Fenland and East Cambridgeshire Opportunity Area
Schools Newsletter 25 March 2019
|
|
Message from our Chair
Recently we have been reflecting on the breadth of projects the Opportunity Area programme has opened up to local schools, particularly as we shift our attention to monitoring the progress of our ongoing work. This continued progress can only be achieved through true collaboration and so we want to thank you for your support and commitment to working together to achieve the best possible outcomes for all pupils and young people throughout the Opportunity Area.
We are aware that schools have raised concerns about the provision of support for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), and for pupils demonstrating mental health concerns. We are therefore pleased to launch a new Inclusion Offer, following consultation with schools about the model. Further details are in this newsletter.
In this edition of the newsletter, there is information about both new and ongoing projects, including professional development opportunities and support for recruitment. We would like to draw your attention to the updated Recruitment Incentives Grant, which we are opening up to schools who have already benefited from the grant and early years settings. We also want to highlight the next Stakeholder Meeting, on Wednesday 24 April at St Wendreda’s Church Hall, March, to which all schools are invited. This meeting will provide a good opportunity to network with a range of partners and find out more about the offers available to schools.
If you would like to speak to the Opportunity Area team about any aspects of the programme please do not hesitate to contact them on Fenland.EastCambsOA@cambridgeshire.gov.uk as they would be delighted to speak with you about how your school can benefit.
Tricia Pritchard
|
|
Contents
In this newsletter:
|
|
April Stakeholder Meeting – Networking Opportunity
All schools in the Opportunity Area are encouraged to join us at 10:30–12:00 on Wednesday 24 April at St Wendreda's Church Hall, March for the next Opportunity Area Stakeholder Meeting.
Following on from feedback from our stakeholders, this next Stakeholder Meeting will have a stronger focus on networking. We are inviting our providers to each host a 'market stall' where they will present to you their offer for your school in more detail. This is a fantastic opportunity to speak directly to providers about the ongoing Opportunity Area projects and initiatives available to you and how your school can participate.
If you have not yet received an invitation to this meeting and would like to attend, please contact Bethan Du-Mont, Opportunity Area Programme Coordinator, at Bethan.DuMont@cambridgeshire.gov.uk.
Return to Contents
|
|
Inclusion Offer
We are pleased to launch our brand new Inclusion Offer, which is a broad approach to supporting inclusive practice and can be tailored to individual schools. Schools are invited to sign up to the offer and commit to attending half-termly cluster meetings and locally-led Mental Health Champion Forums, as well as undertaking a SEND review and allocating a governor to attend SEND training. In return, schools will receive access to a full range of support for their inclusive practice and SEND provision:
- Support from the Opportunity Area Inclusion Team to conduct a SEND review process, if this is not already in place in the school
- Support from the Opportunity Area Outreach Support Workers who can offer advice and support surrounding specific strategies and interventions specialising in one of the following: social, emotional and mental health (SEMH), behaviour support, attachment disorder, autism.
- Needs-specific training fund
- Fully funded STEPs training for all staff and STEPs tutor training for one member of staff (preferably the Headteacher)
- Access to fully funded NASENCO Award for the school SENCO if unqualified
- Access to a SEND Toolkit designed to offer further clarity and support between schools and services
- The opportunity to access additional funding to develop or enhance existing nurture support in your school (subject to successful application)
To sign up to this Inclusion Offer, contact Tiffany Middleton, Opportunity Area SEND and Inclusion Regional Lead, Tiffany.Middleton@cambridgeshire.gov.uk. The closing date to sign up is Friday 10 May.
Return to Contents
|
|
Primary School TA Training
Our latest fully funded training courses for primary teaching assistants (TAs) have recently started and have received some great feedback from participants. One participant in the 'EAL – Training for Teaching Assistants' course commented:
'The EAL training was an absolute eye opener and a different approach to EAL delivery.'
There is still time to sign up for this offer so please do not hesitate to get in touch with the relevant training provider to find our more and register:
Funding is available for two TAs from each primary school in the Opportunity Area to attend each course. If more than two TAs from your school would like to participate in any of the training courses, please get in touch with the relevant provider to express your interest and they can contact you if more spaces become available.
If you have any general queries in relation to this training offer, please do not hesitate to contact Bethan Du-Mont, Opportunity Area Programme Coordinator, at Bethan.DuMont@cambridgeshire.gov.uk.
Return to Contents
|
|
Mental Health Training
We have partnered with YMCA Trinity Group to offer a range of funded mental health training for schools and early years settings. Many of you have already taken up this offer and we’ve received great feedback about it. This feedback included a participant who described the training as “a useful training session in which I was able to use my current skills and knowledge to support peers and ultimately I feel I have learnt much to support my role as mental health lead”.
Due to this positive response and the high demand for this training, we are pleased to announce that we are extending this offer to allow more schools to take part. The training on offer to Opportunity Area schools is:
- 2-hour Whole School Introduction to Mental Health Training (any education setting) – To help raise awareness amongst all staff of how mental health issues develop, how to spot the signs, and what you can do to support those going through trauma.
- CACHE Level 2 Certificate in Understanding Children & Young People's Mental Health (any education setting including parents) – An accredited distance learning programme (equivalent to a GCSE) to provide a detailed understanding of mental health conditions, legislation, and the impact mental health concerns have on young people and others.
- 3-day Mental Health Champions Training for designated staff (primary and secondary schools only) – A Train the Trainer programme to enable key members of staff to cascade training on specific mental health issues to other staff, including resources, clinical advice, and a 1-day refresher course after 12 months.
