As we started the new year we went into another lockdown with our early years, schools, colleges and education providers moving to remote learning and providing on site learning for the most vulnerable and children of critical workers.
As they did last time, senior leaders and support staff in our provision and across the council have responded quickly and positively to the changes needed. We have seen a wide range of creative remote learning opportunities and support put in place for parents and carers and for some of the most vulnerable young people. Services have adapted by providing virtual support and advice. Continued thanks to everyone involved for their ongoing dedication and commitment to meeting the needs of our children and families across the city.
Leading for Impact Session
I am really pleased that we will be welcoming Andy Buck to host the next session in our Leadership Development Programme for Headteachers & Principals. This will be taking place on Tuesday 2 February from 9.30 – 11.00am via Microsoft Teams.
Andy’s session will explore ‘Leading for Impact’ and will look at how all school leaders can create a whole school ethos of mastery, empowerment and impact. This interactive session will focus on the three key areas where mastery is important: for leaders, for teachers and for pupils. The session will explore how the concept of developing great personal habits at all levels can have the greatest impact on pupil outcomes across a school. You can find out more about Andy Buck here.
Please go to BEEM to book a place and the Teams link will be sent the day before. For heads unable to attend, we would be pleased to welcome deputies or other senior leaders. For the list of headteacher events this year, please refer back to Schools’ Bulletin AS/017/21 on The Wave. We look forward to seeing you there!
Remote Learning Takes a Technology Break
Although schools in the city have been using effective and efficient remote provisions for pupils learning at home since the start of term, it was great to hear more at the recent Headteachers briefing about a number of schools trialling ‘Digital Detox Days’, ‘Wellbeing Wednesdays’ and ‘Feel-Good Friday’ where pupils are offered activities and tasks away from online learning.
Pupils have still received guidance on how to spend their time with some learning related to their topic as well as self-care and well-being activities that will support pupils in looking after their mental health and recharge and ready to learn. What a great idea!
Remember, if you would like to see our case studies of what some schools in the city are doing for their remote learning please contact Joyti.Azad@brighton-hove.gov.uk
Holiday Activities and Food Programme
I am pleased to confirm that the Government has announced that the holiday activities and food programme will be expanded across the whole of England in 2021. The programme will provide healthy food and enriching activities to disadvantaged children during the Easter, summer and Christmas holidays in 2021.
The aim of the programme is to make free places available to children eligible for free school meals for the equivalent of at least 4 hours a day, 4 days a week, 6 weeks a year. There is flexibility about how to best serve the needs of children and families including how the programme can be delivered to older children. As part of the programme we will ensuring that sufficient provision is available for children with SEND or additional needs. If you would like to find out more please contact vicky.jenkins@brighton-hove.gov.uk
2021 sees the final year of DfE grants for most routes into teaching. To help maximise the use of these grants, the Apprenticeship Team would like to invite schools to attend a briefing session on the Post Graduate Teacher Apprenticeship (PGTA).
This event will look at aspects of the PGTA including; the delivery of the PGTA and how it works for your school; how the school supports the PGTA and how to set up a place on the Teacher Training Portal. Speakers will include the University of Brighton, Millais Alliance – Lead School and past PGTA apprentices and school leads.
The dates are as follows:-
Primary Schools - Monday 1 February 2021 - 3.30pm
Secondary Schools - Monday 8 February 2021 - 3.30pm
To book a place on these events please email apprenticeships@brighton-hove.gov.uk or contact Gavin Graham for further information on 01273 29332 or 07510 585710.
More Brighton and Hove schools have received training so that pupils will benefit from the high-quality ECaR interventions on offer. I am delighted that the second cohort of professional development is in progress despite current restrictions.
As a result of this additional funding pledged by the council, fifty teaching assistants across all phases, have been trained to deliver either Fischer Family Trust (FFT), Better Reading @Primary/@Secondary or Inference Training.
Feedback from schools shows that these reading interventions are already having a positive impact on pupils’ confidence and love of reading:
“One of the boys in my group loved Diary of a Killer Cat. He read it in a day and was very keen to talk to me about it. I suggested he do a book report on it, which he did on his own time at home, and then wrote it up neatly for our class display. He's already asking what the next texts will be so he can read them! It's really lovely to see him so engaged with it.”
“I received some lovely feedback from XXX's mum this afternoon. She commented on how his attitude to reading had significantly changed, and his reading has vastly improved in the last few months. She wanted to thank you personally. He bought a WBD book at the weekend, and mum was thrilled that he was independently reading and enjoying it- well done!”
Virtual School News
Congratulations to the Virtual School team who have recently increased Personal Education Plans compliance to the very high level of 99.1%. I’d like to thank the team for all of the hard work and commitment to children in care in Brighton and Hove which has produced this fantastic result. Well done to everyone involved!!
The Specsavers 'Virtual' Sussex School Games are back on Monday 1 February!
After the success of summer virtual games, when almost 10,000 people took part weekly, the Sussex School Games Organisers and Active Sussex have put together a new set of challenges, so that children (and adults) can ski, skate and even bobsleigh from the comfort of their own living room with no special equipment needed.
There will be four challenges each week during February, each linked to a different Winter Olympic discipline. Separate leaderboards for primary and secondary school children, as well as an Active Adult leaderboard mean that teachers, parents and carers can all get involved and represent the school too. Trophies will go to schools that get the most children active each week and there will be prizes for topping the Brighton & Hove Leaderboard as well as training prizes.
Challenges will be published at 9.30am on a Monday morning, on www.sussexschoolgames.co.uk, on social media, and sent directly to those signed up to the mailing list. For more information, please see the following social media links or contact Emma Greenough at emma.greenough@brighton-hove.gov.uk :-
Twitter: @SussexSchGames
Facebook: Specsavers Sussex School Games
Instagram: @SussexSchGames
Congratulations to Claire Jarman
I’d like to offer congratulations to Claire Jarman who has been appointed as the Principal at Cardinal Newman Catholic School with immediate effect, having been in position as Interim Principal since the start of the academic year. We look forward to continuing to work closely with Claire to support the ongoing improvement of the school.
Welcomes
I am delighted to welcome Amir Bahrami who will be taking up the role of Adult Learning Manager in the Skills and Employment Team from 1 February. I am sure everyone will give Amir a very warm welcome and help him settle into his new role.
There have also been a several new and acting headteachers across the city at the start of this term. We are looking forward to working with them and supporting them all in their new roles.
Michelle Lord, Headteacher at St Paul’s CE Primary School
Jo Fish, Acting Headteacher at Woodingdean Primary School
Euan Hannington, Head at Rudyard Kipling Primary School
Best wishes,
Jo
Keep in touch and follow me on Twitter @JoMLyons
Find details here Twitter accounts across all council services.
