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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.
Have your say: PEP communications survey |
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The Portsmouth Education Partnership is committed to making sure our communications are clear, useful and supportive for everyone working with children and young people across the city. To help us strengthen how we share updates, resources and opportunities, we’re inviting you to complete a short survey.
This will ask you about your role, how you currently engage with the PEP bulletin, and what types of information and formats you find most helpful. Your feedback will directly shape how we design and deliver future communications, ensuring they work better for schools, partners and families.
The survey takes only a few minutes, and all responses are anonymous. Your input is incredibly valuable and will help us continue improving how we support the education community in Portsmouth. Thank you for taking the time to share your views and helping us improve how we communicate across the partnership.
Inclusion
Transforming children's social care newsletter |
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Portsmouth children’s social care is entering an exciting period of positive change. We are proud of our strong foundation of safe, high‑quality practice, and we are building on this to further improve outcomes for children, young people, and families across our city.
This transformation is rooted in working together, listening carefully to families, and ensuring that the right support is provided at the right time. Our focus remains on delivering services that are responsive, inclusive, and centred on the needs of children and their families.
We're pleased to share the third edition of the transforming children’s social care newsletter, which provides an update on the changes taking place and the progress being made across the service.
Pompey's Military Kids newsletter |
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The latest issue of the Pompey's Military Kids newsletter is now available, featuring lots of useful information on:
- Royal Naval Sailing Association (RNSA) fully funded sailing courses
- Service Children's Progression (SCiP) Alliance
- Two newly-commissioned children’s books
- Support from the Naval Families Federation
- Boleh sailing days
- Aggie’s 150th anniversary year
Transition to secondary school workshop |
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Portsmouth Parent Voice (PPV) is hosting a parent workshop on transitioning to secondary school, facilitated by the educational psychology team. The session is open to all parent carers of children living in or attending school in Portsmouth.
Date: Monday 20 April 2026
Time: 10am - 12pm
Location: Menuhin Room, third floor, Portsmouth Central Library
Please share the flyer via your school newsletters and bulletins and encourage parents to attend this workshop.
If you have any questions, please contact ppvadmin@hsportsmouth.org.uk.
Refugee Week opportunity for secondary schools |
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Refugee Week falls between 15 and 21 June this year, with the theme of courage. Visit the Refugee Week website for more information.
A Day of Welcome is an annual school event that aims to build a culture of welcome and understanding for people seeking sanctuary. It’s designed to support teachers in kickstarting Refugee Week by providing free live events, resources and activities for pupils of all ages.
The first Day of Welcome event of the year will take place online on Tuesday 28 April 2026, from 2pm to 3pm. It is aimed at pupil voice groups in UK secondary schools, but is also suitable for classes or year groups. It is a collaboration between VNET, Amnesty International, Day of Welcome and Asylum Speakers.
It consists of an opportunity to hear from Giel, a South Sudanese refugee who recently set out to walk the length of the UK to raise money for charity. As an inspirational speaker with a remarkable story, he will motivate and inform your pupils, offering practical ways to build a community of welcome and belonging in your school.
After the webcast, the pupils will be invited to plan how their school should mark A Day of Welcome and Refugee Week. They will also be guided to think about how else they might contribute to making their school and community a more welcoming place for families who are seeking sanctuary or who are new to the community.
School improvement
PE that performs – is yours telling the full story? |
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You already invest time and staffing in PE. But how clearly can you show its impact on behaviour, wellbeing, physical progress, and learning?
ActiveMe 360 is offering headteachers a free structured PE audit with findings reports based on their physical, mental, personal and social "me" framework. This framework enables you to measure the value and quality of your PE provision with qualitative and quantitative data you can use to highlight progress and achievement to Ofsted, governors, and families.
Try before you buy! If you like what the audit shows you, you can also try before you buy with a free curriculum taster morning and, for schools engaging the team before the summer holidays, they’re offering a full, free, enrichment day to use whenever suits you. See how your current PE already performs – and how much more it could deliver.
