This week's noticeboard includes: 

• Message from Dr Sue Harrison, Strategic Director for Children and Families
• Oracle Transition for Schools - Latest Updates
• Finance Update
• Perspective Lite – Schools Showcase
• Mainstream Schools and Academies Split Site Funding 2025/26
• Winter Preparedness for Schools – Healthy Schools Lunch & Learn
• Occupational Health & Safety - Training Courses for Schools and Nursery Staff
• Birmingham Community Healthcare Plus Occupational Therapy Service
• Black History in Maths - Celebrating the Brilliant Thomas Fuller
• Whizz Kidz UK Survey
• Bursaries Available to Train Peer Mediators in Primary Schools
• Free webinar for schools ‘Animals in WWII' - 11 and 12 November 2024 

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

Dear colleagues

We continue to relish our visits to schools, seizing the opportunity to connect with our dedicated headteacher colleagues, their amazing teams, and, of course, the fabulous pupils! Each visit is a chance to witness the incredible work being done and to celebrate the vibrant school communities that inspire us every day.

I recently had the pleasure of visiting Cromwell Infant and Junior School, where headteacher, Rubina Darr, and team welcomed us into their warm and nurturing learning environment. Their commitment to the wellbeing of both children and staff is evident in the thoughtful opportunities they provide, from caring for animals like tortoises and chickens to the inclusive rewards schemes that allow every student to shine.

Joining me on this visit were Steve Kay, Director for Schools and Employability, and Jaswinder Didially, Head of School Improvement. We discussed how we can collaborate with school leaders to further embed the robust ‘school to school’ support initiatives as part of our evolving school improvement programme.

Steve has hit the ground running and continues to fill his calendar with visits to schools. Most recently, Steve visited the Little Sutton English Hub, which was incredibly impressive. The English Hub is one of 34 schools across England appointed by the Department for Education (DfE) to support local schools, academies and free schools to improve the teaching of phonics, early language and reading in Reception and Year 1.

Based in Little Sutton Primary School it was wonderful for him to meet all the dedicated staff and see many children actively engaged in learning phonics and developing their reading skills. The enthusiasm and commitment of everyone involved were truly inspiring. We’re very excited about the collaborative work that can be done together to further enhance these educational experiences.

Steve also visited Castle Vale Nursery, which he tells me was an absolute delight. It was heartwarming to meet headteacher Sally Leese and so many staff members who initially accessed the nursery as parents and then chose to stay on, gaining valuable experience and qualifications. This speaks volumes about the nurturing and supportive environment at the nursery.

We are incredibly fortunate to have such amazing schools here in Birmingham, where generosity and a willingness to share best practices with the local authority and other schools are truly commendable. Thank you all for hosting us. We truly appreciate your hospitality and look forward to connecting with more of you in the coming months.

The latest updates regarding the Oracle Transition for Schools programme are available here:  Oracle transition for schools, updates, questions and answers. The business case outlining our recommendations will be presented at the Cabinet meeting on 15 October, and a copy is available for you to view on the council’s Committee Management Information System (CMIS): Decision Details: Alternative Solution for Schools HR, Payroll and Finance.

As always, we’re committed to keeping schools informed and supported through regular communication including drop-in sessions, webinars, and updates on the School Noticeboard. If you have any questions or need more information, please don’t hesitate to reach out to the team at oracleschoolsrelationship@birmingham.gov.uk. We’re here to help and support you every step of the way.

We’re excited to partner with Angel Solutions to bring schools invaluable training on Perspective Lite. This is not only your school’s portal for accessing school performance data and key documentation, but it also now includes your records of visits – all in one convenient place! I would encourage you to book onto one of the online sessions taking place on Tuesday, 15 October 09:30-10:30 or Wednesday, 16 October 16:00-17:00.  This is your chance to unlock the full potential of Perspective Lite and discover how we’ll communicate with you securely and efficiently.

I hope you have a fantastic weekend. Thank you for all the incredible work you do for our children, young people, and families. Your dedication is truly appreciated.

Sue

Oracle Transition for Schools - Latest Updates 

The latest updates can be found here: Oracle transition for schools, updates, questions and answers.

Archived Q&A can be found here: Archived Oracle Transition Q&A.

For any queries or further information please contact the team at oracleschoolsrelationship@birmingham.gov.uk

Thank you for your ongoing support. 

Finance Update

Schools’ Transactional Services

Over the last few weeks, there have been several schools experiencing issues with the G4S collections and money has been returned stating "Your deposit could not be processed as you are not registered for Barclays Direct Deposit Service". 

If schools are using old stationery from Barclays, then the slip will have an old sort code and the monies cannot be allocated. All slips should state sort code 20-07-90. If schools need to request new stationery, please use this form: Barclays Credit Book Order Form

Once completed please email directly to client.support@barclays.com

Perspective Lite – Schools Showcase

Event Dates:

• Tuesday, 15th October 2024: 9:30-10:30am
• Wednesday, 16th October 2024: 4:00-5:00pm
• Confirm your place here

Discover the Power of Perspective Lite!

