CROSSPHASE
 The Summer Holidays are almost upon us. Hurrah!
This is our last Education News Edition of the school year.
As we draw 2022/23 to a close, we just wanted to say a big thank you to every member of staff who have, not only worked hard and diligently over the last academic year, but we know have continued to go above and beyond to make sure your school is a welcoming, safe space where children and young people can grow and thrive. There are always challenges and we see how you repeatedly face those challenges head on for the benefit of the communities you serve.
Next year will bring continuing challenges in familiar directions and we look forward to working in partnership on solutions.
You will see our engagement opportunities, to continue the professional development across the system, set out in information below including work on embedding Therapeutic Thinking, focussing on the most vulnerable in Early Years, enabling best practice for SEND pupils and the disadvantaged along with developing strong Mental Health and Well Being capacity.
The School Improvement Team will also be changing its name to reflect more accurately its work going forward- so in September we look forward to working with you as the Strategic Education Partnership Team.
As always if you have a colleague who would benefit from accessing Education News direct please encourage them to sign up Education.News@wokingham.gov.uk
We hope that you all have a happy, healthy and restorative summer break and manage to find the time to do all the things you enjoy, and we look forward to catching up with you next school year.
With best wishes
Gillian and the team
 Alternative Provision Audit - Deadline 18th July 2023
Wokingham Borough Council is in the process of undertaking a large piece of work to understand and improve the alternative education provision sector. This project is aligned with the recommendations that have come out of the recent SEND and alternative provision green paper consultation and subsequent improvement plan published by the Government in March 2023. Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) and Alternative Provision (AP) Improvement Plan (publishing.service.gov.uk)
The aim is that Wokingham Borough Council will create a directory of ‘preferred’ providers who have been through a due diligence process, offering a degree of assurance to those schools that wish to use their service. There will also be the introduction of terms and conditions, individual placement agreements and a clear process for monitoring and reviewing placements.
So we can begin this piece of work, the Childrens’ Commissioning Team are undertaking an audit of the alternative provisions used by schools. We will collate the information and share findings with schools in the Autumn term.
All schools have been asked to complete the attached template by 18th July 2023 and return via email to Sally.Furness@wokingham.gov.uk. We have had a number of returns already, however to get the full picture of alternative provision in Wokingham, we do require all schools to respond.
Thank you in advance for taking part in the audit and working with us to improve and shape services for children and young people in Wokingham.
Sally Furness - SEND Commissioner
Sally.Furness@wokingham.gov.uk.
 Wokingham Mental Health and Wellbeing Network Meeting in partnership with The Charlie Waller Institute, University of Reading
Aims
- Support educational staff in schools who lead on mental health and wellbeing
- Provide a supportive space where professionals can come together
- Support the whole school approach agenda to mental health and wellbeing and keep schools up to date with the local offer
- Build a supportive network of mental health leads
- Feel more confident about the role and how this translates into practice
- Share good practice (what helps at a universal, targeted and specialist level)
- Provide ‘time to talk’ and share resources
Dates
Thursday 9 November 4pm - 5 pm
Thursday 7 March 9:30-10:30 am
Thursday 13 June 9:30-10:30 am
Invites can be accessed by emailing schools.teams@wokingham.gov.uk
Religious Education Network Meeting and Training Events 2023-24
Please find HERE information about RE network meetings and training events for the coming academic year. These are funded and organised by the Wokingham SACRE and offered free of charge to all Wokingham schools.
The programme includes training for new RE subject leaders in primary schools, and a session on RE in the early years, as well as network meetings for secondary colleagues.
Invitations for the sessions will be sent to all those in our RE contacts lists. Other colleagues are welcome to request invitations by contacting schools.teams@wokingham.gov.uk
Emily Waddilove - Teaching and Learning Adviser Emily.waddilove@wokingham.gov.uk
Pupil Premium Network Meetings 2023-24
The dates of Pupil Premium Network Meetings for the coming academic year are:
Thursday 9th November 1.30 – 4.00pm - IN PERSON
Wednesday 13th March 4 – 5.30pm – via Teams
Thursday 27th June 1.30 – 4.00pm – IN PERSON
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Health and Safety Courses
The following courses have just been added to MyLearning and you can book a place now.
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Fire Warden Training 2023-2024
Delegates: for any employee who has been appointed as a Fire Marshal or Fire Warden
Click HERE to sign up on MyLearning
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Emergency First Aid at Work 2023-2024 (1 Day Course)
Delegates: You will need to be a current WBC first aiders, or a colleague where this is a requirement of their role or as an identified replacement for a previous first aider and this has been approved by their line manager. Or school colleagues and partners who are paying to attend this event.
Click HERE to sign up on MyLearning
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First Aid at Work Refresher (2 Day Course)
Delegates: those who have previously attended a 3-day First Aid at Work and hold a valid certificate which has not expired by more than 28 days
Click HERE to sign up on MyLearning
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Practical Ladder Training and other H&S training will be forthcoming in the Autumn Term and will be advertised in this newsletter.
LA Racial Equity Support Programme 2023-24
We’re excited to share information about the LA’s programme of racial equity support for the coming year. This year, as well as opportunities to attend training throughout the year, we will be holding our first racial equity conference! This will take place in the spring term - date and further information about the conference will follow.
The programme begins, as in previous years, with a session at which we will share further information about the programme, and support you to plan your school’s racial equity work for the coming year. ‘Planning racial equity work in your school: 2023-24’ will be offered twice: on Thursday 28th September 4-5pm, and repeated on Friday 6th October 9.30 – 10.30, both via Teams.
The programme has been organised under three headings:
Core support: Cross phase, general support for all those involved in racial equity work, including those leading the work.
