Noticeboard 17 November 2022

Welcome to this week's Noticeboard which contains important information on Oracle, a payroll fraud warning from the Corporate Fraud Team, a link to a Schools Compliance Webinar, details on how to book your place at a Post-16 Provider Event, and more!

Payroll Fraud Warning!

Birmingham City Council’s Corporate Fraud Team have been made aware of two recent attempts by fraudsters to get the bank details of school staff changed with Payroll, so that salaries get diverted.

In both cases, school business managers received emails purporting to be from senior teaching staff, asking how they could change their bank details for salary payments.  In one of the instances, the fraudsters got as far as completing a form to change the bank details and submitted it to Payroll.

At this stage, we are not clear whether the school staff have had their email accounts hacked, or whether the fraudsters have found a way to spoof the email address of the employee.  However, in both cases, the emails appeared to come directly from the employee’s email address.

We would encourage all schools to speak to their IT providers as soon as possible and ask that they deploy two-step verification on the email accounts of all staff at the school.  This provides an extra security feature when accessing school email accounts remotely and reduces the chances of the account being hacked.

Further information on two-step verification can be found at this link

For further advice, please contact the Corporate Fraud Team on 0121 303 9335.

Oracle System Implementation Update

Progress continues in resolving technical issues and delivering the phased Oracle plan for supporting HR, Finance, Payroll and Procurement process functionality. The main areas of focus have been on payroll reporting, the 2022 pay award, teachers’ pay and progress with the finance reconciliation files functionality. 

Progress

  • Communications – to support the ongoing commitment to provide regular Oracle updates, it’s important that information reaches its intended audiences, so please email details of any preferred channels, or specific stakeholder groups to: OracleCommunications@birmingham.gov.uk.

Finance update

  • File reconciliation – the Oracle function to provide financial reconciliation files to Schools is currently being fixed and tested, with go live expected by the end of November. 
  • Payroll reporting – progress continues with fixing and testing the payroll reporting function, to enable information to be download by Schools via the HR Dashboard.
  • Sundry Direct Debits functionality is now automated to enable payments to be collected from Schools and Academies.

People Services (HR)

  • Annual School Workforce Census – information requested for the Department for Education (DfE) – via the mailbox schoolworkforcecensus@birmingham.gov.uk – must be provided by 18 November 2022, with the final DfE submission due by 16 December 2022. 
  • Teachers’ pay award for 2022 – The Department for Education (DfE) has published a report on school teachers’ pay and conditions for 2022 which come into force from 4 November 2022, backdated to 1 September 2022. These changes will be reflected in December’s pay.
  • NJC (Support Staff) pay award for 2022 – has been agreed, backdated to 1 April 2022, with changes reflected in November’s pay.  

Getting in touch – points of contact

As a reminder, here are the contacts and escalation channels to support technical issues and complaints:  

Education Infrastructure – Schools Compliance Webinar

Friday, 25 November 2022 – 10:00-11:00

Officers from Education Infrastructure, Safety Services and Birmingham City Laboratories wish to arrange a Schools Compliance Webinar to serve as a refresher for areas including, Duty Holder Responsibilities, Asbestos Management Overview and the Landlord Approval Process.

The online webinar will be held on Friday, 25 November at 10am to 11am and will complement the existing Duty Holder and Asbestos Management training modules available via the Birmingham Education Support Services webpage.

The slides and recording from the webinar as well as a list of frequently asked questions will be shared with all schools after the webinar is finished.

Please follow this link to join the webinar

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

School Attendance

Registration Codes

A reminder to all schools, academies, alternative providers and independent schools that the DfE registration codes must be used to record attendance and absence etc., on the registers.  No other codes are acceptable.

If your MIS provider uses other codes such as $, A, or P for ‘present’, please contact them urgently and ask for them to be replaced with the appropriate DfE codes.   The Education Legal Intervention Team cannot move forward with cases where non DfE codes are used.   The codes and their descriptions can be found as part of the most recent DfE attendance guidance Working together to improve school attendance.

Part-time/reduced timetables

All instances of part-time/reduced timetables must be reported to the local authority including for reception children after the first few weeks of full-time school.  Where schools haven’t notified the local authority of a part-time timetable for at least a term, a ‘nil-return’ will be required at the end of that term.  The guidance and online forms can be found by following this link.

Online learning

Where pupils are experiencing behavioural difficulties in school, colleagues need to be aware that online learning packages for those pupils could be construed as ‘informal exclusions’, even if they are short term whilst a managed move or alternative provision is being sought. In addition, code B must not be used on the registers where the children are learning at home because its use could be unsafe, does not conform with the regulations and could appear to Ofsted as ‘gaming’. All children on roll are legally entitled to full time education in school or alternative provision. 

Training

The Education Legal Intervention Team is currently recording a number of online training presentations which are being offered to schools free of charge.  The first three presentations have now been uploaded.  They vary in length but can be paused at any time.  The first presentation schools should concentrate on is FAST-track - Step One which focuses on Early help:

If you have any queries please don't hesitate to contact the team: attendance@birmingham.gov.uk

Post-16 Provider Event

Tuesday, 6 December 2022 – 09:30-16:30: MAC Birmingham B12 9QH

Birmingham City Council 14-19 Full Participation and Skills Team, invite you to participate in a Post-16 Providers event in order to shape and influence future delivery.

The heart of this event will reflect on the provider landscape, alongside capturing the views of young people within Birmingham.

We aim to continue to improve and nurture best practice in collaboration with our Post-16 Providers.

Spaces are limited, so we would recommend you book early: Post-16 Provider Event – Sharing good practice and future delivery ideas

We look forward to seeing you!

