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- Message from the Head of Education Excellence
- Covid -19 Public Health
- Health and Safety
- Autumn School Census 2020
- Attendance
- Early Years
- Risk Assessments for Children with an EHCP
- Training
- Teaching and Learning
- DfE daily update
Dear Colleagues,
Please find in the bulletin revised guidance from Public Health and HR as the Covid -19 response changed nationally yesterday and today!
There is also important information relating to the October school census.
I particularly want to draw your attention to the training that the Citizenship Language and Learning Team are providing to promote reading and Black History Month.
The Director's Briefing is Tuesday 22 September 8.00 - 9.00am which will include an update from Emma, Early Help arrangements, The Council Plan - Relighting Our City, and the most up to date information from Public Health.
All the best,
Phil Leivers
Head of Education Excellence
Phil.Leivers@wolverhampton.gov.uk
Slides – Information for schools COVID-19
Please find attached (click here EY) revised and updated slides, based on the information provided to schools at the engagement sessions with schools held by the Local Authority during the week beginning 14 September 2020. These slides were updated on 22 September 2020.
Lead person to contact in the LA:
Louise Sharrod
Principal Public Health Specialist
Tel. Office: 01902 555931
Louise.Sharrod@wolverhampton.gov.uk
FAQs for schools in relation to COVID-19
Please find attached (click here EY) revised FAQ’s for schools in relation to suspected and confirmed cases of COVID-19 and other general COVID related issues, including FAQ’s on the local restrictions that will be applied in Wolverhampton from 22 September 2020.
Lead person to contact in the LA:
Louise Sharrod
Principal Public Health Specialist
Tel. Office: 01902 555931
Louise.Sharrod@wolverhampton.gov.uk
Reducing numbers of pupils and staff who need to self-isolate due to a positive case of COVID-19 – advice and guidance for schools
Please find attached (click here EY) local advice and guidance for schools and settings relating to the measures that should be considered in order to help reduce the potential number of pupils and staff who need to be sent home to self-isolate in the event of one or more positive cases of COVID-19 being confirmed in a setting.
Lead person to contact in the LA:
Louise Sharrod
Principal Public Health Specialist
Tel. Office: 01902 555931
Louise.Sharrod@wolverhampton.gov.uk
Health and Safety Executive have contacted Wolverhampton schools – what you need to know
Colleagues may re-call an article in the headteachers bulletin on 10 September of the HSEs intention to carry out spot checks on schools taking the form of an initial phone call and a potential follow up visit.
I have been made aware from two of our maintained primary schools that they were both contacted by an officer of the HSE last week by telephone.
I am also aware from my H&S contacts across the West Midlands that other schools across the region have also been contacted, and it would appear HSE are following a set script containing specific questions with no deviation from this. These can be found here or here (EY).
Lead person to contact in the LA:
Natalie Barrow
Health and Safety Advisor
Mobile: 07773 187103
Natalie.barrow@wolverhampton.gov.uk
Audience: All Secondary, Primary, Nursery, Specials and PRU Schools and all school administrators responsible for the completion of the School Census.
Autumn School Census 2020
The Autumn School Census count date is Thursday 1st October 2020
The School Census 2020 to 2021 Guide document can be obtained from the following DfE website:
https://www.gov.uk/guidance/complete-the-school-census
Please see the attached letter (click here EY) from the Research & Assessment Team.
Lead person to contact in the LA:
Donna Evison
Research & Assessment Manager
01902 555296
Donna.Evison@wolverhampton.gov.uk
Recording attendance during the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak – DfE Educational Settings Status
DfE are asking schools to please continue to submit information about pupil or student attendance and setting closures during COVID-19.
Please submit on the link below by 12:00 midday.
https://form.education.gov.uk/service/educational-setting-status
Further DfE guidance regarding recording attendance can be found on this link:
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/coronavirus-covid-19-attendance-recording-for-educational-settings
Lead person to contact in the LA:
Donna Evison
Research & Assessment Manager
01902 555296
Donna.Evison@wolverhampton.gov.uk
Off Register Procedure
On 1 September 2016 new statutory guidance was introduced to enable Local Authorities to implement the legal duty for children missing education (CME).
