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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.
Celebrate National Cadets Week in Portsmouth
2026 marks the very first National Cadets Week, a chance to celebrate the positive impact that the Cadet movement has on children, young people, and communities across the UK.
This year is also particularly special for Portsmouth, as the Volunteer Cadet Corps (VCC), founded in the city, celebrates its 125th anniversary. It's a great opportunity to learn more about the Cadet movement and explore how children, young people, families, schools and staff can get involved.
To mark the occasion, National Cadets Week comes to Portsmouth Historic Dockyard on Saturday 10 October.
Families can enjoy a wide range of free activities, including field gun displays, live music, esports, STEM experiences, maritime displays, virtual reality tents, and opportunities to meet cadets from the Royal Navy, Army and RAF Cadet Forces.
This FREE event is open to everyone and offers a fantastic chance to discover the skills, experiences and opportunities available to young people through the Cadet Forces.
Please promote this opportunity within your school.
If you're a school that wants to find out more about ways to mark the week, including how you can connect with your local Cadet unit then please contact armedforcesspoc@portsmouthcc.gov.uk
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Inclusion
Supporting service children through change
As the new school year gets under way, the Naval Children’s Charity has highlighted a range of resources to help Service children and families navigate periods of change, including starting a new school, moving home, deployment and separation from friends.
The charity's September newsletter signposts support available from Little Troopers, YoungMinds, the UK Government and Defence Children Services to help children manage transitions and maintain positive wellbeing.
Read the full newsletter for details of the support available, bursary funding, upcoming fundraising opportunities and charity updates.
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Governor briefing
The next Portsmouth governor briefing will take place online on Tuesday 13 October from 5pm to 6pm.
As always, all governors from Portsmouth LA maintained schools and academies are welcome to attend.
The agenda for the meeting covers the following;
- Headline school results and trends
- Overview of the new Portsmouth Education Partnership (PEP) strategy
- SEND update, including the SEND strategy and our plans for implementing clusters in Portsmouth
- Quality assurance of Alternative Provision
- Primary review update
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Free Seasonal Music Resources for Portsmouth Schools
Musicals4All are offering a range of Harvest and Christmas music resources free of charge to all Portsmouth.
Schools can access songs and supporting materials to enhance seasonal music-making, assemblies and performances by visiting Musicals4All Portsmouth Schools Portal and using the password Pompey.
The resource library is regularly updated with new content throughout the year.
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Discover school trip opportunities at the Andrew Simpson Centre
Teachers and school staff are invited to attend the Andrew Simpson Centre Portsmouth Annual Open Day on Tuesday 20 October, from 4.30pm to 6pm.
Find out more about the centre's brand-new interactive sustainability programme, which gives pupils the opportunity to explore STEM curriculum objectives beyond the classroom through engaging, hands-on activities.
If you're considering the Andrew Simpson Centre for a future school trip, come along to the open evening to explore the facilities, meet the team and learn more about the educational opportunities available.
Date: Tuesday 20 October
Time: 4.30pm to 6pm
Location: Andrew Simpson Centre Portsmouth
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Free air quality monitors for schools
Get free air quality monitors and help us make schools healthier: CHILI
Are you interested in how air quality and temperature affect the classroom learning environment? Schools in England and Wales are invited to take part in CHILI: a research project exploring how the changing climate affects classroom environments, pupil health and attainment, and what we can do about it.
Schools will receive two free air quality monitors — an indoor monitor, which can be moved from room to room, and an outdoor monitor, which will be fixed on the outside of your school building — and will be able to view your air quality and temperature in a pupil-friendly Web App.
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 CHILI enables pupils to contribute to scientific research, investigate their environment, practise key skills, gain agency in looking after their health, develop advocacy and responsibility and much more! Activities support curricular teaching and extracurricular accreditation schemes. Secondary pupils have the opportunity to guide the research process as part of an inter-school youth panel. What’s more, the environmental data could support your school’s climate action plan.
Schools' Christmas Carol Service 2026
Schools are invited to attend the annual Schools' Christmas Carol Service at Portsmouth Guildhall on Wednesday 2 December, from 6.30pm to 7.15pm.
Tickets are available on a first come, first served basis, with every attendee requiring a ticket. Children and parents/carers must attend as part of a school group.
