Included in this update:

• Parent survey: Ofsted and CQC review of progress against Written Statement of Action
• Birmingham Children's Trust - awareness video for parents
• DfE Statutory School Census – Summer 2021
• School income paid into the BCC bank account
• Nuffield Early Language Intervention Project (NELI) for reception classes
• Fully Funded VIRTUAL live CPD webinar-Safety Net Training- Keeping Children Safe Online
• Developing Fluency: Bridging the Gap between Word Reading and Understanding
• Getting to Grips with Reading Comprehension

Parent survey: Ofsted and CQC review of progress against Written Statement of Action

Between 24th and 27th May 2021 Birmingham Local Area is hosting OfSTED and CQC inspectors to review the progress that has been made against the Written Statement of Action (WSOA) since its publication in January 2019. The WSOA is the document which sets out the improvements that OfSTED and the CQC required the Council and the NHS to make following their last visit. We would like to encourage families to take part in Ofsted’s Birmingham City survey to give their views.  The survey will close at midday on Friday 21st May.

Birmingham Children's Trust - awareness video for parents

Clair Graham, Head of Service for the  EmpowerU exploitation and missing team within Birmingham Children's Trust and Darren from the Epiphany People have produced an awareness video for parents/carers -  it is a message for the parents/ carers in the Birmingham community worried about the wellbeing of their children.

The video explains that BCT are here to help and support parents/carers, and to ensure that our young people grow up in safer and better environments - free of risk and exploitation.

Link to video www.youtube.com/watch?v=9i7SMgOZCdw&lc=UgwRpF2wm-8R9kMgxLd4AaABAg

DfE Statutory School Census – Summer 2021

Every school in England has a statutory duty to submit School Census, each term, under Section 537A of the Education Act 1996.

At this link is a letter from the School Census team with information and advice about the Census.

Contact: SchoolCensus@birmingham.gov.uk

School income paid into the BCC bank account

In order to aid identification of income that is paid into the BCC bank account please can the following details be shared with the organisation who are making the payment.  This will assist with identifying the school that the income should be coded against.

School Name - School REAXX Code - Payment Identifier/ BACS reference details. This includes all payments received from childcare voucher scheme providers, cashless payment systems, where the schools have been successful in grant applications, student placement income and any other income streams that the school are expecting. This advice is also applicable when setting up new payment providers / cashless systems. 

If you have been provided with a remittance then please forward this to remittances@birmingham.gov.uk

Nuffield Early Language Intervention Project (NELI) for reception classes 

Every state school with a Reception class in England can now apply for training and resources through an early years catch-up programme funded by the Government, to support thousands more pupils with vital communication skills. Delivered by the Nuffield Foundation and backed by an extra £8 million of investment, recruitment has launched for the second wave of the Nuffield Early Language Intervention (NELI), a programme proven to be effective in raising outcomes in Reception-age children’s early language, communication and speech skills – particularly those who need the most support to overcome the disruption of the pandemic.

Part of the Government’s major investment to build back better from the pandemic, it builds on last summer’s £9 million investment to launch the first wave of NELI, which means 62,000 four and five-year-olds are receiving extra support to get their education back on track after time spent away from the classroom. Rigorous evaluations have proven that NELI helps children, including those from disadvantaged backgrounds and those with English as an additional language, to accelerate their language development and early literacy skills. We would encourage all schools who have not yet done so to register to receive the free training and resources to deliver this successful programme. Schools can find out more information and complete their registration to receive NELI here. Places on the programme are limited and registration is offered on a first come first served basis.

Fully Funded VIRTUAL live CPD webinar: Safety Net Training- Keeping Children Safe Online

Tuesday 8th June 2021 1.30 P.M or Wednesday 23rd June 2021 10.30 A.M (Duration 90 minutes)

This is a virtual session and places are limited. Resources will be sent out to you by post, so it is important that you register using the link straight away to ensure that you receive the resources prior to the session. Aim Safety Net is a unique educational programme designed to provide teachers with the tools and confidence to engage parents, and their children, in a concerted effort to encourage safe online practice in the home. The training webinar aims to raise awareness to what parents need to be aware of and embeds the understanding needed to help young people stay safe when they’re using the Internet, social media, gaming, apps and more.
Learning Outcomes:

By the end of the hard-hitting webinar session, teachers will have gained an increased awareness to the real and emerging dangers of the Internet, to include

• the risks and issues associated with children and young people being online.
• the technologies, games, websites and apps children and young people use and why;
• the dangers of sharing personal information, sexting and unintentional victims.
• online grooming and how to recognise methods used by groomers who try to sexually/criminally exploit or radicalise.
• the risks involved when playing online games and an insight into the content of 18 rated game.
• fake news, social influencers, as well as inaccurate and pervasive information that children might come across online.
• hate crime, gangs, guns and knives.
• drugs and county lines.
• how to access advice and support to be able to better support parents to help keep children safer online

There is also access for a limited number of schools to receive funded virtual parental session. More information will be provided during the CPD.

Please click the link to register your place - https://safetynet.skipseducational.org/practitioners-birmingham-webinar-8-june-23-june-2021/

Developing Fluency: Bridging the Gap between Word Reading and Understanding

Developing fluency: bridging the gap between word reading and reading comprehension. Fluency is the ability to read a text accurately, quickly, and with expression. Reading fluency is important because it provides a bridge between word recognition and comprehension. This webinar will focus on the importance of fluency as part of the teaching of reading. We will explore practical strategies to develop reading fluency; effective ways of reading texts to develop understanding and consider how these approaches can be used in the primary classroom. https://www.servicesforeducation.co.uk/our-offer/developing-fluency-bridging-the-gap-between-word-reading-and-understanding/

Getting to Grips with Reading Comprehension

The teaching of reading is complex, because reading is a staggeringly complex process. Reading comprehension strategies are one part of that bigger picture. In this session, we will: Explore the evidence which supports the explicit teaching of reading comprehension strategies. Look at where this sits within Hollis Scarborough’s ‘reading rope’ and the threads which teachers weave together as they teach children to read. Support you with practical and accessible suggestions for classroom practice, which can be used to support children to become strategic readers. https://www.servicesforeducation.co.uk/our-offer/getting-to-grips-with-reading-comprehension/