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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.
Inclusion
Updates from the Neurodiversity Team |
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New dates have been confirmed for the neurodiversity profiling training:
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Tuesday 10 January 2023, 9.30am - 3.30pm at the Menuhin Room, Portsmouth Central Library
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Tuesday 17 January 2023, 9.30am - 3.30pm at the Menuhin Room, Portsmouth Central Library
There is no charge for the training. Please email SENDStrategy@portsmouthcc.gov.uk if you would like to book a place. A rolling programme for the training will be taking place throughout the year.
Recording ND profiles on the Insight Hub
We are pleased to inform you that we now have an opportunity for recording any ND profiles that have been completed on the Insight Hub, school portal. Every school has their own individual school portal for vulnerable pupil tracking, which pulls together various data sources for children who attend your school. If you do not currently have access to this, please speak to your DSL within school who will currently be familiar with the portal.
We would recommend that you record any ND profiles you have already completed for children within your school, and continue to record these as and when you complete them.
How to record on your school portal:
- Child Advanced Search: Enter the child's name into the search function
- Select the appropriate child's record
- Select 'SEND' page from the left hand menu
- Scroll down to the third heading - ND Profile
- Select the 'Actions' drop down function
- Select 'Add New'
- ND Profile completed - Select 'Yes'
- Start Date - Enter date
- Review date - Enter approximate review date
- Select Save
- This should then show up on the child's record
If you have any problems recording this information on the Insight Hub, please contact insighthub@portsmouthcc.gov.uk for technical support.
Top tips for the festive season from the Neurodiversity Team
The festive season can be a tricky time for neurodiverse children and children with SEND. They can find it hard to adjust to different light, colour, sound, smells, textures, and tastes, and it's easy for their senses to become overwhelmed. Changes in routine can also affect how children feel and understand what is happening.
The season does not have to spell disaster though, and the Neurodiversity Team have put together some tips and advice on how to prepare. With planning and support, we hope that everyone can enjoy the festive period! If you would like any further information, contact the Neurodiversity Team via neurodiversity0-19enquiries@portsmouthcc.gov.uk.
Join the UK’s first Citizens’ Panel on school inclusion |
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The University of Portsmouth and their project partners are looking for people with a wide range of views and experiences to make up the UK’s first Citizens’ Panel on inclusion for children and young people with SEND. The panel will convene on:
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Saturday 11 March 2023, 10am – 2.30pm | Online, via Zoom
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Saturday 25 March 2023, 10am – 3pm | Central Portsmouth, venue TBC
Participants will hear evidence from experts and debate and decide what needs to happen to ensure pupils with SEND feel welcome in school and succeed. Lunch and travel costs will be provided. All participants will receive £150 for taking part.
We are recruiting:
- Education professionals, including teachers and school leaders working in mainstream and special schools (primary and secondary), and SEND specialists/advisors working in any setting
- Young people aged 12-16, with and without SEND
- Parents/carers of young people aged 12-16, with and without SEND
Register your interest via the links below by 11pm on Monday 19 December 2022
Teachers and education professionals please register here.
Parents/carers please register here.
Click here for more information and FAQs about the Citizens’ Panel. Please feel free to share this information with anyone from the groups above who might be interested.
Eating disorders online learning resource for school professionals |
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Beat's SPOT (Schools Professionals Online Training) helps support those working in schools to understand eating disorders and support pupils. You can watch a video of the user experience here.
What can I do on SPOT?
By accessing SPOT, you will be taught how to notice the early signs of an eating disorder and how to talk to a pupil exhibiting them, engage their families, and support them to seek medical assessment. The online platform encompasses different features, including:
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Learn: Gain key skills to give your pupils the best possible support through bite-sized interactive e-learning modules and webinar videos delivered by expert clinicians. There are also downloadable resources in the form of lesson plans and access to school policies.
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Meet: Speak with other school professionals and interact with trained clinical advisors in weekly Q&A sessions and forum channels, hosted by clinicians and lived-experience trainers.
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Engage: Share and gain knowledge from an inspiring community, that is here to help you learn through role-specific workspaces and resources section where you can find helpful videos, podcasts and articles.
