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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.
Welcome back to the start of term and 2024! I hope everyone managed to have a restful break over Christmas. I am looking forward to working with you over the rest of this academic year and supporting your endeavours to improve outcomes for children and young people.
We know how challenging it is out there and with a general election looming there is of course more uncertainty about the future. However, we are excited about what the SENDAP Change Programme can deliver for Portsmouth and we look forward to sharing more details of this with you over the coming months.
The Priority Education Investment Area delivery plan is in full swing, and I have been encouraged by the level of engagement and sign up. I am very much looking forward to the PortsMaths Conference on 14 March 2024 which is now open for booking, details of which can be found in this bulletin.
This year will be a particularly demanding year for the early years sector as we see the first and second phases of the expanded entitlement for working parents open up from April and September 2024. We will be doing all we can to support families and settings to ensure this is rolled out as smoothly as possible.
Sarah Daly
Director, Children, Families and Education at Portsmouth City Council
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Inclusion
Family Hubs newsletter |
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You can now read the first edition of the new Family Hubs newsletter, a bi-monthly update for professionals on all things new and coming soon to Portsmouth families, thanks to the UK government Family Hubs Start for Life funding.
Self-harm awareness training for professionals |
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Solent Mind is offering self-harm training sessions for education providers (secondary school age children and young people (11 years and over), sixth form and further education).
This session aims to improve confidence and reduce fear around the topic of self-harm for those who work with children and young people. We’ll cover the basics of what self-harm is and what it isn’t, to enable understanding and awareness. We’ll also suggest strategies, resources and signposting to support those self-harming, and the people around them.
Each session runs for one hour and will be delivered remotely via Zoom. After the session you will receive a link to a recorded version of the session for you to watch again later.
Various training dates are available in February and March 2024.
School improvement
Updates from Teach Portsmouth |
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 1. Exhibit at the Teach Portsmouth Jobs and Opportunities Fair 2024
The city's largest recruitment fair for education jobs returns to Portsmouth Guildhall on Monday 26 February 2024 from 10am - 2pm. Over 24 exhibitors will promote jobs, training and volunteering opportunities in schools and colleges across the city.
We would welcome interest from schools looking to promote teaching, learning assistant and wider support vacancies. Over 200 people came through the bronze doors of Guildhall last year.
For more information on exhibiting, please visit the Portsmouth Education Partnership website and submit your booking form by Wednesday 31 January 2024. If you have any questions, please email teachportsmouth@portsmouthcc.gov.uk.
2. Thank a school superhero postcards incoming!
Teach Portsmouth would like to update colleagues about the thank a school superhero initiative. So far, over 100 individuals have said thank you to teachers, support staff, head teachers and others but we need even more entries. Teach Portsmouth would like every school in the city to have a collection of thank you messages from different people and we need your help to get us there.
From today, every school in the city will receive postcards that people can use to write a thank you message on. The team would encourage schools to place postcards in high traffic areas, where possible. There should be a secure way for postcards to be collected and stored. Once you have used up all your postcards, please return these to the Teach Portsmouth team using the following address: Teach Portsmouth, Children, Families and Education, Portsmouth City Council, Floor 2 Core 6, Civic Offices, Guildhall Square, Portsmouth, PO1 2EA.
Postcards will be collated and put into a printed format for schools to display. If you have a newsletter, we would also encourage you to continue sharing the online form with parents and carers to increase sign ups for your staff. For more information, please visit the Teach Portsmouth website.
Growing To Love... Tomatoes campaign |
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VegPower, the organisation behind the 'Eat Them to Defeat Them Campaign' is in the second year of their project designed to inspire children to love vegetables through growing-their-own. The campaign is supported by some famous faces and characters, including Shaun the Sheep, former Blue Peter gardener, Chris Collins and kids CBBC presenter Sam Nixon.
Children will sow tomato seeds in school in April and after approximately 6-8 weeks re-pot them (in a recycled yoghurt pot, carton etc to highlight recycling and sustainability). The children can then take their plants home to continue the growing process on their windowsills, balconies or gardens over the summer holidays.
To enable this VegPower will provide a box containing growing kits and resources for approximately 32 children per class. The kits include tomato seeds, windowsill propagators, compost, re-potting compost and plant food. Each child will also receive a wall chart and sticker pack with QR codes that give access to an exclusive website to help them grow their tomato plants and learn more about related topics such as seed germination, photosynthesis and food waste. Teachers receive a 24 page guide to help them along the journey.
The cost is £100 per box (excluding VAT), with enough resources for one class of approximately 30 children with some spare resources included.
To find out more, or order a kit, please contact Stephanie Douglas at Veg Power via Stephanie.Douglas@vegpower.org.uk. You can also read the campaign briefing.
