Following the government announcement that schools and colleges will fully reopen for all children from the 8 March, I’d like to thank everyone for the preparation already done and the ongoing work you are all undertaking to make this happen. This work is taking place alongside providing quality remote learning and on site provision for vulnerable children and the children of key workers. A massive thank you to all school, college, early years staff, and our education and skills team for your hard work and commitment to our children and families of the city.
I was really pleased to hear that schools across Brighton & Hove have opted to deliver Every Child Counts interventions. Funded by the local authority, this programme aims to improve achievement and raise attainment for pupils who struggle in mathematics, particularly for disadvantaged pupils.
The first training sessions were held virtually this month for teachers and teaching assistants on the 1st Class @Number 1 programme. The value of early interventions like Number Count was highlighted by one teacher who told the group, “one of the first children I worked with, who was really struggling with maths in year 2, is now 15 and in the top set for maths.''
Further ECC training is planned, including Becoming 1st Class @ Number which is starting on 2 March and is aimed at year 1 children and any child that needs to master the ELG. 1st Class@ Number 2 is starting at the end of March and Success@Arithmetic: Number Sense will be starting in April.
It has been great to see schools recruiting new apprentices and taking advantage of the government incentive. If you would like to take further about Apprentices, either to develop your current staff or recruit into the school, please contact Gavin Graham at gavin.graham@apprenticeships.gov.uk
Leadership Development Programme
Jane Baggott
We continued our Leadership Development Programme for headteachers this month by welcoming Jane Baggott to lead a session about resilience. Jane is a leadership coach who already works with a few of the city’s headteachers and came highly recommended. The session proved really successful, with heads appreciating the time to reflect on their leadership and consider how to build the resilience of themselves and their teams. It turned out to be very timely as it came just after the Government’s announcement about the full re-opening of schools, so heads were able to think about how to approach the transition of pupils and staff fully returning to school.
We are very proud that our PSHE Service has been commissioned by Winston’s Wish to develop some lesson plans on bereavement. These lessons have been awarded the Quality Mark by the PSHE Association who said:
"The lessons approach learning about the topics of loss, bereavement and grief in a developmentally appropriate, relevant way. Teachers are supported with useful guidance and well planned lessons which will promote confidence in teaching this vital subject, and support a sensitive approach to the learning. When embedded within the wider PSHE education curriculum, the lessons will also support learning in areas of Relationships and Health Education."
Comprising two lessons for each key stage, these resources are designed to help pupils and students explore bereavement and grief in developmentally appropriate ways. They are not intended as a pastoral intervention in the event of a bereavement in the school community, as at that point the priority is for pastoral care rather than preventative education. The lessons are not suitable for home learning, but can be used with pupils who are physically in school now, or planned into your programme to deliver face-to-face later in the year.
City Wide Assessment Project
As a result of the pandemic our headteacher school partnership chairs have been working closely with the Education and Skills team, the teaching school and lead practitioners from primary and secondary to develop a city wide approach to planning and assessment to support children when they all return to school. This is a wonderful collaborative piece of work with an aim to provide an assessment criteria for early years and for reading, writing and maths in all other year groups. The first working parties met straight after half term and were filled with enthusiasm. The team are making great progress and their work will be made available through the upcoming schools’ bulletins. The team will also be offering Continuous Professional Development to support teachers using these documents effectively to support pupils for the remainder of this academic year.
Reducing Parental Conflict
How parents get on with each other can have a real impact on their children. Parental conflict that is frequent, intense and poorly resolved can affect children’s mental health, education attainment and long-term outcomes, regardless of whether the parents are together or separated. Training is available for anyone working with children or families to learn how to support parents in conflict, and signpost them to the right help. We also have a range of relationship courses and resources, such as our Getting On Better Pack which helps parents think about their relationship in a new way, with ideas on how to improve communication and reduce conflict.
Outdoor Learning for Well Being
Outdoor Education Adviser, Paula Greening has been working on a series of communications and webinars for schools on how outdoor learning can help with pupils’ reintegration into school life and support for their mental health and well being as we come out of lockdown.
Paula looks at how the combination of fresh air, exercise and nature all work together to reduce stress, boost mood and improve concentration and creativity, with the focus on group work and experiential learning helping children to re-establish relationships and re-engage with learning after many hours staring at screens.
With uncertainty still surrounding summer residentials, Paula will be exploring the many opportunities and activities – both on and offsite - that can help with pupil transition, mental health and well-being, re-connection and self-development from team-based games and challenges and adventurous activities to skill and nature-based workshops and overnight camping. For more information please contact Paula at Paula.Greening@brighton-hove.gov.uk.
On 24 February Moulsecoomb Primary School had a section 8 monitoring visit. This took place remotely and we expect a report to be published before Easter.
Ofsted Annual Engagement Meeting
Every local authority is asked to share an annual self-evaluation of the quality and impact of its practice with children and families as part of Ofsted’s ‘Inspection of Local Authority Children’s Services’ framework. An annual engagement meeting (AEM) then takes place where this is discussed and decisions are made about the next inspection steps to be taken.
Brighton & Hove City Council’s Families, Children & Learning AEM took place on 25 February with members of the Directorate Management Team and Heads of Service meeting with the South East Regional Director of Ofsted and his team, to discuss performance generally and also looking specifically at our Social Care and Education services.
The discussions with Ofsted were positive and explored a range of matters such as the impact of Covid on CYP in the city, the rise in elective home educated children, the complexities of supporting children open to social care and the launch of the new SEND Strategy. A letter summarising the discussions will be shared by Ofsted with the LA in the coming weeks.
Welcomes
I would like to welcome Sue Franklin who has recently joined us as Principal Educational Psychologist in FCL. Sue joins Brighton & Hove City Council with an experienced background in education, following seven years as a Principal Educational Psychologist in a London borough. I am sure everyone in FCL will look forward to working with Sue.
Best wishes,
Jo
Keep in touch and follow me on Twitter @JoMLyons
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