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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.
Do you have new or existing members of staff who would benefit from receiving the PEP bulletin each week? If so, please encourage them to subscribe by clicking on the link below.
Inclusion
Portsmouth Inclusion Conference |
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The 8th annual Portsmouth Inclusion Conference will take place at Portsmouth Marriott Hotel on Thursday 13 October 2022, 8.30am - 5pm. This year's theme is 'making school a place all children want to be.'
There are exciting keynote speakers joining us this year, including Marie Gentles OBE and Pooky Knightsmith. There will also be a range of interesting workshops delivered by practitioners from whom you will be able to pick up new information and ideas to apply in your own setting.
Early bird tickets are now on sale for the reduced price of £85+VAT (full price tickets £100+VAT) via Eventbrite.
MOD Education Support Fund (ESF) |
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The Ministry of Defence (MOD) Education Support Fund is a new funding opportunity for schools, administered by the Armed Forces Covenant Trust (AFCT). The programme provides funding to schools to help mitigate the effects of exceptional mobility and/or separation faced by service children.
Applications are invited from publicly funded schools, academies and free schools and sixth form colleges throughout the UK who meet the eligibility criteria. Applicants must have service children on roll whose parent(s) are subject to mobility and/or separation.
Applications close on Friday 30 September 2022.
Parenting Service offer |
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The Parenting Service offer different forms of support to parents across the city, such as one off 1:1 sessions with a parenting practitioner, discussion groups with other parents run by a parenting specialist, as well as behavioural management courses available to those with a lead professional (should they meet the criteria).
Information about the services currently on offer is available to download and share: a version for professionals which details some of the referral process, and a version for parents, which provides a broader overview of the service. Please keep this in mind when distributing the offer to others.
Posters detailing the current discussion groups for September to October and November are available to print and share with parents, encouraging them to book on if they wish to.
Do feel free to reach out to the Parenting Service inbox with any questions, queries, or suitable referrals (ParentingService@portsmouthcc.gov.uk).
Update on youth vaping |
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A report from Action on Smoking and Health (ASH) concluded that the proportion of children vaping is on the rise, with many being influenced by social media sites such as TikTok. While it is illegal to sell vapes to under-18s, the proportion of children aged 11 to 17 currently vaping is 7.0%, compared to 3.3% in 2021 and 4.1% in 2020.
E-cigarettes were developed as an aid to quitting smoking, hence a perception that vaping is a better alternative to smoking, but for those who have never smoked, vaping is a route into nicotine addiction.
ASH have produced resources for local authorities, schools and parents on youth vaping.
NSPCC Schools Service: free safeguarding assemblies and new secondary resources |
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Speak out. Stay safe is the NSPCC's free of charge safeguarding programme aimed at primary school-aged pupils. For further information and how to register visit www.nspcc.org.uk/speakout. The NSPCC also offer a six-session SEND programme to primary and secondary special schools.
The Speak out. Stay safe online programme has been designed to link directly to the curriculum, helps schools demonstrate they are meeting safeguarding inspection requirements and supports the new mandatory relationship guidance.
For secondary schools, a ‘Talk Relationships’ relationships and sex education (RSE) resource package has been developed and will be launching this term.
Please email Michelle Barry (Schools Coordinator) at Michelle.Barry@nspcc.org.uk to discuss how your school can be supported.
Suicide prevention and bereavement |
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 World Suicide Prevention Day takes place on Saturday 10 September and is an opportunity to help people who are struggling with suicidal thoughts by raising awareness of suicide, reducing the stigma and encouraging action from all of us.
Urgent help
If you or someone you know needs urgent help, there is free support, for any ages, available 24/7:
- Samaritans - call 116 123 or email jo@samaritans.org
- Shout - text HANTS to 85258
- Childline - call 0800 1111 to talk to a Childline counsellor at any time (just for 18 and under)
- If it’s an emergency, call an ambulance using 999.
Suicide bereavement resources
A reminder that new guidance is now available around supporting children and young people who have been bereaved by a suicide and responding to a suicide with skill and confidence.
ELSAs from Portsmouth schools are invited to join an online workshop hosted by the Luna Foundation exploring how to respond to children and young people who have been bereaved by suicide. The workshop will be delivered by trainers with direct lived experience of parental suicide, including Churchill Fellow Anna Wardley. There are 25 spaces on each workshop, which are taking place on 26 and 27 September 2022.
