Included in this update

• Dream Team Bed Poverty Project Now Live! 
• Measles / MMR vaccination 
• Possible Subscription Trap – The Big Classroom 
• Public Consultation on Creating a Smokefree Generation and Tackling Youth Vaping 
• Vaping Teaching Resources
• Ordinarily Available Guidance 
• Early Years Autumn Term WellComm Data Collection 
• World Antimicrobial Resistance Awareness Week 2023
• Education Leadership Degree – Apprenticeship Programme 2024-2026 - Information Session 20 November 2023 
• Services for Education Training Courses
   

Dream Team Bed Poverty Project Now Live!

Birmingham City Council (BCC) has partnered with Birmingham Voluntary Service Council (BVSC) supported by Barnardo’s to ringfence some of the Round 4 Household Support Fund money to provide support to families suffering from Bed Poverty. This funding is currently available until 31st March 2024.

What are we looking for from schools?

• To help identify those children without suitable sleeping arrangements, for example: beds that are irreparable and/or dangerous, no beds and sleeping on the floor or sofa, sharing beds with siblings/parents or families involved in providing kinship care where family members have taken over responsibility for caring for a child often at short notice etc. 
• Talk to those children and families and identify the family’s needs around beds & bedding to improve their current arrangements. 
• Refer those children and families into the bed project using the referral form, RAG rating the family based on if further support and intervention may be required, or the home environment may need a further inspection by our Family Engagement Worker, prior to delivery of beds 

What will we do? 

• Where required our Family Engagement Worker will carry out a home visit – this will be for those families the school feels need to be Red RAG rated. 
• Provide a suitable bedding bundle for the family consisting of: 
  • Bed (bunks, single beds, trundle beds, double beds, cots – as required) 
  • Mattress & Mattress Protector Bedding (4 Season duvet, pillows, bedding set – including character themed bedding) 
  • PJ’s (including character themed) Age/Gender appropriate
  • Hygiene kit 

Once the order is confirmed and finalised, our bed provider will arrange with the family to deliver and assemble the beds.

To register for the project please complete the 'The Dream Team - SCHOOL REGISTRATION FORM', to request to become a verified Trusted Partner. Once accepted, the link to the referral form and catalogue and guidance will be sent out to schools via email.

For any queries or further information, please contact dreamteam@bvsc.org

Measles / MMR vaccination

FAO: All early years and childcare providers, including schools and academies

Measles cases are rising across the country, with over 102,000 children starting primary school in England being at risk of catching the disease.

We are asking schools to share key messages from the NHS about measles / MMR and how to get vaccinated.

The Back to school MMR Guidance from the NHS includes information to share, as well as example social media posts which can be found here: NHS Vaccine Poster and NHS MMR Poster.

Measles is highly infectious and if left unvaccinated nine out of ten children in an early years setting can catch the disease if just one child is infectious.

Please share these resources with colleagues, parents, and where suitable, community organisations to increase awareness and encourage parents to get their children vaccinated.

If you have any queries please don’t hesitate to contact the Health Protection team at HPteam@birmingham.gov.uk, or for more information visit Measles - NHS

Possible Subscription Trap – The Big Classroom

The Corporate Fraud Team have been alerted by neighbouring authorities that a company called Machtech Media Limited, based in Blackpool, Lancashire, are contacting schools across the West Midlands, encouraging them to sign up to a free trial of their education resource ‘The Big Classroom.'  The resource is reportedly aimed at delivering British Values / Prevent workstreams.

Schools have been unaware that by signing up to the free trial, they are actually entering into an annual subscription contract.  The marketing material from the company is very lengthy and detailed, but information about subscription charges is left to the very end and may not be picked up by staff at a quick glance.  The company have also reportedly been misleading schools by suggesting that others within their area have already signed up, which is not necessarily the case.

Schools in London have reportedly fallen for the subscription trap and have suffered regular and sustained demands for payment and ultimately threats of court action.  There are a number of negative reviews about the service online - Big Classroom Reviews | Read Customer Service Reviews of www.bigclassroom.co.uk (trustpilot.com)

Schools in Birmingham are advised to carefully consider any offers of a free trial for any service and ensure that they read the full terms and conditions of the offer before agreeing to the trial.

If you have any queries, please contact John Preston – Corporate Fraud Team John.Preston@birmingham.gov.uk

Public Consultation on Creating a Smokefree Generation and Tackling Youth Vaping

FAO: All school staff & pupils

You may be aware that on 12 October the UK Government launched a public consultation on creating a smokefree generation and tackling youth vaping. The consultation asks questions on the proposed actions that the UK Government will take to protect future generations from the harms of smoking. These proposed actions include restricting child-friendly flavours of vapes and bright colour packaging, a new law to stop children who turn 14 this year or younger from ever legally being sold cigarettes, and new powers for local authorities to issue fixed-penalty notices to enforce age-of-sale legislation of tobacco products and vapes.  

