Noticeboard: 5 May 2022

This week's Noticeboard includes an update on budgets, a reminder about Operation Encompass training and much more.

Included in this update:

Update for Maintained Schools that currently pay suppliers via the Simplified Loader in Oracle

Until the SFPM has been updated and further guidance has been provided, please ensure that the following minimal internal controls are in place at your school when using the simplified uploader.

A copy of each invoice and signed MIS authorisation slip entered is attached to the simplified uploader file before submittal
Only invoices that have been raised and fully authorised on the school's MIS system should be input and passed for payment via the simplified uploader
Ensure that there are no duplicate invoices (in particular those that may have been paid via the purchase card
Ensure that the correct ledger code is used as per the latest mapping table (Otherwise this will affect CFR reporting to the DfE)
Before submittal print off the spreadsheet so that the data entered can be checked for accuracy
SLT invoice authoriser to check the print off for accuracy and ensure that the supplier information, invoice totals and vat amounts on the spreadsheet reconcile to the MIS authorisation slip
Once thorough checks have been completed and totals verified, the SLT invoice authoriser should sign and date the print off, this should be retained with the school's financial documents
Officer or Teacher submitting the spreadsheet for payment should check that no further amendments have been made to the file since it was printed and signed
Simplified uploader should only be submitted for payment once a signed copy of the spreadsheet has been received

CONTACT: Lana Forrester (lana.forrester@birmingham.gov.uk)

Budgets update

Special School Budgets

Special schools have been issued with schedules setting out the top-up funding, environmental and transitional protection allocations. Most schools have been informed of the number of funded places, but if not please use last year’s funded places at £10,000 per place. Confirmed budget allocations will be issued shortly after June half term.

Early Years Indicative Budgets

Indicative Early Years budgets for nursery schools and schools with nursery classes will be issued on 12th May. The rates were presented to Schools Forum in January 2022. Please see link below.

Draft Schools Forum Report - Early Years Rates Review | Birmingham City Council

Please contact the FairFunding Team FairFunding@birmingham.gov.uk if you have any queries.

REMINDER: Operation Encompass refresher training on 17 May 2022

All schools are invited to attend refresher training on Operation Encompass. The training will take place online on Tuesday 17th May 2pm - 3.30pm.

The session will reinforce the online key adult training which is a prerequisite for schools to sign up to Operation Encompass in Birmingham. The session will also provide the opportunity to:

review the implementation of Operation Encompass since it launched in Birmingham in September 2021.
discuss the Birmingham process map and how schools can help with continuous practice improvement.
help understand the purpose of Operation Encompass, and to consider schools' role in supporting children who may be experiencing domestic abuse immediately following an incident.

Places can be booked through the Birmingham Education Support Services website at this link. Schools who have not previously used the BESS website are able to sign up through the booking link.

After the session, the slides presented will be made available to all schools along with the recording and an FAQ sheet.

Contact: ssi@birmingham.gov.uk

DfE COVID-19 workforce fund to support schools with costs of staff absences

The DfE has provided further updated guidance in relation to the workforce fund to support schools with the costs of staff absences. The period of time it covers has been extended from 22 November 2021 to 8th April 2022.

The guidance details what costs are covered within this process and the eligibility criteria.

The deadline for submission is 11.59pm on 24th May 2022

Contact: Lana.forrester@birmingham.gov.uk

Education Infrastructure: Dual Funding Applications

Following the success of previous Dual Funding schemes, we are pleased to launch the 2022 / 23 initiative. The application is available to all community, foundation and voluntary controlled schools. Voluntary aided, academies and free schools are subject to a separate funding process.

This is an opportunity for schools to apply to the local authority for funding to assist with addressing key building condition priorities. Please see the application form on our website at this link.

Please submit your completed Dual Funding Application (in Excel format) by no later than 27 May 2022 to edsi.enquiries@birmingham.gov.uk.

Education Infrastructure Bulletin: May 2022

This term’s Education Infrastructure bulletin is available on the BESS wesite available at this link.

The bulletin covers the following topics:

Dual Funding Applications
Traded Services
Surplus Primary Places
Additional Secondary places
Statutory Compliance Return

Contact Education Infrastructure for school place planning, capital projects and asset management queries: edsi.enquiries@birmingham.gov.uk

BreathEducation and the Birmingham Wellbeing Census

Information has recently been provided asking schools to kindly participate in the Birmingham Wellbeing Census.

The census is a collaborative project with BreathEducation and Birmingham City Council and will enable the collection of accurate and timely information, which will ultimately support the wellbeing of our children and young people in Birmingham.

Data collection will continue until the end of June 2022 so we would encourage you to act quickly and register your interest.

