Issue 9
9 November 2015
Guest Editorial – Paul Ellis, ESSETS’ Collaborative Officer
Dear Colleagues,
I have been ESSETS’ (Essex Special Schools Education Trust) collaborative officer for the past 3
years, having retired from a successful headship of a special school. It has been a privilege to
represent my colleagues and their collective views on many panels, boards and developmental
groups. It is a great way to continue to contribute to the development of SEND provision and to ease
myself out of the best job in any school, being a head teacher.
It is a pleasure to describe to you the development of ESSET, a professional association within
Essex of special schools. ESSET’s work complements that of the mainstream association ASHE
and EPHA.
The special school sector is both diverse and comprehensive; its 18 schools educate about 2,500
learners with ages from 3 and 19 years. The schools cater for a very wide range of SEND learners
who have life long and severe needs with cognitive, behavioural, sensory, and or physical
challenges. The sector’s skills are well respected, with almost all schools being good or outstanding.
ESSET came into being to share and implement the vision of every SEND learner being educated in
an Essex school. With the reductions in real terms in education spending, we want to engage with
the other associations and the LA in planning and implementing the new reforms creatively. We are
seeking consensus in developing with all stakeholders a rational set of provisions, with targeted
funding to ensure all learners with SEND in Essex have a place in at least a good school, preferably
an outstanding one. We feel this can be achieved with bold reforms, based on the thoughtful
recycling of the current funds and supporting the concept of local SEND clusters; these clusters
pooling their talents and having access to skilled staff some of whom are in our special schools
sector.
The challenge is to envision SEND provision in 5 years’ time and use the reforms and changes as
the LA develops into a commissioning authority to provide such a school-led vision. Schools, and
provision specifically based and led within schools, are the future and the associations jointly need to
ensure we implement these reforms.
The implementation of these reforms will be challenging, and recognising these challenges led my
colleagues and me to reform the special schools head teachers’ association into a trust, to enable us
to grasp this future and shape it so that SEND learners and their families will benefit.
To this end ESSET proposed ‘a spend to save’ initiative to create new provision to create enough
special provision so that every Essex learner no matter their need could attend an Essex
School. This has been proposed against a background of too many learners being educated in out
of county places at enormous cost. This proposal has been agreed, with £42 million pounds to be
invested in creating these new places. This is a very positive and far reaching proposal,
demonstrating commitment from Members, LA officers and our ASHE and EPHA colleagues.
Where good SEND provision exists so does good teaching, from good teaching we achieve better
learning and from this all will benefit.
Best wishes
Paul Ellis
Essex Special Schools Education Trust (ESSETS)’ Collaborative Officer
Items for Headteachers: Annual Review for children and young people with an EHCP;
FFTAspire – KS1 and KS2 data release; SACRE update; Emergency contact details
Diary Dates/ Checklist
10/11/2015 Mid Primary Area Termly Headteacher Meeting
11/11/2015 West Primary Area Termly Headteacher Meeting
18/11/2015 ESSET Termly Headteacher Meeting
30/11/2015 Essex SEND Innovation Project, FREE Sharing and Networking Event
In this week's issue:
 Data and Standards: FFTAspire – KS1 and KS2 data release; Emergency
Contact Information

Pupil Support and Welfare: Annual Review for children and young people with
an EHCP guidance; Children and Young People’s Emotional Wellbeing and Mental
Health Service; SENCO Bulletin
 News and Information: CLEAPSS Primary Science & Technology Autumn
newsletter

