special arrangements will be made by the uniformed organisations for a procession which everyone can join.

If you would like to take part, please register your interest by Saturday 2 April 2022. Further information and confirmation of the number of places allocated to you will follow by the end of April. Please note that a large response is expected so numbers may need to be controlled according to any government restrictions in place at the time and in the interests of safety.

If you would like to be added to the direct mailing list for this event, please contact Martin Rudd, Seniors Chair, Hampshire Youth Network at chair@hampshireyouthnetwork.co.uk.

Curriculum and CPD

The Day - online news resource

All subscribers to the Portsmouth School Library Service have access to The Day, the online news resource. The Day has been publishing articles covering the current situation in Ukraine which school staff have been finding useful when answering pupil's questions.

Please contact the School Library Service at School.Library@portsmouthcc.gov.uk if you experience issues logging in to the resource.

Selecting and working with PSHE visitors and speakers

Visitors and speakers should never replace a planned PSHE education programme. But they can enhance it by complementing what you cover in your lessons if well-chosen and used selectively. The PSHE Association's guidance will help you to promote active learning in sessions involving visitors or external speakers.

Examples of effective practice
Initial planning checklist to help you prepare for and research visit
Evaluation template - to help you review external contributions

Make sure speakers or visitors add value to your programme and avoid negative impacts on learning.

Download the guide

Children and young people's voices in RSE

Free for members of the Sex Education Forum, two special events invite members to bring an example of how you involve or consult with children and young people in reviewing, evaluating and developing your RSE so that it meets their needs. Your example could relate to primary, secondary or further education level / phase.

Wednesday 30 March 2022, 3.45pm - 4.45pm - Mainstream
Thursday 31 March 2022, 12pm - 1pm - SEND focus

Book your free ticket to attend as either a presenter or audience member. Each presenter will have 3-5 minutes to share their example, which could constitute an activity such as a survey, focus group, or any other type of consultation activity about RSE. You are invited to share what you did, how you did it, what the impact has been and any learning or next step.

Book your place

Outdoor learning update from Hampshire Outdoors

The second spring 2022 edition of the outdoor learning and PE newsletter is now available. Linking with Science Week (11-20 March) and its theme of ‘growth’, the newsletter is packed with ideas and resources to support you in taking children’s learning outdoors and them being active.

Share your outdoor learning photos, resources and experiences
Please send any pictures of your outdoor learning or outdoor settings where learning takes place, or any great resources that you would like to share. It would also be great to share your outdoor learning experiences with other schools, especially those that are just beginning their outdoor learning journey. Send your items to Claire Westlake outdoor.education@hants.gov.uk so they can be included in future newsletters.

Read the newsletter

A Ditty for the City - The Queen's Jubilee Song

Portsmouth Music Hub have composed a short song to celebrate the Queen's Platinum Jubilee this coming June. The song and resources are available to all schools in the city to use and can be found on Portsmouth Music Hub's website.

If your school would like to learn the song, we can arrange for your performance of the song to be filmed and shared on our social media channels.

If you are interested, please complete the sign up form.

Free computing support

There is limited time left to engage with the NCCE’s fully funded support offer for schools in Portsmouth and Gosport. Will you have a new computing subject lead for next year? Do they need support or resources? Please email p.wickins@stem.org.uk to access support, like Mandy from Meon Junior School did:

“I had an excellent meeting with Phil Wickins from N.C.C.E. to help sort out a new computer curriculum. He gave me lots of great ideas to add and extend our computer curriculum. Not only did he talk it all through with me, he provided invaluable training, that was super easy to understand! He showed me where to find programmes and links to everything that I needed. I feel truly inspired and cannot wait to start the new computer curriculum with our children. I also know that he will be there to help me with any problems I have along the way for continued support.”
Mandy Chandler, Computing Lead, Meon Junior School

Free 'e-bugs' campaign resources

The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) are supporting the 'e-bugs' campaign which has resources for all key stages, to help educate children on topics like microbes, infection prevention, antibiotics, hand hygiene etc. It ties into the national curriculum and all materials have been developed by the UKHSA together with teachers and scientists.

Please feel free to use the resources as part of the drive to reduce infections of all kinds and as a consequence, to encourage improved school attendance rates.

Find out more

Educational Visits spring magazine

The Educational Visits UK Days Out South East of England spring magazine is a seasonal digital magazine (ezine) promoting what is happening regionally in museums and attractions to schools. Teachers can access the latest events, online workshops and new ideas for school trips, the majority of the which has been provided by the museums/attractions themselves. You can also look at neighbouring regional ezines to discover what's on this spring.

Explore the spring magazine

Ports Fest 'selfie station' project opportunity

Schools are invited to take part in creating a ‘selfie station’ that will form part of a trail of 10 across Portsmouth. This trail aims to publicise the pupil voice and showcase their creativity to help Portsmouth to ‘Remember, Reimagine, Reignite’ (the Ports Fest theme) after a difficult few years. This will be achieved by the public reading the message on the ‘selfie station’ that the pupils have designed for the city, based on their interpretation of the Ports Fest theme, admiring their creative design, and interacting with it by taking memorable photographs with it. There will be QR codes to link the public back to your school. The trail will be put in place for the duration of Ports Fest which runs from 30 June to 3 July.

There is no financial cost to your school to take part. To create your ‘selfie station’ you will need a dedicated member of staff to oversee and supervise the project and a group of enthusiastic young people (at least 6) from years 5-8. Your staff member will be provided with training by Pauline McNamara from ‘Twist of Creativity’ in how to produce beautiful signs. This will enable the pupil message to have real impact due to the high quality of the lettering.

Following staff training, Pauline will work with pairs of schools to help them to physically produce their message. Schools will need to incorporate their sign into an installation to form a ‘selfie station’. The materials used can be wide ranging, and we would encourage the upcycling of pre-loved items! Pauline has access to pallet wood if required.

The ‘selfie stations’ will be installed in locations arranged by Ports Fest and by a team employed by Ports Fest. They would be maintained by the landowners and Ports Fest for the duration of the festival, and any risk would be covered by Ports Fest insurance and public liability.

If you would like more information, or to express your interest in taking part, please contact Fiona Nicholson at The Portsmouth Grammar School: f.nicholson@pgs.org.uk.

Emotional health and wellbeing

Ukraine: support and guidance for parents, carers and teachers

Early Years education expert, Tamsin Grimmer, has written a leaflet to help us understand and have the confidence to deal with the subject of war with our young children. Please share widely with your staff teams and support each other to work with our children when appropriate to explore the questions and thoughts they have.

The leaflet, along with other resources are available on the PEP website. This page will continue to be updated as new resources become available.

Find out more

Mindfulness training for teachers supporting service children

As part of Month of the Military Child, the MoD have secured 20 places on the Mindfulness in Schools Project's .breathe course for teachers. This one day introduction to mindfulness course has been secured to enable teachers working with service children to deliver mindfulness sessions to children (aged 9-14).

Places are offered on a first come, first served basis. Schools should contact andrew.malcolm104@mod.gov.uk or go direct to MiSP to discuss further.

Special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND)

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.

Find out more

LA updates

Supported Lodgings set young people up for success

Tamara Groen has provided Supported Lodgings for 15 vulnerable young people aged 18-24 in the Portsmouth area, “I help them develop the skills to live independently. The way I see it, Supported Lodgings helps set them up for success.”

Could you be a young person’s inspiration and mentor to help them get off on the right start to a successful independent life?