This week I highlight the Government’s announcement of £17 million funding to build on mental health support in education settings, publication of an education staff wellbeing charter, the end of the requirement for students to wear face coverings and a new webinar on reducing avoidable school exclusions.

Schools to benefit from boost in expert mental health support and publication of an education staff wellbeing charter
As part of Mental Health Awareness week, the Government has announced more than £17 million to build on mental health support already available in education settings, as it continues to prioritise wellbeing alongside academic recovery. The funding will cover:

• A Wellbeing for Education Recovery program providing free training and resources for staff to support pupils experiencing additional pressures from the last year.
• Funding to the ‘Link’ programme run by the Anna Freud Centre which promotes joint working between schools and mental health services.
• Grants for training of senior mental health leads in up to 7,800 schools and colleges from September. Information on applying for funding and a list of approved training providers is expected to be announced before September.

In addition the DfE has published an education staff wellbeing charter which schools can sign up to when it is available in the autumn, as a shared commitment to protect, promote and enhance the wellbeing of their staff. Schools can use the charter to:

• show staff that their wellbeing is taken seriously
• open a conversation with staff about their wellbeing and mental health
• create a staff wellbeing strategy
• create a wellbeing-focused culture

Mandatory use of face coverings to be removed
On Monday the Prime Minister confirmed that pupils would no longer be required to wear face coverings in schools from 17 May. This would improve interaction between teachers and students, ensuring the clearest possible communication to support learning. Staff have been advised to continue to wear face coverings in communal areas where social distancing is not possible.

Governors for School webinar on reducing avoidable school exclusions
The webinar will take place on Tuesday 25 May from 12.30-1.30 pm and will explore the role of governors in a fair and robust exclusions process. To register please use this link to the Governors for School’s website.

This week I encourage you all to complete the NGA’s annual governance survey and note the DfE has updated its guidance on improving school attendance.

NGA Governance Survey
Add your views and experiences to the biggest annual survey of school governors and trustees. The NGA wants to understand your experience of volunteering, your views on topical education policy and your insight into your governing body’s practice.

Depending on the answers you give, the survey will take around 20 minutes to complete. Once you have started the survey, you can save and return to your answers whenever you like before submitting them. If you govern on more than one governing body, choose your answers based on the governing body you have been a part of the longest. Please use this link to complete the survey and note it is open until Thursday 10 June at 9am.

Updated guidance to help schools improve attendance
The DfE has updated its guidance for schools and local authorities on improving school attendance.

The guidance sets out the principles underpinning an effective whole school strategy for attendance, with targeted actions for all pupils, pupils at risk of poor attendance and pupils who are persistently absent. It also outlines what commitment to improving attendance looks like across the school community, beginning with leadership and management and requires governing bodies to have an accurate view of school attendance and engaging in escalation procedures where appropriate.

This week I highlight free governor training webinars taking place on safeguarding and why physical activity in schools is so important, the Education Secretary’s vision for all schools to be part of strong multi-academy trusts and a new law to make school uniform costs affordable for all families.

Free governor training webinars in May 2021
Governors for Schools is offering two webinars for governors next month as follows:

• Thursday 6 May 2021 from 8 to 9am – Safeguarding: what governors need to know in 2021. This webinar in conjunction with Better Governor will explore the latest evidence on the safeguarding risks presenting in 2021 and how, through providing strategic oversight, governors can ensure that adults in schools, pupils and parents are aware of them. Spaces are limited so if you register but are unable to join at the time because they reach capacity, they will forward a recording to you.  Sign up via the website here.
• Thursday 20 May from 12-1pm – Why physical activity in schools is so important and first steps to improving provision.  This webinar will explore why physical activity is a crucial component of mental health and wellbeing, especially for young people. It will also consider how governors and their schools can begin to improve their provision and culture.  You can sign up via the website here.

