Noticeboard

Noticeboard - 11 May 2023

Welcome to this week's noticeboard containing a polite reminder to complete the Statutory School Census, information on SEND Free Schools Engagement Events, a link to the SEND Parents and Carers Survey 2023, and more!

DfE Statutory School Census – Summer 2023

Census date: Thursday, 18 May | Final Return date: Wednesday, 14 June

Schools will have received information regarding the Summer 2023 Census and guidance on how to make submissions.

This is a polite reminder to ask schools to kindly complete the Census as early as possible, and preferably to submit the first return by Monday, 22 May 2023. Thank you in advance for your support and cooperation in doing so, it's greatly appreciated. 

Should you have any queries regarding the Census, please don’t hesitate to contact: schoolcensus@birmingham.gov.uk

SEND Free Schools – Engagement Events

As you are hopefully aware, we recently received approval to two of our bids for new SEND Free Schools in the latest application round with DfE. One is a 400 place ASC all-through school, the other a 120 place 14-19 SEMH/ASC school.

The information on the specifications of both schools as well as a link to Birmingham’s contextual information can now be found online: Local authority specifications - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

Proposer groups, sponsors and trusts are invited to apply to open a special free school: How to apply to open a special free school - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

Mandatory pre-registration closes at 5pm on Friday, 16 June 2023.

To share information on the proposals, our SEND Strategy and support available to proposers from Create schools, please join us at an upcoming Engagement Event. There will be two sessions (one virtual and one in person). Both sessions will have the same content. The sessions will be held at the following times:

  • Wednesday, 24 May – 1pm-3pm – virtual meeting (link to be shared)
  • Thursday, 25 May – 1pm-3pm – in person (Woodcock Street, Birmingham City Centre, room tbc)

Full details of the meetings will be shared in next week’s noticeboard.

To express interest in attending a session or any related queries please email: ediplaceplanning@birmingham.gov.uk

Birmingham SEND Parents and Carers Survey 2023

The Birmingham SEND Parents and Carers Survey 2023 is now live and can be viewed here:  BirminghamSendSurvey2023

This survey seeks Parents and Carers views about their experiences of SEND services for their child/children. It follows on from a similar survey that was carried out last year and now aims to measure any improvements made.

This survey has been co-produced with the Birmingham Parent and Carer Forum (BPCF). 

We would love to hear the current views of Parents and Carers on SEND services provided by Birmingham City Council (Education), Birmingham Children's Trust (Social Care) and Health (NHS) in Birmingham, alongside the Birmingham Parent Carer Forum.

All Parent and Carer survey responses will be automatically entered into a prize draw with a chance to win one of four £25 shopping vouchers. The survey will officially close on Friday, 26 May at 11.59pm and the names will be drawn at random on Wednesday, 31 May 2023.

For any queries or assistance in completing the survey Parents and Carers can contact the team at: SendSurvey@Birmingham.gov.uk

Early Education Entitlement - 30 Hours Places for Summer Term 2023

For children to access a 30 hour funded place in Spring 2023, parents must have received an eligible code on or before 31 March 2023.

The local authority cannot fund codes that have a validity start date on or after 1 April 2023.

It is the childcare providers responsibility to check the date on the code before offering a 30 hour place or part of a 30 hour place. Please do this by entering the code on ECS and checking the validity start date to ensure it is eligible for the current term:  www.cloudforedu.org.uk/oefe/birmingham/la/schools

Please check the date before allowing the child to access a 30 hour place this term.

Further information regarding 30 hours and validating codes can be found on EYMIS: www.ted-birmingham.org.uk. Please use the login details:

  • Username: PVI2 (please note this is a capital i not the number one)
  • Password: PVI2year (please note this is a capital i not the number one)

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

EYSFF Returns for Summer Term 2023

Each term schools with Early Years provision for 2, 3 and 4 year olds are required to submit and return an on-line EYSFF submission to provide details of numbers of eligible 2 year olds, EYPP and FSM take up so that early years funding can be reconciled.

It is the schools responsibility to ensure that the form is completed within the time frame and failure to do so may result in incorrect budget allocations.

The link to the form will be emailed to schools during Census week and should be completed between 18 and 25 May 2023. Please note the email is sent to a schools enquiry@ email address so kindly ensure that the person responsible for this mailbox is aware of who to forward the link to within the school. Unfortunately, we don’t have the facility to use individual email addresses.

Please only include your Early Years Children on this form – do not include children in Reception.

Please also remember that all 2 year olds that you claim for and all 3 and 4 year olds that you are claiming EYPP and FSM for, are required to have an eligible code. You should keep a note of this code on the children's records for the purpose of EEE audit.

If the system does not confirm eligibility please contact earlyeducation@birmingham.gov.uk for support. Unfortunately, there is no facility to receive a copy of your on-line submission, however schools should have the details of numbers of eligible children on their records in line with the terms and conditions of EEE funding.

The EEE Provider Agreement detailing the terms and conditions of delivering early education entitlement can be found on EYMIS: http://www.ted-birmingham.org.uk

To access EYMIS please use Username: PVI2 and Password PVI2year.

