Tony France, director of Headsight said, “We can all struggle with our mental health. At Headsight, we support people to improve their mental health, we do this through training and therapeutic interventions. We encourage a compassionate approach; recognising that all behaviour is a form of communication.

“Woodmancote School has been recognised today for continued growth around its responses to childhood trauma and working therapeutically with its most vulnerable pupils. We hope that other senior leaders, SENCOs and TAs will follow in Woodmancote’s footsteps and be trained in implementing a whole school therapeutic approach.”

Over a three-year period, with the support of the senior leadership team, key staff have engaged in trauma-informed and therapeutic practice qualifications whilst more than 85% of the whole school staff have completed an introduction to understanding psychological trauma. Through Headsight and the Trauma Action Group (TAG), staff have received help to embed new learning into their day-to-day practice, creating an environment where improved relationships now mean that learning and fun can happen.

Gary Tucker, headteacher from Woodmancote said, “We have worked hard to build and evidence our understanding and approach to working with trauma and we are delighted that this has been recognised. Working with Headsight and TAG has enabled us to understand what drives behaviour, a willingness to adapt and the determination to meet the needs of every child.”

Trauma can take all shapes and sizes and we know that it can have an impact on children’s ability to learn, build relationships and thrive. Working therapeutically with children who have been impacted by trauma helps reduce the longer-term impact, this can lead to a reduction in school exclusions, children becoming more resilient and going on to build healthier relationships.

Focus-Trust’s Pupil Parliament consists of pupils who have been elected by their peers to represent their school at the trust level. The ‘7 Musts of Focus-Trust’ began as a recent Pupil Parliament project, inspired by books such as ‘100 things to do before you grow up’.

Surveys were sent out across the schools for both children and staff, all voting for their top ten out of a long list of ideas. Further discussions were held in the following meetings, and the Pupil Parliamentarians voted for their top seven ‘musts’.

The pupil-led project resulted in seven essential experiences which will become available to all children at Focus-Trust schools. A pupil representative presented the ‘7 Musts’ to all of the Focus-Trust headteachers, and the Pupil Parliament designed their very own logo.

The 7 Musts of Focus-Trust means every child in a Focus-Trust school will have the opportunity to:

1. Complete a first aid course
2. Attend Young Voices
3. Visit London
4. Undertake an environmental project
5. Visit the theatre
6. Plan a charity event
7. Complete Bike-ability

The aim of the project is to give pupils an even wider set of standard experiences to develop their social and cultural knowledge and experiences. By making these activities a ‘must’, they become a core entitlement for all, rather than an additional extra.

Each school is now planning how they will organise each of these activities from September 2023, with some having already undertaken their residential visit to London.

Andrew Marlow, Curriculum and Pedagogy Director at Focus-Trust, said: “At Focus-Trust, pupil voice is a crucial element of our work and supports our continual improvement.

“Across all our schools we actively seek out opportunities for children to share their thoughts, opinions, and ideas about their learning and experiences.

“It is important to us because it empowers our children, improves learning, fosters a culture of community, and develops important life skills”.

Focus-Trust is a charitable primary schools trust which is based in the North West of England and West Yorkshire with a vision of providing ‘great schools at the heart of our communities’ where children thrive, achieve and succeed.

As many schools across the country prepare to close their doors for the summer holidays, specialist insurer Ecclesiastical says schools will be an attractive target for criminals over the coming months.

Ecclesiastical reports schools have been targeted over the summer months including vandalism, arson, break-ins, smashed windows, theft of lead from roofs and stolen laptops.

Amid high inflation, soaring prices and more facing economic hardship, there are worries there will be a large spike in criminal activity.

Faith Kitchen, customer segment director at Ecclesiastical Insurance, said: “Schools are far more vulnerable during the summer holidays when school buildings are closed and largely unoccupied, tempting opportunists. With high inflation and the cost of living crisis, it is more important than ever that schools take steps to protect their premises from offenders. There are a number of measures schools can take to better secure school property and assets, which would ideally be a combination of both physical and electronic protection. Fencing around the perimeter can often offer a good first line of defence against unwanted visitors, while CCTV can act as a visual deterrent for those not wanting to be caught on camera. We urge schools across the country take steps to protect themselves from criminals and follow our guidance.”

