• New Accident, Incident and Near Miss Reporting Form
• ECINS Early Help Case Management Software
• Secondary School Active Travel Ambassadors Programme
• ECT Recruitment 2023
• Cyber Explorers Virtual Workshops for Schools
• New to English Leadership Course
• Leading Primary Science Course
• Peer Mediation Plus Funding
• Introduction to Restorative Practice for Schools and Community Settings

New Accident, Incident and Near Miss Reporting Form

Birmingham City Council Education Safety Services has created a new, more user-friendly accident, incident and near miss form: Accident, Incident and Near Miss Report | Complete (birmingham.gov.uk)

Birmingham City Council Maintained Schools and non-maintained schools who subscribe to Education Safety Services, must, with effect from 1 January 2023 use the new form to report accidents, incidents, and near misses. 

If your school has printed or saved blank copies of the old PDF accident, incident and near miss form, please destroy these and from this point forward use the new form:  Accident, Incident and Near Miss Report | Complete (birmingham.gov.uk)

Where an employee completes the form, this will be emailed to the manager with a link to Part 2 of the form for the manager to complete. 

Where the employee is not able to complete, or for accidents, incidents and near misses relating to pupils, visitors and contractors, the form can be completed on their behalf. 

Once completed, you will receive an email to summarise and confirm your submission. 

We hope you find this new form more intuitive and easier to complete, but if you have any queries please don't hesitate to contact: schoolsafety@birmingham.gov.uk   

ECINS Early Help Case Management Software

Updated slides clarifying the process for applying to use the ECINS Early Help Case management software are now available on the Birmingham Education Hub here: https://birmingham.eduhub.org.uk/ and support can be given if you contact the ECINS support team: ECINSSupportTeam@birminghamchildrenstrust.co.uk 

Schools had been asking about the need to take legal advice before signing the Data Sharing Agreement.  Legal advice has been taken on behalf of schools and this has confirmed that applying schools/MATS need to ask their own Data Protection Officer to look at the agreement before signing and that independent legal advice is only needed if the DPO wants to do that.

For further information or support please contact: ECINSSupportTeam@birminghamchildrenstrust.co.uk 

Secondary School Active Travel Ambassadors Programme - last few remaining places!

Birmingham City Council are excited to be taking part in the Modeshift Active Travel Ambassador (ATA) programme.  Funded by the Department for Transport, the programme provides young people with the opportunity to address transport issues affecting their school community. With support from your dedicated Modeshift ATA Coordinator, the ATA team (made up of 6-12 students) will research and develop behaviour change campaigns, focusing on active travel and road safety. Over a number of sessions, the ATA Coordinator will guide students in developing skills in a variety of areas including project management, leadership, presenting, collecting and analysing data and marketing.

During the programme the ATAs will have the opportunity to pitch their campaign ideas to a panel of industry experts at the Campaign Junction event, where they can secure up to £250 to deliver their campaign.

Due to the limited number of places available to take part in this scheme, please contact The Travel Demand Management Team before Friday, 27 January 2023 to submit your interest: connected@birmingham.gov.uk.

Please note that remaining places will be allocated on a first come first served basis.

ECT Recruitment 2023

In response to recruitment trends over the last few years HR Services for Schools will not be recruiting to a pool this year. Instead, there is now a dedicated area on the Birmingham City Council website where schools can advertise ECT vacancies.

However, to ensure everything is being done to help schools recruit ECT’s, HR Services for Schools will be:

• communicating with a higher number of universities this year to increase the available talent through collaboration
• asking all students who are actively seeking their first teaching appointment in Birmingham for September 2023 to register with us
• sending alerts to all job seekers registered with us when a vacancy is published with a link to apply
• promoting our dedicated ECT webpage and the vacancies on our well-established social media platforms, Twitter and LinkedIn
• advertising your vacancies on www.birmingham.gov.uk and www.wmjobs.co.uk attaching your supporting documents (application form, job description, person specification) so applicants can complete and return directly to you

Charges:

• Schools and academies purchasing HR Services for Schools core package - £140
• Schools and academies not purchasing HR Services for Schools core package - £285

Place an advert using our advert request form: Advert Request Form (birmingham.gov.uk), and please ensure you select the ECT recruitment package to take advantage of this service.