Join us for an engaging showcase where you’ll learn how to make the most of your school’s portal. Perspective Lite is your go-to platform for accessing school performance data, key documents, and visit records – all in one place!

Why Attend?

• Find What You Need: Navigate the portal with ease.
• Explore Tools and Features: Unlock the full potential of Perspective Lite.
• Secure Communication: Understand how we use it to communicate with you securely.

As Headteachers, you can grant access to key staff, ensuring everyone benefits from what Perspective Lite offers for the 2024-25 school year.

What to Expect:

In just 60 minutes, we’ll show you how to:

• Download and Respond to Visit Reports
• Securely Send and Receive Files
• Use Interactive Data Reports and Real-Time Dashboards
• Turn Census Data into Shareable Infographics
• Access the Latest Ofsted Information
• Pick Up Key Announcements, Manage Users, and Access the Help Centre

Join the Community!

With 20,000 schools across England already benefiting from Perspective Lite, Birmingham schools are part of a thriving community. Enjoy online access whenever you need it, freeing up your time for what truly matters.

Important:

• Ensure you have a working Perspective Lite username and password.
• New headteachers can request access setup via the Data and Intelligence team at Educationdata@birmingham.gov.uk

You will receive an email on the morning of the event with a live link to join and a reminder 15 minutes before the start time. Add events@angelsolutions.co.uk to your address book to avoid information getting blocked or put in a spam folder.

Looking forward to seeing you there!

Mainstream Schools and Academies Split Site Funding 2025/26

The split sites factor was introduced in 2024/25 and is compulsory for all local authorities, ensuring that split sites funding will be allocated consistently and fairly across the country.

The basic eligibility criteria for split sites funding requires additional sites to:

• be part of the main school, that is, to share the same unique reference number (URN) with the school’s main site
• be separated from the school’s main site by a public road or railway
• have a building on them which is maintained by the school, and which is primarily used for the education of 5 to 16- year-old pupils in mainstream education. This excludes playing fields, ‘ancillary buildings’ and buildings leased out full time by the school to another entity

Funding for the distance element should be allocated through a tapered approach, beginning at 100 metres, with allocations increasing linearly up to 500 metres, from which point schools should receive the total maximum funding allowed.

The number of additional sites that schools can receive funding for should be capped at 3 per school. If a school has more than 3 additional sites, the distance funding should be calculated based on those that are furthest away from the main site.

To enable the local authority to calculate split site funding as part of the 2025/26 schools budget setting process, we require all mainstream schools and academies to complete the split site data collection template - Maintained school & academy split site funding 2025/26 | Birmingham City Council - and return it to  FairFunding@birmingham.gov.uk  by no later than 8 November 2024. 

Winter Preparedness for Schools – Healthy Schools Lunch & Learn

FAO: Headteachers, staff in charge of cleaning teams

As part of the Birmingham Healthy Schools Approach, we are launching a series of webinars, aimed at school staff, that will be approximately 20 minutes long.

With colder weather approaching, the next webinar in our series is on Tuesday 15th October at 4pm and is about Winter Preparedness for Schools. All staff with an interest in the health and well-being of their children are invited, in particular Headteachers and staff in charge of cleaning teams within schools. 

The session will cover information on immunisation/vaccination, general Infection Prevention and Control (IPC) advice and other health protection advice to help protect the health of our school communities over this autumn/winter.

This session will be delivered by Paulius Armanavicius, Senior Health Protection Officer in Birmingham City Council's Public Health team. Paulius started his career in Public Health during the Covid-19 pandemic. His area of expertise is infectious disease management.

To register for this webinar, please follow this link: Winter Readiness for Schools

Please share with any school staff who may be interested in attending.

For any queries please contact HealthySchools@birmingham.gov.uk

Occupational Health & Safety - Training Courses for Schools and Nursery Staff 

Educational Visits Co-ordinator Training OEAP Accredited - Date: 4th October 2024
Start Time:  9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
Cost: £191.40 per delegate
Delivered at Washwood Heath Academy Primary School, Burney Lane, Stechford Lane Stetchford, B8 2AS
Schools must book on BESS Website
General Enquiries please Email: schoolsafety@birmingham.gov.uk

Note:  Only refreshments are provided  (No Lunch)

Educational Visits Co-ordinator Training OEAP Accredited - Date: 22nd October 2024
Start Time:  9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
Cost: £191.40 per delegate
Delivered at Washwood Heath Academy Primary School, Burney Lane, Stechford Lane Stetchford, B8 2AS
Schools must book on BESS Website
General Enquiries please Email: schoolsafety@birmingham.gov.uk

Note:  Only refreshments are provided  (No Lunch)

Educational Visits Co-ordinator Training OEAP Accredited - Date: 15th November 2024
Start Time:  9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
Cost: £191.40 per delegate
Delivered at Washwood Heath Academy Primary School, Burney Lane, Stechford Lane Stetchford, B8 2AS
Schools must book on BESS Website
General Enquiries please Email: schoolsafety@birmingham.gov.uk

