Noticeboard 3 November 2022

We hope you've enjoyed a good half-term break and welcome once again to this week's noticeboard containing information on Oracle, Tax-Free Childcare, the SEND Improvement Quarterly Update and a plethora of training sessions and webinars for you to choose!

 

Oracle Cloud System Implementation – Ongoing Commitment of Support 

Although steady progress continues to resolve technical issues arising from the Oracle implementation and stabilisation period, we apologise for the recent lack of update communications and other information reaching you. We recognise that this will have contributed to greater frustrations, as well as impacting on productivity and wellbeing, for which we are sincerely sorry. 

A comprehensive review of the situation has provided an opportunity to form a new, robust stabilisation plan, with a renewed focus and commitment to reassure and support you through this ongoing period of change. This plan includes a revised framework for dealing with complaints, regular update communications, improved engagement, and greater clarity on progress via performance dashboards.  

Progress Update

Identifying key areas for improvement:

  • A discovery workshop is being arranged to explore and identify the main pain points affecting Schools. Some Schools attendees have been nominated, but more participants are still needed.
  • Names should be emailed to Debra Holt Debra.Holt@birmingham.gov.uk.
  • The workshop dates will be confirmed with participants shortly. 

Finance:

  • The Oracle function to provide financial reconciliation files to Schools is nearing completion, with the aim to have it in place by the end of November. 
  • Since April we have processed 41,910k payments on behalf of schools, with a value of £210million. By 31 October we had no overdue invoices to process.
  • Payroll reports remain a priority, with development work progressing so that reports can be download by Schools via the HR Dashboard.

People Services (HR):

  • Annual School Workforce Census – to comply with the important legal requirement to provide information to the Department for Education by 3 December, please be aware that emails will be sent out via the schoolworkforcecensus@birmingham.gov.uk mailbox, regarding information about current Data Controllers, SENCOs and any non-teaching Leadership Team members.
  • Employee Self Service – the roll-out of Oracle’s Employee Self-Service for school staff began on 6 September, with groups of up to 50 schools (c3000 staff) going live every 2 weeks. Good progress continues and 205 schools (12,197 staff) are now live, with full access. The self-service roll out for the remaining 76 schools will be completed by 11 November. 

Getting In Touch – Points of Contact

A number of processes, contacts and escalation channels remain in place to support technical issues and complaints:  

Contacts for a range of different services are listed below, for further support and information:

2023-24 Financial Year National Funding Formula De-Delegation Consultation

For the attention of: Head Teachers and School Business Managers/Bursars

De-Delegation is agreed annually to reflect the central management services provided by the Local Authority for reasons of cost effectiveness, shared risk management and ease of organisation and management that a strategic approach can bring.

De-delegation applies only to maintained primary and secondary schools.

The De-Delegated Budgets Proposal for 2023/24 Report was presented at the Schools Forum meeting on 20 October 2022 and it was agreed for the Local Authority to consult with schools to increase the 2022/23 unit rate by 1.9% as per the National Funding Formula (NFF) rate.

As part of the school budget 2023-24 allocation process, the Local Authority would like to consult with schools on the following proposal:

  • For the three de-delegation areas in 2022-23 (contingencies, facilities time, behaviour support services), an increase of 1.9% as per NFF rate

The de-delegation proposal and other relevant documents can be viewed at this link: Birmingham Schools Forum October 2022 | Birmingham City Council

We would be grateful if you could provide your consultation response in a worded email by Friday 26 November 2022 to: FairFunding@birmingham.gov.uk. Please title the subject header “2023-24 De-delegation consultation response”.

With many thanks for your continued cooperation.

Are Parents Eligible for Tax-Free Childcare?

Working parents or carers can get up to £500 every three months (up to £2,000 a year per child) or if their child has a disability, they can get up to £1,000 every three months (up to £4,000 a year per child) to help with the costs of childcare.

Parents can use the money to pay for before and after school clubs, holiday clubs and play schemes as well as Nursery, Childminder or Nanny fees.

Most schools in Birmingham are already signed up for Tax-Free Childcare, but you can check by following this link: Government Guidance - Sign-up to tax-free childcare

What you can do to encourage take up of Tax-Free Childcare:

  • Find the families in your area who are not using Tax-Free Childcare and support them to understand its benefits and how to apply for it – for useful communications please follow this link: - Childcare Choices - Communications toolkit
  • Update your website with information about Tax-Free Childcare. Include links to useful sources of information such as:

Parents who have signed up for Tax-Free Childcare would be able to locate their childcare provider on the system in approximately two working days and can then pay the provider direct from their Tax-Free Childcare account.

