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- Message from the Head of Education Excellence
- COVID-19 Public Health
- Early Years
- Free School Meals
- Good News
- Information
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Leadership and Management - Governance
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Off Register Procedure
- Training and consultation
- DfE daily update
Dear Colleagues,
Welcome back after half term. I would like to think that you managed some rest last week but I know many of you were still dealing with staff and pupil Covid-19 cases.
Many of you joined Emma’s Director briefing this morning and the slides used can be accessed here -
https://vimeo.com/475783748/64e595a777
Guidance is still emerging relating to the national lockdown and implications for schools and settings and we will pass on anything we have as soon as we can. There is information below relating to those extremely clinical vulnerable.
After the Director’s briefing Emma and I met with HMI Rob Hackfath. Ofsted are due to publish imminently a synopsis of their findings from the monitoring inspections last half term. Apparently, discussions are still taking place between HMCI and DfE as to what will happen from January. We fed back the concerns you have raised.
If I can just reiterate something Emma said this morning: if you are concerned about not being able to open your school please let Emma, myself or your school improvement adviser know.
Best wishes,
Phil Leivers
Head of Education Excellence
Phil.Leivers@wolverhampton.gov.uk
Clinically Extremely Vulnerable (CEV) guidance from 5 November 2020
National Restrictions guidance (EY's link) effective from 5 November 2020 includes changes to advice for adults and children who remain Clinically Extremely Vulnerable (CEV).
Please see the attached document for further information on CEV as it relates to adults and children, based upon the new guidance.
Lead person to contact in the LA:
Neeraj Malhotra
Consultant in Public Health
Neeraj.Malhotra@wolverhampton.gov.uk
Public Health and Education Team Drop in Session - Important
This week's Public Health and Education Team drop in session will move from Thursday the 5 to Friday the 6 10-11am due to the SIA Day taking place on Thursday. The new link to the session is here.
Lead person to contact in the LA:
Louise Sharrod
Principal Public Health Specialist
Tel. Office: 01902 555931
Louise.Sharrod@wolverhampton.gov.uk
Weekly Survey for the Department for Education (DfE)
Important reminder to all settings to please complete the weekly survey for that week’s attendance. This will then enable us to provide the DfE with an accurate picture of the number of children accessing 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
On Saturday 31 October, the Prime Minister announced a four-week national lockdown in England from Thursday 5 November until Wednesday 2 December. Early years settings and childminders can remain open and parents can continue to use these settings as normal.
The Department for Education (DfE) have published guidance on how the new national restrictions to control the spread of COVID-19 impact early years settings.
Specific information is provided on,
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Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme
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Face coverings
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Specific EYFS disapplications
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Transport
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Visitors to the setting
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Clinically extremely vulnerable children and staff
Childminder Update session
The next Childminder update session will be held on Saturday 7 November 9.30-11.00 am. To join please click link below.
Join Microsoft Teams Meeting
Public Health will be attending the meeting. 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 in responding to the current situation. As well as update regarding Ofsted inspections, encouraging children to talk and ways to support physical development.
Lead person to contact in the LA:
Stacey Henderson
Senior Early Years Advisor Stacey.Henderson@Wolverhampton.gov.uk
Early Years funding
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.
Lead person to contact in the LA:
Gurpreet Ghateaura
Early Years & Data Support Officer
Tel. Office: 01902 550865
Gurpreet.Ghateaura@wolverhampton.gov.uk
Holiday Hunger - update
Following activity to support pupils and families to prevent holiday hunger during October half term, there are a number of eligible pupils who were not able to access this support. Plans are being made to provide vouchers direct to parents as soon as possible.
Many thanks for your continued support.
Lead person to contact in the LA:
Jo Smith
Service Development Team Leader
freeschoolmeals@wolverhampton.gov.uk / jo.smith@wolverhampton.gov.uk
07766 473190
Holiday Hunger – finance and claims update
Schools were swift to work with the local authority to support those most vulnerable pupils and families during the half term break.
Some schools and leaders may have incurred financial costs and will therefore need to make a claim.
Please remember to send your good news stories to School.Post@wolverhamtpon.gov.uk and we will include into our bulletin!
Modern Day Slavery educational resources
Please find attached links to organisations offering free learning resources and lesson plans for all Key Stages around the topic of Modern Day Slavery.
