Education Providers' Bulletin

Tuesday 7th September 2021

If you would like your Chair of Governors, SENDCo, DSL or Digital Leads to receive this bulletin, please email Georgia.Smith@wolverhampton.gov.uk with their email address who will add them to the distribution list.

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Bulletin Summary

1. Message from Cllr Mike Hardacre and Phil Leivers 
2. Information
3. Leadership and management
4. Training and Consultation
5. DfE daily update

Message from Cllr Mike Hardacre Phil Leivers

A message to Headteachers and Leaders from Councillor Mike Hardacre.

May I take this opportunity to welcome you back. I am aware of the difficulties you will face in trying to ensure that all our children receive their entitlement to the best educational experience possible. This has been an arduous and, on occasions, trying two years for you all. I have been very impressed with your resilience and preparedness to get “stuck in” to ensure that as far as possible these have not been “lost years” for your pupils.

I hope that the discussions, which the Department has had with you, leave you in the strongest possible position to implement the present state of Government policy. I wish you well and assure you that we are all working together in the best interests of the children.

Good luck and please share the sentiments in this short missive with your staff and Governors if you consider it appropriate.

Mike Hardacre

Cabinet Member for Education and Skills

Message from Phil Leivers

 hope the first full week back has started well. It was good to see many of you at the Engagement sessions last week. The slides used at the Primary schools’ session can be found here. Collated FAQs will be ready for sharing in Thursday’s bulletin. We are still waiting to hear any update on the vaccination programme for 12-15 year olds but understand an announcement is imminent.

The DfE have asked to remind you to continue to complete the daily attendance returns please. Early Years settings will also be asked for attendance but on specific days and we will notify you of those in advance.

Have a good week

Phil Leivers
Phil.Leivers@wolverhampton.gov.uk

Early Years

New Early Years Framework

EYFS reforms become statutory from 1 September.  All childminders, nurseries, pre-schools and primary schools in England must now follow the new EYFS framework.

Foundation Years vodcasts

Foundation Years, working together with the DfE, have published a range of vodcasts aimed at different parts of the sector to support understanding and implementation of the revised EYFS with presentations from DfE, Ofsted and case studies from early adopter settings.

Implementing the revised EYFS in primary schools

Understanding the revised EYFS - headteachers and senior leadership

Understanding the revised EYFS - PVIs and childminders

Understanding the revised Development Matters

Learn - Explore - Debate events: implementing the revised EYFS

New EYFS online service - 'Help for Early Years Providers'

Understand and implement the changes to the EYFS with DfE's new online service, developed with sector experts and packed with resources and practical support for childminders, nursery leaders and pre-school practitioners.

Sessions on specific areas of learning for Nursery aged children for Wolverhampton Early Years Team. 

Literacy recorded session https://vimeo.com/582522727/a4469cbedf  

Understanding the World recorded session https://vimeo.com/manage/videos/577126881/8885db45da

Lead person to contact in the LA:

Stacey Henderson
Senior Early Years Advisor
Stacey.Henderson@wolverhampton.gov.uk

Early Years Funding for PVI’s Only

Autumn 2021 reminder

Can all PVI’s please submit their estimated hours in the usual way by Thursday 9 September 2021 for all 2, 3 & 4 year old funded children ONLY (existing & new starters) for Autumn 2021.

Autumn 2021 actuals will still need to be submitted in the usual way by Thursday 11 November 2021 for all 2, 3 & 4 year old funded children ONLY (existing & new starters).

Providers need to ensure ALL children’s attendance is amended to reflect the start and end date for all 2, 3 & 4 year old children.

Providers will still need to validate ALL 30 Hour codes in the usual way and continue to communicate with parents to ensure codes do not enter grace periods.

Please remove from the provider portal those children for whose funding entitlements have ended.

Early Education Funding (EEF) Portal Timetable 2021/2022. 

Lead person to contact in the LA:

Stacey Henderson
Senior Early Years Advisor
Stacey.Henderson@wolverhampton.gov.uk

Information

Education Excellence Strategy

Headteachers, Nursery Managers and Child Minders will be receiving shortly documentation relating to:

• The school’s / settings initial category of support for 2021/22
• An invite for Autumn / Annual conversations (these can be either remote or in school / setting)

Please note, we have mapped in dates and times according to the strategy timelines and look forward to our discussions with you. We hope that by sharing dates as far in advance as we can, you will be able to accommodate the dates and time allocated. Adherence to the allocated meeting times is appreciated.

