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Welcome to 2007 - 2008 |  |
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Welcome to the new academic year! This week we welcome a new school to the Barnet family of schools with Akiva Primary School joining us as a voluntary aided school. We are continuing to celebrate the achievement of Barnet's schools as the test and examination results are released. Barnet's results remain among the highest in the country. Woodcroft, Trent and The Hyde Primary Schools and Hendon and Friern Barnet Secondary Schools deserve particular congratulations for the huge improvements they have achieved. It is also good to see our results in science improving at both Key Stage 2 and Key Stage 3 after some really hard (but very enjoyable!) work. Having now fully integrated the management of the children's service we have been looking at the potential for improvement which that brings. Two areas of particular focus this year will be developing a more coherent approach to our preventative work with families in need and continuing to integrate services for disabled children. Responsibility for Connexions services comes to Local Authorities next April giving us a great opportunity to ensure that targeted youth support meets our needs locally and contributes to the wider development of educational provision for 14 - 19 year olds. Exciting times! On behalf of colleagues here in the central children's service, I wish you well for the coming year. Gillian Palmer |
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Welcome to New Headteachers - September 2007 | |
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For Information
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School Changes | |
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For Information The contact details for Akiva Primary are: Akiva Primary The contact details for the new Martin Primary, following the amalgamation of The Martin Infant and Martin Junior schools, are: Martin Primary Please note, the September 2007 edition of the Schools and Educational Settings booklet will be delivered in next week's School Bag. Suzanne Crouch |
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Newly Qualified Teachers | |
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Welcome Event for NQTs All NQTs are invited to a Welcome Event to be held on Tuesday 11 September 2007 at Building 5, NLBP at 1.30pm-5.00pm. TeachFirst, new OTTs and teachers on the GTP and RTP are also welcome to attend. There is no charge. Please e-mail nqtinduct@barnet.gov.uk to reserve places. This will be an exciting opportunity to meet colleagues in other schools and in the Local Authority and to learn about the support available to teachers in their first year. Representatives from Teachers' TV, Teachers' Support Network, the GTCE, the Schools' Library Service, Greenwich Leisure Services, Metropolitan Housing Association and many more organizations will be present to offer advice and information. Representatives of the Teacher Unions: ATL, NASUWT, NUT and The keynote speaker will be
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Early Years Foundation Stage | |
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Framework for children 0-5 The new framework for children aged 0-5 years, the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS), was issued to Local Authorities during the summer term 2007. The EYFS documents were distributed to schools and settings at the Learning Network meeting on 27 June, led by The EYFS will be statutory from September 2008. It brings together principles and effective practice from Birth to Three Matters and the Curriculum Guidance for the Foundation Stage together with elements of the National Standards for under 8s Day Care and Childminding. From September 2008 all maintained schools with Foundation Stage pupils, registered PVI settings and childminders must comply with the relevant requirements and have regard to the rest of the EYFS guidance. In the run up to September 2008, colleagues from different teams across the sectors are working together to plan support and training for providers in this transition. There will be training opportunities from January 2008 for all providers on how to deliver the new framework, details of which will be published in a separate edition of the Training and Development Guide specifically for the Early Years Foundation Stage. Directory of Good Practice In this week's School Bag, schools with Foundation Stage children have been sent a copy of the 2007-08 edition of the Directory of Good Practice. This has been produced to identify elements of high quality provision across settings within the Private, Voluntary and Independent (PVI) sector. This first edition of the Directory of Good Practice is being sent to both schools and settings in the PVI sector in order to share quality practice across both the maintained and non-maintained sectors. This edition will run until the end of the summer term 2008, with the following publication due in the autumn term 2008. I hope you will find the Directory useful in providing opportunities for colleagues across Barnet to share experiences of quality practice. Please refer to the Directory of Good Practice for information on how to arrange visits. Diane Lewis |
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New Agreed Syllabus for Religious Education | |
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For Information Please find in the enclosures section of this week's School Circular two copies of the Barnet new Agreed Syllabus for Religious Education. The syllabus follows the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority (QCA) non-statutory framework and is arranged using Key Questions and Concepts. The syllabus will be on the Barnet Grid for Learning (BGfL) from September 2007. Janet Robinson |
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Racist and Homophobic Incidents | |
