Education Providers' Bulletin

Tuesday 19 October 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 Phil Leivers
2. Early Years
3. Information
4. Safeguarding 
5. Training and Consultation
6. DfE update

Message from Phil Leivers - Head of Education Excellence

Dear Colleagues,

I’m sure you are aware that the DfE updated the Contingency Framework last week.

The contingency framework, describes the principles for managing local outbreaks of COVID-19 in education and childcare settings, to reflect the position for people previously considered clinically extremely vulnerable (CEV), the shielding programme and details on when increased COVID-19 testing can be recommended by Directors of Public Health. It also clarified that education and childcare settings do not routinely need to provide staff details to the NHS Test and Trace Self-Isolation Hub.

The contingency framework covers all types of measures that you should be prepared for. It also sets out thresholds for managing COVID-19 cases and when you should consider seeking public health advice. You should make sure your contingency plans outline how you would operate if your setting was advised to introduce any of the measures described in the contingency framework.

The vaccination programme for 12 -15 year olds continues to go well and we have had really positive feedback from Vaccination UK on how welcoming the schools have been in allowing the programme to take place in schools.

You’ve nearly made it to half-term, thanks for everything you are doing to keep staff going and providing good education provision for our children and young people.

Best wishes,

Phil Leivers 

Early Years

Reminder Upcoming Nursery Session

Session 1: Moving Learning on Through Quality Evidence Gathering Nursery age 2-4

Thursday 21 October 9.30-11.00 through MS Teams. 

Through this network session you will have the opportunity to explore different methods of quality evidence gathering, whilst considering how to reduce workload, in-line with the new statutory framework.  As well as the opportunity to hear from other practitioners across a range of nursery settings on how they are working with the new early years framework. 

Please book on through WVES

Lead person to contact in the LA:

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

Information

Click here to find out about the Flour Power Food Festival. 

Lead person to contact in the LA:

Phil Leivers
Phil.Leivers@wolverhampton.gov.uk

Niru Ghai-Read
Integrated Assurance Lead
Wolverhampton Safeguarding Together
niru.ghai-read3@wolverhampton.gov.uk

Little Troopers

Little Troopers have some new free resources launching this term as part of our Little Troopers at School programme. The resources are specifically for secondary schools to help support children age 11-18 with a parent serving in the British Armed Forces.  We would really appreciate your support in sharing these free charity resources with schools that have one or more service children in your area. Click here to find out what they offer. 

Lead person to contact:

Louise Fetigan
Founder & Operations Manager
louise@littletroopers.net

Recruitment Posters

Click here to access the avert for Independent Visitor and here for a volunteer driver post. 

Lead person to contact in the LA:

Lisa Sidaway
Volunteer Co-Ordinator
Lisa.Sidaway2@wolverhampton.gov.uk

Lead person to contact in the LA:

Abigail Reed
Marketing Officer (Sport & Leisure)
Abigail.Reed@wolverhampton.gov.uk

Strengthening Families Contact Guide

Click here to access  Strengthening Families Contact Guide. 

Lead person to contact in the LA:

Louise Anderson
Head of Strengthening Families
Louise.Haughton@wolverhampton.gov.uk

Safeguarding

Update on Safeguarding Service Level Agreement

Thank you to those schools who completed the questionnaire on the future of the SLA. There was almost complete support to say you would wish to continue with an SLA with a Safeguarding Education Officer to provide bespoke support to you, which could focus on:

• Provide individualised, specialist safeguarding and child protection consultancy services to schools, including pre and post inspection support and rapid response to Ofsted Inspection outcomes.
• Undertake a regular cycle of safeguarding audits within schools to ensure that all statutory duties are fulfilled.
• Provide safeguarding and child protection training to school staff and governors - bespoke and individualised according to school needs.
• Work with schools on the development of their safeguarding systems, knowledge and skills - bespoke and individualised according to school needs.
• To support schools to promote the early intervention and prevention agenda and better outcomes for children.
• Ensure that schools operate in line with the current ‘Keeping Children Safe in Education’ document and meet all their statutory requirements.

The SLA will be based on 3 visits per year, with opportunity to purchase additional time if you need it.

I am just finalising the job description for the post and will go to recruit as soon as I can with HR support. Also, I will publish the details of the SLA and costings on WVES so that schools can begin to purchase.

Alongside the SLA for bespoke work I am working with Connect Ed to commission regular education safeguarding updates which we will share universally with all schools.

Lead person to contact in the LA:

Phil Leivers
Phil.leivers@wolverhampton.gov.uk

Training and consultation

Mathematics Subject Leader Network meeting and subject knowledge workshop

Wednesday 10 November, 1.00pm - 3.30pm - Autumn Mathematics Subject Leader Network meeting (Via TEAMS, not recorded). This term’s mathematics network meeting will primarily focus on maths provision in the Early Years and is suitable for all mathematics subject leaders working in the primary phase. Please book on via WVES.

Below are also details of an upcoming mathematics CPD session. This will be suitable for all teachers, including ECTs, working in Key Stage 1 and 2. The session will take place online via TEAMS and will be recorded. Please book on to the session via the WVES portal.  

Friday 19 November, 1.30pm – 3.45pm- Developing the teaching of “multiplication and division” in Key Stage 1 and 2 - The session will look at key aspects of the “multiplication and division” strand within the national curriculum as well as the DfE Teaching mathematics in primary schools (non-statutory guidance). Key representations, strategies and resources for effectively teaching the key concepts within the multiplication and division strand will be shared and modelled.

Lead person to contact in the LA:

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

Autumn Training Brochure  

Please see the attached Education Excellence Autumn Training Brochure.

Lead person to contact in the LA:

Sarah Mcelduff
School Governance Coordinator
Sarah.McElduff@wolverhampton.gov.uk

DfE update

Friday 15th – 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.