Dear Colleagues,
Welcome to this week’s issue of Education Essex.
Congratulations to Jan Vaughan, head at Canvey Junior School, on the well-deserved award of an OBE for services to education.
The Schools Forum nomination and election process is currently taking place. Please see the first item under school updates for further information. Both the nomination and election period ends on 28 June 2013.
Have a good week.
Tim Coulson
Director of Education and Learning
School Updates
Continuous Professional Development
Events and Resources
National Events and Resources
Department for Education News
Click on the links above for more information
School Updates
- Schools Forum Self Nomination / Election
- Free Early Education Entitlement for two-year-olds
- Volunteering activity in Essex schools
- EMTAS Survey – Share your views
- Specialist Teacher Team Evaluation
- Join Education Essex and Essex Schools Infolink Consultation Group
Audience:Headteacher
Phase:All Phases
School Type:All
Action required: Nominations and elections both close Friday 28June 2013
Self-nominations are invited from Headteachers of maintained schools in the Primary Sector. Infant, Junior and Primary Headteachers are eligible to self-nominate themselves.Please read the self-nomination informationattached for further details.
A re-election is being held to choose a representative for the Secondary Academy Governor vacancy following a three-way tie in the previous election.Please read the Election information attached and all secondary academies can vote.
Free Early Education Entitlement for two-year-olds
Audience:Headteacher
Phase:EYFSKS1KS2Primary
School Type:All
The Free Early Education Entitlement enables children aged 3-4 years, and some eligible two year olds, to access up to 15 hours free early education per week; traditionally spread over 38 weeks a year.
The Free Entitlement programme for two year olds is expanding and from September 2013 there will be a statutory duty on local authorities to ensure that there are sufficient high quality places for eligible children.
A few schools across Essex have already expressed an interest in exploring the possibility of offering funded early education places for two year olds.
In light of the government’s publication and consultations concerning More Great Childcare, we are currently exploring how best to advise and support these schools.We expect the findings of government consultations to be released in September 2103 and this should give us a clearer steer.
Once that has happened, we will invite interested schools to an information sharing session.We will ensure that schools are aware of these dates once they have been confirmed.
If you would like to register your interest in finding out more please provide your name, title, school and email details by email to:
Contact: Early Years and Childcare
Email:
Volunteering activity in Essex schools
Audience:All Staff
Phase:All Phases
School Type:All
Essex is one of four national whole community budget pilots.These pilots have been instigated in order that public sector agencies change the way they work together to deliver services that improves the lives of residents, whilst also cutting waste and duplication.
Strengthening Communities is one theme of the Essex pilot and Volunteering an integral aspect of it.The Volunteering project is aimed at stimulating individual and reciprocal activity across communities, strengthening existing volunteering activity, and developing new activity, targeting where it is most needed.Through increased support and a sense of collective responsibility for action, volunteers will not only feel confident in tackling local problems, but will feel valued for doing so.
The consultation undertaken has highlighted a need to focus our efforts on the 16-24 year age group and we are currently researching and designing a campaign to help boost volunteering activity across Essex from amongst this age group.We are aware of the critical role of schools [colleges and universities] as community hubs, but have no county-wide knowledge of volunteering related activity attributed to educational establishments.
Please complete and send the attached questionnairewhich will support the design of the campaign to:
Contact: Joshua Resoun
Email:
EMTAS Survey – Share your views
Audience:All Staff
Phase:All Phases
School Type:All
This survey is to help us to understand your views about the Ethnic Minority and Traveller Service (EMTAS), so that we can use the information to help make decisions which will improve the services available for children and young people and your school.
Your answers are confidential and will not be shared with anyone.We will use the information to produce a summary report for our staff, schools and headteachers.
Please visit our online survey and answer the questions as fully and honestly as possible.You can leave out any questions you do not wish to answer.
Thank you in advance and we look forward to hearing your views.
Specialist Teacher Team Evaluation
Audience:Headteacher/SENCO
Phase:All Phases
School Type:All
Your views are important
Every year the Specialist Teacher Team asks for an evaluation of the service you have received.Previously Specialist Teachers had collected the information but we would like to use Survey Monkey for feedback this year.
Please visit our Specialist Teacher Team Evaluation to share your views.We want to continue providing a service which is valuable to your school and your feedback is very important to us.
Thank you in advance and we look forward to hearing your feedback.
