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Cambridgeshire Schools Newsletter

Acting Assistant Director: Inclusion

I am thrilled to announce that, after a rigorous internal process against some very strong competition, Clare Cook has been appointed as the Acting Assistant Director: Inclusion for a 3 month period, initially working alongside Emma Harkin until she leaves on 20 January. Clare is passionately committed to improving the experience of children and young people with additional needs, adopting a needs led approach that celebrates and supports all children to thrive. Clare has demonstrated within her substantive role, a clear and thorough understanding of the context we are operating within both nationally and locally and brings energy, innovation and expertise to a challenging role. I am sure you will welcome and support Clare’s leadership and vision.

Sarah Callaghan - Service Director: Education

Change to Year 11 Senior Transition Adviser (STA) Allocation Process

The Targeted Support Service offer support to year 11s at risk of NEET; this support is provided by Senior Transitions Advisers (STA).

A new Countywide STA Allocation Panel will meet fortnightly to allocate young people to a STA and manage capacity across the county.

As previously, schools should identify young people in year 11 who could benefit from STA support and complete a request for involvement form which is now available online https://forms.office.com/e/RjwCgNAgKe. STA support will be in addition to the careers support already offered by schools.  

For queries, please contact your local Targeted Support Service Manager or

Mark Cowdell  

YOUnited referrals and an update for ASD and ADHD assessments

Please can all schools help to ensure that parents and carers are informed about the new developmental history form which is now required when requesting an ASD and ADHD assessment.

The new document can be viewed here but parents and carers can locate it on this webpage: YOUnited Neurodevelopmental Help for Families | CPFT NHS Trust

It is appreciated that referrals on the old developmental history form will already be underway so these will continue to be accepted until the 1 February 2025.

Further to this, it is important to note that both parents and carers as well as young people can make a referral to Younited, the details as well as a host of digital resources can be found here: YOUnited | CPFT NHS Trust

Referrals for mental health and wellbeing support can be made directly by young people aged 13 – 18. Click here for guidance on completing the form as well as information to help understand the referral process.

Joanne Howling

Healthy You - Healthy Schools Coordinator

Closure of the Teach in Cambs website

We have had to make the difficult decision to close down the Teach in Cambs website. Since the site was created the Department for Education’s Teaching Vacancies Service website has been launched nationally, allowing all state funded schools and trusts in England to list job vacancies for free. We feel that this has reduced the need for our local, free virtual vacancy board facility, but we would like to apologise to any schools currently advertising vacancies on our site’s virtual vacancy board.

Information currently hosted on the Teach in Cambs website about Cambridgeshire’s Teacher Internship Programme and the Level 6 Postgraduate Teacher Apprenticeship can now be found on our Learn Together website, and a wealth of information about training to be a teacher is available at Get Into Teaching.

We would also like to take this opportunity to remind you that all Cambridgeshire maintained schools are free to advertise Education Support Jobs (including Teaching Assistants, Lunchtime Supervisors etc) on the CCC Jobs and careers with Cambridgeshire County Council vacancy advertising platform, and you can do this by submitting a Maintained School Recruitment Form (using that Smart Survey link).

Schools Recruitment Team

Anglia Ruskin University Initial Teacher Training update

Anglia Ruskin University is now delivering our brand new BEd (Hons) Primary Education with QTS to 90 trainees across our Cambridge, Peterborough and Chelmsford campuses. Our trainees have been fully engaged with teaching on campus and are particularly enjoying the simulation-based learning we are utilising to support the bridge between theory and practice.  

In November we delivered our first Intensive Training and Practice (ITaP) element focused on early reading and phonics. The aim of ITaP is to provide trainees with the opportunity to focus on a specific element of the ITT curriculum, allowing them to consolidate their knowledge, observe and deconstruct expect practice, and engage in their own scaffolded practice. We couldn’t have delivered such a successful ITaP without the support of partner schools who have generously contributed to the design of the ITaP curriculum, facilitated focused visits to schools and delivered high-quality guest speaker sessions.  

If your school would be interested in working with us to support the next generation of teachers, please visit our partnership webpage for further information and to express your interest, or get in touch via traintoteach@aru.ac.uk

Free event for secondary schools back by popular demand - Friday 11 July - 10 am to 2 pm

The Preparing for Adulthood SEND Festival: My Life, My Future is a full-day event at Burgess Hall, St Ives on Friday 11 July 2025 10 am to 2 pm.

This is a free, full-day event for professionals, young people with special educational needs and their families who are beginning to think about their future and next steps. The event will offer workshops, advice, support, and fun activities linked to employment and education; community and friendship engagement; Independence Skills; health and wellbeing. By popular demand, we will be bringing back bowling, ping-pong, food and refreshments, and silent disco!

More information about the Preparing for Adulthood SEND Festival

Martine Simpson-thomas, Preparing for Adulthood Lead

Updates to Early Years Profile 2025

The DfE has published the EYFS Profile Handbook for 2025. A key highlight to note is that this update includes a change to allow a child’s established or preferred mode of communication (including non-speaking communication, such as signing) to be used for all of the early learning goals (ELGs), including the Speaking ELG.

