Primary Standards Inspector - One Term Secondment

For Action - Response required by 4 June 2007

Alison Storey is leaving Barnet at the end of this term to join the ranks of HMI.

In order to cover her work load until we can appoint a replacement we are offering a one term secondment opportunity to one of our Headteachers from the Primary phase. Headteachers who are interested must obviously have discussed the matter with the chair of their governing body and be confident that their deputy can act up for the term.

The main areas of work which we need to cover are the ongoing responsibilities for the following as they relate to the primary phase:

Assessment
Transition
Leadership and management development
Curriculum development
Learning and teaching development

In addition we will be looking to the person appointed to provide support for the Early Education Standards Team, in delivering the huge development agenda which there is in this area of our work at present.

If you are interested please send your application letter to Stuart Gray to arrive at Building 5, North London Business Park, Oakleigh Road South, N11 1NP no later than 5.00 PM on 4 June 2007. Please limit the length of the letter to two sides of A4 and include your reasons for applying for the secondment and the skills and experience you would bring to the position. There will be informal interview process once applications are received. For more information contact Stuart on 0208 359 6332.

Martin Baker
Deputy Director
Schools and Learning

2007/08 Standards Fund Autopayments

For Information

The first Standards Fund auto payments of financial year 2007/08 will be made into schools' bank accounts by 31 May. The Autopayment Remittance sheets and updated Specific Grant Allocations sheets are now available for schools to view on BGfL Schools Funding and Finance website www.funding.barnet.lgfl.net

If you have any queries please do not hesitate to contact the Schools Funding Team.

Carol Beckman
School Funding Manager

Determined Admission Arrangements for Barnet Maintained Schools for 2008/09

For Information - All Barnet Schools and London Academy

Please find in the enclosures section of this week's School Circular, the Determined Admission Arrangements for Barnet Maintained Schools and Supplementary Information Forms for 2008/09.

David Clark
School Organisation & Admissions Manager

All Minority Ethnic Group Launch

For Information

Come and join the launch of the new Barnet All Minority Ethnic Group (AMEG) on Thursday 31 May 2007.

The event, at the Emerald Suite NLBP, will start from 11am to 2pm, with a buffet lunch from 1pm. The group is open to all minority ethnic council staff, including staff who are not members of the union. The Council's Executive Director of Resources, Nick Walkley, will be at the launch, lending his support to the group.

An information pack regarding the launch is enclosed in this week's school bag and extra copies can be printed from the links in the enclosures section. For more information please contact Mike Omezi on 020 8359 2199 or email: mike.omezi@barnetunison.org.uk

Mike Omezi
AMEG - in partnership with Barnet Unison

Graffiti Education Pack

For Information

The graffiti education pack, contained in this week's School Bag, has been developed by the council's graffiti officer and Barnet Healthy Schools scheme to raise awareness of the dangers, consequences and environmental cost of graffiti. The pack is aimed at years five and six as part of a Citizenship unit of work with three short lessons based on the graffiti subject.

To support the pack there is a CD which has everything in hard copy on it. Also, there is a six and a half minute anti-graffiti DVD called 'The Writings on the Wall'. The film was made in the borough and is part of lesson two. As part of the activities the children can design a poster which can be entered into a borough competition. The winning entry will be displayed on bus stops during an anti-graffiti campaign later in the year and it will earn your school a prize of book tokens to the value of �100. For further information the borough's graffiti officer, Rob Russell can be contacted on 020 8359 7499.

Rob Russell
Corporate Governance

Recycling in Barnet Poster Competition

For Action - Response required by 29 June

The beginning of next half term sees the return of the annual Recycling in Barnet poster competition. The competition is a regular in many teachers' year offering a great opportunity for pupils to get creative whilst learning about the environment. Pupils from primary schools and years 7 and 8 across Barnet are invited to design a poster which promotes one of the materials that Barnet residents can recycle from home.

The competition runs from Monday 4 June to Friday 29 June 2007 and has three age categories:
Nursery, reception, Year 1 and 2;
Years 3, 4, 5 and 6;
Years 7 and 8.

The winning artists from each category will win a trip to the i-recycle centre in Islington for their class. At the Centre, which offers curriculum-linked workshops to schools, pupils will have an opportunity to see recycling in action. In addition the overall winning design will be professionally printed and displayed on large poster sites throughout Barnet for everyone to see.

All entries should be sent to: Beth Stewart, Schools Recycling Poster Competition, London Borough of Barnet, Floor 2 Building 4, North London Business Park, Oakleigh Road South, London, N11 1NP.

For more information please see the enclosures section of this week's School Circular. If you have any queries about the competition please call Beth Stewart on 020 8359 7441 or Nicola Charalambous on 020 8974 7230.