EES for Schools: EES for Schools Bulletin

Other Education Services: SACRE update Teaching School Alliance Courses

Other Education News and Resources
Data and Standards
FFTAspire – KS1 and KS2 data release
KS1-KS2 Data Managers
2015 KS1 and KS2 data is now available in FFTAspire. Guidance on how to access the range of
dashboards (including a Governor dashboard) available for subscribing schools can be found on the
Fischer Family Trust Infolink page under “When are the release dates for FFT Aspire?”
For further information, please contact the Data Team on Data.Requests@essex.gov.uk.
Alternatively visit the Fischer Family Trust Infolink page.
Emergency Contact Information
EYFS-KS5 Headteachers / Office Managers
In previous years the Emergency Contact Information was collected by the Data Team on a yearly
basis. This process has now changed and any change to/additions to Emergency Contact
Information should be sent to the School Systems and Information Team via email:
schools.communication@essex.gov.uk, telephone 01245 434745 or by using the form on the My
School Page.
Emergency contact details are requested in case it is necessary to contact a school out of normal
hours due to an emergency planning need. These details are held securely and only made available
on a strict ‘need to know’ basis. They are only visible to Headteachers on the My School Page.
Pupil Support and Welfare
Annual Review for children and young people with an EHCP
Guidance
EYFS–KS5 SENCO
The guidance and forms required for early years, schools and colleges to complete a person centred
annual review for a child or young person with an Education Health and Care Plan (EHCP) are now
available on the SEN paperwork page on Infolink. This document sets out when reviews are needed
and the process that should be followed, along with some suggested paperwork to use.
Children and Young People’s Emotional Wellbeing and Mental
Health Service (EWMHS)
EYFS-KS5
From 1 November 2015, all Children and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) across Essex
will be called Emotional Wellbeing and Mental Health Service (EWMHS).
EWMHS is available to all children and young people aged 0-18 living in Southend, Essex and
Thurrock, as well as individuals up to the age of 25 with Special Educational Needs (SEN).
For more information, including how to refer into and contact the new service please read the
EWMHS Information leaflet. For any queries about the new service, please contact Christina Pace,
Head of Commissioning, Vulnerable People by email on Christina.pace@essex.gov.uk.
SENCO Bulletin – 9 November 2015
EYFS–KS5 SENCO
Welcome to the current issue of the SENCO Bulletin.
This issue includes:

Research on letter spacing;

Developing the Essex Local Offer website:

Autism Education Trust Tools for Teachers;

Annual Reviews of EHCPs;

SEND social media feeds for Essex parents;

Book Review: Settling to Learn.
For further information please contact the Specialist Teaching & Preschool Service by email:
SENCO.Bulletin@essex.gov.uk or by visiting: SENCO Bulletin, ESI.
News and Information
CLEAPSS Primary Science & Technology Autumn newsletter sent
out
EYFS-KS2 Science Teachers
The CLEAPSS Primary Science & Technology Newsletter 63 was sent to all Primary Schools before
the October half term, via the ‘blue bag’ distribution service. Any schools who have not received it for
any reason can download it from the CLEAPSS website (under Primary / Resources / PST
Newsletters). For those Schools which have access to the Health & Safety pages an alert has been
put on the page which shows the front of the newsletter for information.
For further information, please contact the Corporate Health & Safety Team on either
hs@essex.gov.uk or 0333 013 9818. Alternatively visit the Corporate Health & Safety Infolink page.
EES for Schools
EES for Schools Bulletin
EYFS-KS5
Welcome to the EES for Schools Bulletin.


School Effectiveness+: Safeguarding: This week EES for Schools considers how
safeguarding contributes to a high-performing school.
HR News: The half termly HR News is now available; there are separate versions for
Schools and Academies.
Dates for your diary:
 Throughout the year - Teaching Assistants are you maximising their impact: A new six
module programme for your school or consortium.
 26 November - Primary English: The National Curriculum for English for Year 6: This course
will explore the developments outlined in the Year 6 curriculum.
 27 November and 02 March - Early Years and Foundation Stage - Getting children to
'expected' and beyond in Mathematics: If mathematics is a key focus for your school, then
this course could support raising outcomes and narrowing the gap in mathematics.
 09 December - NQTs: Safety in Physical Education – Gymnastics Part Two: This will be a
practical course working with young people.
EES for Schools is a complete system for improving school effectiveness across a range of
services: Clerking Agency, Education Finance Support, Education HR, EES Training, Governor
Services, School Library Service, Target Tracker and School Effectiveness+. For further
information on these services contact EES for Schools on 0845 200 8600, email them at:
enquiries@EESforschools.org or visit their website at EESforschools.org.
Other Education Services
SACRE update
EYFS-KS5 RE Teachers / Head of RE
Positive responses to exploRE, the new agreed syllabus for RE have been received. Work on the
new support materials is progressing well. The first of these will be on Infolink by January 2016.
SACRE members would like to visit schools, to see the syllabus in action and discuss RE related
issues which colleagues may wish raised at SACRE.
SACRE are also in the process of planning local twilight meetings for RE Subject Leaders, based
within existing school improvement clusters.
Any school wishing to host either a school visit or a twilight meeting please contact Graham
Lancaster by email: graham.lancaster@essex.gov.uk.
Teaching School Alliance Courses
New courses/events available from the Benfleet Teaching School Alliance:



