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HfL launch new Parent2Parent® programme

Herts for Learning - Parent2Parent pilotHerts for Learning launches Parent2Parent® pilot

Parent2Parent® (P2P) is a new and exciting programme that has been developed and is being piloted by Herts for Learning (HfL), to support parents in understanding how to make a real difference to the learning of their children.

As educators, they know that parental involvement in children’s education from an early age has significant effect on educational achievement, and continues to do so into adolescence and adulthood. This programme has been developed in response to feedback from schools that have highlighted the challenges parents face in supporting their child’s learning at home.

What makes Parent2Parent® different?

The Parent2Parent® programme lifts the lid on some useful teaching techniques and explores what teachers know about education and how we learn best. The key to its success is that the programme is being delivered by parents for parents. Trained by Herts for Learning’s expert advisers, parents will lead Parent2Parent® sessions and reveal the simple ways in which parents can support their children’s education and aid their learning – both in school and at home. Training will be delivered in a series of eight modules, each focused on a different learning technique.

Three pilot programmes are being run across Hertfordshire during 2014.  The first pilot, involving 15 link schools in Hemel Hempstead and the Link Family Services Centre launched in May and two parents are currently being trained to deliver the first P2P modules.  Two further pilot programmes will run during the autumn term across London Colney and Radlett, with Parent2Parent® launching to all Hertfordshire schools during the spring term 2015.

For further information on the programme, please contact Hannah East at Herts for Learning (hannah.east@nullhertsforlearning.co.uk).

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Governor elected to HfL Board

Herts for Learning - SponsorsHerts for Learning Board announces election of new primary phase non-executive director

HfL have released the following announcement:

We are pleased to announce that Graham Lane, governor at Redbourn Infant and Nursery school, has been elected as the new primary phase non-executive director (NED) to the HfL Board as from 11th June 2014.

Graham is passionate about education and brings with him a wealth of experience from the education and commercial sectors.  He is vice chair of the Corporation (Board of Governors) at Oaklands College, vice chair of the business group comprising Hertfordshire National Apprenticeship Service Ambassadors Network and a governor of Redbourn Infant and Nursery School.  In addition, Graham is managing director of a Hertfordshire IT business and sits on several business boards including Hertfordshire Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP).

The vacancy for primary non-executive director arose as John Grubb, governor at Wheatcroft Primary School and chair of the HfL Board, announced he would be standing down from the HfL Board as from 31st March 2014 due to work commitments.

The HfL Board includes six school elected non-executive directors, two council appointed non-executive directors and two Board appointed independent non-executive directors with commercial experience alongside one executive director, HfL’s Managing Director.  Graham will join Kim Frazer and Amanda Godfrey as the three primary phase NEDs

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Outstanding Governors Award 2014

In association with Herts for LearningNew Annual Outstanding Governors Awards

At the annual conference in November HASG announced the Outstanding School Governor Awards 2014, sponsored by the Hertfordshire Association of School Governors, and organised in association with Herts for Learning.

We aim to celebrate outstanding and distinguished service by school governors in Hertfordshire. The winners of the first awards will be announced at the Hertfordshire Governors’ Annual Conference in November 2014.

Nominations Closing date: Friday 23rd May 2014

NOMINATIONS NOW CLOSED..

Awards & Prizes

  • Each winning governor (total of three) to be awarded a £50 cash prize
  • Prizes of £500 – to be awarded to the schools of the three winning governors, as given on the nomination form. The £500 is to be spent so it directly benefits the students; it is not to be spent on teaching or teachers and we would like the money to be spent on something the school hasn’t already budgeted for.
  • All nominators will be put into a prize drawn and three will be drawn at random and be awarded a £25 cash prize.

STOP PRESS

The half-day conference previously announced for May 10th 2014 is no longer taking place, our regular Forums, though, will still provide you with lots of networking and idea sharing opportunities.

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Closing Gaps Conference

Exchanging Excellence

Exchanging Excellence® Closing Gaps Conference 2014:

A synthesis of best practice!

