For all your information needs visit www.southwarkheads.org.uk

In the latest primary performance figures released by the Depart-ment of Education, Southwark has seen a rise in all areas of Key Stage Two learning.

SOUTHWARK SCHOOLS’ SCORES ARE UP...AGAIN!The overall number of children achieving Level Four across reading, writing and maths combined, rose from 77 per cent in 2013 to 81 per cent this year.

Individual percentages for Key Stage Two are:• 90 per cent achieved Level 4 in reading

(88 per cent in 2013)• 87 per cent achieved Level 4 in writing

(84 per cent in 2013)• 88 per cent achieved Level 4 in maths

(87 per cent in 2013)

There has also been a rise in the percentage of children progressing by two levels or more in reading, writing and maths, with 93 per cent in reading, 94 per cent in writing and 92 per cent in maths – all also up on last year.

The Department of Education has also pub-lished the latest absence data for the first two terms of the 2013/14 school year. Figures show that pupil absence in Southwark’s pri-

mary and secondary schools and academies combined, has seen a decline to 3.9 per cent, lower than both the National and London averages at 4.4 per cent and 4.3 per cent re-spectively. For unauthorised absences in par-ticular, Southwark is also now up 25 places on this time last year and ranked 66th out of all local authorities in England.

Cllr. Victoria Mills, cabinet member for chil-dren and schools said; “Another year of im-proved results in our primary schools is a testament to the hard work of our teachers and students. As a local authority, supporting our schools to keep pupils in the classroom and achieving their full potential is a key part of our role and I am delighted that through working in partnership we have been able to achieve a marked improvement in standards.

“We know that giving children the best start in their primary years sets them up for the chal-lenges of secondary school and good results at age 11 are the foundation of success at ages 16, 17 and 18.”

Cllr Victoria Mills, cabinet member for children and schools

Heather Dace reports on another year on year improvement

Schools can take on an even greater role in their communities by taking advantage of the food services of

FareShare. FareShare is a food redistri-bution charity taking surplus food from the food industry and redistributing it to organisations across the UK that work with, and cook meals for, vulnerable or disadvantaged people. Most of the food it redistributes is fresh fruit and vegeta-bles or fresh and chilled items such as yoghurts, bread and juices.

Schools can use the service as a provision for breakfast clubs and after school activities and any food surplus to those requirements could be distributed among the most deserv-ing families within the school.

The cost of participation is just a contribution via a membership fee of at least £19.20 per

week if FareShare can deliver the food, or £15.60 if food is collected from the organisa-tion. For this FareShare supplies an average of 50kg of food per week.

Any project can apply to be a member of Fare-Share, provided it is not set up to make private profit. FareShare works with charities, com-munity organisations, CIC, social enterprises and also schools and some council projects.

To help schools take advantage of the Fare-Share service, a short presentation by the organisation’s Catherine Buglass has been organised free of charge for 22 January at the university Engineering Academy South Bank in Trafalgar Street from 2.00pm to 3.30pm. Catherine will also have application forms with her and can assist delegates in complet-ing them.

Aid school communities with FareShare

The Conservatives are considering a range of options designed to “refocus” Ofsted amid fears it is piling too much pressure on teach-ers and preventing innovation. Proposals being discussed include

significantly cutting the number of inspectors to move to a system in which oversight of schools would be largely data-driven.

The watchdog may also be stripped of many of its responsibilities to inspect areas such as social services because of concerns it has be-come too unwieldy.

The move was welcomed by head teachers’ leaders who insisted the “level of antago-nism” towards the watchdog was now “un-precedented”.

The intervention, which is being considered as part of the Tory general election manifesto, follows more than a year of major rows be-tween the Government and Ofsted.

This included demands by Ofsted to be al-lowed to directly inspect chains of academy schools – a move rejected by the DfE.

Nicky Morgan, the Education Secretary, has also been concerned by the impact Ofsted is having on teacher workload following claims from unions that it is creating additional bu-reaucracy and acting as a brake on innovation.

In a report this year, the think-tank Policy Exchange warned that the existing system caused many schools to take a “lowest com-mon denominator approach” and manage children’s education “on what Ofsted will un-derstand, not necessarily what is in the best interests of the school”.

The Conservatives are now understood to be discussing plans to significantly reform the watchdog after the general election.

This includes “slimming it down” to make sure it focuses on its “core function” of schools – removing key responsibilities from Ofsted to inspect non-education issues such as social services, adoption and fostering agencies.

The inspection process could also be radically overhauled to cut down on the number – and extent – of physical audits of schools. In its place, the process may shift towards a more rigorous analysis of data on exam results, pu-pil progress, attendance and exclusions, over-seen by a smaller inspection team.

The Telegraph was told plans had not yet been put in writing but were under active con-sideration by ministers.

“Ofsted’s direction is increasingly one-way – it wants to grab more powers – and we just think it needs to focus on what it already does; to inspect schools and make sure those that are failing start to improve,” a source said.

But it was claimed abolition of the watchdog was not an option.