Please could these be shared with as many schools in Wolverhampton as possible?
https://www.modernslaveryeducation.com/take-action
https://www.thenoproject.org/lesson-plans/
https://www.amnesty.org.uk/files/activities_-_slavery
Lead person to contact in the LA:
Ruth Worsey
Community Safety Officer
ruth.worsey2@wolverhampton.gov.uk
The Vision for School Organisation in Wolverhampton 2020-2022
Wolverhampton Education Place Planning
Consultation on the Council’s Vision for School Organisation in Wolverhampton 2020-2022 ends on 8 November 2020. The Vision details the significant challenges that the City faces regarding the sufficiency and distribution of school places in Wolverhampton and outlines a framework to guide the future development of school provision across the City.
Please follow the link to view a draft copy of The Vision and to provide comments via the survey.
https://consultation.wolverhampton.gov.uk/school-organisation/vision
Thank you to those stakeholders who have already responded.
Lead person to contact in the LA:
Dawn Long
School Place Planning Manager
school.organisation@wolverhampton.gov.uk
Thank you to all Chairs of Governors who attended an engagement session on 22nd October to receive an update from Public Health in Wolverhampton, and information about mental health and well-being in schools, including support for Headteachers.
For those that were unable to attend, the session was recorded and can be accessed through the following link.
Full details can be found at:
Off Register Procedure (Excluding Elective Home Education)
An off-register form must be completed for each pupil school removes from roll outside the normal transition stages.
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.
Completed forms should be sent to attendanceandexclusions@wolverhampton.gov.uk
These forms will be countersigned and sent back for your records.
No pupil should be removed from a school register without this procedure being completed.
Lead person to contact in the LA:
Angela Bailey
Attendance Manager
angela.bailey@wolverhampton.gov.uk
Off Register Procedure (Elective Home Education)
New DfE guidance was issued in October, advising Local Authorities to coordinate a joint meeting with schools and families if schools are notified that a parent wishes to withdraw their child for Elective Home Education. This is to ensure the parent fully considers what is in the best interests of their child.
This process must be followed before any pupil is removed from roll.
If a child attends a special school and this was arranged by a local authority, the local authority must give consent for the child to be removed from the roll.
If you receive such a request, please contact the Attendance Team by email attendanceandexclusions@wolverhampton.gov.uk to arrange the meeting.
Please find relevant attachments below.
EHE Your duties our expectations.pdf
Elective home education guidance April 2019
EHE New off register form
Lead person to contact in the LA:
Angela Bailey
Attendance Manager
angela.bailey@wolverhampton.gov.uk
Wolverhampton SACRE Locally Agreed Syllabus Virtual Consultations – We want your views!
Wolverhampton SACRE are pleased to invite schools to attend their Locally Agreed Syllabus Virtual Consultations.
Informed by the responses to the questionnaire completed by schools earlier this term Wolverhampton SACRE are holding two virtual consultations to gather feedback on the draft of the revised Locally Agreed Syllabus.
Virtual Consultation 1: Thursday 19 November, 13:00-14:30
Virtual Consultation 2: Tuesday 24 November, 16:00-17:30
We invite representatives from all types and phases of school. We welcome attendance from teachers and leaders of RE, curriculum/teaching and learning leads and senior leaders.
Please sign up via WVES by no later than November 12. This will enable us to send you a copy of the draft revised Locally Agreed Syllabus a week before the consultations begin, so that delegates have time to read this in advance of the consultation.
Lead person to contact in the LA:
Laura Jude
Disadvantaged Pupils Advisory Teacher
Laura.jude@wolverhampton.gov.uk
Educational Psychology Service Parent/carer Consultation Offer
Following the success of the remote parent/carer consultation service launched in March, the Educational Psychology Service are continuing this offer to parents/carers. Any parent/carer who lives in the City or who looks after a child who is in the care of Wolverhampton Local Authority can make a request for a free remote consultation with a member of the Educational Psychology Service.
For further information please click here (EY's link)
Lead person to contact in the LA:
Stephanie Herriotts-Smith
Senior Educational Psychologist
stephanie.herriotts-smith@wolverhampton.gov.uk
SEND Subject Leader Network
Attached is the agenda (EY's link) for the SENCO Network Meeting on Wednesday 18 November, 1pm-3pm. All SENCOs from ALL schools welcome and encouraged. Special schools and settings welcomed also. The meeting will be led by Anna Vrahimi, School Improvement SEND Advisor.