Education Secretary speech on the drive for a stronger school system to benefit all pupils
Earlier this week the Education Secretary gave a speech at the Confederation of Schools Trusts annual conference, renewing his vision for the school system to continue to move decisively towards a single model built on strong multi-academy trusts as its foundation, bringing the current pick-and-mix system of local authority maintained and standalone academy schools to an end. He also stated his ambition was to bring schools with a history of long-term underperformance (three consecutive Requires Improvement or worse judgements by Ofsted) into strong multi-academy trusts and committed to consult fully with the sector on any potential changes.

All maintained schools would now have the option to ‘try the academy experience before they buy’ – associating with multi-academy trusts for a defined period to experience the benefits for themselves and their students, with no commitment.

Updated guidance for trusts and prospective academy converters was published setting out how strong trusts improve educational outcomes; how local authority schools can convert and the support they can expect to receive.

New law to make school uniform costs affordable for all
School uniforms will be made more affordable for families under a new law passed by Parliament yesterday.  The Act, which received Royal Assent today, will require schools to follow new statutory guidance on uniform costs, instructing them to keep prices down.

The cross-party support for the Bill recognised the costs parents face for school uniform, particularly for branded items, and the statutory guidance (due to be published in the Autumn term) will tell schools to consider high street alternatives.  It will also include measures on encouraging second-hand uniform, schools’ arrangements with suppliers, and ensuring parents have access to clear information about uniform policies.

This week I highlight the DfE’s latest governance update and Ofsted’s approach as inspections resume.

Latest DfE Governance update
The April governance update provides information on:

• Governing and trust boards meetings and visits into schools – boards should continue with their alternative meeting arrangements where possible but could consider whether a blended approach of face-to-face and virtual meetings would be appropriate if needed.
• National Tutoring Programme – maintained schools can still access tutoring subsidised by 75% through the NTP to support pupils who need extra help.
• Early Career Framework Statutory Induction Guidance change – from September 2021 statutory induction for teachers will change as part of the ECF reforms. Early career teachers in England undergoing statutory induction will be entitled to 2 years of high-quality professional development and training. Schools offering statutory induction need to replace their current induction process in line with this.
• Honours nominations for those who work or volunteer in school or trust governance – anyone can nominate someone worthy for an honour if they consistently go above and beyond in their role; make an exceptional contribution; have contributed to notable achievements in public life.
• Governor and trustee recruitment – Inspiring Governance and Academy Ambassadors are dedicated, free services which continue to assist schools and trusts with finding people with the right skills and experience for their boards.
• Completing or updating Academy trusts governance contacts on Get Information about Schools – a short video to demonstrate what information is required and how to record governance contacts on the GIAS service is now available.

Inspection during the COVID-19 (coronavirus) pandemic
Earlier this week Ofsted set out its approach as inspections resume. It covers how inspectors will reflect the COVID-19 context and the disruption it has caused to all education providers when making judgements. To minimise burdens on the sector, it has also made a few changes to the inspection handbook as follows:

