news

2008/09 Meeting dates for Headteachers

Please find attached the forward programme of meeting dates for Headteachers for the next academic year (2008/09). All meetings take place at The Learning Trust unless otherwise specified. Please ensure that these dates are booked into your diary. If you have any enquiries about a meeting, please liaise with the contact listed. These dates will also be published in a desktop calendar, which will be sent to schools for the new school year.

Note that the Headteachers’ Conference will not take place in the autumn this year, as in previous years, but will take place in the spring. Further details will follow in the next couple of weeks.

The Speaker

The BBC is embarking on a mission to find Britain’s Best Young Speaker. This once in a lifetime competition will be shown on BBC TWO early in 2009.

In this epic elimination show, thousands of 14 to 18 year olds will compete in a series of challenges that could take place anywhere in the world as they are coached by celebrity mentors. They will need passion, personality and confidence. Week on week they will be put through their paces to test every aspect of their communication skills. Eventually one of them will become Britain’s Best Young Speaker.

14-18 year olds are invited to apply online, by posting a one minute speech on our website. They can speak on any subject from pop music to politics or hoodies to homework.

The closing date for applications is 1 August 2008.

Submit your speech on the BBC website

The Speaker - flyer

Hackney City Farm needs your support!

The National Lottery Awards is an annual search to find the UK’s favourite Lottery-funded projects. Hackney City Farm, a popular resource for Hackney schools has been shortlisted, competing against nine other projects for the title of ‘Best Environment Project’. The result is by public vote and all support is welcomed.

To vote visit www.lotterygoodcauses.org.uk/awards or call 0845 386 5790. The closing date is Friday 4 July.

For more information on activities at the city farm visit www.hackneycityfarm.co.uk

Discover Young Hackney ‘08

Young people’s contribution was fundamental to this year’s successful arts and culture celebration, building on 2007’s significant achievements. A major innovation for 2008 was the introduction of cultural ambassadors – a team of 30 young people who became the eyes, ears and voice of the festival. February’s programme offered 11 to 19 year olds free events and workshops in art, dance, music, film, drama, media and fashion design with a clear focus on celebrating diversity. Discover Young Hackney was developed by the Council’s Cultural Development Team in partnership with Hackney’s Youth Arts Cluster. Thanks to schools for promoting this to students.

A copy of ‘Looking back on Discover Young Hackney 08’ is in the internal post to secondary schools The festival was documented extensively, and a film, a podcast radio show and the evaluation report are available to download at www.hackney.gov.uk/discoveryounghackney.htm.

For a summary of the evaluation click here.

Notebooks to give away

A local company has 500 notebooks to give away. They are A5 black spiral-bound hard-backed notebooks, with 50 pages of white lined paper. On the front is a small logo for advertising.com. The logo also appears on the bottom of each page. The notebooks were produced in error and the company would like to donate them to a school rather than throw them away. They can deliver them to your school for free.

If you would like the notebooks, please contact the company direct:

Simon Tutton, Dukes of London, 020 7054 9777.

guidance & information

The Primary Capital Programme

By 2023 nearly half of all primary school buildings across the country will have been rebuilt or modernised through a new government initiative called the Primary Capital Programme. The programme starts in 2009 and over the next 14 years over £7 billion will be allocated to revamp and remodel 8,000 of England’s 18,000 primary and primary special schools – taking the 900 schools in the worst condition out of use.

Many of Hackney’s primary schools will be affected. For more information download the leaflet and poster below or contact Nadia Amrane (ext 7381).

Rebuilding Hackney's Primary Schools - FAQs

Rebuilding Hackney's Primary Schools - Poster

resources

TimeLine Live! Heritage Fair – all invited

TimeLine, the vibrant magazine ‘full of fun & facts about Stoke Newington, history and heritage’ is holding a Heritage Fair at Abney Public Hall, opposite Abney Park Cemetery on Sunday 13 July from 12 noon to 6pm (entrance 50p or £1.50 per family). Please promote this exciting lifelong learning event.

To celebrate Hackney’s new Fairtrade Borough status and TimeLine’s own third birthday, lots of history-based activities; from lucky dips to Latin in the Park; trails to treasure hunts; football to fairtrade are planned. The finale is a unique performance by Nonsuch History & Dance to celebrate London’s Big Dance Festival.

TimeLine Issue 19, distributed to schools last week ... click here

e-learning resources

Early years:
- Plant or animal?
Do you know which food comes from a plant and which food comes from an animal?

- Colour labelling
Drag and drop the names of the colours on to the picture. The name box will turn green if correctly placed.

Primary:
- Who we are (LGfL login required)
This citizenship unit for KS1 has activities on the following topics: About Us, Same and Different, Fair and Unfair, Our Place.

- Place value charts
Resources for learning or teaching place value which can be used on interactive whiteboards. Different levels of difficulty which include decimals.

- RevisionWorld
Free GCSE and A-Level revision resources.

Parents:
- Parent's music room
A practical guide to give you the confidence to support your child's music development and music education, with helpful tips on things you can do.

Other:
Kitchen Crew
- Healthy eating, nutrition, recipes, videos, podcasts demonstraiting how to cook simple healthy recipes using fresh, organic produce. From Essex Grid for Learning.

Note: T&L materials can be found on Learning Live – curriculum site of the Learning Trust. The resources have been organised by subjects and/or Key Stages for a quick and easy access.

training

Training in Solution Focused Approaches

Due to a successful funding application the Primary Behaviour Team has the opportunity to offer a year long course in developing the skills of Solution Focused Approaches. The solution focused approach is a growing part of both the national and local agenda as an effective way to identify and capitalise on resources in order to support positive outcomes for pupils, parents and staff. Examples of this how this versatile approach is used within schools are staff coaching, pupil planning and parent conferencing.

The training will be offered by BRIEF, a national and internationally renowned training institution in Solution Focused Approaches. Each school will be asked to release the Learning Mentor and SENCO/ Inclusion Manager for six days during the coming academic year. Places are limited to nine schools and will be offered to schools who apply first. To apply please email Rachel Thompson.

The dates of the training are as follows:

Autumn term
9 /10th October 2008 (whole day)
2 /3 December 2008 (whole day)

Spring term
4 February 2009 (Half day)
1 April 2009 (Half day)

Summer term
13 May 2009 (Half day)
1 July 2009 (Half day)

Professional Development and Training Brochure 2008/9

The production of the new Professional Development and Training Brochure 2008/9 is near completion and will be delivered to all schools before the end of the term.

For those of you who can no longer wait – or just want to plan your training ahead of time – attached is a spreadsheet outlining all of the courses featured in the brochure.

To apply for Early Years courses complete the EY application form and return to Caroline Kiely in the EY Team; for SEN and Inclusion courses complete the SEN application form and return to Barbara Carpenter in the SEN Team; for all other courses complete the general application and return to CPD admin.

For more information please contact Natasha Jahoor on 020 8820 7309.

CPD Brochure Planner 08-09

Application forms

Continual Professional Development

Download a list of the latest professional development opportunities here.

consultations

There are no consultations this week.