Happy New Year to all colleagues in Schools, Colleges, Academies and the Children's Workforce in Barnet. We look foward to working in partnership with you in 2012 to ensure best possible outcomes for all our children in Barnet. As the pace of change in the world of education accelerates it will be more important than ever for all stakeholders to work together for our children and young people.

The Local Authority have been informed of an announced Ofsted Inspection of our Safeguarding and Looked After Children's Service, which is due to take place between 9 January and 20 January 2012. A number of school colleagues have already agreed to participate in focus groups and interviews with inspectors. Many thanks for this. Details of what the inspection will cover can be found at the Ofsted website www.ofsted.gov.uk.

Mick Quigley
Assistant Director of Children's Service
Schools and Learning

For Information

To aid schools in their December forecasting, revised funding allocations will be released to the website www.barnet.gov.uk/school-funding on Wednesday 4 January 2012.  Changes include:

• adjusted pupil premium allocations to reflect the increase in the per-pupil rate from £430 to £488
• an increase in the AWPU (Age Weighted Pupil Unit funding) for reception to Year 11 pupils
• adjustments to some special school to reflect changes in standard/complex place ratios
• additional funding for primary schools opening new reception classes to meet increased pupil numbers
• apportioned allocations for schools which have converted to academies
• changes to pupil premium allocations to reflect updated Looked After children numbers
• early years free entitlement funding based on actual pupil numbers for the autumn term
• adjustments to the MFG for some schools
• revised statement top-ups
• SEN contingency allocations
• payment of the PE grant to specified schools and academies
• adjustments to AST allocations affecting three schools

Autopayment - third payment
December autopayments should have reached school bank accounts by 31 December 2011. These cover funding for the period October to December 2011 for the Pupil Premium, Devolved Formula Capital to schools and payment of statements and Teachers Pay Grant at academies. Reports detailing the amounts schools can expect to receive, will be released to the website on 4 January 2012.

If you have any queries on either of these items, please contact me or one of the School Funding Team at schoolfunding@barnet.gov.uk

Carol Beckman
School Funding Manager
020 8359 7636

 For Information - Science departments in secondary schools

The annual CLEAPSS Health and Safety resources CD will be distributed in the school bag this week. It includes latest versions of most CLEAPSS secondary science publications including The Laboratory Handbook, Hazcards, Student Safety Sheets and many other useful resources.

John Paxton
Narrowing the Gap
Secondary Lead

For Action

We are currently in the process of updating Directme - Barnet's directory of services for children, young people and their families. Directme can be accessed from www.barnet.gov.uk/directme.

We would like to continue to list your school on Directme, and we would be grateful if you would update/add new record(s) of any activities that your school is holding as soon as possible.

All schools have a log-in and password, if you need your password re-set please contact FYi (Barnet's families and young people's information service) on 0800 389 8312 or directme@barnet.gov.uk. You can find the Directme users manual in this week's enclosures section for guidance on adding and updating records.

If you know of other relevant organisations not currently listed in Directme or you have any questions or comments, please do not hesitate to contact FYi.

Lauren Burbidge
Information Officer

For Information

Heeral Patel has now replaced Lauren Burbidge in the post of School Business Officer with effect from 3 January 2012.

You contact Heeral on 020 8359 7045, school.circular@barnet.gov.uk or at heeral.patel@barnet.gov.uk.

Rachel Williams
Customer Relations Manager

• Guidance re: Directme users manual
  All Schools

Users guide to updating and amending records on Directme - Barnet's directory of services for children, young people and their families.  Please click on the above link for further details. 

Please click the relevant links below for all of the Continuing Professional Development (CPD) Flyers.

All CPD Flyers organised by Programme Strand

CPD Flyers organised by Issue Date

Early Years' Training & Development Guides

Barnet Partnership for School Improvement (BPSI)