Diocese of Portsmouth

Department for Schools
Park Place Pastoral Centre
Winchester Road
Wickham
PO17 5HA
Tel: 01329 835363 /

21st January 2016

Schools Bulletin No: 2.16

To all governors, charitable trustees, headteachers, senior leaders and clerks to governors

This Bulletin is sent electronically to all governors, charitable trustees, headteachers, senior leaders and clerks for whom an email address is held in the Department for Schools’ office. No hard copies will be issued. Bulletins will be circulated as and when appropriate and will be numbered for ease of reference. The bulletin will also be available on the diocesan web-site.

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In this bulletin:

1.  Resources for schools for the Year of Mercy

2.  Information from the DfE

3.  School Adjudicator’s annual report 2014-5

4.  Appointing a teacher - additional pre-appointment check

5.  Information from Ofsted

6.  Information from CES

7.  Catholic education


1 Resources for schools for the Year of Mercy

Useful resources for schools:

http://www.bemerciful.co.uk/category/schools-resources/

This Nottingham site includes some useful links particularly relevant for secondary schools.

http://www.nores.org.uk/YearofMercy/tabid/166/Default.aspx

A comprehensive list of practical activities from Northampton Diocese with ideas for assembly, PowerPoints and prayers. These resources are good for primary schools, but there are also a few ideas for secondary pupils.

http://www.crs.org/resource-center/year-mercy-resources

This is an American site, but very good for an overview of the Catholic Relief Services, along with downloadable handouts and an overview of information about the Jubilee year of mercy. This includes scriptural references, corporal and spiritual works of mercy and ideas for participation. There are also some very short video clips of different individuals’ interpretations of the meaning of the year of mercy.

http://schools.cliftondiocese.com/?page_id=1452

PowerPoint assemblies and ideas for application.

http://www.cafod.org.uk/Education/Primary-schools

A range of resources; there are links to the liturgical year, with many practical applications.

http://www.cafod.org.uk/Education/Secondary-schools/Year-of-Mercy

Practical, easy to access resources which are particularly helpful for secondary schools.

http://catholicnews.org.uk/content/download/60787/461437/file/YoM-collation-Dec15.pdf

A short, helpful PDF which explains the background to the Year of Mercy, including links which describe how it is being marked in other dioceses in England and Wales.

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2  Information from the DfE

(i) Timelines for schools: mandatory and useful information
The DfE has updated the “Need to Know” timelines for schools and academies. The ‘mandatory’ timelines help schools understand the legal requirements they must meet. The ‘useful information’ timelines help schools find out about future changes, as well as identify upcoming activities that may benefit students. The timelines can be accessed at: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/mandatory-and-useful-timelines-information-for-schools

(ii) School Financial Health and Efficiency Webpage
The DfE has updated its resources for schools in relation to financial health and efficiency which can all be accessed at:
https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/schools-financial-health-and-efficiency


As well as pre-existing tools, such as the benchmarking website, the DfE has also launched two new tools: an efficiency metric and Benchmarking Report Card.
The department says that it has introduced the metric tool “to help mainstream schools understand whether they could improve their efficiency relative to other schools. The metric provides schools with an indication of their efficiency, based on pupil attainment and the money used to achieve it, relative to statistically similar schools. This will prompt schools to think about where they can become more efficient and how they could focus their resources to support measures to increase attainment.”
The department believes that “the School Efficiency Metric does not provide answers in isolation. It allows schools to form an idea of their scope for efficiency improvements, but it does not suggest how schools should achieve these improvements. Schools should use other efficiency tools and resources, including financial benchmarking data (for academies and for local authority maintained schools), the resources available through the schools financial health and efficiency webpage and the professional judgement of school leadership teams. These other resources and tools can help schools budget and manage their finances, and identify areas where greater efficiencies can be made.”


The Benchmarking Report Card was emailed to schools and provides highlights of individual school spending in various categories, compared with similar schools.

The website also includes specific advice for governors: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/schools-financial-efficiency-top-10-planning-checks-for-governors and https://www.gov.uk/guidance/schools-financial-efficiency-the-role-of-the-school-governor

(iii) DfE’s latest Guidance regarding the RS GCSE
The DfE published some new non-statutory guidance over the Christmas holidays in response to the Judicial Review of the RS GCSE instigated by the BHA.