• Ofsted will check how the curriculum was ‘adapted and prioritised’ – as schools weren’t required to provide education to all pupils between March and July last year, inspectors will seek to understand how the school has adapted and prioritised the curriculum from September 2020. This will include how the curriculum was implemented remotely and how curriculum planning has responded to learning gaps.
• Inspectors will be ‘mindful’ about old data – Ofsted will not be using teacher assessed grades from 2020 or 2021 but will still consider externally published data throughout the inspection. Inspectors will be “mindful of the age of this data, especially around statutory assessment and qualifications, when making judgments” and “will not expect or accept internal data” instead of or in addition to published data.
• Leaders to explain how they supported the school community – inspectors will seek to understand how leaders supported the school community and areas of interest will include how remote education was put in place, how vulnerable pupils were kept safe and prioritised for face-to-face education and how staff and pupils’ well-being have been promoted.
• How schools ensured ‘best possible attendance’ – attendance patterns will be discussed to understand how “the school ensured the best possible attendance for those pupils eligible to attend in person”. However, attendance recorded between March 2020 and March this year will not impact Ofsted’s judgement of a school. Inspectors will “consider the specific context and the steps school leaders have taken to ensure the best possible rates of attendance since the school opened to all pupils in March 2021”.
• Covid cannot be the ‘sole factor’ behind an inadequate judgement – when considering a judgement between good or requires improvement, inspectors will look at whether the overall quality of the school is most closely aligned to the descriptors set out.
• Ofsted will be ‘sympathetic’ on relationships education progress – teaching of relationships and health education in all schools, and sex education in secondary schools, became mandatory this academic year. However schools have been given flexibility on when during the year to begin teaching the curriculum because of Covid and all schools will still be required to have taught some of the new curriculum, and to have consulted on and published a policy during this academic year.
• Warning over blocking inspectors speaking to pupils – if inspectors cannot corroborate safeguarding evidence by talking to pupils during the inspection, safeguarding will be judged as “ineffective” and the relevant independent school standards judged as not met. But inspectors will respect COVID-19 “safety measures agreed with the school leadership when engaging with pupils, formally and informally”.

This week I highlight the government’s review into sexual abuse in schools and updates from the DfE in relation to face coverings in secondary schools, changes to asymptomatic testing requirements and the resumption of educational visits.

Government review into sexual abuse in schools
Following numerous anonymous testimonials of sexual harassment and abuse submitted to the website Everyone’s Invited the DfE has set up a new helpline to support potential victims of sexual harassment and abuse in education settings. Run by the NSPCC, the dedicated number (0800 136 663), provides both children and adults who are victims of sexual abuse in schools with the appropriate support and advice.

The government has also asked Ofsted to undertake an immediate review of safeguarding policies in state and independent schools. The review will look at the extent and the severity of the issue and ensure schools have appropriate processes in place to allow pupils to report concerns freely, knowing these will be taken seriously and dealt with swiftly and appropriately.

Ofsted will work with representatives from social care, police, victim support groups, school and college leaders and the Independent Schools Council. The review will conclude by the end of May 2021 and will seek to establish where safeguarding arrangements and processes are good and have worked well and where improvements are needed.

DfE Covid-19 update
Face coverings – during the Easter break the government confirmed that face coverings should continue to be worn in secondary school classrooms as a precautionary measure when students returned after the Easter break. It is expected that face coverings will no longer be required to be worn in classrooms, or by students in other communal areas, at step 3 of the government’s roadmap, which will be no earlier than 17 May.

Changes to Asymptomatic testing requirements – the DfE has updated its guidance in line with the Department for Health and Social Care’s announcement that a confirmatory PCR test is required within two days of a positive lateral flow test result in England. This means that negative PCR tests will now overrule a positive lateral flow test, so self-isolating pupils and staff can return to their schools and their contacts may also stop self-isolating.

Educational visits – educational day visits were permitted to take place from 12 April and from 17 May, residential trips will return. Full details of the government’s reintroduction of school trips is available on the DfE’s website.

This week I highlight a free governors webinar on developing and monitoring the school’s vision, publication of guidance from the DfE’s schools benchmarking service which will be of particular interest to members of Finance and Staffing or Resources Committees and statutory guidance on induction for early careers teachers (formerly known as NQTs) which comes into force on 1 September this year.

Webinar on developing and monitoring the school’s vision
On Thursday 1 April 2021 from 8:00 to 9:00 am Governors for Schools are holding a webinar on developing and monitoring the school’s vision.   The session will explore good practice in:

• developing vision statements
• how statements should guide the work of the school’s governance
• monitoring and evaluating success in pursuing the vision

To book a place on the webinar please use this link to access the Governors for Schools website.