Taking place Monday 7th July 2014, 9.30am to 4.00pm at the Hertfordshire Development Centre, Robertson House, Stevenage, SG1 2FQ.

This evidence-based cross phase conference is a must for ALL Hertfordshire schools as we bring together and celebrate best practice that is having the most impact in Closing Gaps and improving outcomes for pupils both nationally and across the county.

John Dunford keynote speaker Closing GapsNational Pupil Premium Champion, John Dunford (pictured), will be our keynote speaker and delegates will be able to choose from a range of practical and inspirational workshops which will draw upon best practice uncovered through the research phase of the Closing Gaps project, led by David Birch and Marc Rowland.

A detailed programme for the day will follow shortly.

This conference will:

  • Provide you with effective, tried and tested strategies on how to close gaps for pupils eligible for pupil premium and improve outcomes for all pupils, both in Hertfordshire and nationally
  • Demonstrate the impact of projects that are already underway in Hertfordshire including the primary phase RANGe project (Raising Achievement Narrowing Gaps effectively)
  • Give you opportunities to engage with other Hertfordshire schools to hear what they are doing, exchange best practice and develop collaborations
  • Offer workshops from a range of schools in different circumstances and contexts that have discovered  approaches that have really made a difference
  • Share our ideas and invite you to help shape Hertfordshire’s plans to take this learning to the next level

The subsidised cost of attending this conference for Hertfordshire schools is £50.00 per person (including all day catering).  To book your place at this event please visit www.thegrid.org/schoolworkforce/training using course code: 14CON/001A

Herts for Learning - Sponsors

Herts for Learning

Exchanging Excellence® is our umbrella programme for all of the work we are doing and plan to do in the future, to find and share best practice and professional learning with our customers on a range of current and relevant topics.  For further information:

Email: exchanging.excellence@nullhertsforlearning.co.uk

Visit the HfL web site: www.hertsforlearning.co.uk

Follow us on Twitter: @HertsLearning #HfLExchEx

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School improvement strategy launch – rearranged date

calendarGovernors may be aware that it had been planned to launch the above strategy at a meeting this Thursday (3rd April).  If you had planned attending this meeting can you please note that the date has changed so please remove 3rd April 2pm from your diary

In order to enable as many schools as possible to take part in the discussions about implementing Hertfordshire’s new school improvement strategy, the date of the launch will be rearranged for early in the Summer Term.

Governors will have the opportunity to learn about the strategy at the Hertfordshire Governors’ Forum meeting on Thursday 15th May at 7pm, details of which are now online.  The Forum will take place in the Hertfordshire Development Centre, Stevenage and will be relayed interactively to other locations.

In the meantime, two hard copies of the strategy will be sent to all schools early next term will be available on line at the end of this term. Hard copies will also be sent to schools next term.

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Kate Beaumont appointed to HfL Board

Herts for Learning - SponsorsHerts for Learning (HfL) appoint new primary phase non-executive director

 

HfL have issued the following announcement:

We are pleased to announce that Kate Beaumont, Headteacher at Manor Fields Primary School, has been elected as the new primary phase non-executive director (NED) on the HfL Board as from 1st April 2014.

Kate brings a wealth of educational experience including overseas teaching, leading on curriculum innovation projects and working closely with the Department for Education on a range of consultations.

The vacancy for primary non-executive director arose as John Grubb, Governor at Wheatcroft Primary School and current Chair of the HfL Board, announced that he would be standing down from the HfL Board as from 31st March 2014 due to other work commitments.

The HfL Board includes six elected non-executive directors; Kate will join Kim Frazer and Amanda Godfrey as the three primary phase NEDs.

Meanwhile, HfL have also had a very strong field of candidates interested in the two co-opted NED positions which have been advertised to bring new skills and expertise to the HfL Board.  With nearly 40 applicants who had a strong track record of commercial and board experience, we have been very pleased with the level of interest in these voluntary positions.

The two successful candidates for the additional NEDs will be ratified by the HfL Board at their next meeting on 26th March 2014, at which the Board will also elect a new Chair to replace John Grubb.

