On behalf of all my colleagues may I send my best wishes to everybody in schools and other settings for a happy and peaceful holiday. Thank you to everyone for your hard work this term to promote achievement for children and young people.

In addition, I wish to thank the schools and individuals who sent greetings cards and invitations to events. I send you the season's greeting and thanks for all your commitment, hard work and co-operation during the past year.

Gillian Palmer
Director of Children's Service

For Action

Many thanks to Headteachers for the prompt replies to the SIP Allocation email, sent 6 December 2006. I would like to confirm the allocation for all schools as soon as possible, and would therefore be grateful if any Headteachers who have not yet replied should contact Martin Baker as a matter of urgency.

Martin Baker
Deputy Chief Education Officer
Standards and Effectiveness Division

For Action - All Schools - Response required by 5 January 2007

Session date: Wednesday 17 January 2007 1.00-3.30pm at Room 2, NLBP.

Rita Odumosu
Advisory Teacher - Looked After Children
Corporate Parenting Team

For Action - Response required by Tuesday 9th January 2007

The SEN Contingency is a small amount of money set aside to give schools financial support for the exceptional and unforeseen needs of particular pupils. A panel of Headteachers will meet for the second (and last) time this financial year on 16th January 2007 to decide how to distribute the remaining £48,000.

Schools wishing to apply for funding should use the enclosed pro-forma which prompts for the information that the panel needs to make a decision. Please return completed forms to Carol Beckman in the Schools Funding Team. Further details can be found on our website: www.funding.barnet.lgfl.net

Carol Beckman
School Funding Manager

For Action - Schools should amend their school budget to reflect increased income and expenditure

Further additions have been made to Standards Funds allocations. These include grants for Extended Schools, Chartered London Teachers, Performance Collaborative, ASTs (in the School Development Grant) and also Primary and Secondary Strategies. This leaves very little still to devolve to schools this financial year. All schools will receive their December Standards Funds Autopayment remittance advice in the school bag this week.

As we are no longer sending paper copies of funding allocation sheets to schools, please download your school's latest Standards Funds from the Barnet Schools Funding and Finance website: www.funding.barnet.lgfl.net. The most recent allocation sheet includes some extra funding that missed the deadline for the December autopayment and will be included in next.

For Information and Action

Enclosed in this week's School Circular is information regarding employees working at height. If you need any further guidance please contact Ian Kimmet on 020 8359 7953 or ian.kimmet@barnet.gov.uk

Ian Kimmet
Health and Safety Consultant

For Information

Jeanette Redding
Minorities Achievement Project

For Information

As part of Barnet Council's commemoration of Holocaust Memorial Day, we are proud to be hosting the sixth Holocaust Memorial Day Service on Sunday 28 January 2007 at 1pm in the Ricketts Quadrangle, Middlesex University, The Burroughs, Hendon, NW4 4BT. The service is open to anyone who would like to attend, with this year's theme 'The Dignity of Difference', we are being encouraged to think about the lives of people marginalized and excluded in the Holocaust and in subsequent genocides.

For more information about this year's service, please contact Jane Bamber on 020 8359 2493, or http://www.barnet.gov.uk/index/community-living/community-events/holocaust.htm

Jane Bamber
Events Officer

For Information

Further summaries have been placed on the BGfL website:-

• Academies Evaluation - 3rd Annual Report
  Summary of the evaluation for the DfES - Ref 00250-2006DOC-EN, July2006
• The Annual Report of Her Majesty's Chief Inspector of Schools 2005/06
  Summary of the Report, November 2006
• Improving Behaviour - Lessons learned from HMI monitoring of secondary schools where behaviour was judged unsatisfactory
  Summary of Ofsted Report HMI 2377, November 2006
• Evaluation of the Impact of Learning Support Units
  Summary of Ofsted Report HMI 2378, November 2006
• Safeguarding Children and Safer Recruitment in Education
  Summary of DfES Guidance - Ref. DfES-04217-2006, November 2006

Pete Comley
Assistant Information & Communications Officer

Standards for 11 Year Olds
Figures published for primary school performance in 2006 show higher than ever levels of attainment at Key stage 2. Further details can be found at:
http://www.dfes.gov.uk/pns/DisplayPN.cgi?pn_id=2006_0184

Standards in London Schools
Ofsted has published a report which praises the improvement in standards of London schools. Further details can be found at:
http://www.dfes.gov.uk/pns/DisplayPN.cgi?pn_id=2006_0181

Nurturing Creativity
The Government has published its response to the report by Paul Roberts, Nurturing Creativity in Young People
http://www.culture.gov.uk/Reference_library/Publications/archive_2006/
govtresponse_nurturingcreativity.htm

• Letter re: An Afternoon of Mathematical Fun at Christ's College
• Consent Form to Parents
• Application Form for Mathematical Fun at Christs College
  All Primary Schools (On BGFL and hard copy in School Bag)
  Response required by: 19 January 2007

  A letter and application pack regarding 'An Afternoon of Mathematical Fun' at Christ's College, Finchley on Friday 31 January. Barnet primary schools are invited to nominate a team of four Year 5 pupils to take part. Please click on the above links for further details.

• Letter re: Key Stage 1 Moderation of Teacher Assessment
  All Primary Schools
  

  A letter and regarding the moderation of schools undertaking the end of Key Stage 1 statutory assessment. There will be training days on 12, 15 or 16 January 2007. A list of schools for moderation in 2007 is included. Please click on the above link for further details.

• Supporting CLEAPSS School Science Service CD-ROM
  All Secondary Schools (Not on BGFL: Hard copy in School Bag) 

This is the annual CLEAPSS CD-ROM with all the Science Publications for 2007 the school Science Department need. Heads of Science need to be aware that they are in every Science Department. Please see enclosure in the school bag for further details.

• Letter re: SEN Contingency Panel Applications
  All Schools
  Response required by: 9 January 2007

  A letter and pro-forma regarding the distribution of the remaining SEN contingency funding. Schools wishing to apply should use the attached pro-forma which needs to be returned by 9 January 2007. Please click on the above link for further details.

• Letter re: Increased Standards Fund Allocations and December Autopayment
  All Schools (Not on BGFL: Hard copy in School Bag) 

  The December Standards Funds Autopayment remittance advice. Schools should amend their school budget to reflect increased income and expenditure. Please see enclosure in the school bag for further details.

• Health & Safety Bulletin 191 - Ladders in Education
  All Schools 
  

  Guidance regarding regulations on working at heights. Please click on the above link for further details.

• Letter re: Introduction to Islam and the Muslim Culture Course
  All Schools 
  

  Information and application form for a one day introductory course taking place at the Hendon Mosque and Islamic Centre on Monday 22 January 2007. Please click on the above link for further details.

• Letter re: Invitation for Holocaust Memorial Day Service
• Flyer re: Holocaust Memorial Day Service 28 January 2007
  All Schools
  

  A letter and flyer regarding the Holocaust Memorial Day Service on the 28 January 2008 at Middlesex University, Hendon. Please click on the above link for further details.

• Booklet re: Supporting People in Barnet
  All Schools (Not on BGFL: Hard copy in School Bag) 

  A new booklet which explains what Supporting People is and advises people who feel they need support on how to contact one of our access points. Please see enclosure in the school bag 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

Primary CPD Flyers organised by Issue Date

Secondary CPD Flyers organised by Issue Date