The guidance states that:
All schools (including academies and independent schools) must notify the local authority when a pupil’s name is to be deleted from the admission register under any of the grounds prescribed in regulation 8 of the Education (Pupil Registration) (England) Regulations 2006 as amended.
Schools are reminded that they should complete an off-register form (attached click here EY) for each pupil who they off register outside of the normal transition stage.
Once complete the form should be sent to the attendanceandexclusion.gov.uk inbox where they will be countersigned and sent back for your records.
Schools are reminded that they must make reasonable enquiries to establish the whereabouts of the child jointly with the Local Authority, before deleting any pupil's name from the register.
No pupil should be removed from a school register without this procedure being completed in full.
Children Missing Education Statutory Guidance or click here (EY)
Lead person to contact in the LA:
Angela Bailey
Attendance Manager
Angela.Bailey@wolverhampton.gov.uk
Funding Update
Funding based on the estimated already submit will be paid by Friday 2 October.
The new date for actuals to be returned by Thursday 12 November payment will be received by Friday 4th December.
The guidance states that from the start of the autumn term 2020, local authorities should continue to fund providers which are open at broadly the levels they would have expected to see in the 2020 autumn term had there been no coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak. The intention is to fund on the basis of ‘as if autumn term 2020 were happening normally’. In order to do this, local authorities might, for example, use the numbers of children in places in the previous autumn to inform funding levels this autumn.
Following this guidance once your settings actuals have been submitted, the Local Authority will liaise with providers around any reduced hours compared to the autumn term 2019 return. Funded hours will be increased where the reason for the reduction is due to the current situation and the impact of Covid-19.
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/use-of-free-early-education-entitlements-funding-during-the-coronavirus-outbreak/use-of-free-early-education-entitlements-funding-during-coronavirus-covid-19
Lead person(s) to contact in the LA:
Stacey Henderson
Senior Early years Advisor
Stacey.Henderson@wolverhampton.gov.uk
Gurpreet Ghateaura
Operation Support Officer
Tel: 01902 550865
Gurpreet.Ghateaura@wolverhampton.gov.uk
Sustainability Advice and Support
As a result of the Covid-19 pandemic, if you as a provider are experiencing sustainability issues, or think you may have financial issues or concerns over the coming months, or would like to just discuss your current situation, please contact us to discuss this further. There are a number of ways we may be able to support you.
Lead person to contact in the LA:
Claire Hardiman
Early Years and Childcare Development Officer
07717732737
Claire.Hardiman@wolverhampton.gov.uk
Early Years Update and Engagement session
We have combined the early years update and engagement session into just one session on Wednesday 30 September 9.30-11.30 as we are aware that for a number of you to attend both sessions would be tricky at the moment. This session is being held virtual over teams.
As you are aware the Local Covid-19 situation is changing rapidly. This session will be an opportunity to hear from our local Public Health colleagues to support you responding to the current situation. We strongly encourage you all to attend this session.
Join Microsoft Teams Meeting
At this session both Ofsted and Public Health will be attending. Please see the attached agenda for more information and timings here.
Lead person to contact in the LA:
Stacey Henderson
Senior Early years Advisor
Stacey.Henderson@wolverhampton.gov.uk
Weekly Survey for the Department for Education (DFE)
Thank you all so much for either completing the survey last week or sending information through by email. Can I please remind you if you haven't done so already please complete the survey. This will then enable us to provide The DFE with an accurate picture of the number of children access early years provision across the city of Wolverhampton.
The link for the survey can be found here.
Lead person to contact in the LA:
Stacey Henderson
Senior Early years Advisor
Stacey.Henderson@wolverhampton.gov.uk
We have re-launched the recruitment campaign for the position of Deputy Director – Education.