If you have any queries or require any further information regarding this event please email: 14-19@Birmingham.gov.uk

Writing at KS2 – Increasing Greater Depth Attainment

Thursday, 8 December 2022

Improving greater depth attainment in writing at KS2 has often been a challenge within schools. This course aims to provide English Leaders with a sound understanding of the complexity of teaching pupils who have the potential of achieving greater depth, ensuring that their curriculum is sufficiently challenging for those pupils, and looking at techniques of how to achieve this.

The training looks at developing and creating a progressive spiral curriculum, with the elements of English being interwoven together throughout, allowing learning to be built upon prior knowledge and to develop opportunities for those pupils who may reach the higher standard, to practise these skills.

To book your place, simply follow this link or email emma.mudge@servicesforeducation.co.uk

How Practical Are Your Practicals?

Wednesday, 7 December 2022 and Wednesday, 5 July 2023

The science education community and beyond see practical work carried out by students as an essential feature of science education.

This course will explore ways in which the effectiveness of teaching and learning strategy can be adopted for practical work to provide the cognitive challenge of linking observables to ideas.

To book your place, simply follow this link or email marsha.blissett@servicesforeducation.co.uk

Restorative Practice for Schools & Community Settings

Monday, 6 February 2023 – 09:00-16:30

This introductory restorative practice training course is for people working in education or community settings. It will provide participants with the background knowledge and skills that are required to use informal restorative practices in their day-to-day work.

The course will introduce participants to the philosophy and language of restorative practices. It also engages participants in identifying how to apply this innovative and relational way of dealing with conflict into their daily work. The training day is experiential with a mix of theory, skills practice and small group work people have come to expect from Peacemakers. The training will cover a variety of restorative practices.

Restorative Practice is a way of being, thinking, interacting, teaching, and learning – with relationships at the centre. Many schools are using restorative approaches to foster an inclusive, child-centred, and relational learning environment. Children develop emotional and social skills and learn to take ownership of conflicts and solutions to conflict.

The course is delivered by a practitioner, who is accredited by the Restorative Justice Council.

The cost is £150 per person and you can book your place here: An introduction to restorative practices

Bookings for more than one person are eligible for discount. Please contact office@peacemakers.org.uk to find out more.

Subsidised THRIVE Approach Training – Courses commencing in Spring Term 2023

James Brindley Academy with be delivering its last two heavily subsidised THRIVE Approach training to Birmingham schools in the Spring Term 2023:

  • Childhood Practitioner Course (suitable for Primary colleagues)
  • Adolescence Practitioner Course (suitable for Secondary Colleagues)

The THRIVE Licensed training is experiential and transformational training that provides a deep, practical knowledge of the THRIVE Approach and the underpinning theory and skills required to meet the reparative needs of children and young people with interrupted social and emotional development.

Further information on the THRIVE Approach can be found here: The Thrive Approach to social and emotional wellbeing

Information on course dates, costs, course structure and how to book can be found here: James Brindley - Training & Outreach

If you have any further queries, please email training@jamesbrindley.org.uk

Birmingham Art School Arts Partnership Showcase

Birmingham Art School (BAS) connects schools and arts organisations - including music, dance, theatre and visual arts companies, venues and individual practitioners - across the City.  It works strategically with teachers, headteachers, artists and arts organisations to reduce inequalities for children and young people by engaging schools all over Birmingham with high quality arts education opportunities. Through “The Hub”, a one stop online portal, training opportunities for teachers and artists and regular partnership events BAS seeks to ensure that arts organisations continue to meet curriculum needs whilst encouraging schools to access the world class offer provided by the City’s arts organisations.

Teachers and headteachers are invited to attend an Arts Partnership Showcase to see first-hand how schools across the city are engaging with artists and cultural organisations and to find out more about opportunities for your school.

To book a place email Alison Haynes alison.haynes@bep.education

Date 

School

Programme 

Thursday, 1 December  

13.30 – 15.00

Raddlebarn Primary School, Gristhorpe Road Selly Oak B29 7TD

13.30 - 13.45  Welcome and introduction to arts partnerships and Artsmark Angela Lowry, Headteacher

13.45 - 14.05  Observe drama workshop led by Hippodrome learning officer

14.05 - 14.25  Observe drama workshop led by Stans Café 

14.25 - 15.00  Discussion on challenges and opportunities led by Steve Ball, with pupil arts ambassadors

Friday 2 December 

10.00 – 12.30

Nelson Mandela Primary School, Colville Rd, Sparkbrook, Birmingham B12 8EH

10.00 - 10.20  Welcome and introduction to arts partnerships at Nelson Mandela and Artsmark  by Amy Lassman, Headteacher

10.20 - 10.30  Introduction to Artis by Rebecca Boyle Suh

10.30 - 11.00  Observe drama workshop led by Artis

11.00 - 11.30  The RSC and Rebecca Brookes – Learning and Participation Manager at Birmingham Royal Ballet talk about their work in schools

11.30 – 12.00  Funding for the Arts, Ms Appleby, Deputy Head

12.00 - 12.30  Discussion on challenges and opportunities led by Steve Ball

Thursday 8 December 

13.30 – 15.15 

Allens Croft Primary School, Allens Croft Road, Birmingham B14 6RP

13.30 - 13.45  Welcome and introduction to arts partnerships at Allens Croft School from Paula Weaver (Headteacher) and Dan Jones (Creative Arts Lead)

13.45 - 14.05  Observe drama workshop led by Hippodrome learning officer

14.05 - 14.25  Observe music  workshop led by Birmingham Contemporary Music Group  

14.25 - 14.40  Observe King Edwards School swing band

14.40 - 15.15  Discussion on challenges and opportunities led by Steve Ball

 

 

 

This entry was posted by Dawn Evans on 14/11/2022.