More information on participating and registering can be found at this link.

SEND Parents and Carers Survey: Opens tomorrow with deadline 27th May

Please could you widely circulate the following link to the SEND Parents and Carers Survey, which will be open on Friday 6th May until 5pm on Friday 27th May 2022.

Click here for the link to the SEND Survey - which is for parents and carers of children and young adults with Special Educational Needs only.

The link is accessible via computer, laptop or mobile and will be open on Friday 6th May until 5pm on Friday 27th May 2022.

As you may know the SEND Local Area Partnership in Birmingham [Birmingham City Council, (Education) Birmingham Children's Trust (Social Care) Health (NHS) and the Birmingham Parent Carer Forum (BPCF)] is working hard to improve SEND services so that we provide the best possible help and support for children with additional needs in the City.

As part of this project we are working with parents and carers, amongst other stakeholders to determine what their priorities are for improvement, seeking the broadest possible understanding of a wide range of views, so that we can improve SEND services.

To help with this work, we are asking parents and carers to fill in a short, anonymous survey (about 5 minutes long) about their experiences with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) services for their child or children in 2022. We hope that as many people as possible will take part so that we can get a clear picture of what is going well, and what not so well in the service and use that information to bring about change.

Those people who wish to submit contact details will be in with a chance of winning a £100 shopping voucher.

Here is the link to the SEND Survey - which will be open on Friday 6th May until 5pm on Friday 27th May 2022.

Please feel free to circulate this widely so that we can hear from as many people as possible. If you have any questions about the survey or need support completing it, please email - SENDImpComm@birmingham.gov.uk

Survey for young people aged 15+ on seatbelt use

The council is working on an important project about encouraging young people to wear a seatbelt when travelling by car, and needs young people aged 15-22 to complete a survey testing a brand new campaign. We would be really grateful if you could bring this to the attention of your pupils and, ideally, set aside 10 minutes in class (perhaps in form time or PSHE) where students can all complete the survey, before the deadline of Friday 20 May 2022.

Background

When we looked at crash data for the areas of the city with very high Birmingham South Asian populations, we see an unusually high rate of passenger casualties. Whilst this affects all ages, young people aged between 16-24 are most at risk. We also know that the rate of non-seatbelt use in these areas is currently 7 times higher (38%) than the national average (5%). Road safety adverts to promote seatbelt use are outdated and rarely feature people from Pakistani, Bangladeshi and Indian backgrounds. So we have been working with young people from the South Asian community in Birmingham to design new road safety adverts to encourage people to wear seatbelts. We have now developed a short survey to find out if young people respond better to adverts that are designed for them, by them.

Responses to the survey so far are suggesting that the messages designed by these young people are shown to be effective, but we need more responses to robustly demonstrate that the campaign is a valuable tool, with the potential to save lives and lower injury rates.

Although the campaign is targeted towards young people of South Asian background, we welcome survey responses from people of any heritage.

CONTACT: connected@birmingham.gov.uk

Risk of NEET students - Years 11, 12 & 13

In response to Covid-19 and the disproportionate impact on the future career opportunities for young people, Birmingham Careers Service has been offering its RONI (risk of NEET) offer from 1st April 2022. Careers Leads are invited to submit a referral form for any 2022 leaver they consider is at risk of not progressing into education, employment or training.

For full details and a referral form, please visit this link.

Please be aware this does not replace schools' statutory duty to provide impartial and independent careers guidance.

Early Career Framework Induction

Early Career Teachers (ECTs): A reminder of the statutory duty to register with an Appropriate Body (AB) and to provide and an ECF (Early Career Framework) based Induction. In September 2021 NQT induction changed. Induction now follows the Early Career Framework (ECF) and is a two-year process. NQTs or Early Career Teachers will still need to be registered with an Appropriate Body. These complex changes were introduced when schools still faced the challenges that Covid 19 brought and you may have missed them if you were not employing a new teacher at the time.

This message acts as a reminder regarding the statutory duty to register your ECTs with an AB, as you will have done so in the past with NQTs. In line with induction guidance an ECT cannot start their statutory induction until their AB has been agreed. Additionally, you will know that you must also choose a provider and a level of opt in for your ECT’s ECF based induction.

If you are new to these changes this year and are employing an ECT this coming September, you may find the following information on the Services for Education website useful.

Special School Outreach Support Bulletin

Thank you for your interest and requests for Special School Outreach Support (SSOS). Over the last few months, the SSOS project team has been working hard to set up Special School Outreach Support. Unfortunately, due to the impact of COVID on staff absence in schools, the capacity of our Special Schools to release staff to provide the support at this time has been limited. We are very disappointed that we have not been able to meet all your requests and your patience and understanding of this situation has been very much appreciated. We are and have been doing all we can to fulfil existing requests as soon as possible.