How to protect your school this summer:

• Ensure CCTV systems have remote 24/7 monitoring services. Monitoring and alerting the police is far more effective than tracing criminals after a crime has taken place.
• Install remotely monitored intruder alarms and change alarm security codes and passwords on a regular basis.
• Install security lighting systems that have motion sensors to detect body movements.
• Restrict access to school premises. Well-designed perimeter security such as walls, fences and electric security gates, and anti-climb paint help to prevent people from getting onto school sites.
• Restrict vehicular access to the school site. Locate any designated parking as far from the school building as possible. The further thieves have to travel on foot the greater the risk of detection.
• Use security marking systems such as SmartWater which can help with successful prosecution of thieves.
• Ask the local community near your school to be vigilant and report any unusual or suspicious activity they notice on school grounds.
• Inform neighbourhood watch schemes / police liaison officers of planned work over the holidays as thieves might pose as contractors.
• Seek advice. Specialist insurers can offer advice and expertise to help schools manage security risks. Insurers can offer a combination of onsite and remote risk management services including security assessments and advice, alongside broader property protection and building valuation services.

NFER has published a report, Tutoring sustainability: Understanding the views of school leaders, after gathering the views of a nationally representative sample of senior leaders from primary and secondary schools in England. This included those who are currently participating in the NTP, have previously participated in the NTP, and have never participated in the NTP. The survey took place between 10 and 15 March 2023.

The results found nearly two thirds (65 per cent) of the 52 per cent of senior leaders currently using the programme are planning to continue using it in the 2023/24 academic year. Three quarters (76 per cent) currently using the NTP believe it is improving the attainment of their disadvantaged pupils, while 73 per cent believe the programme selection guidance allows them to prioritise pupils most in need of academic support.

However, views on the cost-effectiveness of the programme are split (42 per cent believe it is cost-effective and 45 per cent do not) while 58 per cent of surveyed leaders do not think tutoring is a long-term solution to closing the attainment gap for disadvantaged pupils.

The top five reasons given by senior leaders for dropping out of the NTP were:

1. Reduced subsidy (55 per cent)
2. Annual funding arrangements for the NTP made it difficult to forward plan (35 per cent)
3. Difficulties sourcing suitable tutors (28 per cent)
4. Administrative burden required to access the funding was too high (27 per cent)
5. Reporting requirements for the funding were too burdensome (23 per cent)

Dr Ben Styles, NFER’s Head of Classroom Practice and Workforce, said: “School leaders mostly believe the NTP is helping disadvantaged pupils, but many feel this support comes at too high a cost in terms of finances and administration.

“Tutoring is not yet embedded in schools. Long-term financial support is needed alongside reductions to the administrative burden on staff.

“Leaders would also benefit from much more notice on changes to funding arrangements, so they can forward plan and budget properly.

“Overcoming these barriers is vital if tutoring is to win the hearts and minds of schools and be seen as a sustainable way of helping to close the attainment disadvantage gap.”

The study also found:

• Almost all (91 per cent) senior leaders currently using the NTP feel it has allowed them to offer support to more disadvantaged pupils and more than two thirds (68 per cent) have been able to hire or use additional staff. But nearly half (47 per cent) reported that their school only offers tutoring during normal lesson times.
• Issues with NTP funding arrangements are the main reason schools are stopping delivery of the programme, but only 46 per cent of senior leaders agree that providing tutoring would be their top priority if more funding was available for supporting disadvantaged pupils.
• The ability to source suitable tutors, administrative burden and time required to implement the NTP are barriers to sustainability as they are reducing take-up and/or causing drop-out from the programme.
• More than half of all senior leaders surveyed (61 per cent) believe that other types of support are more effective than tutoring for improving attainment amongst disadvantaged pupils, including 42 per cent of senior leaders planning to continue using the NTP next year.
Among numerous recommendations, the report calls on the Government to:
• Explore how additional financial support can be made available to schools over a longer period, to allow tutoring to become embedded in schools.
• Provide schools with more notice about funding arrangements for new programmes to allow them to forward plan.
• Review and reduce the administrative requirements to access, implement and report upon NTP funding and that of other future programmes.
• Work with schools and tutoring organisations to understand their requirements for tutors and consider how best to recruit and retain tutors as part of a wider school workforce strategy.
• Undertake further research to investigate which aspects of tutoring and its implementation can be optimised to improve attainment outcomes for disadvantaged pupils, so that best practice can be shared among schools.