2 Year Funded Places – Early Education Entitlement

2 year old children from families who have no recourse to public funds (NRPF) may be eligible to access an EEE place.

As these are some of our most vulnerable children, your help is required to ensure these children can access their funded childcare place as soon as possible. The earliest they can start is the term after their 2nd birthday.

Parents who have a status of ‘no recourse to public funds’ cannot claim any benefits, so will not be eligible for 2 year funding via the universal credit route or other benefit route. These parents may be receiving support under Section 17 of the Children Act 1989, they may be asylum seekers, they may be on work or student visas, or may have no immigration status.

If a family, or a professional supporting a family, requests a childcare place, and if they have not already done so, please help them complete the online eligibility application to obtain code. The eligibility application will indicate that the parent is not eligible because the parent will not show up in the benefits system. Please then do the following:

  • Ensure you read the NRPF guidelines available on EYMIS.
  • Ask the parent or professional to show you evidence that they have ‘No recourse to public funds’ – this could be a Biometric Residence Permit (card) or a letter from a Social Worker supporting the family.
  • Ensure the family does not exceed the financial threshold – £26,500 for families with one child or £30,600 for families with two or more children. They must not have savings or investments that exceed £16,000.
  • There is an application form that requires completing (on EYMIS). Please complete this with the parent, and keep the form on file for audit purposes.
  • Once you have confirmed that they have NRPF and have not exceeded the financial threshold, please email the Early Education team with the code and confirm they meet NRPF criteria. The code will then be updated to ‘eligible.’
  • The child can then be added to your headcount claim or if they have never accessed a funded place before and headcount date has passed you can submit a flexible funding request arranging for them to start as soon as possible.
  • As for all funded children, please complete a parent declaration form.

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

Graded Care Profile 2 (GCP2) Training for Schools and Early Years Settings

Thursday, 18 May 2023: 09:30-16:30 – Via Microsoft Teams

Recommended for all frontline practitioners working with children and families as part of the new Birmingham Safeguarding Children Partnership Neglect Strategy.

Graded Care Profile 2 (GCP2) is an evidence-based assessment tool developed by the NSPCC. It can help practitioners to measure the care provided to children, assess whether they are at risk of neglect and support families to make positive changes. Training is available free to all practitioners working with children and their families in the city.

To book your place simply follow this link: GCP2 Training for Schools and Early Years Settings

AET Leadership, Inclusion and Structural Reasonable Adjustments

Tuesday, 16 May 2023: 13:00-16:30 – Oakhill Centre, Oakhill Close, Birmingham, B17 8BB

This training module will introduce the Progression Framework and accompanying documents and demonstrate how to use the framework to identify key learning intentions. The session is suitable for practitioners working with children and young people across the age range in both mainstream and specialist services.

To find out more or to book your place simply follow this link: AET Progression Framework - 16 May 2023

AET Autism and Anxiety

Wednesday, 21 June 2023: 09:00-12:30 – Via Microsoft Teams

This module on autism and anxiety in schools will provide delegates with an understanding of what we mean by anxiety, how it appears in autistic children and young people (CYP), what the key triggers are, and what teaching staff can do to support autistic pupils.

It is designed so that the training can be delivered to staff working with different age groups and in mainstream and specialist school settings.

To find out more or to book your place simply follow this link: AET Autism and Anxiety - 21 June 2023

Services For Education Upcoming Courses

Primary RE Subject Leaders’ Network Meeting – Monday, 15 May 2023

With the introduction of the new Agreed Syllabus for Birmingham (2022), this half-day session will provide an opportunity for RE subject leaders to keep up to date with current thinking about the development of RE and to network, discuss central themes and share good practice. Bookings can be made at this link: Primary RE Subject Leaders’ Network Meeting

KS2 Peer Moderation of English Writing – Thursday, 18 May 2023

This session is an opportunity for cross-city peer moderation of evidence based teacher assessment judgements at KS2, offering a greater understanding of national standards and expectations. Bookings can be made at this link: KS2 Centre-based, Peer Moderation of English Writing

Safer Recruitment – Friday, 19 May 2023

This full-day course, delivered by accredited Safer Recruitment Consortium trainers, enables schools to meet statutory requirements and to improve processes that help deter, reject or identify people who might abuse children or who are otherwise unsuited to working with them and identifies ways settings can create safer environments with a culture of vigilance. Bookings can be made at this link: Safer Recruitment

For further information on any Services for Education courses, please visit www.servicesforeducation.co.uk or contact Sharon Noble at: sharon.noble@servicesforeducation.co.uk

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 £2,634.00 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

Interested in playing a new and creative geography game with a secondary school in Lyon, France?

Birmingham’s partner city Lyon is looking to engage students aged 14 years and older to play the Prospect'US serious game, an innovative lesson tool created by the Lyon urban planning agency on real life geography and urban forecasting.

For more information please visit www.ville-jeux.com/prospect-us.html#myCarousel or contact Pamela Vennin at pvennin@grandlyon.com

This entry was posted by Laura Hendry on 11/05/2023.

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