Teach GCSE Computer Science Programming with Python – Friday 20 and Saturday 21
November 2015, The King John School. This two day course teaches computational
thinking and programming requirements of GCSE Computer Science enabling delegates to
write up to 80 programmes for use in the classroom.
FREE WORKSHOP - The Singapore Approach to Teaching Mathematics – Friday 4
December 2015, 1.00pm-4.30pm, Kingston Primary School. Find out how the Singapore
approach can transform mathematics teaching and learning and to assist with meeting the
new National Curriculum increased standards.
Teaching for Impact – NEW SERIES OF TRAINING DAYS January – March 2016, The King
John School. A new programme of training days aimed at helping teachers develop their
existing classroom practice through inspired training sessions, practical ideas and lesson
observations of outstanding teachers.
For further information about these courses and to book your place, please contact Denise Mair,
Benfleet Teaching School Alliance Manager on either denisemair@benfleet-teaching-school.co.uk or
01702 558284 ext 6752. Full course details can be found on the Benfleet Teaching School Alliance
website.
New courses available from Coast2Coast Teaching School Alliance

Maths higher GCSE content course training – This course has been developed as part of
the Further Maths Support Programme Extension and Enrichment programme to support
teachers in developing a deeper understanding of mathematics topics which will improve
progression to A level as well as attainment at GCSE. Wednesday 25th November 2015

Maths Subject Specialism Training: Flexible Learning – Are you a non-specialist teaching
maths or a teacher anxious about returning to the classroom to teach maths? If so, whatever
your phase or experience, this course is for you. The delivery itself will be made up of a
combination of face to face days, an overnight conference and flexible learning modules and
is fully funded.

Maximising the Impact of Teaching Assistants (MITA) – MITA is an evidence-based
approach to improving the ways schools utilise TAs, developed and delivered in
collaboration with Peter Blatchford, Rob Webster and Anthony Russell – the research team
at the Institute of Education, London. The MITA programme will help you review and rethink
the way your school deploys and prepares TAs. Launch event at Western Homes
Stadium 13th November 2015.
For further information on any of the courses provided by Coast2Coast, please contact the
Coast2Coast TSA Team on dmackman@coast2coast-tsa.co.uk or 07885242362. Alternatively, visit
the Coast2Coast Teaching School Alliance website.
New courses available from North East Essex Teaching School Alliance (NEETSA):

RE Subject Liaison Meeting – Thursday 12 November 2015, 4.00pm-5.30pm, Harwich &
Dovercourt High School. Preparing for the new RE Specifications and sharing best practice.
Contact Dan Shoker to book on Daniel.shoker@hdhs.org.uk.

Textiles Subject Liaison Meeting – Thursday 12 November 2015, 4.00pm-5.30pm,
Thurstable School. Where is textiles at in the curriculum? What should be taught at KS3
(bringing Y9 into KS4); Textiles at KS5? What are the obstacles (clashes with
Art)? Shine! Contact Kate Hoddy to book on hoddyk@thurstable.essex.sch.uk.

Drama & English Subject Liaison Meeting – Thursday 12 November 2015, 6.00pm-8.00pm,
Mercury Theatre. Practical workshop on adapting Classic Texts, from the professionals at
the Mercury Theatre. Contact Mercury Theatre to book on www.mercurytheatre.co.uk/cpd.
For further information about these courses please contact Helen Main, North East Essex Teaching
School Alliance on either hmail@neetsa.org.uk or 01206 216528. Alternatively, visit the NEETSA
website.
New courses available from The Saffron Alliance:



Developing Senior Leaders – 5 twilight sessions. To develop a range of skills to support
delegates in their applications to senior leadership posts; to raise awareness and increase
understanding of a range of issues facing senior leaders; and to prepare for the challenges
faced by senior leaders.
Lesson Study – Wednesday 13 January 2016, 1.30pm-3.30pm. Session exploring how
Lesson Study can be used to improve Teaching and Learning.
Maximising the Impact of Teaching Assistants (MITA) - 3 sessions start at 2.15pm. Are you
making the most of your teaching assistants?
For further information on the above courses including costs, please contact Jackie King, The Saffron
Alliance on jking@swchs.net or 01799 513030. Alternatively, visit The Saffron Alliance website.
For information on Teaching School Alliances:
Essex Schools Infolink Page: Teaching School Alliances, Standards & Excellence, Data &
Standards, ESI
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Monday 16 November 2015
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