The funds raised came from a successful art exhibition at Highfield and Brookham Schools in Liphook.

It featured work from 29 artists and four galleries as well as eight Old Highfieldians who also showcased their work at the popular three-day event.

The money has gone to the Highfield School Centenary Bursaries Fund, which was set up in 2007 with an aim to support children who would not otherwise have the opportunity to attend an independent school such as Highfield and Brookham. Typical candidates are children who are experiencing social or educational difficulties or children who have the ability to succeed academically if given the right support.

Artists and galleries exhibited an impressive range of artwork, including watercolour paintings, sculptures and drawings.

Suzannah Cryer, Head of Highfield, was in awe of the success of the art exhibition and paid tribute to parent Kaye Burke and her dedicated team of organisers.

She said: “The curation of the exhibition was nothing short of phenomenal, which was underlined by the number of pieces sold and the amazing amount of money raised for the Bursary Fund.
“But none of this would have been possible without the continuing extraordinary efforts of our parent fundraising committee and the generosity of the artists.”

Every exhibiting artist agreed to donate 25% of their sales and the Highfield art scholars donated 50% to the Bursary Fund in order to ensure that the school can continue to offer bursaries to children who, for many reasons, may not get the chance to access a private education.

Mrs Cryer also extended her warmest thanks to Knight Frank, Coolhurst Vineyards, Minnow and Wolf and Howden Group Holdings for their sponsorship and support as well as the supportive school community who attended the exhibition and purchased the works of art.

Highfield and Brookham Schools has awarded 20 bursaries since the fund’s inception in 2007.

The bursaries are funded jointly by the Fund and the school, covering all school fees, and also provides additional support for music lessons, sports equipment, school trips and uniform.
“The purpose of the bursary is to make a difference in a child’s life, not just academically but also physically, emotionally and socially. Ours are awarded to children we believe will gain the most from attending, ensuring they reach their full potential,” explained Mrs Cryer.

“These are the children we believe will engage with all of the opportunities Highfield and Brookham has to offer – ensuring they build life-long skills and develop long-lasting positive experiences and relationships.

The reformed qualification from leading awarding body Pearson Edexcel, has been developed in close partnership with schools, language experts and multilinguists to reduce the continued decline in language uptake at GCSE and A level.

Paving the way for updates to Pearson’s language GCSEs in German and Spanish, the new French qualification (for first assessment in 2026), is specifically designed to be more inclusive and accessible to students, with real-world content that reflects and represents the diverse backgrounds, experiences and abilities of young learners today.

The student-centred specification will encourage all pupils to develop their language skills by combining clear, concise and straightforward assessments with engaging, meaningful and relatable content. Key features include:

● Engaging and inclusive contemporary topics that enable students to speak and write about the things that interest them including equality, physical and mental wellbeing, the environment, social media and gaming.
● Content and assessments based on familiar experiences or pre-known settings in the target language culture, with no expectation that students travel abroad for their holidays.
● Extending existing knowledge on familiar concepts i.e. friendships, food and drink, school, shopping, and relevant travel.
● Content and assessment that broadens cultural knowledge, with supporting images or glossing to ensure no barriers to shared understanding.

Ofqual’s approval follows the release of recent findings that show more than three-quarters (73%) of UK adults who speak just one language wish they could speak another, while more than half of monolinguists (54%) have faced difficulties in life as a result of not being able to do so. At the same time, almost half of all UK adults (45%) think it is more important to speak another language today than it was 20 years ago[1] and yet, the number of learners choosing to study a language at GCSE and A level continues to decline.

When respondents to this Pearson research were asked what would most encourage young people to study a language today, the top five responses were: showcasing the benefits to their future lives, making the subject more interesting, learning about different cultures and lifestyles as well as vocabulary, making content more relevant to young people’s lives and more accessible – all features of the new Edexcel French qualification.

