For action
Action for all settings: Find out more about measles, the Measles, Mumps and Rubella (MMR) vaccination and managing outbreaks
The Department for Education is hosting a webinar on the increase in measles cases, with speakers from UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) and NHS England (NHSE) on Monday 4 March at 4pm to 5pm.
The webinar will cover information on measles, an overview of current epidemiology, the importance of the Measles, Mumps and Rubella (MMR) vaccination and how to get it, as well as how to manage cases and outbreaks in educational settings.
Sign up to the webinar – for those that cannot attend on the day, the webinar will be recorded.
Action for early years: Get involved with the Experts and Mentors Programme
The Department for Education (DfE) Early Years Experts and Mentors Programme is available this summer (April to June 2024) for group-based early years settings and childminders. Sign up for leadership support, coaching, and mentoring, tailored to your needs.
Learn more and sign up at:
Please register your interest as soon as possible and share with your networks. We encourage applicants to complete the relevant request form by 17 March 2024 – though users can email delivery partners after this date for support.
To get in touch with our delivery partners:
Action for early years: Download our toolkit to support the ‘Do something BIG’ recruitment campaign
The department’s new ‘Do something BIG, work with small children’ recruitment campaign showcases the great careers available in the early years and childcare sector. It aims to challenge preconceptions of what it means to work with small children and encourage people to find out how unique and rewarding early years and childcare is.
The campaign website provides information to help people start their early years and childcare career, with job application advice, information on training and qualifications and real-life stories of those already working in early years and childcare.
We would be grateful for your support in helping to promote the campaign. You can download the communications toolkit which contains information and resources to help you communicate the campaign messages and amplify your own recruitment activity. You can also view and share the TV advert.
If you have any questions, please contact earlyyears.careers@education.gov.uk.
Action for schools, further education settings and local authorities: Apply to the Turing Scheme by 21 March
Through the Turing Scheme, the UK government provides successful education providers with funding to support their students to do study and work placements around the world.
Funding is open to UK organisations from across the education and training sector, including:
- schools (applying on behalf of primary and secondary pupils)
- further education provider (applying on behalf of sixth form students)
- higher education providers
Find out more and make an application by 21 March 2024.
For further information, sign up to our webinar for schools taking place on 4 March 2024, at 2pm to 3pm.
If you have any queries, please contact us.
Action for schools, further education settings and local authorities: Share your views on guidance and support for apprenticeship providers
DfE are working to improve the guidance and support available for apprenticeship providers. We encourage all those involved in apprenticeship delivery to take part in a sector-wide survey by 15 March 2024.
This is your opportunity to help identify which guidance and support resources have been most useful to you as a provider, and your valued insights will help DfE make changes to ensure the support meets provider needs.
Action for schools: Take part in research for a new DfE digital service that will enable Initial Teacher Training placement schools to access grant funding
This article will be of interest to senior leaders and school administrators
We are building a service which will allow eligible schools offering initial teacher training (ITT) placements to claim new grant funding.
If your school offers initial teacher training placements and has ITT mentors, then you will be eligible to claim this funding via the GOV.UK website in 2025.
We are looking to speak to people in the following roles who are likely to be completing the form:
- administrators, or those who work in HR and finance
- coordinators of initial teacher training
- anyone who may submit an application for ITT grant funding
If you would like to get involved, register your interest to take part in a research session or complete this quick survey. We will get in touch to arrange a virtual, 1-hour research session.
Contact leah.thompson@education.gov.uk if you have any questions.
Action for schools: Join a research panel on data protection in schools
The Get Help with Data Protection in Schools Team (previously known as EPAS) are developing resources to help schools with data protection.
Many of you have already spoken to us, and we are now looking to expand our panel. We would like to speak with you, or someone from your school, about how data protection is handled.
If you are interested in joining our research panel and speaking to us now, or in the future, please complete this form.
News and developments
Information for all settings: Reminder of legal duty to plan for supporting pupils with medical conditions, including allergies
In November 2023 the Minister for Children, Families and Wellbeing committed to remind schools that Section 100 of the Children and Families Act 2014 places a legal duty on schools to plan for supporting pupils with medical conditions, including allergies.
Governing bodies must have regard to the accompanying statutory guidance when carrying out their Section 100 duty.
Minister Johnston also highlighted the (voluntary) Schools Allergy Code, co-created by the Benedict Blythe Foundation, the Independent Schools Bursars Association, and The Allergy Team.
Information for all settings: Reminder to take part in the Day of Reflection 2024
On 3 March 2024 Marie Curie is holding the fourth Day of Reflection, a special moment to remember everyone who died during the pandemic.
There are many ways for schools and other education settings can get involved to mark this day during the following week:
- Take time to reflect - use our Day of Reflection Schools pack, which has now been updated to feature activities for ages 14 and up, for ideas and resources to help mark the day
- Tell us who you're remembering using our downloadable petal pack
- Share your Day of Reflection plans with us on social media by tagging @mariecurieuk
To find out more visit the Day of Reflection site or contact Marie Curie at dayofreflection@mariecurie.org.uk.