If you would like to know more about Tax-Free Childcare and how you can support parents, we are running some short information sessions.  To book your place, simply follow this link: Tax-Free Childcare Awareness Sessions

If you would like any further information or have any queries please don't hesitate to contact the team: NEF@birmingham.gov.uk

SEND Improvement Quarterly Update – October 2022

The latest SEND Improvement Update is now available to view and download here: www.localofferbirmingham.co.uk/latest-news. 

This update offers a detailed account of progress made against the Accelerated Progress Plan and other SEND improvements across the whole SEND partnership. We’d be grateful if you would please share as widely as possible.

Our thanks go to all those who contributed to the process of producing the newsletter, and the next edition will be published in December.

Education Infrastructure - Surplus Primary Places Webinar - 17 November 2022

Officers from Education Infrastructure wish to share an update regarding primary sufficiency as a result of changes to in-year growth and reduced intakes.

We have committed to providing information to support schools, trusts and admission authorities to plan and have arranged an online webinar for Thursday, 17 November at 2pm.

The slides and recording from the webinar as well as the relevant data will be shared with all schools after the webinars.

Please follow this link to join the webinar

If schools have any queries ahead of the webinar, please contact: ediplaceplanning@birmingham.gov.uk

Serious Violence Duty Workshops

The West Midlands Violence Reduction Partnership are leading a number of workshops to support local readiness for the Serious Violence Duty which is included in the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Act 2022. The workshops will focus generally on the requirements of the Duty on local partnerships and some will be focusing specifically on specified authorities.

The Duty requires specified authorities: the police, local authorities, fire and rescue authorities, youth offending teams, Integrated Care Boards and probation services to work together to prevent and reduce serious violence, including identifying the kinds of serious violence that occur in the area; the causes of that violence; and to prepare and implement a strategy for preventing, and reducing serious violence in the area.

The draft Guidance recognises the vital role education, prisons and youth offending establishments play and requires them to collaborate with the specified authorities in complying with the Duty.

The workshops will enable you to understand both your individual and partnership responsibilities under the Duty and provide the opportunity to discuss how we can strengthen the way we work together to prevent and reduce violence.

You are encouraged to attend and you can book by simply choosing one of the links below:

Young People’s Participation Group

Birmingham Special Educational Needs and Disability Information, Advice and Support Service (SENDIASS) has a Young People’s Participation group, and the group is looking for more young people to join.

The aim of the group is to help SENDIASS provide children and young people with clear and accessible information, advice, and support about all aspects of special educational needs. It is a relaxed and safe space where young people can freely share their views.  

If you are a young person aged 11-27 with special educational needs and/or a disability, and if you have an interest in sharing your views and opinions to help SENDIASS plan work with other children and young people, then please email Jeewan Kala Gurung: Jeewan.gurung@birmingham.gov.uk

The group meets virtually through Microsoft Teams on a fortnightly basis (Monday at 4:00 – 5:00 pm).

Period Product Scheme for Schools and Colleges in England

The Government’s Period Product Scheme provides free period products to girls and women who need them in their place of study. The scheme is available for organisations to order until July 2024.

To make sure organisations have access to a wide range of period products in the most cost-effective and efficient way, Personnel Hygiene Services Limited (PHS) have been appointed to take orders for period products and deliver them when needed.

The guidance can be found here: Government Guidance - Period Product Scheme together with  information on how to promote the scheme and contact details for PHS.

Any queries regarding the scheme should be directed to periodproducts@phs.co.uk or telephone 01827 255500.

Health & Social Care Courses

Get qualified fast! FREE* Level 2 courses

A flexible online learning course means that you can study in a way that best suits your lifestyle and personal circumstances.

  • Counselling Skills
  • Special Education Needs & Disabilities
  • Information, Advice and Guidance
  • Mental Health First Aid
  • Understanding Domestic Abuse
  • Principles of Team Leading
  • Supporting Teaching & Learning
  • Early Years Educators

Delegates will be required to pay a Certification Fee of £55 per course if they are not unemployed and looking for work, or if they earn more than the National Living Wage (annual income £18,525). 