Financial Benchmarking
Earlier this week the DfE published guidance for schools on benchmarking their income and expenditure.  Leaders and governors can use this service to:

• compare their income and expenditure to similar schools and academy trusts
• visualise the information using benchmarking charts
• use the data to build relationships with other schools and academy trusts

Induction for early careers teachers
Statutory guidance on induction for early career teachers was published this week which will come into force from 1 September 2021 and updates and replaces the induction for newly qualified teachers (NQTs).

This week I highlight an Ofsted pilot to look at whether the inspection framework requires tweaks ahead of full inspections resuming from September, the impact of changes to pupil premium funding from April and implementation of the new EYFS Framework from September.

Ofsted pilot to look at whether framework tweaks are needed ahead of full inspections
This morning Schools Week is reporting that Ofsted will conduct full on-site inspections at about 25 schools over the next fortnight to assess whether its framework needs to be tweaked ahead of a return to graded inspections in September.

Amanda Spielman, the Chief Inspector, speaking at ASCL’s annual conference this week advised that full inspections would not return until the new academic year, instead plans would be announced shortly for a “sensible and proportionate next step” as part of its phased return during the summer term.

It will use the pilots to examine how it can reintroduce the inspection framework during the pandemic, including how it inspects in line with safety measures.  Ofsted will also use the trial to look at whether it needs to tweak the framework to reflect changes over pupil attendance and the lack of exams data.

The pilots are optional, with some schools being approached and others volunteering to take part. They will not result in a published report or grade for schools. 

Impact of pupil premium loss
On the final day of the autumn term the DfE stated it would be calculating the number of children eligible for pupil premium funding from April 2021 based on the October census, rather than using the January census as usual.  As a result any disadvantaged pupils who became eligible for free school meals between October and January would not be factored into pupil premium funding schools would ordinarily have been entitled to.

Last month the government introduced a new £302 million Covid recovery premium which would be allocated to schools on the same basis as pupil premium. It said the average primary school would receive £6k in funding.  However, a recent NAHT survey of primary school leaders indicated that the majority of primary schools in England would have all of their Covid recovery funding swallowed up by the loss of pupil premium funding.

Changes to the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) Framework
From September 2021 there are changes to the EYFS statutory framework to improve outcomes at age 5, particularly in early language and literacy and to reduce workload such as unnecessary paperwork, so that staff can spend more time with the children in their care.

Some schools, known as early adopter schools, are already using a new early adopter framework as part of the EYFS reforms this academic year.  The new framework will be published for all schools later this academic year and a new version of the ‘development matters’ non-statutory curriculum guidance is already available on the early adopter page of the DfE’s website.

This week I highlight upcoming governor training through Governors for Schools and Schools North East, the first meeting of a new action group to boost mental health education and confirmation schools can now apply for funding through the new Turing scheme which replaces the Erasmus+ scheme in the UK.

Governor webinar and conference

• Thursday 25 March from 12.30-1.30pm – free Governors for Schools webinar on how governors can integrate staff and pupil wellbeing and embed this approach in school culture.  To register please us this link to go to the Governors for Schools website.
• Wednesday 24 and Thursday 25 March Governance conference – Schools North East’s annual conference will feature keynotes from Hannah Stolton, CEO of Governors for Schools looking at how to effectively challenge; Emma Knights, Chief Executive of the National Governance Association looking at a return to strategic working for governing bodies and Belita Scott, Senior HMI for North East, Yorkshire and Humber region, Ofsted.  The cost is £100 for a whole school ticket for a Partner School (£60 single delegate ticket) and £120 for a whole school ticket for a Non-Partner School (£80 single delegate ticket).  To book a place use this link.

New Action Group to boost mental health education
A new coalition of health and education experts met for the first time this week to look at the impact of the pandemic on the mental health and wellbeing of children, young people and education staff across England.  The Education Secretary was joined by ministers from across Government, as well as Youth Mental Health Ambassador Dr Alex George, to discuss how best to respond to the mental health issues of greatest concern including the increase in eating disorders and self-harm among young people, and how to help education staff manage their mental wellbeing.