School improvement
Can you help inspire local residents to become teaching assistants? |
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After the success of Teach Portsmouth's teaching assistant information event in June, three new dates for future events have been announced: Tuesday 8 November 2022, Tuesday 28 February 2023 and Tuesday 11 July 2023. All events will take place between 10am and 1pm at Portsmouth Central Library.
We are asking schools in Portsmouth to lend us their staff for one of our sessions. There are three one-hour sessions on each of the dates. Each one hour session will see individuals talk broadly about their role, what inspires them and provide advice for those in attendance. A short question and answer session is also held, giving local residents the chance to find out more about the role.
Teach Portsmouth would welcome interest from schools who are able to support one of these events or sessions by lending a member of their team. We are looking for pastoral, specialist or supervisory support staff who can help showcase the career progression element of the role.
If you are able to help us, please email teachportsmouth@portsmouthcc.gov.uk.
Modern foreign languages (MFL) opportunities |
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Engaging and motivating young learners of French
On Wednesday 28 September 2022, 3.45pm - 6pm, and in collaboration with the Association for French Language Studies (AFLS) and Sabrea Oughton from the University of Portsmouth, there will be four short workshops on activities to motivate and engage young learners of French.
Sharing resources/training opportunities for teachers of young learners of Spanish
On Monday 4 July 2022, 4pm at the Training and Learning Centre, Manor Road, a guest from the primary education section of the Spanish Embassy in London, will lead an information session on the resources and training opportunities offered by the Consejería de Educación.
If you have any questions, please email lizlord0502@gmail.com.
Participation and progression
Schools, apprentices and careers day at Southampton International Boat Show |
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Schools are invited to attend the schools, apprentices and careers day at Southampton International Boat Show on Tuesday 20 September 2022. Activities include:
- Witness first-hand the exciting opportunities within marine related careers at our Careers Fair. Meet everyone from your next steps in academia through to our members who are actively recruiting now
- Interactive/meeting inspiring young people who are doing these jobs today. Learn how they have developed their careers and the unusual routes taken to find their dream roles
- Learn from and meet female role models
- Start your day (9am – 11am) with a unique on the water experience on our tall ship The Morgenster, built in 1919.
- and more...
Limited free tickets available. To register your interest, email tickets@britishmarine.co.uk with the following: school name; number of students attending; names, ages and genders of students; teachers attending.
Use of reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete in school roofs
You may have seen coverage over the school holidays about the use of reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (RAAC) in 34 NHS buildings on hospital sites and other facilities, raising the danger of the potential collapse of concrete planks used in roofing. The coverage also referenced the collapse of a school roof in 2018. At the time of the school roof collapse a recommendation was made by the Standing Committee on Structural Safety (SCOSS) that all RAAC planks installed before 1980 should be replaced. These planks were mainly used between the 1960s and 1980s.
The local authority is not aware of any maintained schools that have this type of concrete, and our maintained schools were generally built outside of the period 1960-1980. We would ask academies to follow the DFE guidance on identifying and taking action on RAAC roofs that was published last year. Any school that has concerns should seek advice from their health and safety advisor.
Help your existing staff develop skills, knowledge, and experience plus gain academic recognised qualifications
There are over 30 apprenticeships available in a range of subjects and these have development pathways to progress staff. For office staff, Business Administration L3 to School Business Professional L4, for caretakers, Facilities L2-L6, for managers L5 to senior leader L7, TA's L3 to Teacher L6. All specifically targeted to school environment. An apprenticeship is an ideal route for staff to gain a qualification between level 2 (GCSE) and level 7 (master's degree) to help retain and develop good staff to progress in their career.
Enrolling on a programme will not impact the salary, contract of employment or employment status of the member of staff and funding for existing staff apprenticeships is via the Apprenticeship Levy, so is free to your school. This includes development of staff newly promoted, on fixed term contracts and part time workers. New apprenticeships for this year include Play Therapist L7. This is a qualification at master's level to work towards improving children's mental health.
To find out more, email apprenticeships@portsmouthcc.gov.uk or direct to the schools officer sandra.wilkie2@portsmouthcc.gov.uk.
