I would like to welcome everyone back at the start of a new, and very extraordinary, academic year.
Thank you to early years settings, schools and colleges for their amazing work in fully reopening for all children during challenging times. I would also like to thank all children and young people for managing with the difficult transition and the many changes they have had to face over recent months. We know for many this has not been easy.
This Year’s Summer Results
Congratulations must go to all schools, colleges and education providers on a great set of results during the summer in the most difficult circumstances. It is a real testament to our schools, colleges and all pupils and students that even in the most testing times, results throughout the city have been maintained and built upon.
Overall, the city’s GCSE and A-level results continue to be excellent. Whilst this year’s results were not awarded on the basis of exam performance, but on the professional opinions of teaching staff instead, they reflect the hard work and resilience of Year 11 and 13 students across Brighton & Hove in these most unprecedented times.
Well done to all young people, teachers, support staff and parents.
Overall, the city’s GCSE and A-level results continue to be excellent. Whilst this year’s results were not awarded on the basis of exam performance, but on the professional opinions of teaching staff instead, they reflect the hard work and resilience of Year 11 and 13 students across Brighton & Hove in these most unprecedented times.
Well done to all young people, teachers, support staff and parents.
Brighton & Hove students getting their GCSE results this year received a surprise video message celebrating their achievements under lockdown.
To recognise and celebrate the achievements of this extraordinary group of young people, Brighton based production companies Storythings and Make Good Trouble have partnered with the city’s secondary schools, Brighton Dome & Brighton Festival and Future Creators to create a celebration video featuring poet Lemn Sissay MBE, guest director of Brighton Festival 2020/21.
The video was posted on Brighton Dome’s YouTube channel on GCSE results day and was shared by all Brighton & Hove secondary schools with their students. The video features Sissay reading a new poem titled ‘EXTRAORDINARY’, adapted from his poem ‘Adventure Flight’ and captures the resilience and hard work of Brighton & Hove students during the Covid-19 pandemic.
If you haven’t had chance to look it’s really worth watching the video:-
Welcomes
There have been a number of new and acting headteachers, principals and heads of school across this city at the start of this academic year. We are looking forward to working with them and supporting them all in their new roles throughout this year.
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| Claire Jarman, Acting Principal at Cardinal Newman Catholic School |
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| Grainne Byrd, Interim Head of School at Cardinal Newman Catholic School |
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| Vanessa Hickey, Executive Headteacher at Downs View |
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| Donna-Marie Janson, Principal at Varndean College |
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| Gill Foan, Headteacher at St Joseph’s Catholic Primary School |
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| Alison Colbran, Headteacher at Brunswick Primary School |
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| Claire Smith, Headteacher at St Bernadette’s Catholic Primary School |
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| Robert Cooper, Headteacher at Middle Street Primary and Simon King, Headteacher at the Bilingual Primary School |
Newly Qualified Teachers
The School & Governance Development Team welcomed the city’s NQTs at the start of term through a series of virtual welcome events. This year’s NQTs have more challenges than usual, after experiencing disruption to their initial teacher training and also starting their careers in a very different environment. The team has provided extra guidance for induction tutors about how to support their NQTs during this time, and induction tutors have been attending virtual training so they are confident with the responsibilities of their role.
We wish all NQTs the best, and don’t hesitate to contact Sharon MacKenzie if there are any queries: schools.training@brighton-hove.gov.uk.
Apprenticeships are a fantastic to way to gain vital training and experiences of work, either through taking a new opportunity or developing knowledge whilst in an existing role.
Congratulations to Andrea Weller who works in the business support function of Education & Skills, who has recently been awarded her apprenticeship having taken the changes due to Covid-19 in her stride. The service has benefitted from the learning and development the programme gave her and will help to shape her future career path. Well done Andrea!
Congratulations also to Clare Harrington from Patcham High School who has recently completed the Teaching Assistant Level 3 apprenticeship.
