Latest News Archives - Page 3 of 4

COVID Winter Plan – Impact on Education

November 24, 2020November 24, 2020 by Becki ClitsomeNo Comments

As you will be aware, the Prime Minister introduced their COVID winter plan yesterday (you can read more on the Gov website here). This plan is fairly extensive, with more aspects (such as the three-tiers) still to be decided. The relevant aspects that you may need to be aware of: The COVID-19 Winter Plan ensures the current national restrictions can be lifted on 2nd December, so across all of England, regardless of tier: The stay at home requirement will end, with domestic and international travel being permitted again subject to guidance in each tier.Shops,personal care,gyms and the wider leisure sector will reopen.Collective worship, weddings and outdoor sports can resume, subject to social distancing.People will no longer be limited to seeing only one other person in outdoor public spaces -the rule of 6 will now apply as it did in the previous set of tiers. Information about Protecting the Vulnerable Under recent national measures, the clinically extremely vulnerable have been advised to take...

Home education rise leaving children’s services ‘stretched’

November 23, 2020November 23, 2020 by Becki ClitsomeNo Comments

The number of children being electively home educated has jumped by more than a third compared with last year due to health fears sparked by the Covid-19 pandemic, new figures from the Association of Directors of Children’s Services (ADCS) shows. Some 75,668 children were being taught at home on 1 October, 38% more than on the same date last year. Of these, 25% had been registered since 1 September. The most common reason cited by parents is the fear and uncertainty around Covid-19. Gail Tolley, chair of the ADCS educational achievement policy committee, warned that local authorities were struggling to deal with the jump in the number of children being home educated. For more, you can read the full article on Children & Young People Now....

Support for Families Impacted by Covid19

November 16, 2020November 16, 2020 by Becki ClitsomeNo Comments

As the country continues through its second lockdown, it is a worrying time for many - particularly parents with children to care for. The Fashion & Textile Children's Trust is working with families every week who are feeling the ongoing impact of reduced pay or redundancy. Here are some links that may help you and your family: Help for families on reduced incomeGrants to help parents and carers whose household income has reduced as a result of the coronavirus outbreak. Find out more Redundancy GrantsIf you are a parent facing redundancy from a fashion or textile company, our grants can help bridge the gap and make sure your children have the essentials they need. Find out more Who Can Apply? To apply for an FTCT grant, the child's parent or carer must have recently worked for a UK fashion or textile company.This includes: Supermarkets which sell clothing (ASDA, Morrisons, Sainsbury's, etc)Clothing companies (Matalan, NEXT, M&S, TK Maxx)Homeware and soft furnishing companies (IKEA, Dunelm Mill, DFS, etc.)Laundry...

Vicky Ford MP: Letter to CYP with SEND, their parents/carers and professionals

November 10, 2020November 10, 2020 by Becki ClitsomeNo Comments

Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Children and Families, Vicky Ford MP, has released a letter to all children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND), their parents/carers and families, and others who support them. "I recognise that this is an extremely challenging period, especially for children and young people with SEND, their families and carers and those who work to support them. I hope this letter gives you some reassurance that the education, health and wellbeing of children and young people with SEND continue to be a top priority for the government during these difficult times and we continue to be incredibly grateful to all those who work so hard to support children and young people with SEND."— Vicky Ford, MP This provides information on: School AttendanceChildren and Young People who are clinically extremely vulnerableRemote EducationWinter package to provide further support for children and familiesFace coverings in educational settingsRespite CareHealth Services for CYP with SEND...

Covid-19: £76m National Tutoring Programme launches

November 2, 2020November 2, 2020 by Becki ClitsomeNo Comments

Children & Young People Now have announced an “intensive tutoring programme to help disadvantaged children whose learning has been most affected by the coronavirus pandemic has launched today (2 November)” The National Tutoring Programme (NTP) will allow schools to access subsidised tutoring, mainly for their pupils from disadvantaged backgrounds. The NTP is being designed to provide additional support to students that have been hardest hit by school closures during the Covid-19 pandemic. School leaders and teachers will be able to choose which tuition providers best suit their needs, from a list of approved NTP Partner organisations. For the full article, click here....

