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ICT Services Update – Admin SLA Users – Microsoft Office 365
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D & AHT Newsletter
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SACRE newsletter for summer 2023
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Halton SACRE All Schools duty to teach RE
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SEND High Needs Capital Funding: Additional Provision in-borough
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EYFS Transition Summer Workshop – Assessment & Moderation
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Governor Training – Ofsted Inspection Offering Support and Challenge to your setting
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Lived Experience Panel
ICT Services Update – Admin SLA Users – Microsoft Office 365
Over the last couple months ICT Services have moved all school email accounts to our learning environment to provide you with a cost-effective email solution. One of the biggest advantages of moving you to a school’s email account was the ability to provide you all with a full Microsoft 365 subscription.
Following feedback from the last Head Teacher meeting, we would like to take advantage of Microsoft 365’s cloud based working solution to provide you with a partial alternative to VDI. Please note, Microsoft 365 will not provide you with access to HBC corporate network, but it will allow you to access your documents securely away from the office.
Moving your documents to Microsoft 365 should be a relatively straight forward process, however there are security and training implications we need to consider before implementing this solution. These will differ from school to school, especially for schools who have never used Microsoft 365 before. We therefore plan to undertake this project school by school to ensure minimal disruption to yourselves.
If you have any questions or concerns regarding the above, please contact Louise.Heneghan@halton.gov.uk. Alternatively, if you are a school who are confident in using Microsoft 365 and/or would like to volunteer as a pilot school, please let the SIMS Team know.
D & AHT Newsletter
Please see attached this months D & AHT newsletter.
SACRE newsletter for summer 2023
Headteachers, RE Leaders and Teachers of RE in Halton schools using the Lancashire Agreed Syllabus for RE, Please see attached SACRE newsletter for summer 2023.
Halton SACRE All Schools duty to teach RE
FAO Headteachers, Leaders of Religious Education and Teachers of RE
Halton SACRE wishes to remind all schools of their duties of compliance with regard to the teaching of RE and daily acts of worship.
For further advice or guidance please email mark.higginbottom@halton.gov.uk (LA Officer to Halton SACRE)
See attached guidelines for collective worship 2021-2022
See attached the duty to teach Religious Education to all pupils, in all years, in all schools
See attached Religious Education (RE) and Collective Worship in Academies and Free Schools Q&A
SEND High Needs Capital Funding: Additional Provision in-borough
Colleagues will be aware that Halton received circa £3.3M of capital funding from the DfE to expand/enhance its SEND provision. Expressions of interest were sought from all schools during autumn 2022 and spring 2023, to meet the demand against need within Halton. From the expressions of interest received, seven are currently being progressed, five of which are subject to a statutory consultation process which is currently ongoing.
On 20th April 2023 the Council’s Executive Board approved the progression of expansion of SEND provision at Woodside Primary School and Oakfield Primary School without need for statutory consultation as they already have existing SEND provision, and the progression to statutory consultation at Astmoor Primary School, Victoria Road Primary School, St Basil’s Catholic Primary School, Westfield Primary School and Saints Peter & Paul Catholic High School where the provision would be a new offer. A further report will be taken to the Council’s Executive Board detailing the outcome of the consultation. Since the initial expressions of interest were received, discussions have also been held with Ashley School and Kingsway Academy who have indicated they would like to offer additional SEND provision, and that is progressing. From the initial expressions of interest received Halton hopes to be able to offer circa 100 additional resource base places, and the offer from Ashley and Kingsway Academy will further add in-borough provisions if the expansions are approved. A link to the current consultation can be found here: (Consultation).
EYFS Transition Summer Workshop – Assessment & Moderation
Wednesday 14th June
Widnes Settings 9am-11am
Runcorn Settings 1pm-3pm
@DBCL Stadium
Audience – All Nurseries, Childminders and School Settings
This event is to allow all EYFS settings to meet and share assessment and moderation information with their transition partners. This was asked for by attendees at the previous workshops in Autumn and Spring.
On the day there will be opportunities to share practice of Assessment and Moderation between settings and individual assessment data of pupils moving settings.
See attached Individual Child Transition Summary
Please choose the time which best suits your cohort of children’s transition needs
https://forms.office.com/e/F31rXLm4fj
Governor Training – Ofsted Inspection Offering Support and Challenge to your setting
Wednesday 4th October 2023
1pm-2pm
@DBCL Stadium
Audience: Governor & Headteachers.
How Governors can effectively offer challenge and support
What Governors might expects from their Ofsted meeting
Delivered by Jonathan Smart, Senior HMI, maintained schools and academies
Jonathan Smart is assistant regional director for the North West and a member of the quality assurance team. He inspects a range of provision, including primary, secondary, special and independent schools and also regularly leads initial teacher education inspections. Before working for Ofsted, he gained extensive senior leadership experience across a number of educational organisations and also had experience working outside of education. Jonathan was a headteacher and executive headteacher of 2 schools in challenging circumstances. He has particular expertise in leadership, curriculum, and teaching and learning.
To book: https://forms.office.com/e/ZLk1sbyveM
Lived Experience Panel
Please see attached A voice for Children’s Services information.