In order to be judged as expected, children must demonstrate the criteria of the ELG. When using any mode of communication, the ELGs for the communication and language and literacy areas of learning must still be assessed in relation to the child’s competency in English, or competency in British Sign Language.

Opportunity to hire space to external tuition providers

The PDPS is a register of Council-approved early years/childcare providers who are interested in operating from Council-owned premises. It will be used to advertise all upcoming opportunities including new premises, such as early years facilities within schools. Those who have not joined the PDPS at the time an opportunity is advertised will be unable to apply for it.

The next round has now opened. Applications can be submitted between 13 January - 14 February 2025. For details about the application process, and dates for virtual events visit Pseudo Dynamic Purchasing System (PDPS)

Early Years SEND Update

A reminder to SENCos working with 0-5 year old children:

·  There is a knowledge hub group set up for Cambridgeshire Early Years (0-5 years) SEN Coordinators, where a range of SEND documents and information can be found. If you would like to join this group, please email ey.send@cambridgeshire.gov.uk and we will send you an invitation to join the group.

·  Early Support - If you have a child in Reception (who will be moving into Year 1 in September) that you would like to refer into Early Support, please note the cut-off date for this is 1st May. We will be unable to process any Early Support Pathway requests received after this date. If you have any queries about Early Support, please email early.support@cambridgeshire.gov.uk.

• Special Education Needs Inclusion Funding (SENIF) for preschool aged children -

The next deadline for new SENIF requests is Friday 31st January 2025, please ensure new SENIF requests are submitted using the provider portal by this date. If requesting rate 3, please remember to include a copy of the child’s latest risk assessment. Requests received will be discussed at a SENIF panel meeting in February ready for funding to commence on Monday 24 February 2025.

Secondary schools - an important message about the HPV Vaccination Programme

The HPV vaccine helps protect against a range of cancers, including cervical, head and neck, anal and genital cancers, which can affect both boys and girls. The NHS’s pledge to eliminate cervical cancer by 2040 relies partly on as many young people getting the vaccine as possible, at the optimal time. All children should be offered the opportunity to obtain this potentially life-saving vaccination, and for this reason we would like to ask school staff to send all children without a ‘decline’ from parents to the vaccination team. Some of the feedback from the vaccinators is that children missing consent forms are not sent on to them at all, so the opportunity to call and confirm with parents, or access the vaccination by other methods, is missed.

Refer a friend to become a foster carer

Do you know a colleague, friend, family member or child’s parent or carer in Cambridgeshire who could offer a safe, secure, loving home to a child? 

When you refer a colleague, friend, family member or child’s parent or carer to us and they become a foster carer, we will pay your school an award of £1,000.*(*Ts&Cs apply – see this Refer a Friend poster for your staff room) 

We welcome enquiries from anyone who is over 21, can provide a spare bedroom, and is dedicated to changing a young life for the better. For us, it’s all about the match of the child to our foster carers. The children and young people in our care come from a diverse range of backgrounds, and we look for the same in our foster carers. 

Simply email their name and contact details to fostering@cambridgeshire.gov.uk and one of our friendly recruitment officers will contact them. 

Evidence Bites #7 - `Building a Positive School Culture' - Tuesday 25 March 2025

‘Building a Positive School Culture’ with Sonia Thompson, Headteacher, Director St Matthews Research School. Oracy Commissioner

Tuesday 25 March 5 - 7pm

Target Audience: Primary and Secondary Teachers, Headteachers, Senior Leadership, School Governors, anyone with an interest in schools/education.

Venue: Vista Academy Littleport, Camel Road, CB6 1EW

The East Cambs & Fenland Evidence Network for schools invite you to join us for Evidence Bites #7 - an informal, professionally energising CPD event to gain valuable insights and discover practical strategies to apply in your school settings.

Meet local colleagues, enjoy a bite to eat and hear from an inspiring speaker.

£16 a ticket or use the code MULTI for discount on extra tickets.

For more information, please contact: blayfield@robertarkenstall.co.uk

Giglets Education `Spring Spotlight Sessions'

Free sessions for teachers this term, run by Giglets Education - all welcome. The broad theme is around oracy, with a focus on storytelling and multilingualism. More information on the poster below.

Giglets Education Spring Spotlight Sessions poster

CPTSH pilot training offer for maintained primary schools - `Developing Your Expertise'

CPTSH is offering places, at no charge, on their pilot training programme for Primary School teachers in Cambridgeshire. The programme starts in February and has three sessions.

Find out more from the flyer below:

CPTSH Developing your Expertise course flyer

Training and Events

SIS – Developing Practice for ECTs – Maths Tab

For ECTs, Session 3 (of 4) Developing Mental Fluency & Number Sense. Thursday 23 January 2025, 15:30– 17:30. Online. £50 per person for Cambs LA schools & £60 per person for academies and out of county schools.