The consultation is open to anyone, of any age, in the UK. We would like to take this opportunity to encourage schools to submit a response to the consultation on behalf of their organisation, as well as encouraging students to complete it to give their views. Please also share the consultation with any relevant stakeholders.

The consultation period will be open until 11.59pm on Wednesday, 6 December 2023. You can answer the consultation questions and submit your views online here.  

Vaping Teaching Resources

FAO: Secondary school staff

Recently the number of 11-17-year-olds vaping for the first time has increased by 20.5%. The majority of vapes used by children are non-rechargeable disposable vapes. Over 60% of the disposable vapes used are reported to be littered, which is harmful to animals and ecosystems. Although vapes are substantially less harmful than smoking and can be an effective tool in supporting smoking cessation, the evidence is clear that vapes should not be used by children or young people.

With a rise in the number of children vaping, Better Health have worked with teachers to create teaching resources aimed at helping Key Stage 3 children understand the impact that vaping has on their physical and mental wellbeing. The resources can be used as either short form time activities or a full lesson plan. They feature:

• Information on nicotine, vaping and its impact.
• Films co-created by young people.
• Activities to prompt pupil discussion and reflection
• Guidance on teaching about vaping

Action on Smoking and Health (ASH) have also created resources for schools. We urge you to use these resources to educate pupils on vaping and spread the message ‘Don’t smoke, don’t vape.'

Ordinarily Available Guidance

Following the launch at SENCo Briefings last week, the Ordinarily Available Guidance (OAG) is now available on the Local Offer for all schools and settings to access (click link to take you straight to the Guidance).

The purpose of this guidance is to support schools and settings in developing a common understanding around what is meant by ordinarily available provision i.e. the activities, experiences, and strategies that are ordinarily available within the existing resource within mainstream settings for all children and young people, including those with SEND.

SENCos at the briefings shared a range of ideas on how this guidance could be used across their settings; these are being collated and will be made available across the sector via the next SEND Update in December.

Early Years Autumn Term WellComm Data Collection

FAO: Primary and nursery schools

Thank you 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. Therefore, we request that every early year's provider returns their Autumn Term WellComm screening results by 31 December 2023. 

If you have not had the capacity to screen all of your children during the term then, please, send us the results that you have.

To complete the survey please follow this link.

World Antimicrobial Resistance Awareness Week 2023

World Antimicrobial Resistance Awareness Week (WAAW) takes place from 18-24 November. Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) occurs when bacteria, viruses, fungi and parasites change over time and no longer respond to medicines, making infections harder to treat and increasing the risk of disease spread, severe illness and death. If antibiotics and other antimicrobial medicines become ineffective, common illnesses will be become more difficult or impossible to treat.

Education settings can play an important part to keep antibiotics working by:

• Using the e-Bug educational resources to run sessions on microbes, infection, and antibiotics for ages 3 to 16. Activities and lesson plans are designed to complement the National Curriculum and can be adapted to meet the needs of your group.
• Becoming an Antibiotic Guardian and encourage families to sign up by choosing a pledge about how to help save these vital medicines from becoming obsolete.
• Continue to encourage vaccination uptake and circulate resources with students
• Follow guidance for education settings to prevent and control infections

Education Leadership Degree – Apprenticeship Programme 2024-2026

FAO: Senior leaders in schools

Information Session – Monday, 20 November: 16:00-16:45 Via Zoom

Find out more about the MA in Education Leadership by attending a webinar hosted by Professor Colin Diamond CBE.

The programme commences in January 2024, and is funded through the apprenticeship levy fund.

This is an opportunity for senior leaders in schools to gain an MA in Education with the University of Birmingham via the degree apprenticeship route. Lectures are supported by a combination of ELA academics, colleagues and serving head teachers.

To join the webinar simply follow this link

Services for Education Training Courses

Teachers and Assessment Leaders New to Year 2 - Thursday, 23 November 2023: 09:00-16:00

Preparing for the Essential Assessment Processes at the End of KS1 - Book here

Teachers & Assessment Leaders Experienced in Year 2 - Tuesday, 5 December 2023: 13:00-16:00

Essential Assessment Processes at the End of KS1 - Book here

Teachers Experienced in Year 6 - Thursday, 30 November 2023: 13:00-16:00

Updates and Guidance for Statutory Assessment Processes at the End of KS2 - Book here

Assessment Briefings for Senior Leaders (ONLINE) - Wednesday, 22 November 2023: 14.00-16.00

This course will provide senior school leaders with essential information, guidance and updates regarding Statutory Assessment and key assessment issues at both local and national levels. Book here

Ofsted Early Reading Deep Dives - Wednesday, 22 November 2023: 13.00-16.00

One element of an Ofsted inspection that we can be certain of is that there will be an Early Reading Deep Dive, and yet many of our English and Reading Leads feel unprepared for what is expected of them.  This critical course addresses these concerns - Book here

Primary Writing Leadership - How to Increase Greater Depth Attainment - Wednesday, 29 November 2023: Full day course

The training looks at developing and creating a progressive spiral curriculum, with the elements of English being interwoven throughout - Book here