Potential dates for 2027 Spanish CPD day |
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The University of Portsmouth and the Portsmouth City of Languages team are having discussions with the Spanish Embassy Education Office about hosting a Spanish continuing professional development day for local primary and secondary teachers in the Solent area on a Saturday in early 2027.
The school last hosted one of these events in 2024, and it went really well. The Spanish Embassy Education Office has agreed to the request for the region to host another one (in association with Southampton University).
There would be a series of interactive workshops for our region's Spanish secondary and primary teachers, as well as a generous provision of scrumptious Spanish food (and possibly wine!) from the Spanish Embassy Education Office.
The following potential dates have been identified:
- Saturday 23 January 2027
- Saturday 30 January 2027
- Saturday 6 February 2027
- Saturday 27 February 2027
- Saturday 6 March 2027
Please let Paul Joyce (Paul.Joyce@port.ac.uk) know which date(s) would work best from your perspective. The team would like to ensure that as many Spanish teachers as possible have the opportunity to attend.
Ofsted report for Mary Rose Academy |
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A new Ofsted report is now available for Mary Rose Academy, following a school inspection on 6 January 2026. Inspectors highlighted:
"The school's ethos of 'it's got to be possible' is evident throughout the school. Staff show no limits to the aspirations that they have for pupils. This is evident in the high-quality opportunities that all pupils benefit from. For example, all pupils enjoy a school residential, designed to develop their resilience. Pupils have their individual needs met consistently well at this highly aspirational school. The impact of the school is transformative for many pupils."
Participation and progression
BAE Systems virtual work experience programme for 14 – 18 year olds |
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BAE Systems is offering a virtual five-day programme that will guide 14 – 18 year olds through a real-life engineering challenge. Including live teaching sessions, group discussions, collaboration activities, independent research and Q&A opportunities with apprentices and experienced engineers.
An engineering-based project will be completed over the week and students will present their work to a selection of BAE Systems ambassadors on the final day.
On completion of the programme, they will receive a Silver Industrial Cadet certificate, awarded by the Engineering Development Trust.
Applications close on Monday 27 April 2026.
Upcoming changes to the household support fund |
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We want to inform you that from 1 April 2026, the Government's household support fund is being replaced with a new crisis and resilience fund, which will see changes to how the council supports Portsmouth people in financial hardship. One change is the end of the free school meals voucher scheme delivered through schools, and we wanted to help you to communicate this, as well as the new and ongoing support available. Please do share this message and information flyer with your families. Our thanks goes to everyone involved in delivering what was a very successful voucher scheme.
Families message:
Portsmouth City Council has shared this message for families: We want to let you know about changes coming to the way we help people in financial hardship.
From April 1, the Government's household support fund is being replaced with a new crisis and resilience fund. The new fund is designed to help Portsmouth residents to reduce hardship, improve their financial resilience and reduce debt, and strengthen the local advice and support services available. One important change is the end of the FSM voucher scheme delivered through schools for children who receive free school meals (means-tested). We want to reassure you that support is still available.
A new Crisis Payment scheme will help households facing an unexpected financial crisis, due to open mid to late April. And our Holiday Activities and Food programme (HAF Fun Pompey) continues to offer free school holiday activities and food for households receiving FSM, with Easter bookings open.
Our cost of living hub and helpline continues to offer all residents free money advice and support. The attached leaflet has more information and how to us and other services that can help.
Pitt St. Skatepark holiday bootcamp |
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Pitt St. Skatepark is launching a brand new initiative this Easter, giving young people the chance to learn skateboarding, quad skating, or inline skating in a structured, coach-led environment.
The Academy of Wheels holiday bootcamp runs from Monday 30 March to Thursday 2 April 2026, marking the first time the skatepark has offered a dedicated multi-day holiday programme of this kind.
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