Help your child with numeracy courses |
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WEA are running two Help your child with numeracy courses for parents/carers from 31 January 2024 to 13 March 2024 (six sessions only), at the Charles Dickens Centre.
This course will empower parents with creative and practical approaches to make numbers engaging and accessible. On this course, parents will learn fun and engaging ways to support their children with number skills development that will help them grow as a maths educator and foster a positive attitude towards learning and numeracy.
Morning and afternoon sessions are available:
Please share the above links or the course flyer with parents/carers who may benefit from these courses.
Berlioz 150's Fantastique! for schools |
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Fantastique! for schools is designed to generate school children's interest in and enthusiasm for classical music.
Inspiring young people with a lifelong love of music and singing using the work of Hector Berlioz and specifically his Symphonie Fantastique, this is a free, accessible, engaging and informative music education project with hands-on activities and experiences for pupils aged 8-13.
New initiative to tackle tooth decay for secondary schools |
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The PSHE Association has awarded their Quality Mark to a new KS3 lesson — developed by academics at the University of Sheffield, University of Dundee and Cardiff University as part of the BRIGHT trial — which aims to develop students’ understanding and knowledge about the importance of tooth brushing with fluoride toothpaste as a method to prevent dental caries.
Help students:
- approach tooth brushing in a more positive way
- consider their own motivations for tooth brushing
- reflect on their barriers to tooth brushing
- complete an action plan to support sustainable good oral health
RSE myth-buster resource |
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With the government review of the RSHE guidance underway and draft updated guidance expected to be published for public consultation in the next few weeks, it’s essential that educators feel supported to continue delivering high-quality RSHE. The statutory RSHE guidance (2019) remains in place and gives a solid foundation that schools are required to follow.
The Sex Education Forum has published a new myth-buster resource to support schools and other stakeholders in communications about RSE/RSHE in the term ahead.
PortsMaths Conference 2024 |
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Booking is now open for the PortsMaths Conference, taking place on Thursday 14 March 2024 at the Portsmouth Marriott Hotel.
Book early to ensure your space at what will be a fun and engaging conference with keynote speakers and 10 workshops throughout the day.
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Open day at Andrew Simpson Centre Portsmouth |
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Calling all school and youth group trip organisers!
On Friday 2 February 2024, 3.30pm - 5.30pm, the Andrew Simpson Centre Portsmouth will be hosting an open day for school and youth group trip organisers to come and find out what the centre has to offer for young people in the city.
The afternoon will be an opportunity to tour the centre, find out more about ASC and their offer, and chat 1:1 with the team of experts. The presentation will start at 4pm, so come along, have a coffee and discover a new adventure for 2024.
For more information, please contact the centre on portsmouth@andrewsimpsoncentres.org.
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 As you clinked flutes or joined the countdown this New Year's Eve, what resolutions did you make? How about one that changes your life… and theirs? Due to the continued national shortage of foster carers, we still need more loving homes in the Portsmouth area for vulnerable children and young people from our city.
We offer our foster carers excellent allowances for the children in their care, thorough training and continuing 24/7 support, access to the award-winning Mockingbird model of care, discounts and benefits, social activities, and free membership to The Fostering Network.
If you've ever thought about fostering, there is no better time than now to take that next step as one of your new year's resolutions.
Sensory regulation within the mainstream classroom
A training opportunity from the Inclusion Outreach Service
When: Thursday 8 February 2024, 9am - 12.30pm
Where: Redwood Park Academy
Maximum number of delegates: 12
Target audience: Teachers, 1:1 TA's, HLTAs, SEND leadership, SEN(D)CO, assistant SEN(D)CO, EYFS, primary, secondary.
This course will provide an opportunity to:
- Learn the foundations of sensory processing - how we process information from our senses and how sensory integration difficulties can explain a range of behaviours.
- Explore a sensory learning walk.
- Learn a range of strategies that can be used in school to improve the daily experiences of young people.
- Network to action plan, discuss and share ideas and resources for delegates to take away and use in the classroom.
To book a place, please email: Laura.Browne@portsmouthcc.gov.uk
Teaching cohesion
A session for primary English teachers, year 6 teachers and English subject teachers, led by Rachel Clarke
When: Tuesday 12 March 2024, 1pm - 2pm
Where: via Zoom link, which will be shared with additional resources a week prior to the session.
Creating cohesion in writing is often talked about but pinning down its component parts can be difficult. In this course we look at what is meant by cohesion, the features that create it, and how teachers can actively teach cohesion.
The course has obvious appeal for teachers in year 6 but by tracking how cohesion is taught across the primary years, it is relevant to all teachers looking to demystify this essential aspect of writing.
The course is informed by the National Curriculum, examples from the Standards and Testing Authority and examples from children’s literature.
Please contact Lauren Roe at Lauren.Roe@portsmouthcc.gov.uk to sign up for this free session.
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