Noticeboard

Noticeboard - 17 October 2024

This week's Noticeboard contains an important message from Dr Sue Harrison on the Oracle Transition for Schools programme; a request to feedback on the Draft Birmingham Education Board Terms of Reference, and more.

This week's noticeboard includes: 

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

Dear Headteachers

Schools HR, Payroll and Finance Project

We recently shared with you the recommendation we would be presenting to Cabinet following the decision that Oracle would not be reimplemented for schools. Cabinet have now discussed the business case and considered the options available. I can update you that Cabinet supported all the recommendations in the paper.

This means that:

  • BCC will cease to offer HR, Payroll and Pensions as a traded service from September 2025, instead retaining some staff to provide an audit and compliance function in line with its statutory duties.
  • BCC will review and adjust costs and charges for Schools Financial Services to ensure that it is able to reach a break-even position each year. If schools choose not to adopt the service, BCC will cease to offer Schools Financial Services.
  • The Director of Children’s Services  and the Cabinet Lead Member for Children, Young People and Families, were given delegated powers to review the outcome of the Schools Financial Services redesign and revised charges within six months of this decision and take appropriate action to cease the service if it remains financially unviable.

Thank you for your continued engagement as we move forwards through a very challenging situation. I would like to thank you and your staff, in particular your business managers, for their feedback and helpful comments. 

If you have not had the opportunity to view the FAQ information you can access it here: Oracle transition for schools, updates, questions and answers.

Following the Cabinet decision, we now have the clarity to move forwards with the agreed recommendation, and there are a number of actions for schools resulting from the decision. 

Firstly, please email FullCBSMailbox@birmingham.gov.uk to indicate your preferred date to transition to full chequebook status. Currently there is the option to go on 1st January, 1st April or before 1st September 2025. All documents related to this are available in the Oracle Transition for Schools Update and Q&A document linked through Schools Noticeboard.

Secondly, please read the information about the DfE get help buying for schools team in the latest update and attend one of their webinars on either 22nd October at 2pm, or week commencing 11th November (tbc). Most importantly, please complete the Expression of Interest form. This does not lock you into any agreement, so please sign up now even if you are not 100% sure that this is the route that you will end up going down. The deadline to express your interest is 6th December 2024, with signed commitment needed before the Christmas holidays. 

Thirdly, please look out for and consider all 2025-6 SLAs for traded services, including the newly redesigned Schools’ Financial Services SLA, arriving in mid-November and respond by the deadline given, sometime around the Christmas holidays. As soon as we have a clear indication of the number of schools that would like to continue with Schools Financial Services we will be able to finalise our review early in the new year.

Finally, please could all schools complete the Oracle Transition for Schools Self-Assessment Survey. This will help us to evaluate individual schools progress and engagement so that we can ensure we support you according to your needs. 

As ever, Chris Etheridge is happy to support you with any questions or concerns you may have and can be reached via the usual email address oracleschoolsrelationship@birmingham.gov.uk.

Kind regards

Sue  

Dr Sue Harrison - Strategic Director of Children and Families

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 Carry Forward CFR 2023/24 Balances

We have now finalised schools closing balances for 2023/24. Thank you for all your hard work over the last year which greatly helped the Local Authority in closing the accounts: Carry forward balances for 2023 to 2024 | Birmingham City Council

If you have any queries regarding the balances, please refer to the appended list of frequently asked questions. If you do not find the answer you need, kindly email SchoolsYEAccountsClosedown@Birmingham.gov.uk. 

Please cascade this message to any relevant officer at your school. 

Birmingham Education Board Terms of Reference – Feedback Required

As you may know from our communications and workshops during the spring and summer terms, Birmingham will be introducing an Education Board, with the first meeting scheduled for Wednesday, 27 November 2024. We are sharing the draft terms of reference with you for your consideration and ask that any feedback be shared through your respective age and phase Fora, such as Early Years, Special, Primary, Secondary, Post-16 Executive Board, and Alternative Provision Network meetings. Each education setting will be represented on the board by the chair of these groups.

The first agenda item for the November meeting will be the approval of the terms of reference. Your feedback will be conveyed through your Fora/Board representative directly at the meeting. Moving forward, agenda items and minutes from the board will be communicated and circulated to your local networks, consortia, Fora, and Boards in a timely manner, allowing you to raise and provide feedback on these items.