For any queries or further information please contact: schoolsadverts@birmingham.gov.uk

Cyber Explorers Virtual Workshops for Schools – W/c 16 January 2023

These free virtual workshops are aimed at Key Stage 3 students and offer a chance to use Cyber Explorers and get involved in the activities introducing the concept of cyber security and associated career roles.

The workshops will be delivered virtually and students will need access to a computer/laptop and headphones.

These fun and interactive workshops last for one hour and students will need to be registered onto the platform in advance. Don’t worry, when you book, full details will be provided.

To book a free virtual workshop for your students please contact support@cyberexplorers.co.uk

New to English Leadership

Thursday, 12 January & Monday, 24 April 2023

Leading English is a complex and challenging role in a primary school and, with so much emphasis being placed upon English in the Ofsted Framework, it comes with a high level of expectation. This introductory course will equip new and recently appointed English leaders with a secure knowledge of the varying aspects of their role, including Ofsted requirements and expectations, and will support them in becoming a confident, knowledgeable and inspirational English leader.

Places can be booked here: New to English Leadership

For queries or further information please contact Emma Mudge at Services for Education: emma.mudge@servicesforeducation.co.uk or telephone 0121 366 9950.

Leading Primary Science

Monday, 13 February & Monday, 15 May 2023

Day 1 – Leading Primary Science:

The focus of the course will look at how to develop the Primary Science across a school to ensure that intent, implementation and impact is evident throughout the school. The day will incorporate how to plan meaningful investigations to cover all aspects of Working Scientifically and delegates will leave with an essential Toolkit of how to be an effective Science Leader with the aim of raising the profile of Science at your setting.

Day 2 – Science is Everywhere:

The second day focuses on how to maximise Science opportunities through Cross Curricular and Thematic planning and how to make the most of Wow Days, Outdoor Education and Science in the Community. The days will also focus on how to run Science clubs and how playtimes can showcase Scientific investigations.

Places can be booked here: Leading Primary Science

For queries or further information please contact Services for Education: hello@servicesforeducation.co.uk or telephone 0121 366 9950

Peer Mediation Plus

Funding is available for schools in the West Midlands to help set up a Peer Mediation scheme and train staff to get the most out of the scheme in the Spring or Summer terms 2023.

Peer mediation involves children being trained to mediate their peers’ conflicts at school. It is underpinned by the same values that inform adult mediation. It is voluntary, inclusive and leads those people who find themselves in a dispute, to find their own solution to their problem, rather than being told what to do.  It is conflict resolution for young people, by young people. 

What’s included:

• Pupil workshop
• 3 days mediation training - with up to 24 selected peer mediators
• Staff CPD (3 twilights or one-half day and one twilight)
• Lunchtime Supervisor Training (a 90-minute session)
• Invitation to a WM Peer Mediation Leads Network
• Evaluation including a follow up visit to the school once the scheme is established

Schools are asked to commit to all aspects of the offer and to make a financial contribution towards the costs. The total cost to deliver this work is £2,270 per school, but each school will be asked to contribute just £500.00.

For further information please contact Libbs Packer at Peacemakers:  Libbs@peacemakers.org.uk or telephone 0121 236 4796.

Introduction to Restorative Practice for Schools & Community Settings

Monday, 6 February 2023 – 09:00-16:30: The Priory Rooms, Birmingham B4 6AF - £150 per person

Restorative Practice is a way of being, thinking, interacting, teaching and learning – with relationships at the centre. Many schools are using restorative approaches to foster an inclusive, child-centred and relational learning environment. Children develop emotional and social skills and learn to take ownership of conflicts and solutions to conflict.

This training course will provide participants with the knowledge and skills required to use informal restorative practices in their day-to-day work, introducing participants to the philosophy and language of restorative practices. Using a mix of theory, skills practice and group work, participants will learn how to apply this innovative and relational way of dealing with conflict in their daily work.

The course is delivered by a practitioner, who is accredited by the Restorative Justice Council and bookings can be made here: Introduction to Restorative Practice

Discounts may apply for bookings of more than one person so please contact Yvonne Hunt at Peacemakers to discuss: office@peacemakers.org.uk or telephone 0121 236 4796.