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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
Portsmouth SEND Local Offer On Tour: Supporting families with SEMH needs |
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Families in Portsmouth with children and young people up to 25 years old who have social, emotional, and mental health (SEMH) needs are invited to attend a special Local Offer On Tour event. This session will be held at Central Library (lower ground floor) on Tuesday 3 December 2024, from 10am to 12.30pm.
These events provide an invaluable opportunity for families to connect with professionals and local community groups, offering essential support and advice in an informal setting. We kindly ask schools and academies to share this information with parents and carers who may benefit from attending.
Attendees will have the chance to engage in group discussions, ask questions, and enjoy light refreshments. Children are welcome to join, with activities provided to keep them engaged. Additional events are scheduled for February and April 2025. Please register for a ticket - so we can manage capacity. For further information, please visit www.portsmouthlocaloffer.org/ontour today.
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Alternative Provision directory launched |
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We are pleased to confirm that the Alternative Provision Directory (hosted on the Portsmouth Education Partnership website) is live and the first five providers who have been awarded assured status are now listed.
The Directory hosts information about external organisations that deliver tier 3 alternative/additional provision which is delivered off school site or online. Please see the '4 Tier Pyramid for AP' document which outlines the support each of the 4 tiers encompasses. In order to be listed on the Directory, the organisation must either be a registered provision through Ofsted, or an unregistered provision that has passed PCC's 2-stage quality assurance process.
A number of organisations have been invited to apply to the quality assurance process. However, if your school is working with any organisations that are not yet listed on the Directory, please share details with our AP Commissioning Manager, Helena Kelsey (Helena.kelsey@portsmouthcc.gov.uk).
Additionally, if you are looking for alternative provision to support any of your students, Helena is very happy to signpost schools to organisations that may be able to help. If you would like to arrange a meeting with Helena, please send her an email. We hope the Directory will be a useful tool for schools going forwards.
School improvement
Governor briefing - 26 November 2024 |
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A reminder that the next governor briefing will take place on Tuesday 26 November 2024 from 5pm - 6pm on Microsoft Teams (joining details below). The focus of next week's briefing will be children's social care, including:
- A reminder about the importance of governors having an understanding of safeguarding, and sign-posting to further training;
- An opportunity to meet Lydia Bowles as the new LADO and a reminder of the role of the LADO;
- Some information about the role of early help and the family hubs;
- Information about private fostering, which may be an area that governors know very little about, and why it is important that schools are aware of which children are in these arrangements.
All Portsmouth governors are very welcome.
Join the meeting
Meeting ID: 337 707 419 909
Passcode: C7xFwv
Portsmouth ~ City of Languages partners' meeting |
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The steering group for the initiative 'Portsmouth ~ City of Languages' would like to invite all Portsmouth school and college leaders, or a representative, to attend a partners' virtual meeting on Friday 29 November 2024 from 1pm - 2pm.
An agenda which includes the meeting link can be found here.
If you are keen to hear about what has already been established and find out how you can get involved, please visit the dedicated PEP website page and attend the meeting above.
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Programme of sessions to support aspiring maths leaders |
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In order to support succession planning and growing the leaders of the future, Solent Maths Hub and UniCAT have collaborated to offer a series of three sessions aimed at aspiring maths leaders. Sessions are fully funded through PEIA and come with a funding grant to go towards releasing staff to attend.
Book your place on this programme using the online form.
Digital Christmas card competition |
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Nicci Sawdy and Gemma Gwilliam have been working with Canva for Education and are delighted to launch their Digital Christmas Card Competition! There are five categories of winners (EYFS, KS1, KS2, KS3 and KS4/KS5), where the chosen winner of each category will have their design printed and delivered to their school as well as featuring in an E Christmas Card Collection.
Details of the competition can be found here or in PDF format. The registration form is here and the closing date is Friday 6 December 2024.
'Technology for all' survey |
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As part of our "Technology for all" strand of the "Portsmouth: The Digital City" Project, we are looking to gain an understanding from parents and carers on their and their child's (children's) access to technology and their attitudes surrounding this.
Please can schools share the following images (image 1 / image 2) and comms/form with parents and carers within the next week. The form will close on Friday 13 December 2024.
Dear Parents/Carers,
As part of the "Portsmouth: The Digital City Project", we are conducting a survey to understand your access to technology and your views on its use in education. This information will help us better support students and families across the city, both for now and in the future. Your responses are confidential and will be used to help shape our vision and the support we give schools and the wider community. Thank you for taking the time to participate by completing this form by Friday 13 December 2024.