For more information on developing staff through an apprenticeship or recruiting into a role and accessing up to £2,000 in support, please contact Gavin Graham on 01273 293320 or Apprenticeships@brighton-hove.gov.uk
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| Andrea Weller |
School and College Leaders Annual Conference
Our annual School and College Leaders Conference is due to take place virtually on Friday 2 October and is open to all school and college leaders, heads of school and deputies. The theme for the conference is ‘’Brave Leadership’ with keynote speaker Dave Harris, author of ‘Brave Heads: How to lead a school without selling your soul’.
If you are able to attend, please contact the School Workforce Team by booking on BEEM or by email to schools.training@brighton-hove.gov.uk. We hope to see you there!
Hospital Teaching Service
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| Drawing by patient Danielle Mason, of her nurse, Debbie, during the Covid-19 pandemic, June 2020 |
The Hospital Teaching Service has been continuing to provide its services during the Covid-19 pandemic. I was really impressed to hear recently about Danielle, who is studying Art and Design at college. Danielle has a chronic medical condition which means she needs to attend the Royal Alexandra Children’s Hospital on a regular basis. Before the Covid-19 pandemic Danielle always attended the Hospital Teaching Service Schoolroom when she was an in-patient.
Danielle has recently produced some art work based on her response to Covid-19. A drawing of one of the nurses, in PPE, was produced during her hospital stay in June. This will be displayed in the hospital Schoolroom along with writing, poems and other drawings produced by patients about their experiences of the pandemic.
Wild Child Project
Students and staff working hard at Stanford Juniors
I was very interested to learn recently about the work that Stanford Juniors’ Head Teacher, Paul Davis, his staff and the school’s eco councillors have been doing to develop the school's limited outdoor space to support the health and wellbeing of staff and pupils.
Following conversations with Sophie, a PhD student who was looking to develop links with a local school as part of her Wild Child project - providing opportunities for children to reconnect with nature - the team took up the challenge to transform the area in front of the school into an outdoor living classroom. Sophie very kindly funded two raised beds, the compost and soil improver and a number of plants as part of the project.
The children have been developing a gardening diary and have harvested produce including blackberries, peas, sweet peas and potatoes. They are also practising their cooking skills using equipment purchased by the school council following a successful fundraising event.
Family Learning Provision
The Family Learning provision for Brighton & Hove has recently been brought back in-house and we would like to welcome the following people;
Kirsty Cregan – Curriculum Coordinator
Kerry Fawcett – Tutor
Margaret Allen - Tutor
Jo Roeg - Tutor
Agnes Munday - Tutor
This is an exciting opportunity to develop the service and build a really strong offer for local families. The tutors have many years’ experience of working with families that need some extra help, sometimes where parents have no, or low level, qualifications or where the children are not meeting expected standards. The team can also offer support and training to parents and carers who may need help with their own wellbeing, accessing learning opportunities or finding work.
If you would like to help develop an offer that meets the needs of our families and schools, please complete the team’s short survey by 30 September 2020.
Brighton & Hove City Council is excited to be supporting the virtual Youth Climate Summit in November 2020.
This is just one way the Council is recognising students’ concerns about the climate and working towards being Carbon Neutral by 2030. Working in partnership with Sussex Wildlife Trust, we are inviting our city’s schools to join with students from across the country and attend this week long event of themed discussions, workshops and activities. The event will culminate in making commitments and pledges for a more just, sustainable world and feed into a head teachers’ event planned for 2021.
For more information about getting involved in the event, visit the Transform Our World website or contact katieeberstein@sussexwt.org.uk.
Normal Ofsted inspections have been suspended for the autumn term. However Ofsted are still planning to undertake Interim visits at some schools. These will not have judgements. Ofsted have written to all headteachers with an overview of their plans but more information is available on the Ofsted website https://www.gov.uk/guidance/interim-phase-maintained-schools-and-academies
Best wishes,
Jo
Keep in touch and follow me on Twitter @JoMLyons
Find details here Twitter accounts across all council services.