Turing scheme to open up global study and work opportunities
From today schools, colleges and universities can apply for funding to allow students to study and work across the globe as part of the new Turing Scheme. The programme, backed by £110 million, replaces the Erasmus+ scheme in the UK and will fund 35,000 global exchanges from September 2021, including university study, school exchanges, and industry work placements.

The new scheme aims to improve social mobility, targeting students from disadvantaged backgrounds and areas which did not previously have many students benefiting from Erasmus+, making life-changing opportunities accessible to everyone across the country. The British Council and Ecorys will be targeting disadvantaged parts of the country to promote the scheme to improve take up.  Programme guidance, including information on the application process, has also been published on the Turing Scheme website.

This week I highlight two new free governor webinars on the strategic role of governors in reducing avoidable school exclusions and governance and safeguarding during the pandemic as well as the latest governance update published by the DfE.

Free governor webinars

• Wednesday 17 March from 12.30 to 1.30pm: Exploring the strategic role of governors in reducing avoidable school exclusions – in partnership with Allen & Overy, Governors for Schools are running a series of panel events looking in-depth at the impact of school exclusion.  This first panel will explore the impact of exclusions on the life chances of children and young people, strategies that can help to reduce avoidable exclusions, and the role of governors in creating change. To register for the event please use this link to go to the Governors for Schools website.
• Thursday 18 March from 4.30 to 5.00pm: Governance, safeguarding and the pandemic – a key responsibility for all those governing is to keep pupils safe and well. In this webinar the National Governance Association’s Head of Consultancy will explore some of the new experiences and practical approaches that have emerged while tackling this unexpected governance challenge. To register for the event please use this link.

Latest DfE Governance update
This week the DfE published its latest governance update for anyone involved in school and trust governance.  This edition provides:

• Links to the main Covid-19 guidance pages that cover a range of topics around pupils returning to schools from 8th March.
• The opening of nominations for the National Governance Association’s Outstanding Governance Awards and an invitation for Clerks and other governance professionals serving schools to complete a new national survey to help understand their views and experiences of their career development.
• Updated school land guidance explaining how and when it’s mandatory to involve the Secretary of State in land transactions, including the disposal and acquisition of school land and the change of use of school playing fields.
• The delay of submission of the School Financial Value Standard (SFVS) for maintained schools due to the impact of the pandemic.
• Wellbeing for Education Return – a new webinar and supporting resources for use by education leaders with all staff, INSET sessions, or for education staff to work through individually.

This week I report on the return to school for all pupils from 8 March, confirmation of teacher assessed grades this year, a free webinar on schools financial benchmarking and the role of governance and information on the new education recovery support package for children and young people to catch up on missed learning and development due to the pandemic.

Return to school for all pupils from 8 March 2021
On Monday, the Prime Minister confirmed that all schools in England must begin offering full provision to all pupils from 8 March. Attendance will be mandatory except for those who are clinically extremely vulnerable or need to self-isolate. Schools are required to provide remote education for pupils who are unable to attend school because they are following government guidance.

The DfE has issued new operational guidance for the school return as essential control measures must be in place to minimise COVID-19 transmission. Most of the control measures set out in the updated guidance replicate those implemented in September last year, however I’ve highlighted some new and important elements below:

• Asymptomatic testing for all school staff and for secondary school pupils – returning secondary pupils will be tested three times at school (three to five days apart) and will be provided kits for at-home testing thereafter. There will be no testing of primary pupils. All testing carried out in school will use lateral flow devices (LFD) which provide a result in 30 minutes. Staff and pupils with a positive LFD result will need to follow self-isolation guidance and obtain a PCR test to confirm the result. Close contacts of anyone who tests positive must not attend school for ten days. All testing is voluntary.  Secondary schools have the discretion to stagger their return arrangements to support this but should only permit participating pupils to return to lessons following their first negative result. 