Transport to school and other places of education: autumn term 2020

August 13, 2020August 13, 2020 by Becki ClitsomeNo Comments

In preparation of schools fully reopening in the Autumn, the government has issued guidance on transport to and from school. You can read the full guidance here. Part A provides guidance for Local Authorities on managing the capacity and demand for public transport.Part B provides guidance about the provision of dedicated home to school/college transport in the autumn term. Specific mentions of Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) Local authorities should take account of the particular needs of children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) and, where necessary, be informed by the views provided by the parents and school.The system of controls: protective measures "Children with SEND: When deciding on the package of measures that is appropriate on transport for children and young people with special educational needs, local authorities will need to take account the particular needs of the children using the transport, and to be informed by the views of the parents and school. Special schools tend to...

Challenging Behaviour Foundation – Survey on Family Experiences

July 21, 2020July 21, 2020 by Becki ClitsomeNo Comments

There is a new project that the CBF is involved with that may interest you and your family. The Challenging Behaviour Foundation is working with the Institute of Health Visitors to find out about the experiences of parents and carers supporting young children who display difficult or challenging behaviours. This survey is aimed at parents or carers of children with difficult or challenging behaviours aged 11 or under. The results will help to inform training and awareness raising materials for health visitors to help improve their support for families. The survey should take less than 15 to complete. Link: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/BSD83RD...

A joint ministerial letter to children and young people with SEND regarding the full return to educational settings in September 2020

July 21, 2020July 21, 2020 by Becki ClitsomeNo Comments

Children & Families Minister Vicky Ford and Care Minister Helen Whately have written an open letter to children and young people with SEND, their parents, families and others who support them. The letter explains the actions that need to be taken to ensure, where possible, all pupils return to their educational settings from September, and responds to some of the concerns and questions that have been raised. Department for Education and Department of Health & Social Care Joint Ministerial LetterDownload Key messages include: The importance for those with special educational needs and disabilities to return to educational settings safely in September so that they can receive face-to-face education and supportReassures that the risk of contracting the virus in educational settings is low and outlines protective measures in place to reduce the risk even further, including the NHS Test and Trace systemMinisters expect a small number of absences from children and young people who remain under the specialist care of a health professional however, the...

“Third of young people left without mental health support during lockdown” survey finds

July 13, 2020July 13, 2020 by Becki ClitsomeNo Comments

Nina Jacobs at Children & Young People Now has reported on survey findings of the impact on children & young people access to mental health support during Covid-19. Key findings include: 31% of young people were no longer able to access support despite still needing help from specialist services (a rise of 5% since the start of the lockdown)Many young people felt unable to access help at home due to concerns around privacy and confidentiality or a lack of access to technology80% said that pandemic had made their mental health worse – of which, 41% said it made things “much worse”Nearly 90% said they had felt lonely or isolated71% had been able to stay in touch with friends11% felt that their mental health had improved since the lockdown Young Minds Statistics...

Resources for Children on COVID-19

July 3, 2020July 3, 2020 by Becki ClitsomeNo Comments

As we all start preparing for children to return to school in September, you might find some of these resources useful: "While We Can't Hug" by Faber and FaberHedgehog and Tortoise want to give each other a great big hug, but they're not allowed to touch. From the creators of the internationally adored The Hug, Eoin McLaughlin and Polly Dunbar, they are thrilled to bring you a new story: While We Can't Hug."Dave the Dog is Worried about Coronavirus"This book aims to open up the conversation about coronavirus and some of the things they might be hearing about it and provide truthful information in a reassuring and child friendly manner."COVIBook"A short book to support and reassure children, under the age of 7, regarding the COVID-19. This book is an invitation for families to discuss the full range of emotions arising from the current situation. It is available in 16 languages, including: English, Polish, Arabic, Chinese and Japanese."My Story About Pandemics and Coronavirus"...