The supporting information for this role can be accessed from our senior recruitment Microsite on : www.wvjobs.co.uk/education/
The time line is as follows:
Closing date: 19 October
Interviews: week commencing 2 November
As always, we would greatly value the opportunity to involve some Headteachers on the recruitment panels. If you would like to be involved please contact Emma Bennett on emma.bennett@wolverhampton.gov.uk
Lead person to contact in the LA:
Marie Marenda
HR Business Partner
Marie Marenda@wolverhampton.gov.uk
Staffing capacity and childcare responsibilities
We have previously issued guidance relating to how to manage situations where employees’ childcare arrangements are disrupted by Covid 19. This has now been slightly updated following the latest government announcement (21 September) of a new exemption for ‘looking after children under the age of 14, or vulnerable adults, where that is necessary for caring purposes’. This covers both formal and informal arrangements and means that a consistent childcare relationship, that is vital for somebody to get to work, is allowed.
Additional guidance can be found here or here (EY).
https://www.wolverhampton.gov.uk/coronavirus-advice-and-information
Lead person to contact in the LA:
Marie Marenda
HR Business Partner
Marie Marenda@wolverhampton.gov.uk
Risk Assessments for Children with an EHCP
It may prove useful for providers to continue to use risk assessments to help in identifying what additional support CYP with EHC plans need. Individual circumstances could include where the child has medical conditions or as advised by the DfE to, “help reassure pupils, families, and staff that it is safe for the pupil to be welcomed back to their setting”. Although there is no expectation in the autumn term that providers continue to complete risk assessments CYP with EHCP or to submit these to the authority, individual circumstances should be considered.
Lead person(s) to contact in the LA:
Sandy Lisle
Service Manager: SEND Assessment and Planning
Tel. Office: 01902 555943
Tel. Mobile: 07970 349349 Sandy.Lisle@wolverhampton.gov.uk
Anna Vrahimi
School Improvement SEND Advisor
Tel. Mobile: 07812495090
Anna.vrahimi@wolverhampton.gov.uk
In April, following security concerns around the use of the video conferencing application Zoom, City of Wolverhampton Council took the decision to block the use of the Zoom platform on Council devices.
ICT has continued working with Zoom to mitigate the security concerns, and Zoom has now introduced new security updates in version 5.0. In light of this security upgrade, ICT Services wishes to advise Zoom version 5.0 or above can now be accessed and used on Council devices, if invited to do so by external business organisations.
Microsoft Teams remains the default collaboration tool for the Council, both internally and externally. Microsoft Teams meets the Council security standards and offers all the required end to end work services, from being able to work collaboratively and safely conduct on-line meetings.
Further guidance and support on how to access and operate Zoom app, can be found here.
Lead person to contact in the LA:
Jai Ghai
Head of Corporate ICT
jai.ghai@wolverhampton.gov.uk
Tel: 01902 558000
CLL Primary and EYFS CPD-Black History Month
As part of our Central CPD programme we are starting this week training around model autobiographical writing units for Black History Month and Reading across the Curriculum to cover things like Windrush and the Slave Trade. We know that many teachers may not be able to be released but if they are interested in seeing the recording and having the resources please book them on WVES online. Click here (or here EY) to access the full details. Please note for those who were booked on it, the year five training has moved from Thursday to Friday this week.
Lead person to contact in the LA:
Mark Smith
Citizenship Language & Learning Senior Advisor
01902 555237
Mark.Smith2@wolverhampton.gov.uk
Secondary CPD Central Courses
Click here or here (EY) to see our programme of free secondary training the school improvement service is offering this half term. All can be booked on WVES online.
Lead person to contact in the LA:
Mark Smith
Citizenship Language & Learning Senior Advisor
01902 555237
Mark.Smith2@wolverhampton.gov.uk
21 September – Coronavirus – Daily update to all early years, children’s social care, schools and further education providers - here or here (EY).
22 September – Coronavirus – Daily update to all early years, children’s social care, schools and further education providers - here or here (EY).
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