- Level 4 Counselling Skills Training; Level 4 Counselling & Psychotherapy Skills Training or Level 4 Diploma in Counselling Skills (any education setting) – The opportunity for designated leads to access further training to enhance their knowledge of counselling based on a training needs analysis.
For more information about this training, please email Lisa.Smith@ymcatrinity.org.uk.
Return to Contents
|
|
Recruitment Incentives Grant
We know that recruiting staff can be a challenge, and that recruiting the right people to vacant posts is of huge importance to your schools and early years settings. Our recruitment incentives grant is available to schools and early years settings in the Opportunity Area who are struggling to recruit to vacant posts.
The grant is for up to £10,000 to be spent on a range of incentives for new teachers. These incentives include CPD (including Masters courses), learning visits to other schools (including in other parts of Europe), driving lessons, childcare vouchers and cover for personal days. You can mention the incentives in your job adverts. Schools who have already benefited from this grant have reported that these incentives have helped to attract applicants who otherwise would not have applied to the school.
If you would like more information or to request this grant, please contact Briony.Davies@cambridgeshire.gov.uk. If your school has already benefited from this grant and would like further support for your ongoing recruitment you may be eligible for additional funding so please do not hesitate to contact us.
Return to Contents
|
|
Foundation Teacher Training Programme
We know that there are brilliant TAs in your schools, who would make ideal teachers but face barriers in accessing teacher training programmes. We have partnered with Cambridgeshire County Council's Teach in Cambridgeshire to offer a funded two-year schools-based route into Qualified Teacher Status. This is open to both primary and secondary schools in Fenland and East Cambridgeshire. For more information, please see the attached flyer here.
Return to Contents
|
|
Teach First
All non-selective primary and secondary schools in Fenland and East Cambridgeshire are now eligible to recruit trainee teachers from Teach First.
Teach First is a charity working for equality of education, and finds and trains talented people to become inspirational teachers in the schools that need them most.
Trainees are unqualified teachers in Year 1 of the programme and begin teaching at 60%, progressing to 80% from half term 2. In 2018, 79% of East of England trainees gained Grade 1 in their assessment for QTS. Trainees commit to a minimum of two years in their placement school, completing a Post Graduate Diploma in Education, and receive expert support across both years of the programme.
You can find more information on Teach First here, or contact Rhian Harris, School Partnerships Manager, at rharris@teachfirst.org.uk or on 07447 180056.
Return to Contents
|
|
Researchers in Schools
Researchers in Schools is an opportunity for schools to recruit PhD graduates to train and teach in all EBacc subjects. Participants on the programme commit to working in your school for three years during which time they receive training and support from award-winning education charity The Brilliant Club to lead activities that champion university access, disseminate subject expertise and promote education research within your school’s context.
One school in the Opportunity Area has already benefited from the programme and we were pleased to hear the positive feedback from the school’s head, Richard Spencer:
“Ely College are delighted to be participating in the ‘Researchers in Schools’ programme. Our participant brings a deep subject expertise in Physics to the college and is making good progress towards becoming an effective teacher. We see the programme as an excellent way of bridging the world of academic research and education, with a flexibility that can be of great benefit to both participants and schools. We are very grateful for the support that we have been able to access from the Opportunity Area which has helped facilitate our participation.”
More details about the programme can be found here and if you would like to discuss it further, please contact amy.emery@researchersinschools.org.
Return to Contents
|
|
Outreach Support Worker Roles
As part of our commitment to improve the support for children and young people with mental health concerns and special educational needs in the Opportunity Area, we are now looking for a small team of subject experts and specialists to join our SEND and Inclusion Regional Lead. We are looking for candidates interested in working as an Opportunity Area Outreach Support Worker and specialising in one of the following: attachment, autism, social, emotional and mental health (SEMH) or behaviour support. These roles are available on a fully flexible basis as a secondment and are open to staff in local schools, academies and special schools with an interest in joining the team on a part time basis alongside their current role. We are looking for local specialists from within the Opportunity Area and the surrounding area who could bring their knowledge and expertise to the team.
More information about the roles can be found in the Job Description and Person Specification but if you have any further queries, please do not hesitate to contact Tiffany Middleton, Opportunity Area SEND and Inclusion Regional Lead, Tiffany.Middleton@cambridgeshire.gov.uk. The deadline to apply for these posts is fast approaching so, to apply, interested candidates should forward their CV and a covering letter to Tiffany by 5pm on Wednesday 27 March 2019.
Return to Contents
|
|
Teach Fenland and East Cambridgeshire
The Opportunity Area has partnered with Athene Communications to run a marketing campaign advertising teaching in Fenland and East Cambridgeshire. This campaign includes online advertising, social media and print advertising. The focus of the campaign is to advertise Fenland and East Cambridgeshire to current teachers working in other areas of the country to encourage them to relocate here, and to advertise teaching as a career path to people currently living locally. The website is now live and can be found here: www.teachfenlandeastcambs.co.uk.
You will have received a request from Athene Communications to send through some details about your school in order to help create the content for the campaign. Please do send this information to Ryan@athene-communications.co.uk if you have not done so already.
Return to Contents
|
|
DfE Vacancy Service
As part of the 2017 Government manifesto to reduce the financial burden of recruitment, DfE has developed www.gov.uk/find-teaching-job, a national search and listings service for teaching roles, in publicly funded schools. It is a free of charge service, aimed at reducing the time and money spent on advertising and recruiting staff in addition to becoming the 'go to' service for teachers and NQTs looking for their next career move.
Return to Contents
|
|
|
If there is anybody who you think would like to receive this email, please feel free to forward it on. Email Fenland.EastCambsOA@cambridgeshire.gov.uk to be added to the distribution list.
|
|
|
|
|