Speaking about today’s announcement, Katy Lewis, Head of MFL at Pearson, said: “Ofqual’s approval of this new French GCSE marks a significant shift in language learning for students. We want to eradicate perceptions that learning languages is too hard or only for a certain type of student, and this inclusive, real-world set of language GCSEs can help us do just that.

“Having trialled our draft French, German and Spanish specifications with over 800 students of all abilities, across a wide range of schools, we believe that we have developed meaningful qualifications that are fit for the future. We are proud of the ethos behind the new GCSEs and we look forward to helping a new cohort of students connect, communicate and understand new cultures in our increasingly diverse world.”

Teachers reviewing the specification referred to the changes as “encouraging,” “considered and thoughtful” and a “great relief for both teachers and students” with hopes that as a result, they “should be able to increase the number of students taking languages at GCSE and beyond.”

For more information about the new language GCSE specifications, along with Pearson’s nationwide More than words campaign, visit go.pearson.com/MFLGCSE24

Launched in September 2022, Broadening Horizons was established by the RSC after its Missing Elements report found that talented Black chemists are more likely to leave the profession at every stage of their career path after undergraduate studies than their peers. The programme offers aspiring chemists access to mentoring, networking, and opportunities to gain crucial industry experience from partner companies.

With positive feedback from both participants and partner companies on the inaugural programme, the RSC has expanded the places available and secured further industry backing. Charles River Laboratories, which specialises in products and services to help expedite the discovery, early-stage development, and safe manufacture of novel drugs and therapies, joins 10 of the world’s leading chemistry companies, including Unilever, AstraZeneca, and GSK, to support the programme.

Dr Helen Pain, CEO of the Royal Society of Chemistry, said: “We launched the Broadening Horizons pilot last year to help enact the change that is needed to retain talented Black and minority ethnic chemists. The students and industry partners involved have told us just how valuable they found the programme, which makes us all the more determined to continue delivering an impactful experience for future cohorts.

“We’re excited to welcome the second cohort and are proud to have even more young people taking part this year as we continue this vital work to improve inclusion and diversity in our industry.”

Feedback from the inaugural cohort of 94 participants indicates the programme has so far been hugely valuable in creating an inclusive environment, opening networking opportunities, and showcasing the range of different career paths available in the chemical sciences.

Mechelle Williams, an undergraduate student at the University of Strathclyde in Glasgow, said: “To be able to walk into a room and see a lot of people and women that look like me was the biggest standout thing. For a long while, there was a point and time when I just wanted to stop. Being on this programme has reignited my fire.”

Carla Aldington, a PhD student at Imperial College London who has earned an internship with partner organisation Unilever, added: “The Broadening Horizons programme has been absolutely incredible. The first day when we were all together in the RSC’s Burlington House was remarkable. I have never stood in a room with so many other people of colour who are also chemists. For the first time in my whole academic career, I realised I did belong in the world of chemistry. That is a feeling I will treasure forever.”

The chemicals company Johnson Matthey provided mentorship opportunities for students in the first cohort, hosted a visit at its Reading site, and ultimately offered work placements for seven students upon completion of the programme.

Dr Liz Rowsell FRSC, Research and Development Director at Johnson Matthey, said: “While we’re still in the early stages of the pilot, Broadening Horizons has already proved to be a truly impactful programme. It’s been fantastic to meet all the students in the first cohort, discuss their experiences of studying chemistry, and give them some insight into what their future career might look like.

“We’ve spent a lot of time thinking about how best to engage and make a real difference in the programme. We have several work placements available to the students and our talent team is working hard to ensure they deliver meaningful opportunities for skills development.”

The pharmaceutical and biotechnology company GSK has also been involved in the programme from the outset and hosted 25 students at its Stevenage site where they took part in speed networking, visited working labs, and attended panel discussions.

Speaking during a site visit, Dr Rehana Sidat, Vice President of Risk Management at GSK, commented: “We all go through academic journeys, but our lived experiences reinforce who we are, and I think it’s really important to embrace that in our workforces and make sure that everybody has a sense of belonging and feels welcome.

