Message from the Director of Education - Welcome Back 05/01/2024
For all Schools
MESSAGE SENT TO ALL SCHOOLS – PLEASE FORWARD A COPY TO YOUR CHAIR OF GOVERNORS
Dear Headteacher/Principal,
Happy New Year and I hope you have had a good first week back after the Christmas break. This is going to be an interesting year of course with Mayoral elections in May and a general election at some point. We have already seen a lot in the media concerning promises for education. Some major challenges for schools in Enfield will be in relation to falling rolls due to a number of factors but mainly the birth rate which has declined by over 20% in recent years. Also the financial settlement for Enfield schools this year is well below the general inflation rate and for teachers and support staff salary rises which is causing a further squeeze on school budgets. We will review these issues at our next headteachers briefing on 25th January. A piece of good news is that the Mayor of London has extended the Universal Free School Meals scheme for another year (see letter attached from the deputy mayor and a letter for families). Oasis Enfield was inspected before Christmas and they have retained their Good grading so congratulation to the school and staff. Several other schools are awaiting their reports but currently Enfield is now in the top 20 of local authorities for Ofsted outcomes which of course is really good news (and a “good thing” for readers of “1066 and all that”). And.. a group of 20 headteachers and senior staff will be spending a day at the Apple headquarters in Battersea with a focus on technology to support SEND – this is a part of the Delivering Better Value Programme. This is the start of this focus – please let me know if you wish to be involved in future such events.
i) School Inspection pause - As you are probably aware, there will be no school inspections until 22nd January and all inspectors are receiving mental health awareness training. One imagines that in future inspections, lead inspectors will have a focus on ensuring that the stress and mental health of school leaders is kept at the forefront of the process.
ii) Galliard Primary School Attendance Hub – There is a considerable concern about school attendance nationally with about a quarter of children being classed as persistently absent. The DfE have just announced 18 behaviour hubs around the country and Galliard Primary School is one of these. Caroline Clifford, the headteacher has agreed to talk about what the role of the behaviour hub will be at the next headteacher’s briefing on 25th January.
iii) Reading Conference at Forty Hall – 23rd January - 75 participants have signed up for what looks like a really interesting and helpful conference. There are still a few places still available so please contact Beatrix Simpson directly (beatrix.simpson@enfield.gov.uk) or reply to the email sent from SEYIS if you wish to attend. There is going to be a lot of sharing pf practice from Enfield schools and the conference is a part of a planned series of activities to develop practice. In further good news, we have been selected by the Education Endowment Foundation to be a part of a number of projects over the next few years – further details to come but projects include early reading , maths development and much more.
iv) MOPAC – Gender Based Violence – Please find attached flyers for primary, secondary and special schools and governors on addressing sexual harassment and related issues. The sessions are free for staff and governors to attend funded through the Mayor of London’s office.
v) Winter child illnesses - UKHSA | A parent’s guide to keeping kids healthy this school term.
The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has published a new blog of some of the seasonal illnesses that tend to peak during winter and the steps parents/carers can take to keep their family well. UKHSA will be sharing other messages aimed at parents and carers on their social media channels in the coming weeks.
VI) Suzy Francis – MBE – Many congratulation to Suzy our Principal Educational Psychologist & Mental Health Lead in receiving this very deserved award for work in special needs in the New Years Honours List. Brilliant news Suzy.
vii) Mental Health and I-Thrive - Please find attached a flyer from NCL (health) concerning a session on supporting young people with mental health needs or who are unwell.
viii) Headteacher Briefing – 25th January at 10am - I will send an agenda out closer to the time but we will be covering issues of falling rolls and implications: school budget pressures: the new attendance hub: Enfield Library strategy: Homelessness and the impact on children as well as an update on wraparound care.
As I said at the start of this message, I hope you had a good break. A highlight for me was walking on Dartmoor in 50mph winds and slanting rain – I got soaked! But enjoyed it! I very much hope to see you in the near future and/or at the Headteacher briefing on the 25th.
Best wishes for the new year.
Peter Nathan
Director of Education