Targeted support: Phase-specific support on a particular aspect of racial equity work.
Bespoke support: Follow up support for staff who have previously attended a course, to support them to implement learning from the course, and to share experiences of implementation.
Booking:
Invitations for the initial session - ‘Planning racial equity work in your school: 2023-24’ - will be sent to all headteachers and to those in our racial equity contacts list.
Invitations can be requested by other colleagues by contacting schools.teams@wokingham.gov.uk
Further information will follow about booking for the rest of the programme.
Please find HERE information about the LA’s programme of support for racial equity for the coming academic year.
Emily Waddilove - Teaching and Learning Adviser Emily.waddilove@wokingham.gov.uk
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Educational Visits - The Importance of Sweeping Transport and Headcounts
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Following a number of incidents, we wanted to remind you of the importance of checking transport when all of the children and young people have exited.
Every time a group gets off a mode of transport such as a coach, minibus, train, etc., it is critically important to undertake a thorough sweep of the transport.
- Schools should consider in their planning/previsits a suitable location to do this (especially with a large group);
- Take a register as soon as the children and young people are off;
- Whilst this is happening, a member of staff should start at the back and sweep forward, checking on and under the seats for sleeping people and lost items;
- If travelling by train, adopt a ‘sweep off’ approach with a member of staff last to leave;
- The staff should check in with the Visit Leader and Assistant Leaders to ensure everyone is present;
- A final headcount should be taken.
Educational Visits / Evolve
For information and queries regarding Educational Visits and Evolve please click on the link below
Safeguarding Updates
Please click on this link for the latest edition of the BWSCP Safeguarding Updates
PRIMARY
  Common Transition Day 2024
The Secondary Federation would like to remind primary colleagues that the date that has been set for the common Year 6-7 transition day next year is Wednesday 26th June 2024 (with some additional visits taking place during that week as necessary).
COST OF LIVING CRISIS
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Help your school community with cost of living
Relevant articles will appear from time to time in this section, as they become available.
Schools continue to be the best way to communicate with families on the cost of living crisis. When articles appear here please take this information and share it with parents. Thank you
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Credit cards, loans or going into debt for essentials? Get help during summer holidays
The rising cost of living continues to impact people across the area, even in the summer months.
Especially with the summer holidays almost here. To get by many are:
- Getting into credit card debt
- Using overdrafts
- Relying on friends and family
- Stopping eating or making other sacrifices
If you’re doing this, you could access support. Apply for the Household Support Fund.
It can be used to pay for food, bills, energy and other essentials.
Our partners can provide £100 per household with a food, fuel or cash voucher through the Household Support Fund.
It's open to anyone to apply. You don't need to receive benefits to be able to apply.
There's also specific support for families where children receive means-tested free school meals.
This is £15 per child, per week. So you could get £90 to help this summer, as well as help at Christmas, next Easter holidays and the half-terms between.
Apply for the Household Support Fund.
Other support options
TRAINING: COURSES AND CONFERENCES
 Please check out the Schools Hub for details of training sessions.
NOTE: Not all training is advertised on the Schools Hub. Some training is always or regularly available on 'My Learning' so we recommend checking it out regularly for training such as;
Asbestos Awareness Training
Emergency First Aid at Work
Fire Safety
Fire Warden
Managing Health and Safety
Risk Assessor Training
Safer Recruitment
HELP and FAQs
Who do I contact at the council?
Did you know there is a list of useful contacts at WBC on the Schools Hub webpages? Follow the instructions on the page. You will need your school login to access it.
Where can I find training and resources?
Please don’t forget to drop into the Shared Document Store on the Schools Hub for all the resources available from our Roundtable, drop-in and training sessions. You will need your school login to access the store. If you can’t find your login, please email us at schoolsimprovement@wokingham.gov.uk and we can send you a reminder.
How do I book a training course with the council?
Most courses are listed on the Schools Hub Calendar and will make it
clear how to book. You will either need to book using the booking form provided and quoting the course code or you will need to request to book by emailing schools.teams@wokingham.gov.uk
How do I book a course that is on My Learning?
Courses advertised as being on 'My Learning' need to be booked directly, by the delegate, on the My Learning website. My Learning is a personal training tool it requires the individual learner to book using their email address and password which they set up the first time they log in. My Learning will then be able to keep a record of the training that an individual has completed as well as provide a certificate of completion. This is essential with Health and Safety courses.
How to create a My Learning account
What's the key information I need for emergency planning? Guidance for schools on emergency planning is available in the Rainbow Plan which is available via a ‘login only’ Shared Documents webpages of the Wokingham Schools Hub (WSH). If you don’t know your WSH login details please contact SchoolsImprovement@wokingham.gov.uk. If you have questions about how to complete the Rainbow Plan, contact community.resilience@wokingham.gov.uk.
COMMUNICATIONS ABOUT SCHOOL CLOSURES Confirm decisions to close immediately by email to schools.alert@wokingham.gov.uk and cc’ing your Attached Officer. Contact your Attached Officer if you are looking for advice on a closure, before confirming to the schools alert inbox.
Where multiple schools are closed, the Council will support with communication as appropriate, such as displaying information on our website and communicating with local radio stations, if needed.
EMERGENCY CONTACT NUMBERS
Customer Services 0118 974 6000 (Mon-Fri, 9am to 5pm)
Property services: (0118) 974 6789 (Mon-Fri, 9am to 5pm,)
Out of hours emergencies: 0800 212111 (out of hours, weekends and bank holidays)
Public Health - UKHSA Thames Valley Health Protection Team: 0344 225 3861 (24/7)
Seeing this update for the first time? To sign up for the term-time weekly updates email education.news@wokingham.gov.uk and we'll add you to the list.
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