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For Information Up-dated Guidance A CD-Rom entitled Promoting Diversity and Race Equality was distributed to all headteachers at Learning Network meetings in the Summer term, or through the internal mail to schools unable to attend this meeting. A copy of the CD will also shortly been sent to all Chairs of Governing Bodies. Please note, Folder 2 contains updated guidance on Recording and Reporting Racist and Homophobic Incidents. This has been included in the enclosures section of this week's School Circular. In response to feedback from headteachers, the guidance also now contains full contextual information about how the reports from schools supply vital information to the Multi-Agency Racial Harassment Group (MARHG), thus ensuring that schools and the Council fulfil our Duties under the Race Relations Amendment Act (2000), Every Child Matters (Children Act 2004) and the Duty to promote Community Cohesion (September 2007). Barnet Racist Incidents Action Group (BRIAG) Casework Panel This Panel receives referrals of cases of racist incidents and bullying requiring multi-agency responses. The Panel is a resource that schools can use to ensure that pupils are safeguarded on their way to and from school and while representing their school off-site. Around half of the incidents that have been referred recently involve school-aged children as either victims or perpetrators. The Panel discusses the best strategy for dealing with the incidents to prevent people becoming repeat victims and to remind all residents that racist behaviour is not tolerated and will be addressed. Schools can refer cases to this Panel, especially where incidents involving pupils have taken place on the way to and from school, away from the school premises on school activities, e.g. at sports and cultural events, on school excursions or in the wider community and are beyond the immediate remit of the school's jurisdiction. A referral can be made to the Panel by contacting Jeanette Redding, Inspector for Inclusion and Equalities, by email to jeanette.redding@barnet.gov.uk or by leaving a message on 0208 359 6326/6338. Jeanette Redding |
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Changes to Free School Meal Eligibility Criteria | |
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For Action Please note that from If you have any queries please contact: David Clark. |
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Corporate Building Cleaning Contracts | |
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All schools included in the current building cleaning contract For Action - Response required by 19 September Please find in the enclosures section of this week's School Circular a letter and form regarding the new tender for corporately arranged building cleaning contracts. The Corporate Procurement Team are shortly to commence the re-tender of the corporate building cleaning contracts for a new contract with effect from April 2008 for a 3 year period. Please be advised that if you wish for your school to be included in a new contract please return the enclosed form to Susan Lowe, Contracts Manager, Procurement & Contracts Team, email: susan.lowe@barnet.gov.uk, tel: 020 8359 7212, fax: 0870 8897444 no later than 19 September 2007.
All schools not included in the current building cleaning contract For Action - Response required by 28 September Please be advised that if you wish for your school to be considered for inclusion in the new contract process that contact should be made to Susan Lowe, Contracts Manager, Procurement & Contracts Team, email: susan.lowe@barnet.gov.uk, tel: 020 8359 7212, fax: 0870 8897444 no later than 28 September 2007. Susan Lowe |
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Designated Teacher for Looked After Children | |
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For Action Training Dates 2007-2008 Training sessions for Designated Teachers for Looked After Children for the next academic year will be as follows:
These sessions will provide an update on local and national issues pertaining to Looked After Children and programme details will follow nearer the date of each session. Please confirm your attendance by contacting either Rita Odumosu on 8359 4496 or rita.odumosu@barnet.gov.uk or Patricia Davies on 0208 359 4534 or patricia.davies@barnet.gov.uk
For Action - Response required by 14 September Designated Teacher Contact List Enclosed is a proforma for details relating to the school designated teacher. Past returns have been poor and the Looked After Children Team would like to make a special plea for all schools to ensure that this form is completed and returned to Patricia Davies at patricia.davies@barnet.gov.uk by 14 September 2007 at the latest to enable updating of records. Rita Odumosu |
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University of Bristol: Document Summary Service | |
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For Information Further summaries have been placed on the BGfL website:-
(Reference is made to DfES since that was still the originating department for the summaries concerned at the time) Once you have logged on to BGfL, the summaries can be found in the Document Summary Service folder under the Information for Schools tab. Pete Comley |
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Useful Web Links | |
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For Information 2007 A-level Results 2007 GCSE Results 2007 Key Stage 2 Results 2007 Key Stage 3 Results 2007 Results for 7 year-olds Threshold Assessment Round 8 (2007/08) Exclusion Guidance Staying Safe Building Links Across Communities History Curriculum Biometric Data Extended Schools Black History Month Practical Tips to Encourage Children to Progress Faster Pete Comley |
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| Professional Development | Please click the relevant links below for all of the Continuing Professional Development (CPD) Flyers. All CPD Flyers organised by Programme Strand Primary CPD Flyers organised by Issue Date Secondary CPD Flyers organised by Issue Date
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