• Extended use of face coverings in secondary schools – previously, the guidance asked secondary pupils and staff to wear face coverings in indoor communal areas. The new guidance extends this recommendation to all indoor environments in secondary schools (including classrooms) when social distancing cannot be maintained. Exemptions (such as pupils who rely on visual signals for communication) apply.

• Wraparound care and extra-curricular activities to resume – from 8 March schools are encouraged to resume before and after school activities that help parents to attend work and support pupils’ wider education.

• Supporting parents, pupils and staff – the DfE has recognised that some families and school staff may be feeling anxious about school resuming and the guidance encourages schools to discuss any concerns and provide reassurance on the measures they are putting in place to reduce any risks, reiterating that pupil attendance is mandatory.

• Adjusting start and finish times – whilst overall teaching time should not be reduced, schools can stagger start and finish times to keeps groups apart as they arrive and leave. Schools should think about how best to communicate changes to parents and remind them not to gather outside the school entrance.

Confirmation of teacher assessed grades for students this year
Yesterday the Education Secretary announced that this year students will receive A level and GCSE grades awarded and determined by teachers, with pupils only assessed on what they have been taught.

Guidance has been published which indicates teachers will be able to draw on a range of evidence when determining grades, including the optional use of questions provided by exam boards, as well as mock exams, coursework, or other work completed as part of a pupil’s course, such as essays or in-class tests. No algorithm will be used.

Teachers will submit grades to exam boards by 18 June, allowing as much teaching time as possible before teachers make their assessments. Results days for GCSE, A level and some vocational qualifications will take place in the week of 9 August – moved forward from the week of the 23 August. These earlier dates provide additional time for appeals to be completed, so students reliant on those outcomes to achieve their university offer have the best chance of accessing a place.

To support teachers in making their judgements, exam boards will provide detailed guidance before the end of this term.

Webinar on schools financial benchmarking and the role of governance
Governors for Schools are offering a webinar, facilitated by Better Governor on Thursday 4 March 2020 from 8.00 to 9:00 am which will focus on the role that financial benchmarking plays in schools.  The session will explore DfE benchmarking data, outline how boards should use it in order to meet expectations and statutory duties for 2021, and point to the questions that governors and trustees should be asking.  To register use this link to access the Governors for Schools website.

New education recovery package for children and young people
On Wednesday, the government announced further elements of the recovery support package so children and young people can catch up on missed learning and development due to the pandemic. The new recovery package for England includes:

• A new one-off £302 million Recovery Premium for state primary and secondary schools, building on the Pupil Premium, to further support pupils who need it most. The average primary school will receive around £6,000 extra, and the average secondary school around £22,000 extra. This will help schools to bolster summer provision for their students or for evidence-based approaches for supporting the most disadvantaged pupils from September.
• £200 million (from the £300 million announced by the Prime Minister in January to expand our successful tutoring programmes). This will fund an £83 million expansion of the National Tutoring Programme for primary and secondary schools; a £102 million extension of the 16-19 Tuition Fund for a further year to support more students in English, maths and other vocational and academic subjects; and £18 million funding to support language development in the early years, supporting a critical stage of child development.
• £200 million (including the final £100 million from the Prime Minister’s announcement) will be available to secondary schools to deliver face-to-face summer schools. Schools will be able to target provision based on pupils’ needs but the government is suggesting they may want to initially target incoming year 7 pupils.
• A range of high-quality online resources will be available for all teachers and pupils, starting from the summer term and throughout summer holidays provided by Oak National Academy, to help give pupils the confidence they are ready for the next academic year.

As part of the government’s commitment to develop a longer-term education recovery plan, Education Recovery Commissioner, Sir Kevan Collins, will lead the way on longer-term engagement work with teachers, school and college leaders, educational charities and families to review how evidence-based interventions can be used to address the impact the pandemic has had on learning.