Roger Jones
Chief Environmental Services Manager

University of Bristol: Document Summary Service

For Information

Further summaries have been placed on the BGfL website:-

Raising Expectations - staying in education and training post-16
Summary of Government Green Paper, March 2007
Full-Time Education from day 6 of a Fixed Period Exclusion
Summary of DfES guidance, April 2007
Points of Information No.112
- Legislation on Equality and Diversity - DfES
- Report on Capital Investment in Education - DfES
- Leading Teachers for Gifted and Talented education
- Foundation Stage Profile: Additional Guidance - NAA
- Fitness to Teach - DfES

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
Assistant Information & Communications Officer

Useful Web Links

For Information

School Building
The DfES has published information about the scale of school building in the last ten years:
http://www.dfes.gov.uk/pns/DisplayPN.cgi?pn_id=2007_0075

Education and Training Leaving Age
Education Secretary Alan Johnson has launched a young people's consultation on whether the education and training leaving age should be increased to 18:
http://www.dfes.gov.uk/pns/DisplayPN.cgi?pn_id=2007_0078

Dyslexia
Schools Minister Lord Andrew Adonis has announced a new project, No to Failure, which aims to ensure children with dyslexia get the support they need at school:
http://www.dfes.gov.uk/pns/DisplayPN.cgi?pn_id=2007_0079

Boys into Books
Schools Minister Jim Knight has launched the School Library Association's new booklist featuring 170 in-print books with strong appeal to teenage boys:
http://www.teachernet.gov.uk/teachingandlearning/subjects/english/boysintobooks/

Specialist Schools
New guidance published which will be of particular interest to all specialist schools due to re-designate in 2007:
http://www.teachernet.gov.uk/news/?id=1320

Weak and Failing Schools
Schools Minister Lord Andrew Adonis has launched new guidelines to ensure early and effective action is taken to improve weak and failing schools:
http://www.dfes.gov.uk/pns/DisplayPN.cgi?pn_id=2007_0081

Education and Social Mobility
Education Secretary Alan Johnson has announced plans to ensure every child, whatever their background, has the opportunity to fulfil their potential:
http://www.dfes.gov.uk/pns/DisplayPN.cgi?pn_id=2007_0084

Pete Comley
Assistant Information & Communications Officer


		For Information The first Standards Fund auto payments of financial year 2007/08 will be made into schools' bank accounts by 31 May. The Autopayment Remittance sheets and updated Specific Grant Allocations sheets are now available for schools to view on BGfL Schools Funding and Finance website www.funding.barnet.lgfl.net If you have any queries please do not hesitate to contact the Schools Funding Team. Carol Beckman School Funding Manager


		For Information Come and join the launch of the new Barnet All Minority Ethnic Group (AMEG) on Thursday 31 May 2007. The event, at the Emerald Suite NLBP, will start from 11am to 2pm, with a buffet lunch from 1pm. The group is open to all minority ethnic council staff, including staff who are not members of the union. The Council's Executive Director of Resources, Nick Walkley, will be at the launch, lending his support to the group. An information pack regarding the launch is enclosed in this week's school bag and extra copies can be printed from the links in the enclosures section. For more information please contact Mike Omezi on 020 8359 2199 or email: mike.omezi@barnetunison.org.uk Mike Omezi AMEG - in partnership with Barnet Unison


		For Information The graffiti education pack, contained in this week's School Bag, has been developed by the council's graffiti officer and Barnet Healthy Schools scheme to raise awareness of the dangers, consequences and environmental cost of graffiti. The pack is aimed at years five and six as part of a Citizenship unit of work with three short lessons based on the graffiti subject. To support the pack there is a CD which has everything in hard copy on it. Also, there is a six and a half minute anti-graffiti DVD called 'The Writings on the Wall'. The film was made in the borough and is part of lesson two. As part of the activities the children can design a poster which can be entered into a borough competition. The winning entry will be displayed on bus stops during an anti-graffiti campaign later in the year and it will earn your school a prize of book tokens to the value of �100. For further information the borough's graffiti officer, Rob Russell can be contacted on 020 8359 7499. Rob Russell Corporate Governance


		For Information Further summaries have been placed on the BGfL website:- Raising Expectations - staying in education and training post-16 Summary of Government Green Paper, March 2007 Full-Time Education from day 6 of a Fixed Period Exclusion Summary of DfES guidance, April 2007 Points of Information No.112 Legislation on Equality and Diversity - DfES Report on Capital Investment in Education - DfES Leading Teachers for Gifted and Talented education Foundation Stage Profile: Additional Guidance - NAA Fitness to Teach - DfES 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 Assistant Information & Communications Officer


		For Information School Building The DfES has published information about the scale of school building in the last ten years: http://www.dfes.gov.uk/pns/DisplayPN.cgi?pn_id=2007_0075 Education and Training Leaving Age Education Secretary Alan Johnson has launched a young people's consultation on whether the education and training leaving age should be increased to 18: http://www.dfes.gov.uk/pns/DisplayPN.cgi?pn_id=2007_0078 Dyslexia Schools Minister Lord Andrew Adonis has announced a new project, No to Failure, which aims to ensure children with dyslexia get the support they need at school: http://www.dfes.gov.uk/pns/DisplayPN.cgi?pn_id=2007_0079 Boys into Books Schools Minister Jim Knight has launched the School Library Association's new booklist featuring 170 in-print books with strong appeal to teenage boys: http://www.teachernet.gov.uk/teachingandlearning/subjects/english/boysintobooks/ Specialist Schools New guidance published which will be of particular interest to all specialist schools due to re-designate in 2007: http://www.teachernet.gov.uk/news/?id=1320 Weak and Failing Schools Schools Minister Lord Andrew Adonis has launched new guidelines to ensure early and effective action is taken to improve weak and failing schools: http://www.dfes.gov.uk/pns/DisplayPN.cgi?pn_id=2007_0081 Education and Social Mobility Education Secretary Alan Johnson has announced plans to ensure every child, whatever their background, has the opportunity to fulfil their potential: http://www.dfes.gov.uk/pns/DisplayPN.cgi?pn_id=2007_0084 Pete Comley Assistant Information & Communications Officer