Lead person to contact in the LA:

Linda Brown
School Improvement Senior Advisor
07812 494965
linda.brown@wolverhampton.gov.uk

or

Stacey Henderson
Senior Advisor Early Years
07976750933
stacey.henderson@wolverhampton.gov.uk

Education Excellence Strategy – Autumn / Annual Conversations

Schools and settings will shortly receive an invitation for the Autumn / Annual Conversation. Headteachers can decide if they would prefer a remote or face to face meeting (subject to government guidance at the time), and this is explained in the invitation. Adherence to the allocated meeting times is appreciated.

Schools:

B2 and B1 schools – September / October dates
AS and A schools – October / November dates

Private Early Years settings:

From November 2021 onwards

Please note, the proforma for these conversations should capture the key information and headlines. There will be other school / setting documents and information which will document the finer details which do not need to be captured in the Autumn / Annual conversation proforma.

In order to enable the meeting to run smoothly and keep to time, please:

• Access the Autumn conversation / Annual conversation proforma
• Remove rows that do not apply e.g. EYFS, KS1, KS2, KS4, Sixth-form etc
• Complete the proforma in advance of the meeting (headlines / brevity) - use the guidance document to help as necessary
• Return the proforma to your allocated SIA (at least 5 working days in advance of the meeting) to enable LA information to be documented in readiness for the conversation.
• In addition, email your School Improvement Plan for 21/22 to your allocated SIA at least 5 working days in advance of the meeting

For private early years settings specifically:

• Access Annual conversation proforma
• Complete the proforma in advance of the meeting (headlines / key points only)
• Please return the proforma to your allocated Quality and Access Officer (QAO) at least 5 working days in advance of the meeting to enable LA information to be documented in readiness for the conversation.
• In addition, email any action plans / priorities for improvement to your QAO at least 5 working days in advance of the meeting

We look forward to our discussions with you.

The Autumn Conversation for proforma for schools can be accessed here.

The Annual Conversation proforma for private early years settings can be accessed here.

We have also provided a guidance document for schools to assist which can be accessed here.

During the early years update session on 29 September 2021, the annual conversation form will be discussed, and a guide for private early years settings will be provided after this.

Lead person to contact in the LA:

Linda Brown
School Improvement Senior Advisor
07812 494965
linda.brown@wolverhampton.gov.uk

or

Stacey Henderson
Senior Advisor Early Years
07976750933
stacey.henderson@wolverhampton.gov.uk

Widening the Curriculum

Last term, many colleagues expressed an interest in widening their curriculum to ensure that it presents a wider and more multi-cultural education for all pupils.  We aim to set up working groups for different subjects and age groups to begin this process. The meeting is open to colleagues from Early Years, Primary and Secondary schools and settings.

The first meeting will be on Wednesday 15 September at 4pm.

Please use the link below to access the meeting.  You do not need to have expressed an interest before.

https://teams.microsoft.com/l/meetup-join

Lead person(s) to contact in the LA:

Laura Jude for secondary schools
Laura.Jude@wolverhampton.gov.uk

Claire Fereday for primary schools
Claire.Fereday@wolverhampton.gov.uk

Polish School

The Polish community in Wolverhampton is looking for a new venue to hold the Polish school. The school has been very successful for years, with up to 200 children attending ( within a covid time hundred or so attendants). The school also prepares students for GCSE in Polish, so it's so crucial for further education for many students.

If there is any school who would like to discuss the possibility of hosting the Polish school please contact Anna Toporowska-Jassal.

Lead person to contact:

Anna Toporowska-Jassal
Refugee & Migrant Centre
01902 311 554
anna@rmcentre.org.uk

Leadership and management

Repeated article:

Ofsted Inspection information - September 2021

Ofsted have been in the process of updating their key documents in readiness for the return to inspection activity from September 2021.

Full details can be found at:

Section 5 (full inspection) handbook

Section 8 (monitoring and short inspections) handbook

Early Years inspection handbook (Ofsted guidance on inspecting registered early years and childcare providers)

Inspecting schools: a guide for maintained and academy schools

Inspecting schools: a guide for parents

Lead person to contact in the LA:

Linda Brown
School Improvement Senior Advisor
07812 494965
Linda.brown@wolverhampton.gov.uk

Leadership and Management – Additional Bank Holiday – Change to Term Dates 2022

The Queen’s Platinum Jubilee Additional Bank Holiday in 2022 - West Midlands Term Dates Group – Joint Statement

Just to remind schools that an additional bank holiday will be held on Friday 3 June 2022, and as the majority of West Midlands schools are already on Whitsun half term holiday on this day, it is agreed that the additional one-day holiday will therefore be taken elsewhere.

