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This weeks newsletter is sponsored by Education Mutual
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The beginning of 2021 and start of the new term has been fraught with even more difficulties and challenges for our school leaders; with u-turns, lockdown, a return to remote learning and exams announcements. With the situation changing so rapidly, Schools North East reached out to school leaders to find out their views on some of the key issues they are currently facing.
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| MPs question the Secretary of State on the impact of Covid on education |
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MPs asked questions covering a range of issues, such as attendance, mental health, testing and vaccinations, and ‘catch-up’, all of which have been the focus of Schools North East’s lobbying activities throughout the Autumn term.
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| Worth Less? Survey highlights school leaders’ lack of confidence in decision making |
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Schools North East partners at Worth Less? have undertaken a national survey of school leaders, seeking views on a number of issues relating to the pandemic including catch-up and recovery, the digital divide, mass testing and confidence in policymakers.
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| Talking Heads - The Return to School |
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Last week our school leaders went from preparing their return, and even welcoming children back in on the first day, to remote learning again in less than 24 hours as lockdown was called. Some of our Head Teachers have shared their stories.
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Schoolchildren Get Creative To Design Handwashing Posters as Part of Battle to Beat Coronavirus Pandemic
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School pupils in County Durham got creative to design posters aimed at reinforcing the important handwashing message as part of the fight against coronavirus.
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Toy Run Donate To Walworth School
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Every year The Turbinia and Aycliffe Bike Club organise a ‘Toy Run’ at Christmas to collect donations for good causes in the Bishop Auckland and Newton Aycliffe areas.
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Schools still managed to run fun games
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Whilst lockdowns and isolations may have stopped the School Games usual programme of face to face competitive events and festivals, it hasn’t been able to stop the sporting spirit and the physical activity of the Tynedale Schools.
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Leaders' key priorities for improving education in Northumberland
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An education strategy board is being set up in Northumberland with the aim of driving improvements in the county’s schools.
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Northumberland schools face 'tricky year' as they await budget news
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Funding for Northumberland schools will increase next year, but the impact on individual budgets has not yet been finalised.
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Teesside school launches own coronavirus testing programme for pupils and staff without symptoms
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A testing site has been established in the Atrium lounge within the Princess Alexandra Auditorium at Yarm School
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Hartlepool MP joins in Marcus Rashford food parcels debate calling contents an 'insult'
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Hartlepool’s MP has weighed in on the issue of how little food some families have received in free school meal parcels sparked by footballer Marcus Rashford.
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Marcus Rashford backs South Shields MP as she prepares to take school breakfast campaign back to Parliament
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A South Tyneside MP is preparing to take her Marcus Rashord-backed campaign to guarantee breakfasts for hungry school children back to Parliament.
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Time capsule buried to celebrate new teaching centre at Sedgefield Community College
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STUDENTS have been hard at work burying a time capsule to mark the construction of a new teaching centre at their college.
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New for Education Members 2021
Education Mutual's ethical approach to Staff Absence Protection was set up by schools for schools. The company is a non-profit making organisation where all end of year surplus stays with you!
Education Mutual's success makes us one of the largest suppliers of Staff Absence Protection, along with being the only recommended provider by the DFE.
Education Mutual are pleased to inform you that in a bid to help member schools, absence claims will continue to be paid as normal despite school closures until mid-February.
The board in conjunction with our members are continuing to improving the support offered to members with additional benefits such as Occupation Health cover, Increased Payments for Adoption and Paternity cover and Free ISBL membership.
To get a quote and become a member of Education Mutual's staff absence protection please visit our website www.educationmutual.co.uk or call us on 01623287840
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WHAT'S HAPPENING ON CONNECTED?
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ConnectEd
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Be part of the community
Our growing online community has over 3,000 North East school staff and over 30 dedicated groups to help you in your role.
The platform is free to North East School staff.
Join or login to ConnectEd |
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Join the community
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Be supported in your role
We know this term has been challenging and you might feel you don't have the time or opportunity to connect with your colleagues, but supporting each other has never been more important.
Join the free platform today |
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Ednorth
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Our Ednorth programme aims to change classroom culture
Join the Ednorth hub to find evidence-based ideas, support and resources to support your teaching practice and connect with teachers from across the region.
Login or join the Community |
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BOOKINGS OPEN
Academies Conference 2021
Thursday 4th Feb 2021: 1pm-3.30pm*
Friday 5th Feb 2021: 10am-12.30pm*
The fourth annual Academies conference will take place over two days as a virtual conference.