Please book online via WVES.
Lead person to contact in the LA:
Anna Vrahimi
School SEND Improvement Advisor
Anna.Vrahimi@wolverhampton.gov.uk
Upcoming Baseline Training events
These upcoming online sessions are for class teachers and maths leads. They will look closely at the outcomes of the maths baseline tests. Each session will offer teaching guidance in relation to areas of learning which are likely to have the biggest impact on pupil progress. The focus will be on Paper 1 (Arithmetic) using the QLA baseline. The sessions will be recorded if you can’t personally attend but please book online via WVES.
- Y5 Baseline -Friday 20 November 2pm-3.45pm
- Y4 Baseline -Friday 4 December 2pm-3.45pm
- Y3 Baseline -Friday 11 December 2pm-3.45pm
- Y2 Baseline -Wed 16 December 2pm-3.45pm
Lead person to contact in the LA:
Sandeep Vashisht
Mathematics Advisory Teacher
Tel: 07812495069
Sandeep.Vashisht2@wolverhampton.gov.uk
Statutory assessment and moderation
The approaching training opportunities are offered to support statutory assessment and moderation:
- 10/11/2020 at 1:30 - 4:00pm Key Stage 1 assessment training for experienced Year 2 teachers including identifying next steps in writing for current Year 2 pupils
- 13/11/2020 at 1:30 - 4:00pm Key Stage 2 assessment training for all colleagues new to Year 6
Also, please note the following training opportunities are offered for NQTs and RQTs:
- 12/11/2020 at 3:45 - 4:45pm EYFS masterclass 2: Characteristics of effective learning and getting the mix of child initiated and adult lead learning right. (Free to all)
All participants should be booked onto training via WVES. Please refer to attachment (EY's link) for further dates.
Lead person to contact in the LA:
Jo Horlock
NQT and Assessment Advisor
Jo.Horlock@wolverhampton.gov.uk
HR Workforce
Unconscious Bias Masterclass – Free place for Headteachers
The Council has been running for some time the popular Unconscious Bias training and some of you have previously asked if it could be made available to Schools.
We are now pleased to offer the opportunity to attend one session specially aimed at school leaders on either:
Monday 23rd November 2020 10 am -12 pm
See our leaflet attached (EY's link) for more information and details on how to book. Please book via WVES.
Lead person to contact in the LA:
Marie Marenda
HR Business Partner Marie.marenda@wolverhampton.gov.uk
New development and support network for Pastoral/Wellbeing Leaders: Wellbeing for Education Return
Using funding from the Wellbeing for Education Return, we have set up free Reflective Practice sessions for Pastoral/Wellbeing Leaders in schools and colleges, which will be run half-termly. The first of these will focus on wellbeing, resilience and share a model that you can use to support both staff and students. We are acutely aware of the pressures on school staff now and so the reflective session will allow you to discuss key issues for your school and share ideas for ways forward.
Please book through WVES onto one of the below sessions, as they will all deliver the same content and include reflective practice sessions.
Tuesday 10 November 1.30-3pm
Wednesday 11 November 3.30 – 5pm
Lead person to contact in the LA:
Elaine Perry
Senior Educational Psychologist
Elaine.perry@wolverhampton.gov.uk
07900708206
School Governance Training
Upcoming School Governance training
Tuesday 10 November - An Introduction to effective Governance at 10-12noon
Tuesday 17 November - Managing Complaints at 6-8pm
Tuesday 24 November at Safer Recruitment: The role of the Governing Board at 10-12noon
Tuesday 1 December - Understanding data at 6-8pm
To view training and to book onto courses, please follow the link to WVES website.
Bespoke training to meet the needs of your Governing Board can also be arranged. To discuss your requirements further, please contact Kay Mason.
Lead person(s) to contact in the LA:
Kay Mason
School Improvement Advisor
Kay.mason@wolverhampton.gov.uk
Sarah McElduff
School Governance Co-ordinator
Sarah.mcelduff@wolverhampton.gov.uk
4 November – Coronavirus – Daily update to all early years, children’s social care, schools and further education providers - click here or here (EY).
Please click here for Education and childcare settings: New National Restrictions from 5 November 2020.
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