Join Education Essex and Essex Schools Infolink Consultation Group
Audience:All Staff
Phase:All Phases
School Type:All
Further to our recent consultation and feedback communication in Issue 85, we are now seeking to create a consultation group to play a role in the next steps of our improvement plans.We received a high level of response to the consultation which provided us with a wealth of ideas and information to help support us to move forward and would like to offer colleagues a chance to take part in the next phase of improving these communication channels.
We are looking for Essex school colleagues who are prepared to test, discuss and share their thoughts on our next step plans for the newsletter and website.As the channels are designed to communicate with schools, it would be valuable to hear more about what you would like as features so we can develop the services you receive.
If you would be interested in joining our consultation group please email the Schools Communication team to register your interest.This will be an online group who will be contacted electronically.
For further information:
Contact: Schools Communication Team
Email:
Telephone: 01245 434745
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Continuous Professional Development
- Training for Educational Visits New Evolve Website
- SENCO Bulletin – 18 June 2013
Audience:Headteacher/ Educational Visits Coordinator
Phase:All Phases
School Type:All
Free training opportunities offering an introduction to the new system are taking place at various locations during July.This free training is for 1 hour and thirty minutes and is appropriate for any Educational Visits Coordinator or Headteacher.
Please see the informationattached which includes booking information to secure a place.
For further information or enquiries:
Contact: Educational Visits Support Team
Telephone: 01245 221022
E-mail:
SENCO Bulletin – 18 June 2013
Audience:SENCO
Phase:All Phases
School Type:All
In this edition of the SENCO Bulletin:
- The Phonics Check – useful information from the Communication Trust
- News on the Children and Families Bill – a fascinating document written to inform the Report Stage debate
- Primary SENCO Conferences
- Initial information on ‘TAs and talk in the classroom’ – a project we are developing with the University of East London
- Booking information for ‘Include me In’ courses for 2013-14
Please contact us if you need any further information:
Contact: INSET Team
Telephone: 01268 632360
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Events and Resources
- Planning One-to-One Tuition – Online resource
- New EVOLVE Website for Educational Visits
- Trading Standards – Don’t be taken for a ride
- Your Essex – Summer Edition
Audience:Headteacher/ Tuition Leaders
Phases: KS2PrimarySecondarySpecial Schools
School Type:All
If your school is planning One-to-One Tuition for next year, visit our One-to-One tuition website for key information and guidance including the following:
Employing new tutors
Tutors details are available by using our One-to-One Tuition Tutor Pool. Complete the online application form with your requirements and a list of contact details for tutors will be sent to you.Also provided on our webpage you will find guidance on employing tutors and suggested questions for interview when employing tutors under HR Guidance.
New Tuition Lead
We can offer individual support to Tuition Leads new to role in whole school structures that enable tuition to have greatest impact. If you are interested, email Marilyn Edwards.
Training for Tutors
Autumn term: English and Maths training will be available.Tutors (including class teachers) new to tuition will find exploring the tuition sequence and related activities very useful (dates to be confirmed).
For any further information or queries:
Contact: Marilyn Edwards
Email:
New EVOLVE Website for Educational Visits
Audience:Headteacher/ Educational Visits Coordinator
Phase:All Phases
School Type:All
New for September 2013 – A Nationally used Educational Visits Submission and Resource Website.
Essex County Council Educational Visits are moving to a new more efficient, nationally used web based submission site from September 2013.Initially, this will run alongside the old Educational Visits Website, but will replace it totally by March 2014.
New User names and passwords will be allocated to you for the EVOLVE website.This system can be used as soon as you like from September and is very user friendly!A few schools are already ‘piloting’ the system to ensure smooth transition come September.
For further information or enquiries:
Contact: Educational Visits Support Team
Telephone: 01245 221022
E-mail:
Trading Standards – Don’t be taken for a ride
Audience:All Staff/Pupils
Phase:SecondarySpecial SchoolsPost 16
School Type:All
Action required: Please share information with pupils, parents and carers
Don’t be taken for a ride – Trading Standards officers appeal to young people to do their homework before buying a second-hand car.
Officers at Essex County Council Trading Standards are hoping schools, colleges and universities in the county can help us highlight our Don’t be Taken for a Ride campaign to encourage young people do their homework before buying their first car.
We have produced a checklist for young people to ensure they have all the information they need.
Officers receive thousands of calls each year from residents concerned about a second-hand car purchase.The calls range from complaints about mis-description of vehicles to inaccurate mileage, faulty vehicles and unsafe vehicles.