Academies have long been leading the way on some of the key issues affecting North East education and the response to the coronavirus pandemic has been no different. Now that we are moving into a new calendar year it is time to 'reboot', moving away from the reactive, emergency responses of last year and looking at proactive approaches for the new year through a mix of keynote speeches from leading figures in education and interactive sessions.
Speakers announced:
Daniel Muijs, Head of Research, Ofsted
Hywel Roberts, Teacher, Writer, Speaker, Imagineer
Dominic Herrington, National Schools Commissioner, DfE
Katherine Cowell, Regional Schools Commissioner for North, DfE
Leora Cruddas, CEO, Confederation of School Trusts
Visit the conference website to find out more
See the full list of confirmed speakers
*Timings subject to change
Virtual MP Roundtables
Various times
Schools North East is delighted to offer the opportunity for our Partner School Head Teachers and CEOs to engage in a confidential, friendly, and informal manner with MPs from their constituency to enable them to fully understand the most pressing concerns and issues that our region’s schools are facing.
15th January: 2.30pm-4pm - Sharon Hodgson, MP for Washington and Sunderland West
19th January: 9am-10.30am - Paul Howell, MP for Sedgefield
22nd January: 10am-11.30am - Richard Holden, MP for Durham North West
If you are a Partner School, keep an eye out for your invitation.
Not a Partner School?
Sign up now
Mon 25 January at 4-5pm
Speakers and the panel include:
Wayne Hall, Edtech Demo Project Manager, Darlington College
Justine Hunter, Apple Teacher, Hadrian Primary School
Tristan Kirkpatrick, Director of Computer Science, Outwood Grange Academies Trust
Lynsey Carr, Edtech Demonstrator Project Lead, Stephenson Memorial Primary School
Colin Bancroft, Ednorth Project Coordinator, Schools North East
Chaired by Harmeet Sahota, Edtech Demonstrator Regional Lead for Yorkshire and Humberside and the North East
Events from our partners
North East Regional NTP webinar for schools
Wednesday 27th January, 4.00-5.00pm
The National Tutoring Programme (NTP) team are running an information webinar for schools in the north east region to provide an update on the programme. The event will focus on the Tuition Partners pillar, including an update on how schools can continue to access tuition during the national lockdown.
We will be joined by a number of Tuition Partners who will present an overview of their tutoring models and offer to schools through the NTP.
SIGN UP HERE
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GCSE and A-level pupils could sit mini exams to aid grading
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A-level, AS and GCSE students in England could be asked to sit mini external exams to help teachers with their assessments after formal exams were cancelled last week.
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Majority of primaries had more than a fifth of pupils attend this week, DfE stats show
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The majority of primary schools that opened this week had more than a fifth of children attending on Monday, new statistics have revealed.
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Marcus Rashford calls for urgent review of free school meals system
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Footballer’s request comes after Boris Johnson admits quality of some food parcels was sub-standard
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More Edenred and 5 other things Williamson told MPs
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The education secretary was questioned by MPs on the coronavirus situation in schools today. Here's what we learned
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Williamson pleads ignorance over new Covid strain ahead of Greenwich decision, despite Hancock’s warning hours earlier
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Education secretary Gavin Williamson has claimed he did not know about the new strain of coronavirus before ordering a council to keep its schools open.
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Rapid coronavirus testing scheme ‘may increase rather than decrease’ cases in schools, experts warn
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‘Possibility some close contacts who are infected will test negative and will spread virus is not negligible’, scientists say
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Covid-19: Special school staff want jab priority
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Parents of children with special educational needs and disabilities are calling for teachers in special schools to be vaccinated against Covid-19.
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Ofsted inspections to be done remotely after U-turn
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Ofsted monitoring inspections will now take place remotely until half term, following a U-turn by the watchdog.
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Mass testing to be rolled out in primaries despite accuracy warnings
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Mass testing will be rolled out to primary school staff next week despite experts warning the strategy will “inevitably lead” to more Covid cases in the classroom.
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GCSE results: Half of English students get grade 4
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Results for the more than 130,000 entries for English and maths GCSEs in the November exam series were published this morning
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Regulator refuses to approve mass daily Covid testing at English schools
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Boris Johnson’s plans to test millions of schoolchildren for coronavirus every week appear to be in disarray after the UK regulator refused to formally approve the daily testing of pupils in England, the Guardian has learned.
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Jobs in Schools | North East designed by schools for schools with the best interests of schools and candidates at its heart. Currently 21 live vacancies
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Copyright © Schools North East 2020
Our mailing address is:
c/o Northumbria University, Room 115, Ellison Terrace, 1-5 Ellison Place, Newcastle, NE1 8ST
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