Education Consultancy
Dear Colleagues,
Welcome to this week’s Education Essex.
Ofsted Briefing meetings are taking place over the next few weeks which Primary Headteachers are invited to attend. Please see the item under Continuous Professional Development for more details including how to book a place.
School packs will be sent to Secondary schools and Colleges shortly regarding privacy notices which will be provided to pupils and resources to support promotion of Raising of the Participation Age. Please see item under School Updates for more information.
I would also like to direct Secondary Headteachers to the Fraud Alert under School Updates. The Trading Standards team would like to remind colleagues to be wary and contact the Trading Standards team if you require assistance.
Finally, I would encourage you to complete the online survey about Essex Education Services (EES) to support the development of the service in continuing to focus on the needs of schools in Essex.Further information about the service can be found in the EES item under School Updates.
Have a good week,
Tim Coulson
Director of Education and Learning
School Updates
Essex Education Services(EES)
EES is the newly integrated support service for school bringing key professional services together with a vision of enabling well-run schools with good learning across the board, an effective and engaged workforce and effective use of funds. Services include:
- Education Consultancy,
- Education Finance Support,
- Governor Services,
- Schools HR,
- School Library Service,
- Target Tracker and Schools ICT,
- Professional Development, including the CPD programme, recruitment service and support for initial teacher training.
For further information please see the EES letter on the Director for Education and Learning’s Area, Essex Schools Infolink which was emailed to schools this week.
Privacy Notice Mailing and Promotion of the Raising of the Participation Age (RPA)
Headteacher/ Careers Coordinator
Secondary
All
In order for Essex County Council (ECC) to release Destination Data back to Secondary Schools and Colleges, ECC has to provide a Privacy Notice informing young people of what ECC is planning to do with their data. ECC is now able to send the Privacy Notice directly to all Year 11 students homes week commencing the Monday 25 November 2013. The letter will also be accompanied with a flyer promoting the ‘Raising of the Participation Age’ and the young person’s duty to participate in learning until their 18th Birthday. Press and radio adverts which link to this will be issued within the same week. Additionally a schools pack will be issued to Careers Coordinators which will include information for parents, a PowerPoint presentation, posters and additional leaflets.
If you have any questions on either of these two topics:
Contact: Tracy Eve, IAG Adviser
Telephone: 01245 433 032
Access to GroupCall Xporter
Headteacher/ Administration
All Phases
All
Following request for completion of returns to the LA detailing all pupils with irregular attendance and block absences, a number of schools have contacted Education Welfare Service (EWS) to ask how they can sign up to Groupcall Xporter.
Please note schools that are on Groupcall Xporter do not need to complete this return as the EWS will be able to complete on the school’s behalf using the attendance data extracted via Xporter.
To sign up to Groupcall Xporter, please click and follow the instructions to install the Xporter software onto you server. Please also see the attached Service Delivery Agreementfor further information on Groupcall Xporter.
For further information or if you would like to discuss further:
Contact: Rachel Thorogood, Attendance Leader
Telephone: 01245 437 900
Email:
Fraud Alert: Apprenticeships Portal
Headteacher/ Careers Coordinator
Secondary
All
The National Apprenticeship Service (NAS) have been alerted to a website called Apprenticeships Portal:
They are contacting schools and trying to persuade them to get their Year 11 students to register on their website ready for Apprenticeships starting in 2014. There are no vacancies on the site. They are also claiming that, by doing this, schools will be able to demonstrate to OFSTED that they are giving pupils advice on Apprenticeships.
In particular we want to alert you to the following:-
The contact number on the site for candidates (young people) is a 0906 number (cost £1.53p per minute). Candidates are also charged for the service as 'the payment system is linked to pay pal'- it is £25 to register.
This is not the NAS website nor do we promote or endorse this website. NAS services and those of the National Careers Service are the Government supported services and free to the user.
School Workforce Census Update
Human Resources/ Finance
All Phases
All
Maintained schools should upload their census files to COLLECT by Friday 22 November 2013. Please note, Academies will be advised by the Department of Education of the date by which their return should be submitted.
All schools are reminded that COLLECT is now accessed through the “Secure Access” web portal at: Also, visit the School Workforce Census page for the new 2013 School User Guidance.
CONGRATULATIONS TO OUR FIRST UPLOADERS THIS YEAR:
- Brightside Primary School
- Children’s Support Centre – Langdon Hills
- Pitsea Junior School
- Walton on the Naze Primary School
If you are experiencing any difficulties with your Census return, please do not hesitate to contact us:
Contact: School Workforce Team
Email:
Telephone:01245 434140
Visit: School Workforce Census, Essex Schools Infolink
Continuous Professional Development
OFSTED Briefings for Headteachers
Headteacher
InfantJuniorPrimary
All
The new OFSTED framework is proving challenging for all schools inspected since September. There are a number of key revisions and we are learning lessons from every new inspection that takes place. In response to several requests we are providing a further round of OFSTED briefings for headteachers.