Young people are most at risk at buying a problematic car because they are most likely to buy at the cheaper end of the market and have less experience of making such purchases.
You can also download the checklist here
For advice from Essex County Council Trading Standards:
Telephone: 08454 040506
Your Essex – Summer Edition
Audience:All Staff
Phase:All Phases
School Type:All
The summer edition of Your Essex e-magazine is out now - packed with news and inspiration for things to do over the coming weeks.
Essex County Council’s free magazine for residents highlights all that’s great about this county including the wealth of innovative work taking place in Essex schools.Take a look at our education section – In the Classroom– where stories include a pupil becoming a budding film star plus a school joining forces with a local tourism attraction to provide some unusual education outside the classroom.
And subscribers have the chance to win a fantastic studio photography session, complete with souvenir photos, courtesy of Joanna Bradley Photography.
Subscribe now (if you haven’t already) and email Your Essex if you wish to feature a story about your school in the magazine.
For further information:
Contributions, Feedback and Ideas:
Visit:
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National Events and Resources
- Tycoon In Schools 2013 Contest
- National Supply Teacher Week
- 7 Ways to Boost Your Schools Intake
Audience:Headteacher/ Teachers /Pupils
Phase: SecondarySpecial SchoolsPost 16
School Type: All
Action required: Applications need to be submitted by 9September 2013 by 5pm
Pupils are encouraged to unleash their entrepreneurial potential by entering Tycoon in Schools 2013and compete to be crowned the Ultimate Tycoon.
Participating schools will receive a £1000 loan to be allocated to pupils presenting innovative and marketable ideas.Successful students have one month to commence trading and make a profit from their enterprise.At the close of the competition, students repay their original loans to the Tycoon Bank, and remaining profits can be used by the school or donated to local charitable causes.
Set up in 2012 by businessman, entrepreneur and television personality, Peter Jones CBE, providing personal investment of £100,000, the competition inspires pupils to start their own businesses.Now in its second year, the competition has received backing from the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills, with a funding injection of £50,000 to help roll out the campaign and encourage more students to take part.
Schools are invited toregister their interest before 9 September 2013.
For further information:
Visit:
National Supply Teacher Week
Audience:All Staff
Phase:All Phases
School Type:All
In what can be quite an isolating career, National Supply Teacher week (17 June 2013 – 21 June 2013) offers an opportunity for schools to show recognition and appreciation for the hard work supply teachers provide in times of need.
The Supply Teacher Team have provided information on how schools can get involved this week, as well as, aprintable certificate which can be personalised and presented to supply teachers. Schools taking part can also share event information by emailing the team.
For further information:
Email:
Visit: The Supply Teacher
7 Ways to Boost Your Schools Intake
Audience:Headteacher/ School Website Editor
Phase:All Phases
School Type:All
Search engines and local press are key methods prospective parents use to find out about your school throughout the year.Therefore, controlling your schools publicity and online presence can help ensure parents form a positive opinion.Ambitious Minds offer ideas forsecondaryandprimaryschools, such as developing your school website, bringing attention to events and positive stories and checking your online profile through search engines.
For further information:
Visit:
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Department for Education News
- GCSE Reform Consultations
- Advanced Learning Loans
Audience:All Staff
Phase:SecondarySpecial SchoolsPost 16
School Type:All
The Department for Education has published draft details of new GCSE content in core academic subjects.Alongside, the independent regulator Ofqual has published a consultation on the regulation of reformed GCSEs.
Key elements of the proposals include:
- The reforms will initially apply to English language and literature, maths, physics, chemistry, biology, combined science, history, geography, modern and ancient languages
- The revised GCSEs (with the exception of languages) will be introduced from 2015, with the first exams taking place in 2017
- Grading by numbers 8-1 rather than by the current letters A*-G
- Course work and controlled assessment will largely be replaced by linear, externally marked end-of-course exams
- The current two tier system will end except in maths and science.
For further information:
Visit:GCSE subject content and assessment objectives, Department for Education
Advanced Learning Loans
Audience:All Staff
Phase:All Phases
School Type:All
Those wishing to personally further their education to support their role may wish to take advantage of the Department for Education’s 24+ Advanced Learning Loan.Applicable courses include Level 3 and 4 qualifications taking place after 1 August 2013.
Eligibility rules apply and loans will need to be paid back.However,repayments begin in April 2016 and when the learner is earning over £21,000 a year.