Note:  Only refreshments are provided  (No Lunch)

Educational Visits Co-ordinator Revalidation Training OEAP Accredited - Date: 19th November 2024
Start Time:  12:00 p.m. to 15:30 p.m.
Cost: £127.60 per delegate
Delivered via Microsoft Teams
Schools must book on BESS Website
General Enquiries please Email: schoolsafety@birmingham.gov.uk

The Birmingham City Council Policy and Guidance for Educational Visits can be found here:  Policy and Guidance for Educational Visits and Learning Outside the Classroom

Birmingham Community Healthcare Plus Occupational Therapy Service

FAO SENCO/Head Teacher

BCHC Plus Occupational Therapists are available for schools to purchase, providing invaluable support to children and young people in both mainstream and specialist settings. Our therapists help students reach their full potential in essential daily activities such as washing, dressing, feeding, toileting, handwriting, and play-based activities. We offer additional services that complement the existing NHS provision, ensuring comprehensive support.

Our therapists can upskill classroom staff and assist in embedding effective strategies tailored to your setting’s needs. We provide:

• Universal support: Whole school training, improving occupational performance, and environmental assessments.
• Targeted support: Group work, parent workshops, and classroom observations.
• Specialist support: 1:1 assessments and interventions for priority children.

Discover how BCHC Plus can benefit your setting, pupils, families, and staff. Visit www.bhamcommunity.nhs.uk/bchc-plus-occupational-therapy or contact the BCHC Plus team on 0121 466 6266 or bchc.bchcplus@nhs.netBCHC Plus Occupational Therapy or contact the BCHC Plus team at 0121 466 6266 or bchc.bchcplus@nhs.net.

Black History in Maths - Celebrating the Brilliant Thomas Fuller

Tuesday 22 October at 10am and 2pm online

Join us for cross curricular online events to celebrate the genius of Thomas Fuller. As well as discovering Thomas Fuller's story, special guest speaker and maths superstar Professor Nira Chamberlain OBE will explore mental maths - what does it actually mean and is it still relevant today?

Sign up here and get ready to exercise your mental maths muscles for Black History Month: www.big-ideas.org/black-history-in-maths/ 

Everyone is welcome. Maths challenges aimed at upper primary. 

Completely free to schools thanks to the generosity of Heilbronn Institute and the London Mathematical Society.

Whizz Kidz UK Survey

Whizz Kidz is the UK’s leading charity for young wheelchair users.  We create opportunities for young wheelchair users to get the equipment, skills and confidence to go further. 

Earlier this month, we launched the largest UK survey of young wheelchair users and schools. The Whizz Kidz School Report: Young Wheelchair Users in Education Survey aims to shine a light on positive and negative school experiences. We want to identify gaps in support and find ways to increase and support inclusion in schools. 

Why This Survey Matters: Wheelchair accessibility and inclusivity are crucial to creating a supportive and equitable educational environment. By encouraging education professionals to participate in this survey, they will contribute to a comprehensive study that seeks to identify current challenges and opportunities for enhancing accessibility for all students. 

The survey will take approximately 5-10 minutes to complete, is anonymous, and will close on 25 October 2024. The survey is available here - Supporting Young Wheelchair Users in School (jotform.com)

Bursaries Available to Train Peer Mediators in Primary Schools

Peacemakers is a West Midlands based charity with over 30 years of experience working in primary schools. They offer training with significant bursaries to help schools set up a Peer Mediation scheme in school for Autumn 2024/Spring 2025. They are experienced in a range of settings, so can offer training and adapt what they do in order to meet the different needs of pupils.

• Peer Mediation is conflict resolution for young people by young people.
• We offer a workshop for the year group(s) mediators will be selected from, exploring what mediation is and then 3 full days of training for up to 24 children selected to become mediators.
• They are trained to mediate disputes that happen in the playground. This means staff spend less time responding to problems that arise and creates a more peaceful school environment.
• The trained mediators develop skills for life, which ripple through the school.
• Our Peer Mediation Plus package also includes training for lunchtime and classroom staff about mediation and conflict resolution, in order to ensure maximum success of your scheme.

Contact Libbs Packer at libbs@peacemakers.org.uk to find out more and how to apply.

https://peacemakers.org.uk/primary-schools/

Free Webinar for Schools: Animals in WWII – 11 and 12 November 2024

Free online event for Primary Schools

Join Blue Cross for a fascinating Remembrance Week special, discovering the role of animals during WW2.

Blue Cross pet charity has been helping animals for over 125 years; through two World Wars, two pandemics and many an economic crisis and disaster. This year we will be remembering the animals that helped us during the Second World War.

Learn about the jobs animals did to help the war effort, how Blue Cross honoured some truly amazing animal heroes, and how we helped the people and animals suffering through the Blitz.

With fascinating stories and photographs from our archives, sign up now for our fun, interactive, live digital event aimed at children aged between 5 and 12. Ideal for links to Remembrance Day and History topics.

Free registration: www.bluecross.org.uk/education-events

For queries or further information contact the Blue Cross Education Team - education@bluecross.org.uk