SIS – Adaptive Writing Teaching – English Tab

For English Leads, KS1 and KS2 teachers. Monday 27 January 2025, 13:30 – 16:30. Over Community Centre. £75 per session for Cambs LA schools & £85 per session for academies and out of county schools.

SIS – Developing Practice for ECTs – Maths Tab

For ECTs, Session 4 (of 4) Promoting Progress. Thursday 30 January 2025, 15:30– 17:30. Online. £50 per person for Cambs LA schools & £60 per person for academies and out of county schools.

Assessment for RE

For primary schools. Wednesday 22 January 2025, 3.30 – 5.00pm, £29 for LA schools and £39 for academies.

Body Image for Primary Schools

4 February 2025, 1.30pm-3.30pm. Online. £40 subscribing schools, £50 for non-subscribing schools.

Audience: PSHE leads and KS2 teachers in primary schools.

Drug & Alcohol Education in Primary & Special Schools

12 February 2025, 3.30pm-5.30pm. Online. £40 subscribing schools, £50 for non-subscribing schools.

Audience: All staff

Exploring Gender

25 February 2025, 3.30pm-5pm or 4th June 2025, 2pm-3.30pm. Online. £40 subscribing schools, £50 for non-subscribing schools.

Audience: All staff in primary, special and secondary schools

What Ofsted Expects of PE? What PE can expect of Ofsted? NEW DATE

27 January 2025, 1.30pm-4.30pm. Sunley House, Papworth Everard. Cambridgeshire Maintained Schools £93, All Academies and Non-Cambridgeshire Schools £111

Audience: PE teachers, subject leaders, SLT for all schools and settings.

Training for New or Inexperienced PE Subject Leaders in Primary Schools

13 February 2025, 1.30pm-3.30pm. Online. £49 for Cambs maintained schools, £54 for Cambs Academies and all non-Cambs schools

Audience: Teachers and coaches who have been given responsibility for the leadership of PE in primary schools and settings.

Level 5 Certificate in Primary School PE Specialism/Level 6 Award in Primary School PE Subject Leadership

6/8 dates starting 4 March 2025 – 9.30am-4.30pm. Sunley House, Papworth Everard. Level 5 £1125/Level 6 (incl level 5) £1400

Audience: PE Leads and all teachers in primary school PE. It is also ideal for HLTAs, Tas and sports coaches employed in schools.

Assessment of Primary Computing

For subject leaders of computing or assessment leads, Friday 24 January, 10:00 – 16:00, Live Remote CPD. Free, with £205 supply-cover subsidy for eligible schools.

Introduction to Primary Computing (twilights)

For all teachers of computing, Mondays 27th January, 10 and 24 February, 15:45 – 17:15, Live Remote CPD. Free

Leading Primary Computing – Module 1

For new subject leaders of computing, Friday 14 February, 10:00 – 16:00, Wisbech.
Free, with £205 supply-cover subsidy for eligible schools.

Preparing for Year 2 Teacher Assessment

For Year 2 Teachers, 28 January 2025, 13:30 – 16:00

Face to Face Winhills Primary, St Neots - £60

Moderating Year 2 Teacher Assessment

For Year 2 Teachers, 1 April 2025, 13:30 – 16:00

Face to Face Winhills Primary, St Neots - £60

Moderating Y6 Writing

For Year 6 Teachers, 24 April 2025, 13:30 – 16:00

Face to Face Winhills Primary, St Neots - £60

Rates and Equilibrium (KS4 Chemistry Subject Knowledge Enhancement)

For Secondary Teachers. Thursday 30 January, 15.30 – 16.30. Online webinar. £20

Engaging Science in years 1 & 2

For Primary Teachers. Tuesday 4 February, 15.30 – 17.30. Online webinar. £40

Working Scientifically (KS3 Chemistry Subject Knowledge Enhancement)

For Secondary Teachers. Thursday 13 February, 15.30 – 16.30. Online webinar. £20

A Package for Practitioners in EYFS Aiming for Excellence

For Teachers and Teaching Assistants working the in Reception. Tuesday, 21 January 2025, 13:30 – 15:30. Manea Community Primary School. Early Years Members £18, Non Members £30.

Leading a Preschool or Nursery Provision in a School

For Early years leaders and headteachers in local authority-maintained schools or academies leading a nursery class or Section 27 preschool. Wednesday, 29 January 2025, 9:30-11:30. Online via Teams. Members - £12, Non Members £20

Improving Literacy Outcomes in the EYFS – Reading and Writing 

For Teachers, leaders, and practitioners looking to improve literacy outcomes in the EYFS. Tuesday, 28 January 2025, 13:30 – 16:30. Cambs FA, Histon. Members £27, Non Members £45.

Quick links

SEND Information Hub (Local Offer)

SEND OAP toolkits - Learn Together

Cambridgeshire Learn Together

Cambridgeshire County Council

Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Teaching School Hub

Early Years, Childcare, and School Readiness Service

Knowledge Hub

Education SMT Structure (Sept 2024)

Keeping in touch...

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