A huge congratulations to 37 schools in Brighton and Hove who have achieved the National School Games Mark Award 2021/22. The School Games Mark is a Government-led award scheme launched in 2012, facilitated by the Youth Sport Trust to reward and recognise schools’ engagement in School Games against a national benchmark and to celebrate keeping young people active. Well done to these schools for offering such a varied PE and School Sport programme. Schools can be awarded a bronze, silver, gold or platinum mark. The platinum mark is a real achievement – to be awarded this, a gold mark needs to have been maintained for five subsequent years. Congratulations to Downs Juniors, Coldean Primary, Elm Grove Primary and Hertford Juniors who have all been awarded a Platinum Mark!
Apprenticeship Outward Bounds
Apprentices taking part in sailing and climbing
I have enjoyed hearing about the outward bounds activity event organised by the Apprenticeship Team which took place this month. This was an amazing opportunity for 20 volunteer apprentices to take part in two days of activities involving archery, sailing and climbing. The event ended with learning to build a raft and sail it. Activities were based around the Council’s values and behaviours and helped build confidence by working as a team, trusting others and communicating. The event was funded through grants received from ESFA. One attendee said:- “It was a fantastic opportunity to meet and collaborate with people from different parts of the organisation and learn about their roles at BHCC, which helps to build a better understanding about what the organisation does”. Well done to everyone involved!
Youth Transport Campaign
I was very interested to hear that Members of the Youth Transport Campaign met with all three local MPs alongside the Chair for the Children and Young People’s Skills Committee this month. They discussed the issues relating to bus travel that had been identified by the Youth Council, largely focussing around the relationships with young people, the complex ticketing process and the overall cost. They were also fortunate enough to be able to speak to Geoff Raw – Chief Executive of Brighton & Hove City Council, to gain his perspective and ideas.
Secondary and Primary Rugby League World Cup Festivals
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Students taking part in tag rugby
Earlier this month, 60 secondary school students from four schools and 225 primary students from 19 schools took part in Rugby League Tag Rugby Festivals to celebrate the Rugby League World cup being held in England. 17 Sports Leaders from the Cardinal Newman Rugby Academy supported the event along with two students from the University of Brighton’s Rugby League Team. All of the students had a great time, many of them taking part in Tag Rugby and representing their school for the first time.
Anti-Racist Education
On 15 October, Brighton & Hove City Council held its first anti-racist education in the community event at Lighthouse in Brighton. Bringing together community and voluntary sector anti-racist education practitioners, attendees were able to share their contributions to furthering anti-racist education enabling more coordinated work and increased awareness of the richness our community sector holds. An anti-racist education survey has been sent to every maintained school and maintained nursery in Brighton and Hove. This survey is collecting information that will really help us to progress the strategy and to capture some of the brilliant work already taking place across the city so please do take a few minutes to complete this. The survey can be downloaded from BEEM.
Youth Parliament
Children in Care and Care Leavers Awards
Brighton and Hove Children’s Services held a special ‘Flying High’ Awards Ceremony to celebrate the achievements of our children in care and care leavers earlier this month. The ‘Flying High’ ceremony took place at the British Airways i360 with 50 children and young people invited to receive an award. There were outstanding hip hop music performances from two very talented Brighton and Hove care experienced young people, followed by a complementary flight on the i360 and some in-flight table tennis. Congratulations to all the award winners!
Congratulations to Bee in the Woods
I was delighted to hear that Bee in the Woods Kindergarten have won the Nursery of the Year at the Nursery World Awards 2022. Children from all over Brighton and Hove spend their days playing and learning in an amazing outdoor environment, where they are given the freedom to explore and investigate the natural world around them in safety. Very many congratulations to the Bee In The Woods Team on this outstanding achievement!
Marina Trip
The Children in Care Council and the Care Leavers Forum enjoying their trip
Last month, the Children in Care Council and the Care Leavers Forum enjoyed a joint trip to Brighton Marina - making pizzas, walking along the undercliff and seeing the Brighton shoreline from the vantage point of a boat. A great day was had by everyone, and it has helped to strengthen the links between the two groups. For more information about the groups, please contact: debbie.garrett@brighton-hove.gov.uk or careleaversforum@brighton-hove.gov.uk.
St Mark’s CE Primary School and Varndean School have both received Ofsted inspections this month and we are awaiting the outcome.
Welcomes
We welcome a number of colleagues to the local authority this month. Welcome to our Lead Teachers for anti-racism Dulani Kulasinghe (Patcham Infants), Elohor Knowles (Middle Street Primary), Flo Sparham (Goldstone Primary), Angela Simmonds (Varndean), Shareen Hone (Cardinal Newman) and Anoushka Visvalingham (St Luke’s Primary). Along with anti-racist education advisor, Camille Kumar, this team will ensure the work we do under the strategy is both directly informed by teachers and support staff working in Brighton and Hove schools, and also is directly benefiting schools, colleges and nurseries across the city.
I would like to welcome Katie Eberstein who has been working for the Sussex Wildlife Trust for over 20 years and leading BHee for over a decade. Katie will continue to support the delivery of the ‘Our City Our World’ project which the council is developing to help education establishments address environmental education, climate change, sustainability and bio-diversity issues.
We also welcome Donna Keenan who has been appointed as the Apprenticeship and Pre-employment Manager. Donna has worked for colleges and independent training providers in the city for a number of years and has previously worked in partnership with council colleagues to drive the apprenticeship and pre-employment strategy across the city.
Donna Keenan
Welcome to Kate Scutt who joins the early years team as the Early Years Consultant, providing us with a strategic lead in expert professional advice, guidance and challenge to private, voluntary and independent (PVI) early years and childcare providers. Kate has significant experience working in East Sussex and in Surrey leading quality and improvement in early years.
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As we move into an exciting new phase of transformation for Family Hubs, we are pleased to welcome Stephen Woodward in his new role as Family Hubs Programme Manager. Stephen re-joins us from an 18-month secondment into the Policy Department of the DWP, where he worked regionally and nationally as a lead in their Reducing Parental Conflict programme.
Stephen Woodward
Goodbyes
We say goodbye this month to Alex Wingham who is moving on from his position as Head of St Martin’s Primary School. Thank you to Alex for all of his hard work and commitment to the pupils at the school and we hope he will stay in touch. Jane Joshi will be taking over as Acting Head.
Best wishes,
Jo
Keep in touch and follow me on Twitter @JoMLyons
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