Having trouble viewing this content? View in browser

Cambridgeshire council and Learn Together logos

Cambridgeshire Schools Newsletter

Dear colleague

We hope you enjoy this issue of the Cambridgeshire Schools Newsletter - the last one of 2024!

We wish you all a wonderful, festive break!

Best wishes

Schools Newsletter Team

Christmas HAF Programme

A final reminder that the HAF Programme is operating over the Christmas school holidays. Eligible pupils can book 16 hours fully funded. There are many more family experiences offered this Christmas in additiona to a wide range of holiday schemes across the county (subject to availability) see the Provider Directory for details. Please remind families to use this free offer.

Eligibility vouchers are reissued by email to parents/carers on a weekly basis if unopened.

Additional eligibility criteria codes can be requested here

Contact the HAF Team for further information or support: HAF@cambridgeshire.gov.uk

Announcing the winners of the Mayor's Christmas Card Competition

Shrihaan's winning Christmas card design

We're delighted to share the results of the Mayor's Christmas Card Competition. Dr Nik Johnson was thrilled to receive so many creative and festive designs from children across Cambridgeshire and Peterborough and expressed thanks to all the pupils and schools who took part for the truly wonderful the range of artwork.

After much deliberation, the top three entries have been selected:

🥉 3rd Place: Jorgia, aged 6, from Thorndown Primary School
🥈 2nd Place: Kiara, aged 10, from St Laurence Catholic Primary School
🥇 1st Place: Shrihaan, aged 9, from Bewick Bridge Primary School

The Mayor's Office felt that Shrihaan’s beautiful design (above), captured the festive spirit perfectly, and were excited to announce that it will be used as the Mayor’s official digital Christmas card for this holiday season. Congratulations to Shrihaan, Kiara, and Jorgia for their fantastic achievements, and thank you again to everyone who participated and helped make this competition so special.

New Assistant Director for Education

I am thrilled to announce that Alison Cramer, new Assistant Director for Education, will join us on Monday 6 January 2025. Alison has a wealth of experience, specifically in pupil place planning, education capital, traded services, schools finance, catering contracts and business support. She will complement the team and bring additional capacity and expertise.

Sarah Callaghan, Service Director for Education

Teachers Pay Scales September 2024

We have recently been in consultation with the trade unions regarding the Pay Policy for Centrally Employed Teachers and Pay Scale which was updated following the publication of the 2024 School Teachers Pay and Conditions document. This consultation period ended on Friday 6th December 2024 and we are currently reviewing the responses received.

Once the Pay Policy has been finalised, this will be made available for maintained schools for information on the LA approach. The pay scales have now been updated to include the 5.5% pay award and are available here: Teacher Pay Scales September 2024

Breakfast Clubs - Early Adopters Scheme

The government is committed to offering a free breakfast club in every primary school in England. This will build on the national wraparound childcare programme and national school breakfast club programme.

The DfE is inviting schools to take part in an early adopter scheme which will seek to test and learn what works ahead of national rollout. The aim is for 750 state-funded schools in England with primary aged-pupils to work with the DfE to find out how breakfast clubs can be delivered in a way that:

builds on what is already happening in schools
meets the needs of parents
ensures children start the day ready to learn

Early adopter schools will be confirmed by early 2025 and the scheme will launch in the summer term (April 2025).

Further information about the early adopters scheme and how to register an interest can be found here:

Breakfast clubs early adopters scheme - GOV.UK

The deadline for applications is Friday 20 December 2024.

Supporting children with chronic illnesses in Education - virtual study day: Weds 19 March 2025

The Children’s Clinical Nurse Specialist Team at Cambridge University Hospital are excited to host a FREE virtual study day on Wednesday 19 March 2025. Come and learn how to support children and young people with

chronic conditions in your school. Sessions include:

Asthma
Cystic Fibrosis
Allergy
Eczema
Physiotherapy
ISupport children's rights
Ophthalmology
Returning to school following Trauma
Nebuliser Therapy

Please find below:

Virtual Study Day Poster and Virtual Study Day Timetable

For more information and to register please email cuh.childasthmanurse@nhs.net

Awesome Smiles - a chance to win a pamper hamper!

Well done to all the schools who took part in this year's Awesome Smiles September Stations motivating the children to care for their smiles though a variety of hands-on activities.

There is now the chance to win a pamper hamper of relaxing goodies including an electric toothbrush.

Simply complete the feedback survey to get automatic entry into the prize draw. Deadline for completion is 5 pm on Wednesday 18 December.

Awesome Smiles feedback survey

The lucky winner last year came from Braybrook Primary Academy, where will the lucky winner come from this year?

Prize draw terms and conditions are available on request.

Grafham Water Centre Climate and Nature Action in Education Event - Monday 3 February 2025

On Monday 3 February 2025 Grafham Water Centre is hosting a Climate and Nature Action in Education event. This event is providing support for your education setting's climate and nature action journey. The DfE has asked that all education settings are to have a Climate Action Plan and designated sustainability lead in place by 2025. Whilst the event is aimed at educational establishments, outdoor learning is very much an important part of that. If you would like to get involved please book via this link:

Climate and Nature Action in Education event booking

Halloween and Christmas Activities at Wisbech Adventure Playground

fire pit at Wisbech Adventure Playground

We held a very successful Halloween Event with games, food, firepit and a prize draw. We made £260 to go towards The Friends of Fund for new play equipment.

Over the Christmas period we will be putting on arts and crafts every day we are open, Saturday 14 December we are holding a full day of fun activities including arts and crafts, a movie and party food and games which will all be free for the children, they will also have a goody bag to take home.