We are also suggesting a proforma that local groups of heads/setting leaders or individual schools can complete to raise or respond to an agenda item. This will help the chairs effectively understand and represent your views at the board. Please discuss any feedback on this at your next Fora meeting.

All documents can be found at the following links, and we thank you for your engagement in this process.

Young People’s Services – Schools Engagement Activity

Schools Survey

We are keen to understand the priorities of young people in Birmingham and how best to support them in our community.

We would greatly appreciate it if you could distribute a short 5-minute survey to your students aged 11 to 18. Their direct feedback will be instrumental in identifying the issues that matter most to them.

The more responses we receive, the better we can understand the needs of young people, making a significant impact as we look to the future. You can choose the most convenient method for your school to complete the survey. Here are some suggestions:

Headteachers Roundtable

Additionally, we value the insights of leading voices such as headteachers, tutors, and governors. We would like to set up reference groups to gather your input on what you see as priorities for the wider young people’s offer. If you are interested in participating, please respond to express your interest. This will help us gauge numbers and schedule sessions.

Express your interest here: https://forms.office.com/e/FsM21aV4N0

Thank you for your time and support in this initiative. Together, we can make a meaningful difference in the lives of young people in Birmingham.

SENCo Updates

The latest SENCo Noticeboard is now live and can be viewed at SENCO noticeboard (birmingham.gov.uk)

For any queries, please contact Achla Kaura at achla.kaura@birmingham.gov.uk.

Deadline for Year 7 and 14-19 Admissions - September 2025

This is a reminder that parents/carers residing in Birmingham have until 11.59 pm on 31 October 2024 to apply through the Birmingham City Council website www.birmingham.gov.uk/schooladmissions for their child’s secondary or 14-19 school place. 

Further information, as well as the admission arrangements to support parents/carers with making their preferences, can be found on our website.  Advice and guidance is also available from Children's Services on 0121 303 1888.

Thank you for your support in publicising the process as parents/carers who apply late are less likely to be offered one of their preferred schools.

Governors Financial Assurance Template

FAO: Headteachers and School Business Managers/Bursars

You will recall that following meetings with all relevant stakeholders, the Governors Financial & Governance Report templates that schools are required to submit twice yearly, were updated last year.

The three governor appendices have been replaced with one document – Governors Financial Assurance Checklist

This now forms a more streamlined document checklist for schools, and will only require completion once a year in the Autumn Term. This is a reminder that it is now time for schools to complete this document.

Schools are no longer required to copy data produced in other reports. However, there is a requirement for schools to confirm and sign to say that they have discussed and minuted the information in each of the questions and make further comments where necessary.

The document is to be retained internally only, however it must be made available on request during a school audit.  Requests may also be made by other local authority teams, such as Schools Causing Concern or SFS. 

If you have any queries email Sabrina Bryan at Sabrina.Bryan@birmingham.gov.uk

Free School Meals – a new media campaign

We believe that nearly 3.000  children who qualify for Free School Meals (FSM) may not currently be taking advantage of this benefit. To address this, the council would like  to launch a promotional campaign using Facebook and radio platforms to encourage more qualifying households to sign up their children for FSM. This initiative aims to increase the number of children benefiting from FSM, thereby also generating new Pupil Premium Funding for schools. Starting in November 2024 the campaign will run for six months.

Children who eat FSM consume more fruits and vegetables, and these meals are generally healthier than packed lunches, with only 1.6% of packed lunches meeting the Government’s School Food Standards. FSM can help reduce obesity and decrease economic inequalities, as there is a link between obesity and deprivation. Additionally, eating a school meal is associated with better mental wellbeing, as food insecurity negatively impacts children’s mental health, leading to issues such as hyperactivity, inattention, suicidal thoughts, and mood and anxiety disorders.

Each successful new FSM application also provides schools with additional resources through the Pupil Premium, which for the year 2024/25 is £1,445 per primary school child and £1,050 per secondary school child.

We need your support to ensure that all eligible children benefit from Free School Meals. Please help us by:

  1. Promoting the FSM campaign within your school community through newsletters, social media, and parent meetings.
  2. Encouraging parents to apply for FSM if they qualify.
  3. Providing assistance to parents who may need help with the application process.