It was agreed across to suggest to all schools that the additional day should be taken on Friday 22 July 2022, meaning that the Summer Term ends on Thursday 21st July 2022.

Can all maintained schools please amend the term dates calendar for 2021/2022 in order to reflect this.

Academies are free to set their own dates this may / may not be applicable: this is for information only.

Lead person to contact in the LA:

Sarah McElduff
Governance Co-Ordinator 
Sarah.mcelduff@wolverhampton.gov.uk
07989 854448

Leadership and management – Remote Education

A framework has been produced to help schools and further education (FE) providers in England identify strengths and areas for improvement in their remote education provision.

Further details can be accessed:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/review-your-remote-education-provision

In addition, the DfE have produced information regarding how to access school-led webinars on remote education to help share good practice. Details can be accessed:

https://www.gov.uk/guidance/remote-education-webinars

Lead person to contact in the LA:

Linda Brown
School Improvement Senior Advisor
07812 494965
Linda.brown@wolverhampton.gov.uk

Training and consultation

Autumn Training Brochure  

Please see the attached Education Excellence Autumn Training Brochure.

Mathematics subject knowledge workshops

Below are details of dates and timings for upcoming mathematics CPD sessions. These will be suitable for all teachers, including ECTs, working in Key Stage 1 and 2. The sessions will take place online via TEAMS and will be recorded. Please book on via WVES.   

Friday 17 September, 1.30pm – 3.45pm- Developing the teaching of “number and place value” in Key Stage 1 and 2 - The session will look at key aspects of the “number and place value” strand within the national curriculum as well as the DfE Teaching mathematics in primary schools (non-statutory guidance). Strategies and resources for effectively teaching the key concepts within place value will be shared and modelled.

Friday 8 October, 1.30pm -3.45pm - Developing the teaching of “addition and subtraction” in Key Stage 1 and 2 – as above but focusing on key concepts within the “addition and subtraction” strand.

Lead person to contact in the LA:

Sandeep Vashisht
Mathematics Advisory Teacher
Sandeep.vashisht2@wolverhampton.gov.uk 07812495069

Welcome Event for ECTs

All ECTs registered with the Appropriate Body (AB) offered by City of Wolverhampton and ConnectEd Partnership are warmly invited to The ECT Welcome Event on Tuesday 14 September from 1:30- 3:30pm.

All ECTs will receive a personal invitation by the end of the week.

The event will be recorded so anyone who is not able to join the event can watch it later on. The video link will also be sent to all Induction Tutors and Mentors.

Lead person to contact in the LA:

Jo Horlock
NQT & Assessment Advisor   
jo.horlock@wolverhampton.gov.uk 

ECT Induction Tutors

Induction tutors and mentors registered with the City of Wolverhampton and ConnectEd Partnership AB provision will be invited to attend networks throughout the academic year. The first network will be hosted on:

• Tuesday 28 September 2:30 – 4:00pm and repeated on
• Friday 1 October 9:30 – 11:00 am

In this meeting we will explore the role of the AB, the roles of both the induction tutor and mentor and how the progress review and assessment process will work. The meeting will be hosted as a virtual meeting and be repeated on two different dates to offer some flexibility. Each induction tutor and mentor will be sent an invitation to attend the network shortly.

Please note, if you have recently appointed an ECT and have not yet registered them with an AB, please email us ECTs@wolverhampton.gov.uk

Lead person to contact in the LA:

Jo Horlock
NQT & Assessment Advisor   
jo.horlock@wolverhampton.gov.uk 

Art and Design Conference

23 September 2021
1pm-4pm
GTG Training Centre

This is the last chance to book onto the  Art and Design Conference on 23 September 2021, as we have to confirm numbers with the venue on Thursday! Please note there will be social distancing seating arrangements in place at the venue.

Find out more information here.

This conference is open to Art and Design Subject leaders/teachers in Primary and Special Schools/Academies. 

Lead person to contact in the LA:

Louise Mututa
School Improvement Advisor
Louise.Mututa@wolverhampton.gov.uk 
07970476527

Manor Teaching School Hub EYFS Training

Please find attached information relating to Language First training programme for Early Years teams. (Second attachment here)

For more detail about the programme please contact Victoria Day, Lead Practitioner, v.day@ryders-hayes.co.uk, or Sally Miner, Dir. of Manor Teaching School Hub & Exec Head Teacher on s.miner@ryders-hayes.co.uk

DfE daily update

6 September – Coronavirus – Daily update to all early years, children’s social care, schools and further education providers. 

If you don't have a CloudW account and cannot access a document within this bulletin, please contact Georgia.Smith@wolverhampton.gov.uk who will send it to you.