Category: Schools

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Governance Schools

LGA calls for small maintained schools to be exempt from Apprenticeship Levy

Local Government Association: calls for small maintained schools to be exempt

The Local Government Association (LGA) has called on the government to make small local authority (LA) maintained schools exempt (external link)  from paying the Apprenticeship Levy. All employers with an annual wage bill of over £3million will have to pay to the levy at a rate of 0.5% of the total wage bill. . However, in schools where the local authority is the employer, they will have to contribute to a levy (if there is one) regardless of their individual wage-bill.

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Governance School Admissions Schools

Determining your admission arrangements for 2018/19 (even if you have not consulted)

Reminder to all own admission authority schools – Academies, free schools, voluntary-aided and foundation schools only (the LA as the admission authority for community and voluntary controlled schools undertakes this task)

The School Admissions Code (2014) stipulates that your governing body are statutorily required to meet and determine your admission arrangements by no later than 28 February 2017. There is no flexibility on this date under the provisions of the Code.

If you have not consulted because the arrangements have not changed you must still minute that the governing body have determined the admission arrangements and in all cases the LA must receive a copy of your arrangements to be posted on our website by 15 March 2017. The School Admissions Code (2014) also says you must publish a copy og your determined arrangements on your website displaying them for the whole offer year (the school year in which offers for places are made).   

Please send a copy of your determined admission arrangements as soon possible to Taj Buljhoo and no later than Friday 3 March 2017. Schools who have not provided a copy of their determined arrangements will be contacted by phone in the week commencing 6 March 2017.

Please do not hesitate to contact me should you have any questions about the determination process.

Carlo Kodsi Team Leader School Admsisions

Categories
Schools

Haringey test and exam results 2016

Each year a report of Haringey’s exam results is produced for the Overview and Scrutiny panel. Attached is a detailed report of the Early Years to Post-16 results for 2016. The first page contains a summary of strengths and priority areas for improvement.

 

appendix-1-report-to-scrutiny-2016-with-data-charts-school-bulletin

Categories
Events Schools

Coldfall Primary Teaching School

Coldfall Primary Teaching School offers a range of engaging courses spanning topics such as:  Inspiring Leadership, Middle Leadership and Effective School Business Management. 

Explore the full Spring  term 2017  training courses offered, which builds on the successful relationship with local partnership schools and the alliance with Osiris Educational, who provide pioneering, challenging and effective training solutions in teaching.  

For further information go to the school website (external link)   

Read more about forthcoming courses in these attachments:

coldfall-teaching-school-spring-term-training-2017 middle-leadership-day-january-2017 coldfall-sbm-course-february-2017 coldfall-leadership-day-january-2017

Categories
Schools

New! Emergency plan template for schools

Every school should be a positive, safe and stimulating learning environment, but we live in a world where the unexpected can happen.

The Department for Education (DfE) and Haringey Council recommend that schools have a well thought out emergency plan in place.

Haringey Council Emergency Planning & Business Continuity team has created a School Emergency Plan Template (Word, 630KB)   which is designed to help schools develop their own emergency plan. The template is generic and flexible, so it can be adapted to suit individual school settings.

If your school already has an emergency plan in place, you may wish to use this template to support the review and further enhancement of current emergency arrangements.

For more information, please visit our Emergency Planning and Guidance for Schools page (external link) or contact Emergencyplanning@haringey.gov.uk.

 

Categories
Schools

Target setting

Primary Headteachers should already have received their 2017 target setting spreadsheet.

 

Please could you ensure these are completed and returned by Tuesday 31 January. Contact Chi Tsang (020 8489 2553 or email chi.tsang@haringey.gov.uk ) if you have any queries.

 

We have provided information, embedded within the template, to support the process.

Categories
Events Schools

Explore your data with FFT in London

FFT Education is holding their hands-on, computer based introductory course Exploring Your Data with FFT Aspire in London on the following dates:

  • Tuesday 21 February – East London
  • Wednesday 22 February – West London
  • Tuesday 21 March – Central London

The practical course explains the evaluation, target setting and student explorer dashboards, plus gives you the opportunity to get to grips with analysing groups of pupils, subject performance and individual results through FFT Aspire's interactive functionality. The course is suitable for both primary and secondary schools. Each course is led by an FFT expert and costs £290 plus vat per delegate.

To book, or to find out more information, please visit FFT Education's website (external link)

Categories
School Admissions Schools

In-year admissions

For the attention of all Haringey Secondary and Primary Schools

Community Schools with vacancies

Details of children who have been offered a place at your school are sent to you regularly by the Haringey School Admissions Service. A small number of schools are not arranging admission within a timely manner and this has resulted in a number of informal and formal complaints for the school and for the local authority.