17th March 2014

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School governing – 2014 Research Questionnaire

Prof. Chris James' Research Questionnaire
Professor Chris James

Research Questionnaire

Professor Chris James, University of Bath, is undertaking research into the state of school governing.

Six years ago, he surveyed school governors in England to find out about the state of school governing but now there have been a number of changes to the education landscape many of which have affected the important work school governors undertake.  The survey is being undertaken in partnership  with the National Governors Association.  Of course other organisations with an interest in school governing are supporting the survey — ASCL, the Education and Employers Taskforce, the CBI, National Co-ordinators of Governor Services, and Governors for Schools (SGOSS), and HASG will be looking closely at the results.

All governors are invited to complete the research questionnaire.  It is available here until 14th April: https://www.survey.bath.ac.uk/schoolgovs.    All your responses to the research questionnaire will be completely confidential.

A  report of the survey findings will be available on the National Governors Association website –http://www.nga.org.uk/ – in mid-May 2014.

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Universal Infant Free School Meals

Department for EducationNeed to Know – Free School Meals

The Department for Education has issued an advice document on this subject.  In summary:

What legislation does this advice relate to?

The Children and Families Bill places a legal duty on state-funded schools in England, including academies and free schools, to offer a free school lunch to all pupils in reception, year 1 and year 2. Subject to Royal Assent, which is expected in March 2014, the duty will come into force from September 2014.

Who is this advice for?

This advice is for:

  • School leaders and governing bodies in all maintained schools, academies, free schools, pupil referral units and alternative provision with children in reception, year 1 and year 2
  • Local authorities

Key points

  • In the 2014 to 2015 academic year schools will be paid funding at a flat rate of £2.30 for each meal taken by newly eligible pupils. Initial provisional allocations will be based on an estimate of national take-up and then adjusted once the department has details of the actual number of meals taken in individual schools
  • Additional one-off funding will be provided in the 2014 to 2015 financial year to small schools (those with up to 150 pupils in total) to help with transitional costs
  • The government is providing £150 million of capital funding in the 2014 to 2015 financial year to support the rollout of UIFSM
  • Targeted advice and support will be provided to schools and local authorities through the UIFSM implementation support service.

Download

To download the full document please click the link – DfE Advice on Universal infant free school meals

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Herts for Learning contract services 2014/15

Herts for Learning - Contract ServicesSummaries of Herts for Learning’s 2014/15 contract services (previously known as traded contract summaries), will be issued to schools this week.  HfL confirm they are holding prices at their current level for the 2014/15 financial year.

Two copies of the contracts will be sent to each school/academy, one marked for the attention of the headteacher and one for the chair of governors. Each will contain a copy of the schools’ 2014/15 contract for all services currently provided by HfL along with a more detailed breakdown of the schools’ 2014/15 contract for School IT Systems Support (SITSS).

To support the contracts, a copy of Herts for Learning’s new contract services brochure will be included. The brochure contains details of all contract services available to schools through Herts for Learning and includes a number of new services for 2014/15.

Specific contact details for all services are detailed on your contract or within the brochure, however if you have any queries regarding your school’s contract or wish to make any changes to it, please contact HfL.Finance@nullhertsforlearning.co.uk.

HfL have said:

Schools will be sent two copies of the contracts and brochure, one for the attention of the CoG and one for the head.

 

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Herts Coach Education Week 2014

Herts Coach Education Week 2014
Herts Coach Education 2014Herts Coach Education Week 2014 sees the launch of the Herts Sports Science Programme.  Rob Hardwick, Coaching Development Manager with Herts Sports Partnership, commented:

Increasingly, sports science is used by top level coaches to achieve the best results possible.

We’re delighted to be launching our sports science programme during Coach Education Week. These short workshops will help coaches to understand how they can get the best out of their athletes and teams.

There’ll be more workshops running through the year, offering coaches a real opportunity to raise their awareness of sports science.

Running 15th to 22nd February this event offers 70 courses in 20 sports for up to 1,500 coaches, teachers & students looking to develop their coaching qualifications & leadership skills.

To find out more please click this link.