For now, we are putting new requests for support on hold for the next few weeks, which will enable us to build and increase our capacity so that we can provide the quality of outreach support you would want. We really do believe that this model is the future of school to school support for young people with SEND and we look forward to working with you and in collaboration with Birmingham inclusion services over the coming months.

If you have any questions or comments, or would like to know more about the support on offer, please do send an email to s.harris@wilsonstuart.co.uk

We’ll provide an update before the end of this half term (27th May 2022).

Naturally Birmingham: Young Green Champions

May is a great time of year for any budding Young Green Champions to get outside and benefit from all that nature has to offer.

Outdoor Classroom Day is 19th May so Naturally Birmingham are asking you to encourage children to start their journey to become Young Green Champions by "Getting Moving in May" and simply doing four things:

Take a walk outside together
Notice nature
Record your walk
Share what you did

Schools can download a recording sheet and find more information about the benefits of walking in nature for both physical and mental health here.

Please complete and return the recording sheet to Futureparks@bosf.ork.uk

Access to Education Training Courses

AET Post-16 Good Autism Practice – 24th May 2022 – Delivered by Communication and Autism Team (Birmingham Hub)

This module is for practitioners and staff working in a range of Post-16 settings, including General Colleges of Further Education, Independent Specialist Providers, Mainstream and Special Schools with Post-16 provision, Sixth Form Colleges, Work Based Learning Providers and Adult and Community Learning Providers.

The aims of this module are to enable delegates to:

Appreciate the strengths and learning needs of autistic learners.
Improve the ways you support the autistic learner to communicate their future aspirations.
Equip you to work in partnership with the autistic learner to co-create goals for their education.
Improve your practice in supporting the autistic learner.

Learning objectives

After completing this module delegates will be able to:
Reflect on, develop and improve you own knowledge, understanding and practice in working with autistic learners.
Consider some approaches, strategies, and adaptations you can implement to remove barriers to participation and learning for autistic learners you work with.
This session will be delivered remotely via Microsoft Teams on Tuesday 24th May 2022 at 9:00am – 4:00pm - Booking information available at this link

AET Exclusions Module – 11th May 2022 – Delivered by the Communication and Autism Team (CAT)

The aim of this module is to enable delegates to:

Understand the legal context of autism and exclusion
Understand the risk of illegal exclusion and how to avoid it occurring
Better understand the triggers and ways of managing distressed behaviours
Reflect on ways to support autistic CYP and their families during the period of exclusion
To consider ways of transitioning the autistic CYP back into school and how to manage the reintegration meeting

This session will be delivered at Thornbury Centre, Thornbury Road, Birchfield, Birmingham, B20 3DE on Wednesday, 11th May 2022 at 09:00am – 12:30pm - Booking information available at this link

AET Schools: Leadership, Inclusion and Structural Reasonable Adjustments – 10th May 2022 – Delivered by the Communication and Autism Team (CAT)

This module will help leaders to understand what is needed to fully embed an inclusive culture. It looks at education legislation and guidance surrounding inclusion, the steps required to lead culture change and the importance of considering structural reasonable adjustments and AET resources to support leaders with this.

The aim of this module is to enable delegates:

To look at how inclusive provision and structural reasonable adjustments can help a setting to be outstanding.
To consider what is needed to lead culture change in a setting.
To know about AET resources and guidance that can support leaders to provide inclusive environments through structural reasonable adjustments.
To consider different ways of making structural reasonable adjustments to ensure autistic pupils are fully supported.
This session will be delivered at Thornbury Centre, Thornbury Road, Birchfield, Birmingham, B20 3DE on Tuesday, 10th May 2022 Booking information available at this link

AET Schools Making Sense of Autism – 9th May 2022 – Delivered by Communication and Autism Team (CAT)

This session will use the AET’s new training materials, developed by leading autism specialists. This is a raising awareness module for anyone working in schools. This includes teaching and support staff, office and ancillary staff, caterers, caretakers, transport staff and governors.

What will you learn? Participants will:

have enhanced understanding and awareness of autism and how autism can affect children in schools
know the importance of understanding the individual child and their profile of strengths and needs
identify potential barriers to learning for autistic children
begin to make reasonable adjstments in the way you support autistic children
reflect on the information you need to collect for creating a one-page profile

This session will be delivered at Thornbury Centre, Thornbury Road, Birchfield, Birmingham, B20 3DE on Monday, 9th May 2022 at 09:00am – 10:30am - Booking information available at this link

AET Autism and Anxiety Module – 18th May 2022 – Delivered by Communication and Autism Team (CAT)

The aims: after completing this module, you will be able to understand:

how autistic CYP might express anxiety.
what can cause anxiety in autistic CYP.
what you can do to prevent and reduce anxiety in autistic CYP.

