As an accredited Living Wage employer, Haringey Council is pleased to announce that with effect from Monday 11 November 2019 the Mayor of London has announced an increase to the London Living Wage from £10.55 per hour to £10.75 per hour. This equates to a full time annual salary of £20,178.95.
All staff currently paid on NJC (National Joint Council for Local Government Services) salary scales will receive a supplement if their salary (or the part-time equivalent) falls below the new rate.
There is a corresponding change to the UK Living Wage for those based outside the capital.
The pay rates for apprentices will be adjusted to reflect the new rate.
Implementation will be in either November or December depending on your pay date and backdated to 11 November.
Read more here (external link)
Category: Finance
Ofsted’s Schools Pre-Inspection Data and Insight Team have published the primary inspection data summary report (IDSR) prototype for 2019 data. This is to allow users to become accustomed to the changes before they come into effect. You can find this here: Using Ofsted’s IDSR
Important notes
§ during November 2019, we will be removing historic IDSRs from Analyse School Performance. Any users wishing to keep a copy of their historic IDSRs are advised to download and save their IDSRs before they are removed later in the autumn term
§ the sentences in the IDSR are dynamically generated. As such, schools may have a different number of sentences as well as content. This prototype represents one fictional school only
§ this prototype has been compiled prior to the build of the final IDSR product. As such, content may be subject to alterations and amendments.
IDSR changes
In preparing for the EIF, we have re-developed the IDSR. The IDSR will contain fewer charts and will be shorter in length than previous versions. The new IDSR has been designed to:
§ Reduce the time spent preparing for an inspection.
§ Provide interpretation of the data for inspectors.
§ Minimise the focus on small groups that distract the conversation away from meeting the needs of all pupils.
§ The report will continue to highlight important data trends and differences from national data. Existing contextual information will also remain but will be presented in the charts that were in the 2017 IDSR.
What’s new in the IDSR?
The new IDSR has:
§ New contextual information including workforce census data, financial data, MAT and local authority information and school links.
§ New subject attainment sentences at key stage 4 to highlight potential subject areas to focus on.
§ Introduction of attainment trend charts.
§ Re-structured primary report to focus on subjects across the school, such as reading/literacy.
§ Reduced focus on pupil group performance. Group performance measures will now only be highlighted when they differ from that of all pupils.
§ Expanded destinations data, to include breakdown of pupil destinations for the past three years.
What else is changing?
The IDSR will become a new ‘service’ and have its own dedicated area in DfE Sign-In.
Schools will still be able to access their IDSR through DfE’s Analyse School Performance by following a link to the new IDSR service. Schools can then download and save their IDSR as previously. There will not be a requirement for new login details.
The team will be publishing a brand-new guidance document which combines the previous primary and secondary documents. This will coincide with the first 2019 IDSR release.
In September, the Haringey Music Service, in conjunction with the council’s Strategic Procurement team, is implementing a new Dynamic Purchasing System (DPS), which is compliant with the latest procurement regulations. The DPS will enable Haringey Music Service to procure music tuition in an efficient and cost effective way.
The council currently uses an online DPS platform via its strategic partner adam, which covers a number of different services including care homes and passenger transport.
Once they have completed the enrolment process, peripatetic music teachers will be able to use the DPS to look at teaching vacancies, submit bids for work and process their invoices.
Drop in sessions
The Procurement team is organising a series of drop-in sessions for music teacher during the summer, where team members will be able to help with the enrolment process.
The Music Service does not anticipate the new system will have a major impact on the way it works with schools, but please be aware of the changes in case teachers ask you questions or share any concerns.
If you have any questions or require further information, you can contact the procurement project team via dps-enquiries@haringey.gov.uk
Tesco Bags of Help Funding Information
This leaflet sets out a funding opportunity for schools and other groups. Funding is available for capital or revenue funded projects which can be indoor or outdoor.