'What to do about worry' resource for year 6 |
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Linking to the PSHE and Relationships Education curriculums, Better Health's free 'What to do about worry' resource can help year 6 pupils identify worry and provide them with actions they can take if they feel worried in the lead-up to the festive holidays and beyond.
This resource contains interactive activities featuring an engaging video and a ‘relaxation station'. You can use this resource flexibly, either as a whole lesson plan or as wraparound content towards the end of term.
School improvement
Save the date - The Teach Portsmouth Awards return |
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 Get ready for the Teach Portsmouth Awards 2023 which returns to Portsmouth Guildhall on Thursday 29 June 2023. While we are still some way off, we wanted to let you know about this very important date - so save it in your diaries.
Online nominations for award categories open on Wednesday 25 January 2023. We will be providing more information on how this will work in the new year.
To support senior colleagues to write the best supporting statement possible, we will be hosting a webinar on this very subject. Those who co-ordinate nominations will be invited to hear top tips on what our shortlisting panel look for during the process.
For more information on the Teach Portsmouth Awards, please visit the website today.
Portsmouth Digital Champion opportunity |
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We are looking for the last few teachers or senior leaders to join our January cohort of Digital Champions, who can work together to support each other and other schools across the city with the effective use of technology.
The 18 month programme is fully funded and designed to go alongside your day to day practice but with a final project linked to an area of your choice such as:
- Using technology as a tool to support guided practice and modelling
- Developing assessment strategies
- Enabling students to access learning beyond the school day
- Utilising the Microsoft 365 or Google platform to reduce workload
- Creating an app for your students to use as a tool to support their learning
- Embedding 21st century digital literacy skills in your subject
- Building technology links across the city through a STEM project
- Effective device deployment and use within a subject area
Sessions are held fortnightly and either face to face or online (depending on your preference) and have been created especially for the “Portsmouth: The Digital City project”.
For more information or to pre-register your interest for our April cohort, please view the flyer or email ggwilliam@copnorprimary.co.uk.
Relationships and Sex Education (RSE) event |
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Calling all professionals, school staff and student representatives, including PSHE/RSE leads, youth workers, and other delivering RSE to young people aged 13-16 (year 9 &11).
Join us for a one-off opportunity on Tuesday 17 January 2023 to boost confidence and skill, impress Ofsted, improve your condom teachings and network with neighbouring schools and services.
We aim to improve condom efficacy for young people in Portsmouth and cover the following:
- Being inclusive
- Language
- Local services
- Consent
- Free training and resources
- Discussion
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Increase in scarlet fever
Scarlet fever is usually a mild illness, but it is highly infectious. Healthier Together has useful guidance on the signs and symptoms here.
Good hygiene practice such as hand washing, regular cleaning of classrooms and equipment and good ventilation are the most important steps in preventing and controlling spread of infection, as they were during the Covid-19 pandemic.
It is requested that schools do not tell parents to contact their GP to request antibiotics if they have been in contact with cases. This was misleading information in the national media and is not the medical advice. Only suspected or confirmed cases will be prescribed antibiotics. All children who are well can and should continue to come into school as usual.
Cost of living crisis - Free data
As part of a campaign through the National Databank, led by the Good Things Foundation, O2 are offering access to free data over the Christmas period. 1 million GB of free O2 data will be provided to people in need via O2 Christmas Sim Cards, which allow people who need a hand staying connected to redeem 7GB of Pay As You Go data.
To benefit from this offer, customers first need to order an O2 Pay As You Go £10 Big Bundle sim, available separately for free here. This usually takes 1-2 days to arrive, but may be longer with current post service.
Please share this info with anyone who could benefit from this over the Christmas period.
 Fostering teenagers
Foster carer Rachel recently shared: "Over time we have seen our young person develop pride, self-esteem, motivation and self-confidence. He has a very different future now and we are very proud of him."
There are stubborn myths that persist around fostering teens. They are often pigeonholed as grumpy, uncommunicative, noisy and messy; in short, hard work. However, if they do display any of these behaviours it is either typical teen behaviour all teenagers experience or they may be born of insecurity, fear and confusion.
If they are shown they are cared for and that someone is taking an interest in their wellbeing, the rewards of caring for older children are significant. Don't let these myths deny these children a loving home. It is never too late to change their lives.
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