Gemma Gwilliam, Head of Digital Learning, Education and Innovation
World Antimicrobial Resistance Awareness Week |
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Schools are asked to share a digital poster with families to help raise awareness for World Antimicrobial Resistance Awareness Week (WAAW), taking place from 18 - 24 November 2024. Additional resources to support the curriculum are also available for your school and can be found below. Even if you can only implement one small initiative during this week, it would have a significant impact on the children, their families, and our collective future. Thank you for your support.
Teaching resources
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e-Bug: evidence-based teaching resources to support early years, KS1 and KS2.
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Belly Bugs: a school programme introducing children to the beneficial gut microbes for early years, KS1 and KS2.
Green Football's Great Save |
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The UK's biggest campaign, unleashing the power of football to tackle climate change is back in March 2025, and all schools (KS1, 2 and 3) are invited to take part. With free, ready-to-use classroom toolkits and resources, Green Football’s Great Save makes it easy for teachers to bring climate topics into the classroom in fun, interactive ways.
Next year’s theme, The Great Save, spotlights how fans, clubs, and leagues can help prevent millions of tonnes of sportswear from ending up in landfills each year. From donating and swapping to selling, schools will have plenty of ways to get involved—and some fantastic prizes to win!
Join the mailing list to stay updated and be the first to access the free toolkits.
'Curious Cosham' discovers jobs and opportunities in education at Teach Portsmouth event |
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 The Teach Portsmouth Support and Teaching Assistant Jobs Fair returned to Cosham Community Centre on Wednesday 20 November, offering opportunities to explore support and teaching assistant roles. Running from 10am to 2pm, the event welcomed 70 attendees who engaged with schools, academies, training providers, and employment services across two interactive sessions.
Participants gained valuable insights during presentations by Gemma Muscat, PA and office manager at New Horizons Primary Academy, and Mary McKenzie, deputy headteacher at The Flying Bull Academy. A lively question-and-answer session followed, giving attendees a chance to ask about working in education.
After the presentations, attendees explored opportunities with 11 exhibitors showcasing current job openings and apprenticeships across the education sector. Looking ahead, Teach Portsmouth is preparing for its largest recruitment event yet that welcomed over 400 people earlier this year.
The Teach Portsmouth Jobs and Opportunities Fair 2025 will take place at Portsmouth Guildhall on Wednesday 26 February 2025 from 10am to 2pm. Schools and academies interested in exhibiting can email teachportsmouth@portsmouthcc.gov.uk for more information.
Funding opportunities for schools |
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Co-op Foundation Young Gamechangers Fund – grants of up to £20,000 are available to UK groups or organisations with an annual income of less than £100,000 that can deliver youth-led projects and activities with and for young people aged 10-25. Applicants should complete the online eligibility quiz by 12pm on Wednesday 4 December 2024. Eligible organisations then have the opportunity to complete an application form by 5pm on Friday 6 December 2024.
Universal UK Sound Foundation: The School Fund – grants of up to £1,000 are available to primary, secondary, junior, special educational needs (SEN) schools and further education colleges in the UK and Ireland that are teaching the national curriculum to support music education for young people in all its forms, specifically for school music projects and the purchase of instruments and equipment. The first deadline for applications is on Wednesday 22 January 2025 at 1pm.
The Laurel Trust: Funding for innovative school-based projects – grants designed to support groups of schools to work together to re-imagine education in our current world, and to place emphasis on a culture rooted in emotional and academic resilience. The application
round will close at 5pm on Friday 28 February 2025. Online briefings will be held in January to support schools which are thinking of making an application.
Ofsted report for King's Academy Northern Parade (Infant) |
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A new Ofsted report for King's Academy Northern Parade (Infant) is now available following a school inspection on 24 September 2024. The school recieved 'Good' judgements for quality of education, behaviour and attitudes, personal development, leadership and management, and early years provision.
Inspectors highlighted:
"Pupils learn well at this caring and supportive school. Strong professional relationships
between both adults and pupils and between pupils permeate throughout. Pupils focus
well on learning, with minimal disruption in lessons. When pupils need extra help to
manage their emotions or to focus, the school provides this in a calm and caring manner.
Pupils who need support for their mental health and well-being benefit from regular
check-ins that help them to feel safe and secure."
