Education Bulletin - 1 July 2022

Updated 1 July 2022

From Ming Zhang
Service Director of Education, Participation and Skills

Dear colleagues,

On Tuesday, I was delighted to hear that the debating team from Whitleigh Primary Schools won one of their debates in Westminster. Although they did not make it to the final, they had a wonderful extra curricula day in the capital, had lunch in the houses of parliament and saw Big Ben and Buckingham palace... Well done to everyone in the Whitleigh's Year 6 debating team!

In the meantime, with the end of the school year fast approaching, the City Council's Community Connections Teams have developed this year's summer Fit and Fed Programme to enrich children and young people's holiday times away from schools. I would like to share with you the arrangement made for this summer's free Fit and Fed programme.

Fit and Fed Programme

This summer's programme will offer free holiday club spaces for pupils on benefit-related free school meals, looked after children, foster carers, young carers as well as those with EHCPs, of recognised refugee status or from asylum-seeking families.

This year we are taking Fit and Fed 'On Tour' and delivering 6 free community events at a number of different parks and green open spaces across the city. These events will take place every Tuesday during the summer holidays between 10am and 2pm.

If you or parents have any queries or wants any further information please contact Barry Mountstevens at Barry.Mountstevens@plymouth.gov.uk

Further details can also be found at www.plymouth.gov.uk/fitandfed

Music Education Plan and Music in Early Years

Last Friday, on my way to a regional education meeting in Somerset battling the heavy road traffic around Glastonbury, I heard the Secretary of State's announcement that the government are determined to uphold the UK's rich tradition of music by continuing investing in music hubs programme, worth £79 million per year, so schools can continue to access local, specialist support to deliver exciting music lessons that help all children develop a love of music. National Music Education Plan was launched on the same day.

While it is particularly pleasing to hear that the continued funding will mean more adapted instruments for pupils with special educational needs and disabilities, the national plan for music education has been extended to cover the early years. This is in line with Plymouth's education improvement plan to start the support early in children's learning.

In Plymouth, the project of music making in early years has already been happening.

Children from Greenshoots Preschool and Woodfield Nursery have been taking part in a creative music project Sound Explorers, being run by Evolve Music, in partnership with Plymouth Music Education Hub, the Clare Milne Foundation and the Norman Family Charitable Trust. The project has consisted of weekly group music sessions, weekly one to one sessions to support children with SEND, and CPD sessions for staff. Music Practitioners Beth Vleminckx and Jude Cummins have been working with nursery staff to create musical play spaces supporting children's natural musicality. Sound Explorers has focused on supporting integrated musical interactions that are part of children's everyday play. It is another shining example of Plymouth's local collaboration and co-production in education that we want to further develop and consolidate.

If your schools work with an early years group or setting and are interested in finding out more about working with Evolve Music and partners through a Sound Explorers project, get in touch with mark@evolvemusic.org.uk.

Best regards.

Ming

Education updates

This week's key national education policy development:

Ofsted launches consultation on care leavers inspection judgement

A consultation has been launched on proposals for a new judgement on the experiences and progress of care leavers to be included in Ofsted's local authority children's services (ILACS) inspection framework. Closes 29 July 2022.

Access to schools for education and training providers

A consultation has been launched on proposed changes to the statutory guidance for schools on access to education and training providers. Closes 25 July 2022.

The power of music to change lives - DfE National Music Education Plan 25 June 2022

The document, which applies in England only, sets out the Government's vision for music education running to 2030. Unlike the first national plan, which was published in 2011 and focused mainly on the role music education hubs, the new plan emphasises the role of schools at the centre of music education, supported by music hubs.

Ukrainian refugee students in secondary schools

The Ukrainian Refugee Online Academy is a joint partnership between Citizens High School (USA), Ukraine's Ministry of Education and Science, and the Embassy of Ukraine in the United States; it is a free online High School for Ukrainian Refugees studying at Ukrainian Grades 9- 11 (secondary phase) and can be accessed at  https://citizenshighschool.com/academies/ukrainian-online-academy/

This online high school is intended to support the continuity of education for students currently displaced outside Ukraine, in the Ukrainian curriculum, and will be particularly helpful for these students, whose learning of the UK National Curriculum is obviously challenged by their lack of previous learning in UK programmes of study. Online study includes: internationally recognised, accredited learning in core subject areas (including English) and introductory online learning orientation through a virtual classroom, and is presented in a dual language format that allows students to learn in Ukrainian and English simultaneously.

We recommend that all Ukrainian secondary phase students, are provided opportunity to access this online learning in school, alongside participation in an inclusive mainstream curriculum.

The local authority EMA Team will also be providing an online summer school learning for all secondary phase Ukrainian refugee students through the school summer break, to complement the teacher training courses and pupil support already provided. Further details of summer school sessions will be shared with schools and parents before the end of term.

For advice and support linked to this article please email: lucinda.ross@plymouth.gov.uk

s175 School Safeguarding Audit

Colleagues will be aware that Section 175 of the 2002 Education Act requires local education authorities and the governing/trust bodies of registered schools and FE colleges to make arrangements to ensure that their functions are carried out with a view to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children. Section 157 of the 2002 Education Act and the Independent School Regulations 2003 convey the same responsibilities on all other non-maintained settings.

Plymouth City Council undertakes the role of supporting the s.175/157 audit work by co- ordinating the sector-wide monitoring and oversight of safeguarding audit activity. The purpose of the s.175/157 audit is to enable the local authority to carry out its statutory responsibility with respect to monitoring safeguarding compliance and reporting back to the Plymouth Safeguarding Children's Partnership under S11 of the Children Act 2004.

The annual audit template has been updated and will be available for schools to complete online from 30th June 2022. It will be accessible on the Plymouth City Council Self Service Portal. If your school is not registered on the Portal, it is quick and easy to set up an account. Click on this hyperlink https://plymouth- self.achieveservice.com/service/School_and_Learning_Providers_Annual_S175_and_157_Chil d_Protection_Return_2021_2022

It will take you to the form and if you are not registered on the portal you will have an option to set this up.

The portal will 'time out' after 30 minutes, it is important that you can save your answers regularly by clicking on the save button which you will find at the bottom of the page. When you want to access it again you just log back in through the Self Service Portal. When the audit is complete, click 'submit'. You will then receive an acknowledgement email and a PDF version of your completed audit.

The deadline for your online submission is 30 September 2022.

If you forget your login details for the Self Service Portal you can reset your password. If you do not receive the reset link in your email inbox you should check your spam emails. For further advice, please contact Isabelle Morgan, Service Manager of Inclusion and Welfare at Isabelle.morgan@plymouth.gov.u