Schools can also:
- Enter the Songbook Cover Competition, with winning artwork featured on the event programme (entries close 13 November).
- Register interest in school choir participation, with two schools invited to perform during the service. Further information provided to the selected schools.
The deadline for ticket requests is 20 November.
Please see the attached information and booking form for full details:
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Portsmouth LA Network Leads and Solent Languages Network
Join colleagues from across the region for two inspiring CPD sessions focused on language teaching and learning. This online meeting takes place on Wednesday 7 October from 4pm to 5pm.
The session will include an update from the British Council on upcoming Erasmus+ opportunities and how schools can benefit.
Danielle Dion-Jones will present, Look, Talk, Create, exploring how works of art can be used to encourage more creative and spontaneous language speaking in the classroom.
These meetings are suitable for primary languages practitioners and colleagues interested in international opportunities for their schools.
Full details are can be found in the information document.
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CPD Opportunities for all language colleagues
Language colleagues across all key stages are encouraged to take part in the upcoming National Centre for Excellence for Language Pedagogy (NCLE) CPD opportunities.
Lessons from the New GCSE, will take place on 14 October 2026 (4pm to 5pm) and will explore experiences of the new GCSEs in French, German and Spanish. Solent Languages Network colleagues Rebecca Britti and Aamir will be among the presenters.
Register for this webinar: https://ncle.ucl.ac.uk/ncle-cpd-webinars/
Further free webinars will run throughout the academic year, covering topics including AI, careers in languages, intercultural understanding and primary-secondary transition. Further information on these can be find in the link below.
NCLE Survey
Colleagues are invited to complete the NCLE survey on the new GCSE specifications by 9 October 2026 to help shape the discussion.
Free groups for families run by Home-Start Portsmouth
Big Steps for Babies & Crawlers
A brand new, free Stay & Play group for babies from birth until they are walking. Using the PEEP-informed Learning Together approach, sessions are a chance to play, sing, share stories and meet other parents and carers, while picking up simple ideas to support your baby’s development at home.
Big Steps for Little People
A free, fun Stay & Play group for children aged 1–5 years and their parents and carers. Sessions offer simple, practical ideas to support your child’s development through play, songs, stories and activities you can try at home. This term's theme: Communication & Language.
Groups run across the Portsmouth Family Hubs and are free to attend but booking required.
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Thursday 1 October 2026
Threshold and info sharing
Friday 2 October 2026
PEP Early Language & Literacy Development Group Meeting
Friday 2 October 2026
New to Year 6 Training (Writing) Training and Learning Centre, 1pm to 3pm
Booking link
Monday 5 October 2026
Basic Safeguarding
Booking link
Monday 5 October 2026
New EHC Plans Audit: Autumn Term 26/27
The View, Civic Offices
Monday 5 October 2026
AP Operational Group - Autumn 1
The Portsmouth Academy
Monday 5 October 2026
Portsmouth SEND Strategy 2027–2031 Consultation Session (Special Schools / Outreach)
Tuesday 6 October 2026
Cluster 4 Meeting | Autumn 1 26/27
Wednesday 7 October 2026
Cluster 2 Meeting | Autumn 1 26/27
Wednesday 7 October 2026
EMA Co-ordinator Network Meeting - the role of the EMA Co-ordinator
Wednesday 7 October 2026
Primary PSHE Lead Network Meeting
Wednesday 7 October 2026
Subject network meeting
Thursday 8 October 2026
Portsmouth Inclusion Conference 2026
Monday 12 October
R&RP (Cohort 2) Leaders Community of Practice
The PEP calendar contains dates of events, network meetings, conferences, training and workshops taking place in Portsmouth.
To help make the calendar as useful as possible for everyone, colleagues and partners are encouraged to regularly add relevant dates that you'd like to share. If you're scheduling your own event or training, you can check availability on the PEP calendar to avoid potential clashes with other events.
To add a date to the PEP calendar, simply forward your meeting invite to pepportsmouth@gmail.com and it will be added automatically.
Please note that the email address pepportsmouth@gmail.com should only be used to add items to the PEP calendar. All queries regarding the Portsmouth Education Partnership should continue to be sent to pep@portsmouthcc.gov.uk.
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