Enrol today by calling 0121 303 4318.

Get Digitally Skilled

Free courses by Microsoft

  • Become a Graphic Designer
  • Become a Digital Marketing Specialist
  • Become a Data Analyst
  • Become a Financial Analyst
  • Become a Project Manager
  • Become a Customer Service Specialist
  • Become an IT Administrator (Prepare for CompTIA Network+ Certification)
  • Become IT Support / Help Desk (Prepare for the CompTIA A+ Certification)

ICDL L2 Qualification

Learn how to use Microsoft Word, Excel and PowerPoint. If you're an intermediate computer user looking to give your IT skills a boost, obtaining an ICDL qualification may well be for you. The qualification can be achieved within two weeks, or you have up until 31 July 2023.

Here are four good reasons to obtain a ICDL L2 qualification: 

• Highly Respected
• Comprehensive Course
• Gives You Computing Confidence
• Boosts Your Employability  

The course is online and if you have Microsoft Office 2016, Google Chrome/ Microsoft Edge and Microsoft TEAMS, installed on your PC or laptop then you can take the tests from home, otherwise you can visit one of the centres to take 4 tests x 45 mins each.

Enrol for courses today by emailing sameena.asmat@birmingham.gov.uk for an application form.

The PIPA Trial – Mental Health and Parenting Resource for Families

The PIPA Trial is exploring the effectiveness of an online resource for parents/carers to help prevent depression and anxiety in young people. The trial is coordinated by the University of Warwick (UoW).

Working with families of young people aged 11-15 years from across the UK UoW are collaborating with secondary schools to promote the trial and engage with families. Involvement for schools is very easy and minimal – UoW work with a key contact in your school (mental health/safeguarding lead or similar) to sign a letter of agreement and send out invitations to families (UoW will provide all necessary documents).

The PIPA Trial is free of charge to families and schools and is conducted completely online. Parents/carers and young people who are eligible to take part will be asked to complete some questionnaires and will receive access to online parenting resources.

This is a great opportunity for schools to get involved in the drive to improve youth mental health and support students and families.

If your school is interested in getting involved or would like more information, please contact the trial team: Email: PIPA@warwick.ac.uk or Phone: 02476574316

More information can be found by visiting the website: www.warwick.ac.uk/pipa

New to English Leadership

Thursday, 12 January and Monday, 24 April 2023

Leading English is a complex and challenging role in a primary school and, with so much emphasis being placed upon English in the Ofsted Framework, it comes with a high level of expectation. This introductory course will equip new and recently appointed English leaders with a secure knowledge of the varying aspects of their role, including Ofsted requirements and expectations, and will support them in becoming a confident, knowledgeable and inspirational English leader.

To book on the course follow the link: https://www.servicesforeducation.co.uk/our-offer/new-to-english-leadership/ 

Termly Update for Subject Leaders

Monday, 21 November 2022, Wednesday 1 March and Wednesday, 17 May 2023 

Maths Subject Leaders (primary) have an essential need to keep up to date with the dynamic picture and new developments in maths education. These three sessions offer the headspace to hear about and discuss relevant maths updates, pedagogy and resources, in order to keep your school up to date in delivering and promoting maths as a successful subject for children. Sessions are led by a primary maths adviser and a current practising SLE.

To book on these sessions follow the link: https://www.servicesforeducation.co.uk/our-offer/termly-update-for-subject-leaders-primary-maths/ 

Leading Primary Science

Day 1 – Leading Primary Science - Wednesday, 30 November 2022

The focus of the course will look at how to develop the Primary Science across a school to ensure that intent, implementation and impact is evident throughout the school. The day will incorporate how to plan meaningful investigations to cover all aspects of Working Scientifically and delegates will leave with an essential Toolkit of how to be an effective Science Leader with the aim of raising the profile of science at your setting.

Day 2 – Science is Everywhere - Tuesday, 14 February 2023

The second day focuses on how to maximise Science opportunities through Cross Curricular and Thematic planning and how to make the most of Wow Days, Outdoor Education and Science in the Community. The day will also focus on how to run Science clubs and how playtimes can showcase Scientific investigations.