“I think we’ve left the students with a really good sense of who we are, what we do and how they could potentially join GSK. If I can encourage even just one person to stay within the chemical sciences, that’s my job done.”

Open to students and recent graduates of chemistry in the UK or Republic of Ireland from a Black or minority ethnic background, the second year of the Broadening Horizons programme will run until summer 2024.

There are now 11 chemistry-focused businesses partnered with the programme: Nanomerics, RSSL, Syngenta, Unilever, Oxford Nanopore, AM Technology, AstraZeneca, Johnson Matthey, GSK, BASF, and Charles River Laboratories.

To stay up to date with the Broadening Horizons programme, please visit: https://rsc.li/broadeninghorizons.

Sarah Martin-Denham (left), University Associate Professor of Care and Education at the University of Sunderland, appeared before the APPG inquiry on School Exclusions and Alternative Provision (AP), drawing on experts’ knowledge across the UK, to improve outcomes for vulnerable children, reduce preventable exclusions and improve the quality of education for children excluded from school.

Sarah’s recommendations to the panel included the scrapping of isolation booths in schools as a punitive approach, better training for the education workforce, from newly qualified teachers to those heading towards the end of their careers, ensuring the voices of children and their parents are heard, a national roll-out of assessment hubs which involve teachers, educational psychologists, mental health workers, to assess why the child is struggling in the school environment, the reason behind the behaviour, tailoring a package of support that works best for the individual.

For the past seven years, Sarah’s research has focused on childhood adversities, SEND (Special Educational Needs and Disability) and school exclusion. She has worked with over 200 children and young people from alternative provision schools who have been suspended or permanently excluded from school. As a result of her work, she has created a national training resource aimed at those working across the education sector.

Nine films created by young people, aged four to 16, from five North East local authorities, offer a unique insight into the impact of school exclusion on their lives. The resource #pullupachair has been shared with Government, including Ofsted, the Department for Education, Office of the Children’s Commissioner, Local Authorities, universities, charities, headteachers, teachers, parents, academic experts and educational psychologists.

Speaking to the panel, chaired by Andy Carter MP, and hosted in London, Sarah said: “I’ve been working with partnership organisations, predominantly in the north-east, to highlight varying experiences of pupils and their parents about what matters to them, and how we can work with them to prevent the children and young people from being excluded. With exclusion there is no universal consensus on how to be inclusive, it’s not defined in the National Curriculum, Early Years’ Framework or recent SEND and Alternative Provision Improvement Plan for example.

“All the parents and children I have spoken to talk about inclusion and what it means to them – it’s about a sense of belonging, they would like to have their voices heard.”

She added: “We are seeing positive outcomes in Sunderland with the introduction of assessment hubs, this is introduced to prevent exclusion, and has worked well.”

When asked what her recommendations should be across the education system, Sarah says: “We need to rethink isolation in schools. We should not be in a position where children who cannot meet behavioural standards in schools are being placed in a room, where they can’t even turn around and in some cases are not actually taught.

“As part of my research, we had some cases of children in isolation every-day for three years in statutory secondary education, children talked to me about scratching their face, pulling their hair out, rocking and being physically sick. I would encourage Ofsted inspections to increase their focus on the children who are not in the classrooms, asking questions about where these children are, what their attendance and mental health is like?

“We need to understand what the alternatives are, approaches to sanctions before isolation, where the pupils have to prove themselves out of isolation, rather than understanding the reasons behind their behaviours and building on relationships with these children.”

The 24 students from Dudley Academies Trust are working with the STEM High Fliers (SHF) charity to build a Sherwood Ranger microlight aircraft provided in kit form, funded by a grant of £19,700 from Millennium Point’s annual STEM grants programme – which provides funding annually to not-for-profit organisations, schools, and colleges across the West Midlands.

Two groups of 12 pupils meet every Tuesday on alternate weeks at a ‘hangar’ at Black Country & Marches Institute of Technology where the young aeronautical engineers are spending three years building the plane, with the aim to complete the project before their GCSEs.