The venues and times are as follows:
South: Monday 25November 2013 8.30am at Westwood Academy
Mid: Thursday 28 November 2013 4.00pm at Westlands Primary School
West: Friday 29 November 2013 8.00am at Pear Tree Mead Primary School
North East: Tuesday 3 December 2013, 8.15am at the Willow Brook Primary School
Briefings are free of charge and of approximately 1 ½ hours duration.
For further information and to book your place:
Contact: Joanne Cannings, Business Support Administrator
Email:
Year 6 Teachers Network Meetings
Headteacher/ Head of Year 6/ Teaching Staff
Junior Primary
All
This facilitated session will address current issues in mathematics and English that impact upon learning and teaching at the end of Key Stage 2, enabling teachers to make the best provision for all students’ needs. The twilight session will be an opportunity to share and discuss some key strategies and ideas for accelerating progress in Year 6, and is open to all teachers in Essex who currently teach Year 6 pupils.
Colleagues can attend the free session on Tuesday 10 December2013 or Thursday 12 December 2013 and further details for the course can be found on Information for Primary Headteachers, Essex Schools Infolink.
Please book by Thursday 7 December 2013 to secure your place:
Contact: Schools Learning and Development Team
Telephone: 01245 434 300
Visit: Schools Learning and Development
Supporting the Service Child Conference
Headteacher/ Teaching Staff
All Phases
All
A one day conference promoted by SCISS NEAC(National Executive Advisory Committee) in conjunction with the Ministry of Defence will be taking place in London on Friday 14 March 2014. The purpose of the conference is to:
- Promote a deeper understanding of the needs of needs of Service children in State Schools
- Inform participants of the support available from the MoD
- Showcase some initiatives and good practice taking place in schools and local authorities
For further information:
Telephone: 01980 618244
Family Solutions Bulletin – November 2013
All Staff
All Phases
All
Family Solutions team are currently holding meet and greet sessions around Essex to support schools in understanding more about how Family Solutions will work with them to address family needs. Meeting details are included in the Family Solutions Bulletin.
Also in this week’s bulletin:
- Liquid Logic module now live
- Update from Department for Communities and Local Government visit
- Family Solutions on BBC Radio 5 Live
- Working in Partnership update
- Family Craft Workshop in Harlow
SENCO Bulletin - 19 November 2013
SENCO
All Phases
All
Greetings to all our wonderful Essex SENCOs!
In this issue of the SENCO Bulletin, you can find information on:
- The Essex policy for dyslexia
- Courses to develop knowledge, skills and understanding around dyslexia
- Free trials of software packages
- A helpline for parents of youngsters with social, emotional and behavioural difficulties
- Ideas for how to get the maximum benefit from the Pupil Premium
- INSET information – including good news about our accredited ‘Developing advanced skills in supporting pupils with autism’ course
Please contact us if you need any further information:
Contact: INSET Team
Telephone: 01268 632 360
Visit: SENCO Bulletin, Essex Schools Infolink
Health and Safety
2013/14 Online Health & Safety Monitoring Checklist now live……(November 2013)
School Business Manager
All Phases
All
The Schools online health and safety internal monitoring (HSIM) 2013/14 is now live.
All Community and Voluntary Controlled Schools are required to complete and submit the relevant checklists.
The deadline for completion is Friday 31 January 2014. After this date the link will be taken down. It is advised that the forms are submitted a week or so before this date in case you have any trouble submitting. If all schools leave it to the last week to submit this can cause problems with the system.
Please read the guidance before completing the checklists and make use of the preparation sheets to help in the process.
Note: Academy, Foundation, V/A or independent schools who buy the Health & Safety Service are not required to submit the forms. However these Schools still have access to do this monitoring exercise. It would be good practice for this to be done and the results reported to the Governing Body.
For further information or enquiries:
Contact: Corporate Health & Safety
Telephone: 01245 436896
Email:
Events and Resources
Community Games Funding
Headteacher/ PE Coordinator
All Phases
All
After the success of the Community Games in Essex this year, Active Essex, the Sport and Physical Activity Partnership for Greater Essex, is once again inviting community groups, including schools and colleges, to apply for grants of up to £400 to deliver Community Games events.
Funding criteria is as follows:
- Events must be scheduled to happen within the county of Essex between April to September 2014
- Any community based in Essex (Essex County Council administrative area, plus Southend and Thurrock) can apply.
