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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.
It is a pleasure to join Portsmouth as Deputy Director for Education and to have the opportunity to introduce myself to you in this edition of the bulletin.
Having started my career in Portsmouth, I know how passionate people working in the education sector are to secure the very best outcomes for children in the city. It is, therefore, an incredible privilege to be returning to Portsmouth City Council to take up such an exciting role. Even though I have only been in post for a week, I have had the opportunity to meet many people across schools and partner agencies, as well as the Local Authority, and I am incredibly excited to be working with you all.
I am acutely aware that we are moving into a period of significant change that will have an impact on everyone, albeit in different ways. Whether this be Local Government Reorganisation, curriculum reform or the Schools' White Paper, there are some big changes that we will all have to contend with. I am confident, however, that the strong partnership and inclusive approach that Portsmouth has fostered over the years, not least through the PEP, places the city in the best possible place to meet these head on.
Nathan Caine
Deputy Director, Education
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Inclusion
Loss and bereavement staff survey |
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The Social Emotional Mental Health Partnership is conducting a survey to better understand how we can improve support for children experiencing loss and bereavement.
Please help the partnership to understand and support you better by giving honest and meaningful answers to the short survey. It should take you around 5 minutes or less to complete. Thank you in advance for your time and effort in sharing your feedback.
Closing date for feedback: Friday 30 January 2026.
Prom shop at Priory School |
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Can you donate any preloved prom items? Priory is proud to announce the upcoming launch of a community prom shop available for students across the city to borrow high quality promwear for free.
Please email promshop@priorysouthsea.org or drop items in to school reception.
Further details about the shop will be shared in the new year.
Free 30-minute Kooth sign-up sessions |
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Schools are invited to book onto Kooth's free 30-minute sign-up sessions, with available dates in November and December.
These sessions provide an opportunity for your pupils to:
- Create their own Kooth accounts in a safe, supportive environment.
- Learn about mental health in a positive, age-appropriate way.
- Explore the tools and resources available to them on Kooth to support their emotional wellbeing.
The sessions are free of charge, and the aim is to make the sign-up process simple, engaging, and reassuring for young people (please note: only pupils aged 10+ can sign up to the Kooth website so these sessions are only suitable for some year 6s).
Please contact Carly Seymour, Engagement Lead on cseymour@kooth.com for more information and to sign up.
Caring and classes 2025 – Young carers and attainment inequalities report |
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New DfE figures have revealed evidence of the educational inequalities experienced by young carers. Carers Trust analysed the 2025 data, which includes young carers for the first time, and found that there is a stark attainment gap between young carers and their peers when they leave primary and secondary school. This year:
- Fewer than half (45%) of young carers left secondary school with 5 GCSE passes including English and maths.
- Fewer than half of young carers (49%) left primary school with the expected standard of reading, writing and maths.
Recommendations from Carers Trust for schools highlighted in the report:
- All education providers should be required to appoint a young carer or student carer lead. Research from the Children’s Commissioner for England shows that around 5000 schools already have such a role in place.
- All education providers should be required to implement a young carers’ policy which clearly sets out the support available to young carers.
- All schools should review their Management Information Systems to ensure that they are properly recording young carers and reviewing their educational outcomes.
The evidence shows the need for better support for young carers in school. See the end of this briefing for sources of additional support that schools can access to help ensure that their young carers needs are being met effectively.
Support for schools in relation to the above:
We See You – Understanding Armed Forces, Veteran and Blue-Light Communities |
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Wednesday 28 January 2026 | 10am - 12pm | University of Portsmouth
Schools and education professionals are invited to the University of Portsmouth’s civic launch for ‘We See You: Understanding Armed Forces, Veteran and Blue Light Communities’.
‘We See You’ reflects the university’s civic mission. It will strengthen understanding of service-connected learners and will build shared practice across schools, colleges and higher education. It will help those working in education-connected settings to recognise the significance of mobility, deployment and transition.
School improvement
Festival of Languages |
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Express Yourself North East (along with International Newcastle) are once again planning a three-month Festival of Languages for next January, February and March 2026.
The programme is mind-blowingly full, with live sessions, recordings, competitions and free resources from a host of Festival partners. There is so much on offer that is exciting and of real educational value - and many of these events are available for schools not only in the North East but from across the UK. Additionally, there are activities that are cross-curricular e.g. the webinar on Afghan girls and education, or the short films on food in different countries, so please do share beyond languages teams.
Registration for the different activities is now open and the festival programme is available online. Do think about building your own festival programme - perhaps to coincide with our celebrations in Portsmouth, which are planned for the final two weeks in March 2026.
To bring the programme to life, Declan Baharini, the Festival Director, will join the meeting of the Solent Language Network/ALL Primary Hub/Portsmouth Language Leads on Wednesday 4 February 2026 (online at 4pm) for a short 'motivational' boost to encourage us to sign up for events, particularly during our (Festival of) Celebrating Languages in Portsmouth. More information about this meeting will be shared in due course.
Hampshire and Wessex annual religious education conference 2026 |
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Date: Thursday 19 March 2026
Audience: Primary, secondary and SEND RE teachers and leaders of RE
This cross-phase conference is to support teachers to teach RE well with Living Difference IV, the locally agreed syllabus for RE in Hampshire, Isle of Wight, Portsmouth and Southampton schools. Delegates will gain confidence in representing what it means to live with a religious orientation on life, in the classroom.
The day will include keynote sessions on the future of Hampshire RE considering the review of the locally agreed syllabus and the Curriculum and Assessment review; practical strategies for embedding diversity into the RE curriculum; and how P4C can support effective dialogue and reflection in RE.
Workshops will include:
- Approaches to SEND provision in RE
- Teaching about Jewish faith traditions
- Teaching about the environment in RE
- Exam board sessions
- Global, local and national Christianity for primary RE
- Practical strategies for promoting challenge
- Ideas for using pondering time in primary RE
To book your place, visit the Learning Zone and search 'annual RE conference'.
Participation and progression
INSIDE: City of Portsmouth College Challenge Day
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Unloc and City of Portsmouth College are delighted to offer the INSIDE: City of Portsmouth College Challenge Day to all Portsmouth schools.
This programme aims to give year 10 and year 11 students an exclusive insight into the City of Portsmouth College courses and the transferable life skills essential for success that they cultivate in their students. This programme is free and will delivered at your school.
Following a high energy and interactive challenge day, students and their parents/guardians will be invited to an exclusive drinks reception at the City of Portsmouth College Sixth Form Campus open evening on Thursday 12 February 2026.
For more information, contact Faith Mahoney on faith@unloc.org.uk or call 07786 409956.
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