Useful social media groups
It is essential that leaders have the opportunity to network with other colleagues doing a similar role. This often happens within a MAT, a local authority or specialist hub. Social media groups are also an incredibly useful way to network with colleagues nationally, and in some cases, internationally. OFSTED may ask subject leaders, middle leaders and heads of department how they use networking to support their strategic planning. Social media groups are great forums to find out information, share information, ask questions and discover resources that may be useful. Here are a selection of Facebook groups that you may find useful for yourself or your teams.
JMB education
Head Teachers UK
Primary art subject leaders
UK Primary school teachers
Year 3 &4 teachers UK
Primary literacy/English coordinators
Year 1/2 teachers
Primary computing coordinators UK
Languages in primary schools
Year 5/6 teachers (official, and better)
RE subject leaders (Primary)
Primary PHSE subject leaders
Life after teaching – exit the classroom and thrive
Primary teachers PHSE, SMSC and RSE co-ordinators
Primary languages UK
Mindfulness for children
MFL teachers
Primary history and geography leaders support group
Year 4 teachers
KS1 teachers – specifically Year 2
Primary PE coordinators
Year 5/6 chat for teachers
Twitter is also a great source of information, particularly around inspections and latest developments in education, research and news. Here are some useful starting points:
@Headteacherchat
@bbceducation
@Netmums
@ICT_MrP
@Education_Exprt
@WorldBookDayUK
@LiteracyTowerUK
@TES_Institute
@TeachSecondary
@TeachEarlyYrs
@safeinternetday
@tes
@Ofstednews
@educationgovuk
Update
From November 2020
Maintained schools, Academies and Free Schools
Coronavirus (COVID-19) catch-up premium
If your school gets the coronavirus (COVID-19) catch-up premium grant in academic year 2020 to 2021, you should publish details of:
- how it is intended that the grant will be spent
- how the effect of this expenditure on the educational attainment of those pupils at the school will be assessed
Update
From September 2020
Maintained schools
Financial information
You must publish:
- how many school employees (if any) have a gross annual salary of £100,000 or more in increments of £10,000 – we recommend using a table to display this
- a link to the webpage which is dedicated to your school on the schools financial benchmarking service – follow the prompts to find your school’s specific page
Update
From September 2018
Maintained schools, academies and free schools
Careers programme information
From September 2018, you must publish information about the school’s careers programme. This information must relate to the delivery of careers guidance to year 8 to 13 pupils in accordance with Section 42A of the Education Act 1997. For the current academic year, you must include:
- the name, email address and telephone number of the school’s Careers Leader
- a summary of the careers programme, including details of how pupils, parents, teachers and employers may access information about the careers programme
- how the school measures and assesses the impact of the careers programme on pupils
- the date of the school’s next review of the information published
Key Stage 4
Publishing the % of students staying in education or going into employment (pupil destinations) is now suggested, not statutory.
Key Stage 5
Only now need to publish a link to the school and college performance tables website page.
Curriculum – all schools
The content of the Religious Education curriculum must be published, even if is taught as part of another subject or is called something else.
Update
From April 4th 2018
Maintained schools, academies and free schools
In addition to the current PE and Sport Premium requirements, schools must now publish how many pupils within their year 6 cohort can do each of the following:
- Swim competently, confidently and preficiently over a distance of at least 25 metres
- Use a range of strokes effectively
- Perform safe self-rescue in different water-based situations
Schools may be subject to a sampling review to scrutinise their compliance with PE and Sport Premium regulations.
New Spanish resource
Hola! We’ve just launched a new book, Recetas de Daniela (Daniela’s recipes), with simple recipes that children can follow at home. Read and listen to Spanish and see the English translation. Great for listening to imperative verbs!
Website update and LMS news
You might have noticed that we have tweaked the website a tiny bit over the last few days. This was to refresh the look of the site generally but also to prepare for something that we are quite excited about. We are soon to launch a Learning Management System (LMS) that will provide online CPD training materials for educators. These courses will cover a range of important issues in schools and provide CPD certificates once completed. Further details once courses become available!
Update
From June 2017
Maintained schools
- Name and contact details for the SENco
- How you consider admissions for every age group
- Arrangements for managing complaints from parents of children with SEN
- SEN policy updated annually
- KS4 – % students staying in education or employment after KS4 – destinations
- KS5 progress results shown separately for A levels, applied general and tech level qualifications
- KS5 retention shown separately for each qualification type
- Equality objectives to show how your school is complying with public sector equality duty
Academies, free schools and colleges
- Admission arrangements published before the beginning of an academic year
- Include open days, process for applying, explain if priority is given to applications from particular schools
- KS2 results – average progress from KS1 to KS2 in reading, writing and maths
- KS4 – % of pupils entered for/achieved the English Baccalaureate
- KS4 – % students staying in education or employment after KS4 – destinations
- KS5 progress results shown separately for A levels, applied general and tech level qualifications
- KS5 retention shown separately for each qualification type
- Accessibility Plan – facilities you provide to help disabled pupils access the school
- Arrangements for managing complaints from parents of children with SEN
- FE and sixth-form colleges – publish instruments and articles of government, annual members’ report, audited financial statement every year
Update
From March 2017, 16 to 19 academies, free schools and colleges must publish:
- the progress students have made in English and maths
- the progress students have made compared with students across England
- the average grade that students in your college get at 16 to 19 study (KS5)
- student ‘retention’ (the percentage of students who get to the end of their study programme)
- student ‘destinations’ (the percentage of students who continue in education or training, or move on to employment at the end of 16 to 19 study)
