Noticeboard - 30 March 2023
Welcome to this week's noticeboard which contains an Oracle update, links to book a place at the forthcoming Local Provision Phase Two Launch, information on a T-Level Conference taking place on 20 April, and a selection of courses to book!
May we also take this opportunity of wishing you a restful and well-deserved Easter break!
- New Process for Reporting Oracle Related Queries to the Council's Transactional Services
- Developing Local Provision Phase Two Launch
- T-Level Conference
- Early Years Spring Term WellComm Data Return
- Education Infrastructure Spring Bulletin
- The Auditor Spring Issue
- Health & Safety Training Courses
- Level 2 Qualifications through Birmingham Adult Education Services
- AET Early Years: Good Autism Practice
- AET Early Years: Leadership, Inclusion and Structural Reasonable Adjustments
New Process for Reporting Oracle Related Queries to the Council’s Transactional Services
Since the introduction of the Oracle system, a number of teams within the council’s Transactional Service have been contacted by schools’ staff seeking help to resolve Oracle related finance transaction queries.
To streamline the process and help speed up resolution times for queries, a dedicated mailbox has been created to manage all finance related transactional queries via a single route.
Schools staff can now email any transactional query relating to Accounts Payable, Accounts Receivable, Cashbooks, Payroll or Pensions to the SchoolsTransactionalServicesQueries@birmingham.gov.uk mailbox. The council’s Transactional Services will manage incoming queries and aim to reply within 48hrs, with a response that provides a resolution date or a review date.
To help this process move smoothly, please ensure that your query includes the following information:
- Provide the relevant contact name/s and number/s
- In the subject field of your email, please state the nature of your query e.g. Rec Files, payment, income
- Provide details of any previous contact related to your enquiry, including who you contacted, when you contacted etc, together with any associated reference number
- Provide any supporting information such as screen prints, copies of related email correspondence etc
To ensure that you query is dealt with promptly, please now stop using any previously used contact routes to reach Transactional Services teams and only use the new SchoolsTransactionalServicesQueries@birmingham.gov.uk mailbox.
Improving Post-16 Information, Resources, and Support on the SEND Local Offer website
The SEND Local Offer website has been refreshed and improved to help families, parents, carers, children, young people, and staff working in the service to find the help, advice, information and support they want more easily.
In order to improve the website further, SEND Birmingham would be hugely grateful if you would take a few minutes to complete a short survey – SEND Local Offer Website Survey
The information you provide will help enormously in ensuring we provide the information and resources that are required.
Thank you for your continued support!
Developing Local Provision Phase Two Launch
Following a thorough evaluation of all the Developing Local Provision projects, and the announcement of funding for Phase Two, we are committed to communicating the key information relating to the development of this work over the next two years. This is a high priority invitation for all mainstream headteachers and MAT leaders.
There is also now a plan for Special Schools to benefit from the DLP, and there is new funding for this.
Before you break up for a well-earned rest we are therefore pleased to announce the details of three identical events enabling mainstream heads to choose the time and venue that is most convenient for you. The launch of Special Schools DLP will be on May 2nd.
At this launch Helen Ellis, Director of SEND and Inclusion and the DLP Team will explain the new criteria for this funding and present what happens next. All this will be set in the context of the city’s education data and our priorities for our SEND Improvement Plan.
There are two places allocated to each school so that you can also bring the SEND / Inclusion / DLP lead from your leadership team.
Please see below detail of the events and links to book your place via Eventbrite. Further details will be sent to you prior to the event, via the email used to book your place.
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Date and time |
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Venue |
Booking link |
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Monday 24th April 14:30 – 16:00 |
South |
Christ Church Secondary School, Yardley Wood |
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Tuesday 25th April 08:30 – 10:00 |
North |
Prince Albert High School, Perry Barr |
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Tuesday 25th April 11:00 – 12:30 |
Central |
Boa Digital, Nechelles |
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Tuesday 2nd May 14:30 – 16:00 |
This session is specifically for Special School Head Teachers. |
Face to face, venue TBC |
T-Level Conference
Thursday, 20 April 2023: 09:00-13:00 – Birmingham City Council, Woodcock Street, Aston B7 4BL
The conference will promote the sharing of good practice, provide information on the future delivery of T-levels within Birmingham and encourage, enable and assist our Post 16 providers to deliver this qualification to our young people within Birmingham
Guest Speakers include Nicola Topley from The DfE and Loveena Verma from Lordswood Girls’ School
Off-site parking is available at Millennium Point (an approximate 8 minute walk away) and if you require disabled parking, please contact the 14-19 team 14-19@Birmingham.gov.uk
To book your place, simply follow this link: T-Level Conference - 20 April 2023
We very much look forward to welcoming you!
Early Years Spring Term WellComm Data Return
Thank you to all Primary and Nursery Schools for using the WellComm Toolkit to improve Speech-Language and Communication (SLC) outcomes in your school or setting. The WellComm data collection returns are demonstrating that targeted interventions offered by early years providers have improved children's level of SLC development.
We would therefore kindly request that each early year's provider returns their Spring Term WellComm screening results by Friday, 28 April 2023. This vital data collection process is crucial in shaping the SLC support available across Birmingham.
If you have not had the capacity to screen all of your children during the term, then please send the results that you already have.
You can complete the survey by simply following this link
Should you have any queries or require further information, please contact the team at EYDuty@birmingham.gov.uk and thank you once again for all your support.