- Some minimal evaluation of the event will be required.
In the past two years, more than 150 Community Games events have been staged in Essex, all of which have helped to stimulate interest and involvement in grass roots sports. Highlights have included The Wild Woods day in Rochford which had more than 3,000 participants, a football tournament in Rowhedge, Manningtree Mud Festival, Woodup Pool Fun Day in Tollesbury, Rowhedge Regatta, an orienteering trail, a festival and sports day for the disabled, a YMCA Rollerskate event, town shows, family fundays, street festivals, village and school fetes, urban games, holiday clubs and camping weekends to name just a few.
For further information for schools wishing to hold an event and apply for funding:
Visit:
Free PSHE Conference for pupils in Years 8 and 9
PSHE Coordinator/ Head of Year/Pupils
Secondary
All
The Young Essex Assembly are gathering the views of young people around PSHE. They will be holding a conference at the Marconi Centre in Chelmsford on Thursday 12 December 2013. The conference will coverPSHE, with a particular focus on child sexual exploitation and feeling safe. We’re inviting schools to send up to 10 pupils (with staff) to share their views and to learn more about the issues around this.
A letter for schools and agenda for the event can be found on Events for Pupils, Essex Schools Infolink
Please see the Events for Pupils, Essex Schools Infolinkfor more details or for further information:
Contact: Involvement Team
Silver Sunday – Share your success stories
All staff/ Pupils
All Phases
All
You may recall the recent publicity around the Silver Sunday work, where events were focused on engaging and celebrating the contribution of Older People. Essex rose to the occasion magnificently with well over 20 different events across the county ranging from Leisure Centres offering free classes to Halloween suppers, all published on the Silver Sunday website. This placed us fourth after the three London Boroughs that started Silver Sunday in 2012, but ahead of Wales; so we beat a whole country!
You know the old adage that a job’s not complete until the paperwork is done … well I would be grateful if you could tell me what you did to support the Silver Sunday approach and share any interesting outcomes.
Please send your responses to
Father Christmas at Cressing Temple
All Staff/ Pupils/ Parents and Carers
NurseryEYFSInfantJuniorPrimary
All
This year a Christmas visit to the medieval barns at Cressing Temple to meet Father Christmas will also include meeting real life reindeers!
Please find attached a digital posterwhich we are happy for you to share with colleagues, parents and carers through your school website and newsletter.
While visitors to the magical Christmas grotto listen to festive stories from Father Christmas, a short journey through the enchanted sweet forest will await them, before a final stop at the elf toyshop to select a special gift.
The event at Cressing Temple is open from 11am – 6pm, Saturday 7, Sunday 8, Monday 9, Saturday 14 and Sunday 15 December 2013.
Booking in advance is essential 0845 603 7624
Price: £8.99 per child, the event is free for all adults and suitable for families.
For further information about the Christmas activities at Essex Country Parks and Cressing Temple:
Visit:
Christmas fun at Essex Country Parks!
All Staff/ Pupils/ Parents and Carers
NurseryEYFSInfantJuniorPrimary
All
Essex Country parks are set to host a range of wonderful fun-filled Christmas events this December!
Please find attached a digital poster which we are happy for you to share with colleagues, parents and carers through your school website and newsletter.
Santa at Weald/ Christmas Eve at Weald Country Park
Meet Santa in his magical grotto throughout December and Christmas Eve.
7, 8, 14, 15, 21, 22, 23 or 24 December
£6.00 per child
Santa’s Celebration Trails at Hadleigh and Thorndon Country Parks
Hadleigh and Thorndon will be hosting Santa Celebration Trail’s - a festive woodland trail ending at Santa’s grotto.
Hadleigh: Sunday 15 December
Thorndon: Sunday 8 December
£8 per child (including gift)
Christmas Trail at Danbury Country Park
A self-led trail - follow the map, answer the questions and receive a stocking filler prize at the end.
Danbury: 23, 24 December
£3 per child
All events are suitable for families, booking is essential:
Telephone: 0845 603 7624
What's New on Essex Schools Infolink
Please see details below regarding new and updated information available this week on Essex Schools Infolink:
NEW: The Pupil Premium
Information to support schools in using the Pupil Premium effectively including good practice guidelines, links to toolkits, research and reports.
NEW: Headteacher Information Pages
Information pages for Headteachers can now be found in the Director for Education and Learning’s Area. Pages for Primary, Secondary and Special Headteachers will be regularly updated with information, updates, event dates, including resources from recent meetings.
UPDATED: Catering Courses at Perryfields
Course dates for 2014 are now available and have been uploaded to the Infolink A-Z under C