Information for all settings: Nominate a colleague for a National Teaching Award today
The National Teaching Awards celebrate the fantastic work of individual teachers, educators and teams across early years, schools and further education settings.
The 2024 award nominations close today on Friday 1 March, so recognise your colleagues by nominating them for an award today.
Information for all settings: Deadline extension to request a free portrait of His Majesty King Charles III
The first phase of His Majesty the King portrait scheme launched to all eligible public authorities including schools and colleges in November 2023.
The scheme is now being extended with a second phase to include town, parish and community councils and Ministry of Defence-sponsored cadet forces. The deadline for orders to be placed has been extended to 28 March 2024.
Place your order.
For any queries relating to this scheme you can contact hmkportraitscheme@cabinetoffice.gov.uk.
Information for early years, schools and local authorities: Join the Daily Mile and access free resources
The Daily Mile is a simple, social and fun physical activity – 15 minutes running, wheeling or walking every day. It gets children outside and active with their friends.
Research has shown The Daily Mile has a positive impact on physical, mental, and social health of children. Many primary schools have adopted it and the principles can also apply to early years and childcare settings.
Sign up to join the movement and receive our free resources and support.
Information for schools and further education settings: 16 to 19 funding arrangements for academic year 2024/2025 and the Advanced Mathematics Support Programme (AMSP)
We have published details for 16 to 19 new funding policies and changes for academic year 2024/2025 and confirmed the timeline for delivering allocations.
We have increased the national funding rate for students aged 16 and 17 and students aged 18 and over with high needs in band 5 to £4,843, and we will continue to fund an extra 40 hours per student. We have confirmed the funding rates for T Levels and other students.
We also announced a new premium for the Level 3 Core Maths qualification of £900 per student. Schools and colleges wanting to develop and expand their Core Maths and wider level 3 maths provision may wish to engage with the Advanced Mathematics Support Programme.
Information for schools and further education settings: Sign up to support user research at Ofqual
Ofqual would like your help – and your colleagues and students – to shape its digital services.
Signing up to user research will ensure that these services work well for the people who need them. It’s voluntary and designed to suit your availability – it can vary from 10 minutes for a card sort or 30 minutes for interviews or testing. You can decline an invitation or unsubscribe at any time.
Contact User.Research@ofqual.gov.uk if you have any questions.
Information for schools and further education settings: Updated guidance on Artificial Intelligence (AI) use in assessments
The Joint Council for Qualifications (JCQ) has updated its AI Use in Assessments guidance for teachers and assessors.
The updated guidance clarifies rules on students’ use of AI and has been updated to support students and teachers to complete internal assessments, coursework and non-examined assessments successfully.
JCQ has also developed additional materials, including posters, information sheets and presentations for students, teachers and senior leaders.
Information for schools and local authorities: Access new improvements to the Monitor your school attendance service
This article will be of interest to senior leaders and attendance leads
In response to feedback from schools, local authorities and academy trusts, we have made improvements to the Monitor your school attendance service.
Schools sharing daily attendance data with DfE can now access the first iteration of a national comparison feature. Schools can see how their overall attendance of compulsory age children compares to other schools across England. It is designed to enable schools to monitor and improve their national position.
Academy trusts and local authorities can download weekly pupil-level attendance data for all their schools sharing daily attendance data with DfE. To access the service, log in or find out how to get access from your organisation's approver.
Information for schools and local authorities: Publication of revised guidance for academy trusts planning to make organisational changes
The updated guidance on making significant changes to an academy will take effect from April 2024. It is published in advance to give trusts time to familiarise themselves with the revised, streamlined process.
The guidance includes a new opening section promoting a framework for collaborative working between local authorities, academy trusts and other local partners on place-planning matters, to ensure sufficient school places and manage excess spare capacity where that is necessary.
Information for schools: New wraparound childcare guidance for schools has been published
As announced in the 2023 Spring Budget, the government is investing £289 million to support the expansion of wraparound childcare.
In February we published the guidance for schools and trusts on their role in providing wraparound childcare to children of primary school age.
We have now published further guidance on the right to request wraparound childcare and updates to the wraparound childcare handbook for local authorities.
You can email wraparound.programme@education.gov.uk with any enquiries.
Information for schools: How joining a school business professional network could help with buying for your school
This article will be of interest to school business professionals
Frances Rowland is Chair of the Association of Business Leaders in Education (ABLE), a regional network for school business professionals (SBPs). In her Buying for Schools blog post, Frances explains how the ABLE network supports SBPs, and why you should consider joining a network if you are not a member already.
To find out more, plus information about how to find, join or create a network for SBPs, read the blog post on GOV.UK.
Information for schools: Help raise awareness of cyber crime
The National Crime Agency (NCA) is asking teachers across our schools to help young people understand the Computer Misuse Act.
You can find teaching resources, and information on training, further education and future careers on NCA’s Cyber Choices website. Here you can learn more about the Cyber Choices programme which was created to help people make informed choices and to use their cyber skills in a legal way.
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