Find out more about The Spinney - Wisbech Adventure Playgound

National Qualifications for Primary PE Subject Leadership

The Cambridgeshire PE Service has been recognised as a model of best practice for its deliver of the National L6 Primary PE Leadership certificate. The aim of this qualification is to upskill primary school teachers to enable them to lead the delivering of the primary school physical education curriculum. Investment in this training is considered best use of the PE Premium fund.

Over 170 teachers have passed this qualification with us since 2014, and typical of the feedback received is ‘We have transformed our curriculum because of this course. The difference is massive and our pupils are now more engaged and enthused’.

Further details of our next course: AfPE / Sports Leaders Primary PE Subject Leaders Award

Please contact Ian Roberts – Lead Adviser PE and Sport for further information

Active Lives Survey for children and young people

The latest Active Lives survey results for young people (CYP) have been released and they show that 47.8% of 5 to 16 year olds take part in daily 60 minutes of sport and physical activity.

The results however show that stubborn issues remain and Children with 2+ characteristics of inequality are the least active, least likely to volunteer and have the lowest levels of positive attitudes and wider outcomes.

We remain committed to break down these barriers so that all children develop a life-long love of movement, and encourage schools to seek advice from the PE Service about interventions that can make a difference to young people’s activity experiences.

Please contact Ian Roberts – Lead Adviser PE and Sport for further information

PE and School Sport Conference 2025 - 21 May 2025

Date for diaries

We are excited to confirm that the Cambridgeshire PE conference will be in St Ives on 21 May 2025. The Event Title is `When everyone is included, everyone wins!’ and the focus is about the power of PE and sport in overcoming disadvantage.

Schools will be encouraged to develop understanding of the enablers, barriers and opportunities for increasing physical activity across inequality groups, and will be challenged to create an environment where all young people are valued and can participate confidently with their peers.

More extensive details will follow soon

Please contact Ian Roberts for further information`

Talking Together in Cambridgeshire's Festival of Stories

Talking Together in Cambridgeshire’s Festival of Stories, for families of children from birth to five, will run from Wednesday, 19 February 2025 to Wednesday, 26 February 2025. The festival aims to shine a light on how stories can be used in fun and interactive ways to bring a sparkle of magic to the everyday, and boost young children’s communication, language, and literacy skills. The festival will highlight how 50 Things to Do Before You’re Five can be used, by parents and carers across Cambridgeshire, to create new stories based on everyday activities, to help build memories and bring families together.

Exciting opportunities from Cambridge Maths Hub

Primary SKTM work groups starting in the Spring Term 2025

Cambridge Maths Hub is offering high-quality, fully funded work groups that have been designed to enhance Maths Subject Knowledge for Teachers (including Early Career Teachers) and Early Years Practitioners.

Engaging in these collaborative sessions is a fantastic way to deepen your understanding of Maths pedagogy and make a significant difference to your students' learning.

There are several groups available; we hope that at least one from each pair of Work Groups should be within a suitable travel distance for you. Please visit the hyperlinks below for dates, venues and information on how to register:

SKTM - Primary Teachers

SKTM - Primary ECTs

SKTM - Early Years Teachers

For more information please email admin@cambridgemathshub.org

Updated DfE Guidance on handling admission requests for summer born children

The Department of Education updated is guidance on handling admissions requests for Summer Born Children and requests to admit a student outside of their chronological age group on the 28th November 2024:

Guidance on handling admission requests for summer born children - GOV.UK

Training and Events

SIS – First Class@Number 2 – Maths Intervention Tab

For Teaching assistants, KS2 teachers. Session 1 (of 5) Monday 13 January 2025, 09:15– 15:30. Stanton House.Teachers stay for the morning session and Teaching Assistants stay all day. £775 per school for Cambs LA schools & £850 per for academies and out of county schools.

SIS - Success @ Arithmetic – Number Sense – Maths Intervention Tab

For Class teachers and Teaching Assistants. Session 1 of 3. Thursday 16 January 2025, 13:30– 16:00. Stanton House. £775 per school for Cambs LA schools & £850 per 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.

Body Image for Primary Schools

11th 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

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

Audience: All staff

Exploring Gender

25th 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

British Gymnastics Teachers Trampolining Award – Refresher

20th January 2025 or 30th June 2025, 9am-3.30pm. St Ivo School, St Ives. £179

Audience: KS3/4 secondary PE staff

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

27th 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

13th 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.

Algorithms and Programming in Key Stage 1

For teachers of computing in Key Stage 1, Thursday 16 January, 09:30 – 15:30. The Old Bridge Hotel, Huntingdon. Free, with £205 supply-cover subsidy for eligible 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 27 January, 10 & 24 February, 15:45 – 17:15
Live Remote CPD. Free

SEND Course 1/3. Developing relationships with SEND children.

For any member of staff working with SEND children. Monday 20th January16:00-17:00 The Nene Infant & Nursery School, Wisbech. £30 for one session £75 for 3

Primary Music Network Meeting

For all staff leading music in a primary setting. Opportunity to share and discuss resources. Monday 3rd March 16:00-17:00. This webinar is free for those who have completed the Self-Assessment Survey or £30.

Making Effective Use of Your TA

For class Teachers, 16th January 2025, 13:30 – 15:30

Online - £60

Preparing for Year 2 Teacher Assessment

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

Face to Face Winhills Primary, St Neots - £60

Moderating Year 2 Teacher Assessment

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

Face to Face Winhills Primary, St Neots - £60

FREE Secondary Science TeachMeet

For Secondary Teachers. Monday 13th January, 15.30 – 16.30. Online webinar. £0

Engaging Science in EYFS