Dedicated support team for children and young people with neuro-developmental needs
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Children and young people in Portsmouth who are struggling at home or in their educational setting due to neurodiversity can now benefit from a new team of dedicated professionals to support them and their family.
Portsmouth's Neurodiversity Team (0-19) consists of family support workers, therapists, an educational psychologist, and service lead.
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The team has been developed to support the city's new neurodiversity pathway, which aims to improve early identification of neurodiversity and offer increased support for families and professionals.
Junior and Mini Great South Run
The popular Junior and Mini Great South Run is back on Saturday 15 October 2022 for runners between the ages of 3-8 (mini) and 9-15 (junior). There will be encouraging tunes, on-course entertainment and crowd support! The event gives budding runners a taste of the big event experience over the shorter distances (junior - 2.5km and mini - 1.2km) and a chance to claim their own finishers medal.
 Help shape a brighter future for our city
The rising cost of living is having a big impact on how we live. Take part in our Big Portsmouth Survey to tell us how life has changed for you. Your views will help how we shape services for local people and communities.
The survey is open to all Portsmouth residents aged 16 and over.
Call our friendly team on 023 9261 6708 if you prefer taking part over the phone, open Monday to Friday, 9am-4pm.
Rewards of caring for children with additional needs
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Some children have disabilities or complex health conditions - physical, developmental, learning or sensory disabilities - that result in parents being unable to meet their needs.
We need foster carers with relevant experience to care for these children like 3-year-old Elliott who, whilst he struggles with communication, enjoys going to nursery, being outside, and playing with numbers, letters and shapes.
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Reducing parental conflict (RPC) workshop
Tuesday 11 October, 3.30pm - 5.30pm or Wednesday 9 November, 3.30pm - 5.30pm
Parental conflict can be a normal part of parenting and not all conflict is harmful. However, where it is frequent, intense and poorly resolved it can impact outcomes for children and parents. Whilst attending this two-hour workshop, workers will:
- Gain a greater understanding of parental conflict
- Explore factors and the impact on the family
- Look at ways parents can communicate constructively
The workshop has been designed for professionals to increase knowledge and skills around parental conflict. Professionals can use the workshop as a stand-alone workshop or can go on to attend the two-day RPC training.
Please email Kim.Smith@portsmouthcc.gov.uk to book a virtual space on the training. Alternatively, we may be able to come to your workplace in Portsmouth and provide the workshop for your team.
ASD training for schools
Triple A is a free online learning resource for teachers, teaching assistants, SENCOs, and school leaders for supporting autistic and neurodivergent pupils.
The term ‘Triple-A’ represents a set of difficulties commonly experienced by autistic and neurodivergent pupils at school, namely with attention, arousal and anxiety. In this resource, research from the Centre for Neurodiversity and Development at Durham University is shared that shows why Triple-A difficulties have an impact at school. We also share practical strategies that can be put in place to support Triple-A needs (developed in collaboration with the Communication and Interaction Team at Durham County Council).
Diversity in Christian traditions: Exploring what this means using the golden threads in Living Difference IV
This workshop on Tuesday 4 October 2022, 1pm - 4pm is free to all teachers, RE leaders and senior leaders with a primary/special needs RE focus in the Portsmouth area.
Taking place in the nave at the Portsmouth Anglican Cathedral and using a range of speakers, the workshop will help delegates know how to teach the Christian traditions using the golden threads of belonging, community, special and love as a focus. Delegates will consider the range of Christian beliefs and practices, but also look at different expressions of these across the Christian traditions. The workshop will develop the building blocks of knowledge for teachers to teach Christianity with confidence, knowledge and enthusiasm across both KS1 and 2.
Mental health leads network
Thursday 29 September 2022, 3.30pm - 5pm | Conference Room B, Civic Offices
You are invited to a new network bringing together school staff and partners working to support social emotional and mental health (SEMH). All schools are encouraged to join this meeting. All those with an interest in mental health in education are invited including pastoral leads, ELSAs, DSLs and SENCOs. Senior mental health leads are strongly encouraged to attend.
School colleagues will be joined by staff from MHST, MABs, the EP Team, Early Help and other partners. This is a great opportunity to improve joint working and further strengthen SEMH partnership working.
This will be a hybrid meeting. Please join us in person if possible.
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