Included in this week's noticeboard: 

• Message from Dr Sue Harrison, Strategic Director for Children and Families
• Oracle Finance, Payroll and HR System 
• Dream Team Project - Tackling Bed Poverty in Birmingham 
• Short Break Services Co-Production
• GCSEs and Post 16-18 Results Collection 
• brap - ConnectED: The SAFE Project

Message from Dr Sue Harrison, Strategic Director for Children and Families

Dear colleagues

As we near the end of another busy summer term, I know you will have been supporting your children and young people through some important transitions ready for next academic year in addition to celebrating their achievements through graduation and prom events. It’s an emotional time of year as we reflect on how far our young people have travelled with your support. Behind every young person is a great support team!

Exam results days will soon be upon us and we’d be really grateful if secondary schools could share their GCSE results with us on 22 August. You can do this by completing a simple on-line form here: Provisional Summary of Key stage 4 (GCSE) and 16 to 18 Attainment 2024. The form will be available from 22 August through to 11 September but we’d really appreciate you providing the data as close to results day as possible. If you have any queries please don’t hesitate to get in touch with the team at educationdata@birmingham.gov.uk and they’ll be glad to help.

We always love to celebrate good news with schools too, so any photographs of your top achievers receiving their results would be very much welcomed – naturally with the necessary parental permissions.

The Birmingham Careers Service has created a couple of great YouTube videos offering advice to our young people on their next steps and providing much needed support to help them make informed choices:

• https://youtu.be/dK4dcGqJybc  - A Level Results
• https://youtu.be/6agHNUtg5bc - GCSE Results

I’ve really enjoyed watching them, and hope you do too. Please do share the links as widely as possible so our young people are aware of what’s on offer to them. Don’t forget, the Annual Results Day Newsletter and Birmingham Careers Service website are also jam packed with support and advice.

I’d very much like to get out and about on more school visits in the new academic year, so please do continue to invite me. It’s always a pleasure to get to spend some time with you and your teams and see what our pupils are up to.

May I take this opportunity to thank you immensely for all your hard work throughout the year in providing safe and secure spaces for our children and young people to learn and thrive.

Have a great weekend, and for those footie and tennis fans amongst you, enjoy the finals!

With my very best wishes

Sue

Oracle Finance, Payroll and HR Update

Support and guidance for schools considering converting to full chequebook status

Documentation on converting to chequebook status has been provided to non-chequebook/EPA schools via headteacher emails and BASBM: 

• Full preparation document on conversion to chequebook status ​
• Summary document ​
• A briefing note for governors​ and/or school staff
• A slide deck for governors and/or school staff

The documents can be accessed here: Support and guidance for schools converting to chequebook status

Please continue to direct any queries in the meantime to the team at oracleschoolsrelationship@birmingham.gov.uk. 

Thank you for your continued support. 

Dream Team Project –  Tackling Bed Poverty in Birmingham

If schools haven’t registered with the Dream Team project, we’d encourage you to do so now!

The Household Support Fund is currently due to finish at the end of September 2024, and we’d like to reach as many families as possible who are in unsuitable sleeping conditions, and in need of a bed. Schools can register by simply following this link.

The full Dream Team Referral Guidance can be found here: Dream Team Referral Guidance 2024. Please take a few minutes to familiarise yourself with the eligibility criteria and referral process.

We will continue to accept referrals throughout the summer holiday period. Families who find themselves in need during this time can also approach the Family Hubs and they will support the referral process while schools are closed and if there is no school contact point.

For any queries please don’t hesitate to contact the team at dreamteam@bvsc.org and they’ll be pleased to assist.

Short Break Services Co-Production

Birmingham City Council and Birmingham Children's Trust are reviewing the local short break services offer. This is because the current contractual arrangements will expire soon, so now is a good time to think about opportunities to spend the money that is available for short breaks differently to support better outcomes for children with disabilities and their families. The money that is available for short breaks in Birmingham isn't changing, although we recognise that the demand for short breaks is increasing. This review of short breaks in Birmingham is an opportunity for us to understand how we may make better use of the available budget to ensure that opportunities are available for as many families as possible.

You may have already seen the Short Breaks survey we recently published and, following on from that,  we are holding two in-person engagements sessions for parents and carers to support the development of a new service specification for short breaks in Birmingham.

If you would like to participate in these free events, booking details are as follows:

In-person Sessions

Monday, 15 July 2024 – 10:30-12:30 at Brays School, Brays Road, Birmingham B26 1NS:  Please book your place here.  
Wednesday, 17 July 2024 – 10:30-12:30 at Wilson Stuart School, Perry Common Road, Birmingham B23 7AT:  Please book your place here.  

Online Sessions Via Microsoft Teams

Tuesday, 16 July 2024 – 18:00-20:00  Please follow this link to join the session

18th July 2024 – 18:00-20:00  Please follow this link to join the session

If you are planning to attend one of the online sessions, we would be grateful if you could let us know by emailing Alex Bowman at alex.bowman@birmingham.gov.uk. This will help us prepare more effectively for the session. 

GCSEs and Post 16-18 Results Collection

We would be grateful if secondary schools could share GCSEs/Post 16 to 18  school-level data on GCSE results day (22nd August 2024) with BCC by completing this online form, Key stage 4 and Post 16 to 18 Results Day form 2024

The online form will be available from 22nd August 2023 to 11th September 2024 and we would appreciate it if it could be completed as soon as possible after results day.

For any queries, please contact educationdata@birmingham.gov.uk

brap – ConnectED: The SAFE Project

brap  is inviting  schools to contribute their expertise to the development of CPD resources that enhance the skills, understanding and approach to behaviour management of teachers and others in school. They are reaching out to educators who want to review and reposition their practice and to consider what more can be done to manage difficult behaviour and support positive relationships with Black and other radicalised children.

In addition, they welcome input from students and their parents as they play a vital role in shaping the learning environment and dealing with school issues.

Find out more here: brap.org.uk/post/connected-the-safe-project or contact Diane Rutherford at dianer@brap.org.uk