A big thank you to all schools for your incredible efforts in ensuring eligible families receive free school meals. Your dedication is truly appreciated! We also want to highlight the importance of making sure schools receive the associated pupil premium, which plays a vital role in supporting our children.

Together, we can make a significant difference in the lives of our children and their families.

For any queries or further information, please contact Greg Ward, Programme Manager for the Cost of Living Programme at Greg.Ward@birmingham.gov.uk

Department for Education 16-19 Further Education Teachers Survey

The Department for Education (DfE) is eager to enhance its support for Further Education (FE) teachers by building a robust evidence base for its programmes. To achieve this, the DfE kindly requests that FE teachers, particularly those teaching 16 to 19-year-olds, participate in a brief survey.

Survey Link: https://dferesearch.fra1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_cCNyhqiFnvWP0gu.

The survey will take no more than 5 minutes to complete. Your responses will provide valuable insights that will help the DfE improve its programmes and better support FE teachers in their careers. The Department is especially interested in hearing from teachers in the non-statutory sector.

Deadline for responses: 17 January 2025

Thank you for your time and contribution!

Birmingham Community Healthcare Plus School Nursing Service

FAO: Headteacher and SENCO

BCHC Plus (Traded Services) School Nursing service can provide additional education focused services that supplement the NHS ‘core’ school nurse service.

The link between educational attainment and positive health is well documented. However, sometimes schools find that incidence of health-related needs amongst their pupils requires more clinical support. BCHC Plus offers schools the opportunity to buy additional dedicated school nurse time to address health needs that lie beyond the scope of the core service.

Support includes:

  • Curriculum input focused on health and wellbeing.
  • Issues arising in school that may have a link to health.
  • Dedicated support addressing a school’s wider health related challenges.
  • Liaison with GP’s Health Visitors and other professionals.
  • Health education and promotion activities.

To find out more about how BCHC Plus (Traded Services) can benefit your school, pupils, families and staff, please contact the BCHC Plus team on 0121 466 6266 or e-mail bchc.bchcplus@nhs.net. 

Free Climate Conference 2024 for Birmingham Schools and Colleges

Date: Thursday, 21 November 2024
Time: 09:30 to 14:30
Location: Council Chambers, Birmingham City Council

We are delighted to invite secondary students from across the area to a free climate conference. This event, supported by Birmingham City Council, will be held in the impressive Council Chambers.

How to Book: Please email schools@interclimate.org by Wednesday, 16 October to secure your place. In your email, kindly include:

  • The number of student places your school requires
  • Whether your school/college will showcase your own climate action initiatives

For any queries, feel free to contact schools@interclimate.org.

We look forward to your participation!

Free Webinar: Supporting Fussy Eaters

Maximus, Birmingham’s Family Weight Management provider, is offering a FREE online webinar on Supporting Fussy Eaters.

Date: Monday, 21 October 2024
Time: 18:00 - 19:00

Webinar Topics:

  • Understanding what fussy eating is
  • Exploring the causes of fussy eating
  • Identifying the types of fussy eaters
  • Providing practical solutions to manage and improve fussy eating

Who Can Attend: This session is open to school staff and parents of children attending schools in Birmingham.

How to Sign Up: Please follow this link to sign up: Supporting Fussy Eaters

Feel free to share the sign-up link with parents at your school who may be interested. For any questions, please contact HealthySchools@birmingham.gov.uk.

Farmington Scholarships

FAO: Headteachers AND teachers of Religious Education

The aim of the Farmington Institute is to support and encourage headteachers working in values and standards, and to teachers or Religious Education and associated subjects in schools.

If you know of any RE teacher who may be interested in applying for a Scholarship, we would be very grateful if you could please direct them to our website https://farmington.ac.uk/re-teachers/   where there is further information and an application form. 

For any queries please contact: 

Free Family-Friendly Events During Half-Term at the Midlands Arts Centre

The ESRC Festival of Social Science is an annual UK-wide celebration of the social sciences. This year, the University of Birmingham is hosting a programme of free events from 21 October to 11 November 2024.

Events of Interest to Families:

These events will take place during half-term at the Midlands Arts Centre, located in the family-friendly Cannon Hill Park, on the afternoon of Monday, 28 October.

For more information about the events and their schedules, please visit:  ESRC Festival of Social Science - University of Birmingham

This entry was posted by Dawn Evans on 11/10/2024.

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