The new guidance note can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/488477/RS_guidance.pdf

The CES writes that this DfE guidance is “a helpful summary of what we already knew to be the case. The finding of the Judicial Review will have no impact on the content of the new GCSE and will not delay its launch. It is also helpful to have restated that the judgement in any case was not applicable to schools with a religious character. The DfE was in contact with the CES with regards to the guidance note and we have publicly welcomed it as a helpful clarification of the situation for our schools.”

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3  School Adjudicator’s annual report 2014-15

The main findings were:
a) There has been some progress in complying with the Code on consultation about and determination and publication of admission arrangements, but too many schools that are their own admission authority do not comply fully.
b) The arrangements for admission to the sixth form still frequently contravene the Code. There continue to be misunderstandings about the general requirements that apply to admissions to the sixth form. (See also paragraphs 87-88)
c) The admission arrangements for many schools that are their own admission authority are unnecessarily complex and lack transparency, especially those with numerous subcategories within individual oversubscription criteria. (See also paragraph 81 on over-complex faith criteria)
d) The guidance provided for schools designated as having a religious character by the body or person representing the religion or religious denomination is of variable availability and quality. Some guidance is clear, up to date and takes full account of the Code, but much is not.
e) There have been instances of pressure groups and individuals making use of the provision to object when it appears to be more about trying to influence a policy matter than concern about the arrangements of a school for which parents might legitimately be considering applying for a place for their child.
f) Reports from local authorities raise important issues.
Other points raised in the report include:
Consultation
Schools failing to consult, not consulting properly (just putting on their website) or not showing that they have considered responses. Headteachers and Admissions committees should read paragraphs 46-52 carefully.

Publishing arrangements
Points included arrangements not being published at all and difficulty in finding arrangements. Headteachers and governors should read paragraphs 55 to 59 and review what they do.

Arrangements for deferred entry for summer born children

Policies must say how a request for admission outside normal age group can be made and the process to be followed by an admission authority when deciding whether to agree the request or not. See paragraphs 61-64.

Feeder Schools

See paragraphs 73-77 on need for consultation and real links between schools.

The complete report can be found at https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/393886/OSA_Annual_Report_2014.pdf

4  Appointing a teacher - additional pre-appointment check
The law changed with effect from 18th January 2016 so that there will now be an additional pre-appointment check that schools should carry out when considering appointing a teacher.

From 18th January 2016, where any European Economic Area (EEA) authority that has responsibility for regulating the teaching profession imposes a restriction on a person’s ability to work as a teacher, this information must be shared with all other EEA teacher regulators.

In addition to the normal teacher prohibition pre-appointment checks detailed at part 3 of ‘Keeping Children Safe in Education’ statutory guidance, schools can now use the Employer Access (EA) Online Service to also identify restrictions imposed by all EEA authorities.

Restrictions imposed by another EEA authority do not prevent an individual from taking up teaching positions in England. However, schools should consider the circumstances leading to the restriction when considering a candidate’s suitability.

The EA Online service explains how to get additional information about EEA restrictions.

We are advised that ‘Keeping Children Safe in Education’ will be updated shortly.
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5 Information from Ofsted

A new school inspection update has been published. It includes information on

·  Timing of inspections for new schools and requires improvement re-inspections

·  Two-year-olds in school run provision,

·  Staffing ratios and qualification requirements in governor run pre-schools and nurseries in local authority maintained schools,

·  Floor standards

·  Key Stage 2 to 4 progress for pupils with prior attainment based only on teacher assessment

·  Impact of English pathway on 2015 Key Stage 4 performance measures

·  Progress 8 scores for opt-in schools

·  Reporting on the use of PE and sport premium funding in primary school inspections

·  Governance handbook and implications for inspections

·  A number of other topics

The full update can be accessed at: https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/489087/School_inspection_update_January_2016.pdf

6 Information from CES

The latest legal update is attached here. Double click in the box to open the link.

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7 Catholic Education
In this Year of Mercy, we pray that our schools may be places where pupils, parents and members of staff may experience something of the patience, tenderness and compassion of God’s mercy.

“Wherever the Church is present, the mercy of the Father must be evident.

Wherever there are Christians, everyone should find an oasis of mercy.”

Pope Francis

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Diocese of Portsmouth – Department for Schools

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