Aspire to Engineer: AI and Me |
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Thursday 5 and Thursday 12 December 2024 | Online
Discover how AI is shaping the future. Can AI outplay humans? Could you create life-saving tech? AI is rapidly shaping our world, and these sessions are a fantastic opportunity for students to learn about the latest advancements and how AI impacts our everyday lives. Sign up now for two special events with world class speakers David Silver from Google DeepMind (primary focus, all welcome) and Regina Barzilay from M.I.T. (secondary only).
Limited spaces available. Free to schools thanks to the Royal Commission for 1851.
South Coast Music Partnership Conference |
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Join Portsmouth Music Hub on Thursday 23 January 2025, at the iconic Portsmouth Guildhall for an inspiring day of exploration and collaboration at our Music Education Conference.
This year's theme, Innovation: Driving Music Forward, invites educators and music practitioners to engage in meaningful discussion and, explore new innovative ideas and transformative practices that are shaping the future of music education.
Our dynamic line-up of presenters and workshop leaders, drawn from across the music education sector, will provide invaluable insights and hands-on experiences designed to ignite creativity and enhance your teaching practice. Whether you're a seasoned music educator or just starting out, this conference is an opportunity to connect with like-minded professionals, share innovative strategies, and explore new approaches to fostering musical talent in the classroom.
Don't miss this chance to be part of a vibrant community dedicated to advancing music education. Together, we can drive music forward!
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Holocaust Memorial Day |
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Wednesday 29 January 2025 | The Kings Theatre
This year Holocaust Memorial Day is poignant as it marks the 80th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz-Birkenau, the largest Nazi concentration camp complex, and the 30th anniversary of the genocide in Bosnia.
Holocaust Memorial Day is the day for everyone to remember the six million Jews murdered during the Holocaust, alongside the millions of people murdered under Nazi persecution of other groups and other acts of genocide in particular the Roma Genocide, the genocide in Cambodia, the genocide against the Tutsi in Rwanda, the genocides in Bosnia and the genocide in Darfur.
It is so important for us to not forget these acts of inhumanity and it is also so important for us all to be hopeful for the future. The theme of Holocaust Memorial Day this year on the anniversary of these events is FOR A BETTER FUTURE.
The Kings Theatre invite schools to take part in this poignant event. The live event at The Kings will offer a sombre reflection of these horrific events but it will also deliver an upbeat and optimistic hope for the future.
If your school is interested in taking part, or would like more information, please contact Katie Woolf (katie.woolf@kingsportsmouth.co.uk) or Paul Woolf (paul.woolf@kingsportsmouth.co.uk).
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Portsmouth Cultural Education Partnership's Schools Expo |
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Portsmouth Cultural Education Partnership's (PCEP) Schools Expo will take place on Monday 13 January 2025, 4pm - 5.30pm at the Literacy Hubs, Portsmouth.
The PCEP Expo will be an opportunity for Portsmouth teachers and creative providers to come together to share, learn and collaborate. The expo will welcome teachers and cultural providers in the city to connect their organisations and enhance the cultural education provision in the city. The theme for the expo will be literacy and there will be a keynote speech, a short introduction to the PCEP, taster workshops and plenty of opportunities to chat.
Due to the size of the venue places will be limited and allocated on a first come, first served basis.
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School climate action plans - Decarbonisation |
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A key area in school climate action plans is decarbonisation which may involve using energy more efficiently or using alternative sources of energy. In this free 3 hour workshop designed for those involved in climate action plans, whether site managers, business managers or teachers, we will explore how you identify and implement actions in your plans, sources of support and how you measure success. There will be an opportunity to share experiences with others.
Dates:
- Wednesday 29 January 2025, 1pm - 4pm
- Wednesday 5 February 2025, 10am - 1pm
The workshops will be run at the Greenhouse, Victoria Park, Portsmouth. 15 places are available for each workshop. Bookings will be open until Sunday 15 December 2024.
Book your place
Grants for energy efficiency
Are you looking to save energy and drive fuel costs down? All schools were awarded grants for energy efficiency by the DfE in 2023.
“Everything” fostering film launch |
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Fostering can mean 'everything' to those involved. That is the message of a powerful new film about fostering.
‘Everything’ follows foster carer Mike and his family on a journey through time with two of the children they have looked after, who are now adults. Will and Zara take time to reflect on how being fostered made a difference to their lives, and thank Mike for 'everything'.
The concluding message of the film is that what you do with your life could forever change someone else’s.
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