Learning objectives: after completing ‘Autism and anxiety’, participants will be able:

to have greater knowledge about how prevalent and impactful anxiety can be on autistic pupils
to learn that anxiety can be transactional and we all have a role in reducing anxiety in school
to understand that there is a toolbox of approaches that can be used to reduce anxiety and the first step is to learn about the individual’s triggers and preferred means of support
to understand that by reducing anxiety we can significantly improve a CYP’s ability to engage with school life and their peers, as well as improve general well-being.

This session will be delivered at Thornbury Centre, Thornbury Road, Birchfield, Birmingham, B20 3DE on Wednesday, 18th May 2022 at 09:00am – 12:30am

Booking information is available at this link

Services for Education training: EYFS Profile Moderation 2022

EYFS Profile Moderation 2022 – New Early Learning Goals for Communication, Language & Literacy – Additional Date Added

Tuesday 24th May 2022 9am – 12pm

The focus for 2022 Profile training 2021/22 is the revised Early Learning Goals for Communication and Language and Literacy. These sessions will support schools and settings to complete the profile assessments under the revised EYFS Statutory Framework 2021 and will be delivered by experienced accredited EYFS profile moderators.

The course will reassure practitioners that their judgments are accurate, valid and consistent with the new revised national standards (ELGs) and revised exemplification material by carrying out agreement trailing (standardisation) and moderation activities with other schools.

During the session, participants will get an opportunity to:

receive key information relating to the purposes, principles, and processes of the EYFS Profile assessment and moderation.
learn how to ensure that their assessments are comparable and consistent with national standards, as set out in the EYFS framework
gain opportunities to carry out standardisation and moderation tasks for the Early Learning Goals for Communication and Language, and Literacy with colleagues from other schools and settings.
learn how ‘Communication and Language’ development impacts on the patterns of outcomes across the ELGs.
reflect on the importance of profile assessment to inform parents about their child’s current levels of development and for an effective transition to Year One,

Booking information is available at this link.

Birmingham Community Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust: Makaton Workshops

Level 1 and 2
This workshop is suitable for professionals who need to use Makaton in their work (as well as for others who wish a more in-depth training) Parents and non-professional carers e.g. child-minders, who need to use Makaton in everyday situations. The sessions cover current best practice around sign and symbol use and an overview of alternative systems of communication. At the end of the Workshop, participants will be able to use signs from stages 1-4 plus the Additional stage of the Makaton vocabulary. Participant manuals containing all the signs and symbols will be provided.

Level 3
Builds on the signs and symbols learnt in Levels 1 and 2. Level 3, aims to increase participants' knowledge and skills. Level 3 develops ideas and confidence in using signs and symbols and teaches accurate interpretative skills. Sign analysis is considered and Stages 5 and 6 signs and symbols are taught. Participant manuals are provided.

Contact E-Mail – Helene.elia@nhs.net

RSPB Curriculum for Nature fully funded Teacher CPD

The RSPB is offering fully funded training for Year 1 and 4 teachers based in the Midlands.

This is a brilliant opportunity for the 2022/23 academic year, teachers will gain lesson resources and plans, practical skills and a wider understanding of how nature can be embedded across the curriculum. In line with funding requirements, priority will be given to schools with greater levels of urban deprivation, pupil premium and EAL.

More information about the project can be found on the RSPB website here or by contacting teachercpd@rspb.org.uk

Birmingham Royal Ballet: Free tickets for schools

Birmingham Royal Ballet’s Family Music & Dance schools performance: A perfect introduction to dance and the orchestra.

Sat 13 May, 1pm

Everyone’s welcome at this fabulous family-friendly afternoon of music and dance. Host Shireenah Ingram and conductor Phil Ellis invite you to meet the instruments of the 60-strong Royal Ballet Sinfonia – and greet BRB’s brilliant dancers, who’ll be performing some of ballet’s biggest hits.

You’ll meet Cinderella and her Fairy Godmother, as Cinders takes her incredible journey from rags to riches. And you’ll enjoy pocket-sized performances of classic moments from The Sleeping Beauty, La Fille mal gardée, Mother Goose and other world-famous ballets – all mixed in with plenty of fun and games for ballet fans of all ages!

If you would like to book your free tickets please email janinamundy@brb.org.uk

This entry was posted by Laura Hendry on 03/05/2022.

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