As you will be aware, children who continue to miss education will find it more difficult to catch up with their peers and are at risk of underachieving. These children also pose a potential safeguarding risk while they are out of school and so not accounted for.

We are a committed to ensuring that all unplaced children start school within 20 schools days of an application for a school place being received. To help us achieve this, it is critical that you ensure that these children are admitted within 5 school days of the details being sent to you. If you are experiencing any difficulty contacting the family then please let us know as soon as possible so we can check to see if we have any alternative contact details. You may also be expected to write to these families inviting them to an admissions appointment (please indicate if you would like us to send you a template letter).

Own admitting authority schools – Academies, Free Schools, Foundation and Voluntary Aided

We will continue to send you details of children who have listed your school as a preference. Please notify us if you are able to offer a place as soon as possible. If you have decided to start a child immediately then this must be relayed to us in your weekly roll return.

Contact – Carlo.Kodsi@haringey.gov.uk

Categories
Schools

Primary assessments: information and resources for 2017

The Standards & Testing Agency has made it easier for primary schools and other web users to review information and resources for 2017.

Document collections contain information about assessment at key stage 1( KS1) and key stage 2 ( KS2). The collections will be updated throughout the year to provide information for the 2017 assessment cycle.

KS1 tests

Includes information to help you to:

  • Check important dates for the KS1 test cycle
  • Understand statutory requirements for the KS1 test
  • Plan for and administer the tests
  • Use appropriate access arrangements
  • Keep test material secure

         www.gov.uk/goverment/collections/national-curriculum-assessments-key-stage-1-tests

KS2 tests

Includes information to help you to:

  • Check important dates for the KS2 test cycle
  • Understand statutory requirements for the KS2 tests
  • Plan for and administer the tests
  • Use the appropriate access arrangements
  • Keep test materials secure
  • Access your school’s results

        www.gov.uk/goverment/collections/national-curriculum-assessments-key-stage-2-tests

KS1  teacher assessment
KS2  teacher assessment

Both collections provide information for schools about teacher assessment ( TA) frameworks, TA exemplification, as well as reporting and moderating TA.

       www.gov.uk/goverment/collections/key-stage-1-teacher-assessment

       www.gov.uk/goverment/collections/key-stage-2-teacher-assessment

 

Categories
Governance Schools

Edubase reminder for maintained schools

Since 1 September 2016, all boards of maintained schools and academies have had a duty under Section 538 of the Education Act 1996 to update Edubase with information about people involved in governance. This requirement is explained in more detail here<https://www.gov.uk/government/news/national-database-of-governors>.

The DfE has recently advised that a significant number of local authority maintained schools have yet to complete their governance fields on Edubase. Please can you ensure that you have complied with this requirement. Governors hold an important public office and this new measure is a helpful way to increase transparency around those who govern our schools. While child protection and safeguarding investigations are rare, having this information in one place will make it quicker and easier to identify more accurately where someone is involved in the governance of schools.

Social Mobility State of the Nation report published

The State of the Nation report on social mobility in Great Britain has been published by the Social Mobility Commission. This document looks to assess ‘progress towards improving social mobility and what could be done to accelerate [this] process’. Although this document talks about skills and career prospects, it also provides a valuable insight into what more can be done in schools, sixth forms and early years settings to increase social mobility.

Autumn Statement 2016

The headlines for education in  the Chancellor of the Exchequer Philip Hammond’s Autumn Statement to the House of Commons were:

  1. £50 million of new capital funding to support the expansion of existing grammar schools.
  2. Tax-free childcare will be introduced gradually from early 2017, with roll out beginning upon completion of a trial.
  3. Support for the RSA to pilot the promotion of cultural education in schools.

DfE announce investment in music education hubs

The government has announced investment of over £300 million to enable children to enjoy the benefits of both music and arts. Over a four year period, the government will provide the funding to a nationwide network of 121 music education hubs to try to get more young people to participate in music.

The funding will be administered by Arts Council England to music education hubs made up of local partnerships – including schools, local authorities and arts organisations – to give 5 to18 year olds greater access to musical opportunities. On the announcement, School Standards Minister Nick Gibb said “We’re investing more than £300 million over the next four years so that those opportunities are open to all, not just the privileged few.”

Inspiring Governance: register your vacancies

A new and free governor and trustee recruitment service officially launched in London on Monday 21 November to try to help tackle the significant challenges that many schools face when finding the right people to govern them. ‘Inspiring Governance’ is an online recruitment service, connecting volunteers with governing boards in schools and colleges.

If you have vacancies on your board, please register them here.