To book on the course follow the link: https://www.servicesforeducation.co.uk/our-offer/leading-primary-science/ 

Free Online Music CPD Events for Birmingham Schools

Services For Education Music Service organise termly music CPD events for music subject leads to meet virtually to share ideas, current thinking and present action research around a particular topic or area of focus. They have the following free online events coming up for Birmingham schools:

FREE Twilight CPD for Primary Music Teachers – Assessment in Primary Music - Wednesday, 16 November 2022: 16:00-17:15

In this session we will be working out what we should be assessing, how to document it and show musical progress.

FREE Twilight CPD for Secondary Music Teachers – Using Music First in Your Music Curriculum - Tuesday, 22 November 2022: 16:15-17:15

Hosted by Richard Payne, Annie-Arguropulo Palmer discusses her experiences of implementing Music First’s cloud technology into the secondary music curriculum. Visit the website to secure your place: https://www.servicesforeducation.co.uk/music-cpd/

AET Schools: Good Autism Practice 

Monday, 7 November 2022 - Thornbury Centre, Thornbury Road, Birchfield, Birmingham B20 3DE: 09:00-16:30

Delivered by the Communication and Autism Team, the session will focus on gaining practical knowledge, tools and strategies to support pupils with Autism In setting.

  • To develop knowledge and understanding of good autism practice.
  • To reflect on and improve your practice in working with autistic pupils.
  • Understand strategies and approaches you can draw upon for autistic pupils you work with
  • Reflect on the kind of information you need to collect for creating a person—centred education plan
  • Consider how to involve the autistic pupil and their family in setting learning goals

To guarantee your place, please book before 1 November by simply following this link: https://accesstoeducation.birmingham.gov.uk/product/aet-schools-good-autism-practice-7th-november/

Please note: There is only on-road parking for Thornbury Centre.

AET Early Years: Good Autism Practice 

Thursday, 17 November 2022 - Thornbury Centre, Thornbury Road, Birchfield, Birmingham B20 3DE: 09:00-16:30

In this module, the Communication and Autism team take delegates through some of the distinct learning needs, strengths, and difficulties that autistic children share, whilst helping delegates to take note of individual differences. Participants are given the opportunity to start thinking about a particular autistic child and their learning needs, along with ways in which they can adjust and adapt their own practice and the learning environment. 

The aim of ‘Good autism practice in the Early Years’ is to support practitioners who work directly with autistic children to:

  • Develop their knowledge and understanding of good autism practice.
  • Reflect on and improve their practice in working with autistic children.
  • Understand strategies and approaches they can draw upon for autistic children they work with.
  • Reflect on the kind of information they need to collect for the one-page profile, the support plan, and the EYFS profile.
  • Consider how to involve the autistic child and their family in setting learning goals. 

After completing ‘Good autism practice in the Early Years’, delegates will be able to:

  • Develop their knowledge of how the key areas of difference can affect the learning of an autistic child.
  • Consider the approaches, strategies, and adaptations they can implement to remove barriers to wellbeing, participation, and learning for autistic children.
  • Understand the importance of involving the child and family in planning and setting learning goals.
  • Reflect on ways of gathering information from the child, parents/carers, and other professionals.

To guarantee your place, please book before Tuesday, 15 November by simply following this link: https://accesstoeducation.birmingham.gov.uk/product/aet-early-years-good-autism-practice-17th-november/ 

Please note: There is only on-road parking for Thornbury Centre.

AET Post-16: Good Autism Practice (via Microsoft Teams)

4 x 90-minute sessions, taking place on Tuesday, 8, 15, 22 and 29 November 2022 at 14:00-15:30 - delivered by the Communication and Autism team

Aims:

The aims of this course are for delegates to:

  • Appreciate the strengths and learning needs of autistic learners
  • Improve the ways they support the autistic learner to communicate their future aspirations
  • Ensure they are equipped to work in partnership with the autistic learner to co-create goals for their education
  • Improve practice in supporting the autistic learner

Learning objectives:

After completing this module delegates will be able to:

  • Reflect on, develop, and improve their knowledge, understanding and practice in working with autistic learners
  • Consider approaches, strategies, and adaptations that can be implemented to remove barriers to participation and learning for autistic learners

Please note that delegates are required to attend all four sessions, and bookings should be made before Wednesday, 29 October to guarantee a place: AET Post-16: Good Autism Practice - 4 x sessions 

Links will be emailed two days prior to each session by kyle.simms@birmingham.gov.uk

 

This entry was posted by Dawn Evans on 28/10/2022.