More information here (external link)
The LGA, DCLG and DFE have produced a document advising schools of their pension obligations, whether they are an academy or thinking about converting to an academy
In conjunction with the Department for Communities and Local Government and the Department for Education, the Local Government Association has today published Local Government Pension Scheme – arrangements for academies. This is intended for schools considering conversion to academy status, academy trusts, multi-academy trusts and administering authorities.
Contents of the paper include guidance for academy trusts on preparing to be an Local Government Pension Scheme (LGPS) employer; their role and responsibilities post conversion; the position of multi-academy trusts in the scheme; pooling arrangements; understanding scheme deficits; outsourcing services; the Department for Education guarantee and academy re-brokerage.
Although the advice given in the paper is intended to have wide application across the 79 LGPS funds in England, some variation in policy and approach across all the funds and their advisers is inevitable. Schools engaged in conversion are therefore encouraged to contact their local fund as early as possible in the process and seek assistance from independent professional advisors retained by them for the purpose
Parents of children who are entitled to free school meals or a clothing grant can now apply online through My Account.
My Account is the tool that allows registered account holders to access a range of council services online.
Parents will need to a complete a free school meals and clothing grant application form if:
- they are applying for the first time
- their circumstances have changed
- they would like to request a one-off clothing grant for a child not yet known to the council.
If parents can't apply online, they can download the application form (external link) and return it to their nearest Customer Service Centre (external link)
The Department for Education released the School Teacher Review Body's (STRB) recommendations on teachers’ pay (external link) and the Secretary of State's response (external link).
The STRB has recommended the following:
- 2% uplift to the minimum and maximum of the main pay range;
- 1% uplift to the minima and maxima of the upper pay range, the unqualified teacher pay range and the leading practitioner pay range;
- 1% uplift to the minima and maxima of the leadership group pay range and all head teacher group pay ranges;
- 1% uplift to the maxima and minima of the Teaching and Learning Responsibility (TLR) and Special Educational Needs (SEN) allowance ranges.
The Secretary of State has accepted all the STRB’s recommendations. The intention is that these recommendations will be implemented from September 2017 in an updated School Teachers’ Pay and Conditions Document (STPCD). These recommendations apply to all maintained schools and any academies which have adopted the STPCD or have staff entitled to its conditions through TUPE.
Categories
“Free sample” fraud alert
Schools have been offered free samples of items by a company identifying themselves as The Pervasive Group; the schools are then invoiced for the goods and chased for payment in an aggressive manner.
Contact has usually been made via unsolicited telephone calls, often to the Site Manager, with an offer to supply a free sample of sanitising wipes or other related products. The schools have received a consignment of goods followed by an invoice demanding payment for the items at a vastly inflated price.
The schools have been told by the company that they have a legal duty to pay the invoices as orders were placed for the goods received. The pursuit of payment has often been conducted in a threatening and aggressive manner. The schools have written to Pervasive Group Ltd refuting their demands for payment and have warned them to stop making further approaches to the schools.
Anne Woods
Head of Audit and Risk Management
Please see the latest update: Apprentice Levy Schools update 5
The highlights are listed below.
Community and Voluntary Controlled (VC) schools
Haringey is managing the digital apprenticeship account on behalf of Community and Voluntary Controlled (VC) schools and the borough. This is where we pay for apprenticeship training.
We are able to spend a restricted amount pending a formal procurement process, which will be based on a first come, first served basis. If you wish to employ an apprentice, please read the update and contact maxine.sobers@haringey.gov.uk
Schools are asked not to enter into any agreements with training providers prior to contacting Maxine Sobers, as a mini procurement process (depending on value of the training) must be undertaken. Schools will only be permitted to spend the value of their levy contribution (this includes top up costs).
VA, Foundation – see attached
For further details / queries, contact maxine.sobers@haringey.gov.uk
The Willow School is leading by example as it is proud to become the first school in Haringey to become a living wage employer.