The BC&M IoT workshop will be used to complete construction of the main components, with final assembly of the full aeroplane at a local airfield. After the pupils have all been on trips in the aeroplane, the Sherwood Ranger will then be sold to fund another similar project for the next group of lucky teenagers.

Jo Higgins, CEO of Dudley Academies Trust, commented: “We are so grateful to be working in partnership on this with the Millennium Point Trust; this is the most wonderful opportunity for our young people using a fabulous project which brings the curriculum to life and aligns with one of our core values of ‘dreaming big'”.

Abbie Vlahakis, CEO of Millennium Point said: “We’re immensely proud to be able to support projects like STEM High Fliers. It’s encouraging to see young people using and developing their skills and taking a real interest in STEM as a future career. Millennium Point Charitable Trust has made a significant difference in the region, particularly with projects such as this one.”

STEM High Fliers is a registered charity, whose prime objective is to inspire young people towards Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths (STEM) specifically in aviation related projects.
Project manager and SHF trustee Mike Roach commented: “The project gives the students the opportunity to enhance a range of life skills. We’ve already got these youngsters taking part in presentations, so they’re learning those skills, alongside a lot of teamwork and attention to detail. There’s a lot of precision needed so plenty of concentration and perseverance. They’re doing a fantastic job.”

Over the past eight years, the Millennium Point Charitable Trust has awarded over £40 million to charities, not-for-profits, community groups and schools to further STEM education.

A new Head of Safeguarding, Health, Children & Families, a School Improvement Lead, a Digital Technology and Accessibility Lead, and IT Manager have all now taken up positions at the Trust, which supports 15 schools across Milton Keynes and Corby.

Victoria Blackmore has joined IFtL as Head of Safeguarding, Health, Children & Families after two-and-half-years working for Herefordshire Council as Manager of Safeguarding in Education and Social Inclusion. She was formerly Education Safeguarding Lead at Central Bedfordshire Council, and prior to that a Family Support Worker. Having started her journey in safeguarding a decade ago, Victoria has a real passion for both safeguarding and SEND. She has worked in a variety of education settings and this has given her vast experience and a focus on maintaining a ‘child-centred’ approach.

Isabel Parker has arrived as the Trust’s School Improvement Lead, bringing extensive experience as an Executive Head Teacher at Bedford Nursery Schools Federation, and also as a senior leader at Middleton Primary School and West Town Primary Academy in Peterborough. Previously she was the National Early Years Lead on the Teaching School Council. As a National Leader for Education, Isabel has supported many leaders to improve their schools. Most recently, Isabel has held the role of His Majesty’s Inspector for Ofsted since 2020, and continues to be a serving inspector.

Shaun Hughes is the new Digital Technology and Accessibility Lead. Shaun completed his PGCE in 2013-14 at Two Mile Ash Initial Teacher Training Partnership and began his teaching career at Two Mile Ash School. At Two Mile Ash, he went on to become Head of Computing and Technological Innovation and Deputy Head of Year 6, before taking up a role at GEMS Wellington Academy Silicon Oasis in Dubai in 2018. There Shaun was Head of Year 6 and Lead Practitioner of Digital Pedagogy before returning to the UK in 2020 to become Assistant Head and latterly Deputy Head Teacher and SENCO at Quainton Church of England School in Aylesbury. For the past 10 years, Shaun has sought opportunities to impact on schools, in particular in digital technologies and SEN.

Ray Smith has started his role as IFtL’s IT Manager, after working for Oxley Park Academy Trust for the past 17 years. Since moving into education in 2006, Ray has worked in a wide range of non-teaching roles including facilities management and safeguarding, as well as IT. These appointments follow the arrivals earlier this academic year of Bridget Daffern as Trust Business Manager, Nicola Molloy as Financial Controller, and Charlotte Howard and Philisiwe Jones as Marketing & Business Support staff.

IFtL Chief Executive Sarah Bennett said: “We are delighted to welcome our new colleagues to the Trust. Attracting, retaining and developing the best leaders, teachers and professional services staff is an essential ingredient of being successful in our vision to inspire the futures of us all through learning together. Young people only get one chance and everyone who works for IFtL, within our schools and within the central team, takes this very personally.”