Education Infrastructure – Spring Bulletin 2023
This term’s Education Infrastructure bulletin is available on BESS: Education Infrastructure Spring Bulletin
The bulletin covers the following topics:
- Dual funding applications
- Traded services
- Asbestos management plan training
- Duty holder training
- Additional Secondary places
- Surplus Primary places
- Tree management
Please contact the Education Infrastructure team for school place planning, capital projects and asset management queries: edsi.enquiries@birmingham.gov.uk
The Auditor Spring 2023 Issue 64
The Auditor Spring Term 2023 Issue 64 is now available to view by simply following this link:
We do hope you enjoy the read, and if you have any queries please don’t hesitate to contact the team: BirminghamAudit@birmingham.gov.uk
Health and Safety Training Courses
Level 3 Award – Paediatric First Aid – 17 & 19 April 2023: 09:00-16:00
- Cost: £160.00 per delegate
- Venue: Stirchley Baths, Bournville Lane, Stirchley, Birmingham B30 2JT
- To book your place simply follow this link
Fire Marshall Training (Online) – 21 April 2023 : 10:00-12:00
- Cost: £21.00 per delegate
- Venue: Delivered via Microsoft Teams
- To book your place simply follow this link
Level 3 Award – First Aid at Work – 22, 23 and 26 May 2023: 09:00-16:00
- Cost: £190.00 per delegate
- Venue: Stirchley Baths, Bournville Lane, Stirchley, Birmingham B30 2JT
- To book your place simply follow this link
For any queries regarding the above courses, please contact: schoolsafety@birmingham.gov.uk
Please note that all courses must be booked online and lunch/refreshment will NOT be served
Level 2 Qualifications through Birmingham Adult Education Services
The ICDL (International Certification of Digital Literacy)
This qualification is widely recognised by employers as proof of ability and competence when working with IT. The online course is designed for any novice and intermediate computer users, assumes no prior expertise, and offers a flexible working programme. Topics covered include: Word, Excel and PowerPoint, and the final assessment consists of four online timed assessments.
IT User Skills
This online course is aimed at those students who want to learn and gain a qualification in Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Email and TEAMS. There is no time limit to complete the course.
Should you have any queries or require further information regarding the above courses, please don’t hesitate to contact Sameena Asmat: sameena.asmat@birmingham.gov.uk
Further information regarding all Birmingham Adult Education courses can be found at www.learnbaes.ac.uk
Understanding and Responding to Sexual Harassment & Sexual Violence in Secondary Schools
Wednesday, 7 June 2023: 09.00 – 12.00
The ‘Everyone’s Invited movement’ and OfSTED’s subsequent review into Sexual Harassment and Sexual Violence have highlighted the sheer prevalence of these behaviours in secondary schools.
This course aims to give a greater understanding into “Harmful Sexual Behaviour,” how it can be challenged, what responses should be given and how schools can an embed a culture that raises awareness of, minimises, or even eradicates the prevalence of this.
To book your place simply follow this link
If you have any queries, or require further information please don’t hesitate to contact Lucie Welch: Lucie.welch@servicesforeducation.co.uk
AET Early Years: Good Autism Practice
Tuesday, 6 June 2023: 09:00-16:30 – Oakhill Centre, Oakhill Close, Birmingham, B17 8BB
In this module, delegates are taken through some of the distinct learning needs, strengths, and difficulties that autistic children share, and supported to take note of individual differences. Participants are given the opportunity to start thinking about a particular autistic child and their learning needs, along with ways in which they can adjust and adapt their own practice and the learning environment.
The aim of ‘Good Autism Practice in the Early Years’ is to support practitioners who work directly with autistic children to:
- Develop their knowledge and understanding of good autism practice.
- Reflect on and improve their practice in working with autistic children.
- Understand strategies and approaches they can draw upon for autistic children they work with.
- Reflect on the kind of information they need to collect for the one-page profile, the support plan, and the EYFS profile.
- Consider how to involve the autistic child and their family in setting learning goals.
After completing this course, delegates will be able to:
- Develop their knowledge of how the key areas of difference can affect the learning of an autistic child.
- Consider the approaches, strategies, and adaptations they can implement to remove barriers to wellbeing, participation, and learning for autistic children.
- Understand the importance of involving the child and family in planning and setting learning goals.
- Reflect on ways of gathering information from the child, parents/carers, and other professionals.
To book your place simply follow this link
AET Early Years: Leadership, Inclusion and Structural Reasonable Adjustments
Friday, 28 April 2023: 13:00-16:30 Via Microsoft Teams
The Leadership, Inclusion and Structural, Reasonable Adjustments Module is part of the Suite of Resources for Leaders. It has been compiled for leaders and leadership teams within education settings to embed culture change across their provision and support them on their journey to become an outstanding and inclusive setting. The resources will support leaders to fully embed the 8 principles of good autism practice as outlined in the Good Autism Practice Report.
This module will help leaders to understand what is needed to fully embed an inclusive culture. It looks at education legislation and guidance surrounding inclusion, the steps required to lead culture change and the importance of considering structural reasonable adjustments and AET resources to support leaders with this.
The aims
The aim of this module is to enable delegates:
- To look at how inclusive provision and structural reasonable adjustments can help a setting to be outstanding.
- To consider what is needed to lead culture change in a setting.
- To know about AET resources and guidance that can support leaders to provide inclusive environments through structural reasonable adjustments.
- To consider different ways of making structural reasonable adjustments to ensure autistic pupils are fully supported.
Learning objectives
For leaders:
- To be able to develop a culture where autistic pupils feel listened to, supported and included.
- To have the skills, tools and confidence to lead change in their setting.
- To have a good understanding of educational legislation related to inclusion.
- To reflect on and plan next steps for what is required
- To lead change and fully embed an inclusive culture.
- To understand how to embed the Autism Standards Framework to improve good autism practice.
To book your place simply follow this link