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Significant Policy Changes—Highly Important please take note
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SEND Information Report 2024-2025
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Young volunteers wanted for Trading Standards
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Application to Secondary/Primary schools 2025
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Halton Governor Conference 2024
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HBC Funding Bulletin – September 2024
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Further opportunity for Free Team Teach training
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Urgent call to parents on vaccination
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Halton Road Safety Team
Significant Policy Changes—Highly Important please take note
There have been some major changes regarding performance-related pay for schoolteachers in England. Starting from the 2024/25 School year the Government has decided to remove the requirement for performance related pay (PRP) from the School Teachers Pay and Conditions Document (STPCD). This means teachers pay progression will no longer be tied to the outcomes of their annual performance management and appraisal reviews
This change is expected to impact teachers differently depending on the type of school they work in. For instance, academy trusts that have already decoupled pay progression from performance management will not have many changes but all local authority schools and academy trusts that still use Performance related Pay will need to amend their pay and appraisal policies to reflect the changes.
The council will send out an updated Performance Capability policy to schools that buy into the ER SLA, other local authority schools that do not buy into the ER SLA, kindly contact your HR Providers. All schools are expected to amend their appraisal policies accordingly.
Also, School teachers will receive a fully funded 5.5% pay award in line with the recommendations of the schoolteacher’s review body (STRB) .
Schools will receive almost £1.2billion additional funds to cover this cost at a national level.
The 5.5% will apply from 01 September 2024 and is equivalent to an increase of over £2,500 for the average teacher taking the median salary for 2024/2025 to over £49,000.
This applies to maintained schools as academies have freedom over their pay and conditions.
An updated model pay policy with the final version of the STPCD 2024 will be made available to schools by the end of October after consultation with the trade unions. If you require further information, kindly click on the links below:
School teachers’ pay and conditions: guidance – GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)
Teacher appraisal and capability – GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)
ACTION REQUIRED: ALL HEADTEACHERS AND SENCOs
Please find below advice for completion of your school SEND Information Report 2024-2025 (template attached).
NEW Statutory Requirement – see template
How you deal with complaints about provision from parents/carers of pupils with SEND – this should be specified within your school complaints policy.
For your Information Report you can add the following statement: Details of the arrangements for handling complaints from parents/carers about the support provided for children and young people with Special Educational Needs and Disability (SEND) can be found here (insert link to school complaints procedure)
School Complaints Policy
This wording is kindly shared courtesy of Louisa Aldridge, Astmoor.
In the first instance, any concerns relating to SEND should be brought to the attention of the SENDCo (xxxxxxx) who will endeavour to listen and understand the concern in order to find a solution. In rare cases in which no agreement can be found, parents/carers will be advised to follow the school complaints procedure which is available on the school website.
Parents/carers are advised to contact Halton SENDIASS Service:
0151 511 7733
SEND Information Report 2024-2025 – template or school’s own format
Some schools prefer to use the template, whilst some others prefer to adopt your own format. Please ensue that your school’s version contains the following:
- All of the information in the template is included in your report.
- That your complaints policy covers the new statutory requirement – see example wording highlighted.
- SEND Information Report title should include the dates 2024-2025.
- That it is signed/dated as 2024.
- Publish your report onto your school website – you don’t need to return the report to Tracy.
- Email the Information Report website link to tracy.ryan@halton.gov.uk
- The deadline for all actions above is Friday 18 October 2024.
Young volunteers wanted for Trading Standards
What’s it for?
We regularly need young volunteers to assist with our programme of test purchasing of age restricted products. Do you know of any suitable volunteers who would like to work with us. Please see attached for more information.
Application to Secondary/Primary schools 2025
APPLICATION TO SECONDARY 2025
Applications are now open online for parents/carers of children in Year 6 wishing to make an application for their child to start Secondary School in September 2025.
The deadline for Secondary 2025 applications is 31st October 2024.
APPLICATION TO PRIMARY 2025
Applications are now open online for parents/carers of children born between 01/09/2020 and 31/08/2021 wishing to make an application for their child to start Primary School in September 2025 and for those who chose to defer until 2025.
The deadline for Primary 2025 applications is 15th January 2025.
The link for parents to use to access the application portal and documents relating to applications can be found here
Halton Governor Conference 2024
Please see attached for more information.
HBC Funding Bulletin – September 2024
Please find attached the latest edition of Halton Borough Council’s External Funding Bulletin, produced by the Programmes Office. For any assistance you may require with securing external funding, don’t hesitate to contact us at funding@halton.gov.uk.
Further opportunity for Free Team Teach training
As well as the whole school training on offer via the DBV funding we are offering a 3 hour bespoke workshop also. This is designed to ‘mop up’ the odd member of staff who needs training, but we want to go further and offer it out to Governors as well. We feel the legal element would be beneficial to them.
All site staff are invited to attend including premise managers, lunchtime supervisors and office staff. I know that sometime it might be the case non-teaching staff are in a position of de-escalation and the language used will be important. The course will cover:
- Understand behaviour is communication.
- What do I bring to the room
- Understanding the environment
- Positive Behaviour supports.
- It will be a 3-hour workshop delivered by TEAM Teach global director Jonathan Newport. See attached
To book:
https://forms.office.com/e/1M1Nzc8TKZ
Governors Termly Briefing
Please remind all governors that we have our termly briefing on Tuesday 23rd September at the stadium – 6-7pm. Networking begins at 5.30pm.
Urgent call to parents on vaccination
One way we can help to keep children and young people healthy and present in school is to encourage the take up of vaccinations.
All parents are being urged to check that their child’s routine vaccinations are up to date (by looking in their child’s red book) and, if not, to contact their GP practice to arrange top-ups.
Vaccination is, of course, the best protection against a number of harmful diseases.
The attached is a handy reminder of a child’s vaccine schedule.
Halton Road Safety Team
Show you care – Park elsewhere
Please encourage your parents and adults to adopt considerate parking behaviours at school pick up and drop off times.
Poor and inconsiderate parking close to schools can place children at risk. Most accidents involving children outside schools occur when there’s lots of congestion when people are rushing. This is escalated when the weather is bad.
Thank you for your help in this matter.
Halton Road Safety Team.
Michelle Simpson | Road Safety Coordinator