“Ofsted plays a vital role; parents trust it, it’s a good brand, and it definitely has a part to play,” it was claimed. “But if we can do some-thing that means it’s not massively adding to the workload of teachers, which is one of the problems at the moment, while fulfilling its core function, that’s what we will do.”

Ofsted has denied claims it is adding to staff workload or prescribing particular teaching styles.

It recently launched its own consultation into the future inspection system, including plans to carry out regular short inspections of good schools every two or three years – as opposed to up to seven years at the moment – to pre-vent standards slipping.

But Russell Hobby, general secretary of the NAHT, said: “After the next general election we’re going to have to go back to first princi-pals with Ofsted.

“The level of antagonism towards it from ev-ery shade of the political spectrum and the teaching profession is unprecedented. The time is right for fundamental reform.”

He added: “It is has become an enormous beast which intrudes in almost every waking thought of the education system and it cer-tainly makes sense to focus its energies on the areas of most need.”

By Graeme Paton, Education Editor, Daily Telegraph

Nicky Morgan, the Education Secretary

OFSTED REFOCUS Empiribox makes Primary science fun

15 Ark academies are already using Empiribox

At the Southwark School Leadership Con-ference a new science support system called Empiribox, for science teaching at Primary level was unveiled. Empiribox has created a generous 4 Terms for the price of 3 offer to enableschools to try out this system for the Spring Term free of charge. Schools only have to pay for a subscription by the end of March - if subscribers feel be-fore then that the system does not benefit the school, they can cancel the subscription and pay nothing!

Every term schools receive:• Equipment for teachers to perform 12

jaw-dropping demonstrations

• Enough equipment for pupils working in pairs on 12 exciting practical investi-gations/lessons

• Full training for teachers and TAs with full CPD accreditation included

• Clear Schemes of Work, easy-to-follow lesson plans, CPD certificates and risk assessments that meet, significantly exceed and enrich the new National Curriculum.

The Empiribox hands on programme covers four years of Key Stage 2 National Curricu-lum and beyond, offering an easy subscrip-tion scheme at an affordable cost – be-tween £20-29 per pupil per year, depending on the number of form entries in KS2 in the school.

To take advantage of this offer, schools must subscribe by the end of January 2014 and accept an invoice for the annual sub-scription. Payment will be due by 27 March 2015 and cover the period to the end of March 2016.

Contact Empiribox on on 020 8226 6130 or visit www.empiribox.com for information.

15 Ark academies are already using Empiribox

Heber school hosts half term fun

A brand new series of 3-hour Masterclasses for 10 – 14 year olds. MONDAY 16th Febru-ary – Acting – Work on your acting and impro-visation technique with a professional actor/director TUESDAY 17th February – Animation – write and film your own short animations WEDNESDAY 18th February – Song-writing and Music Production – write and produce your own instrumental track or song THURS-DAY 19th February – Film-making – write and film your own short story. FRIDAY 20th Febru-ary - Graphic Novels – learn how to turn your idea into a graphic novel

Join us for Nimble Arts’ fun, creative work-shops for 4-11 year olds. Each day from 16-20 February has up to four different workshops, and sessions run 10 – 4, with free early drop off/late pick up available 8.30 – 5. Four year olds can attend for half days and we have a dedicated early years team looking after younger participants.

Looking to find out more? Drop us an email at info@nimblearts.co.uk.

Southwark Headteachers Executive Council has arranged for various specialists to help schools secure the best staff at a Recruit-ment and Retention Day on 26 February at the University Engineering Academy South-bank. There will be a morning and an after-noon session so delegates have the choice of when they attend.

The day will provide the opportunity for Senior Leaders to attend a free workshop and also meet with recruitment specialists to discuss requirements. This will include the opportu-nity to interview candidates in Ireland (Dublin) or Canada (Toronto) free of charge with flights and accommodation paid for.

Delegates will be taught how to ask compe-tency based questions to ensure that the right person is appointed for a role.

By the end of the workshop delegates will be able to:

• Specify the job description and the com-petencies required for the job

• Know the steps to plan and prepare for an interview

• Develop and use effective competency based questioning and listening tech-niques to elicit information from the in-terviewee

• Evaluate candidates against a set crite-ria and select the best candidate

• Identify key strategies that have a posi-tive impact on staff retention

For more information about the day of to reg-ister attendance, contact Yolanda@headexec.com or call 01797 364366.

Staffing, recruitment, retention day

In mid-December Southwark Council’s cabinet approved new proposals to open a sixth form at St Thomas the Apostle College (STAC) in Nunhead, from September 2015.

Cllr Victoria Mills, cabinet member for children and schools, said: “STAC has made some fan-tastic improvements over the past few years in GCSE standards, with this year 76 per cent now gaining five A*- C grades, and I’m sure that the school we will be able to successfully extend that leadership and teaching quality to A levels next year.

“From September 2015, all young people up to the age of 18 will be required to stay in either education or training. Many will choose to study full-time in school sixth forms. In Southwark we already have high participation rates for post -16 education, at 96 per cent we are above the national and London averages.

“We are also ranked eighth nationally, with 96.3 per cent of students achieving the level three benchmark of two passes A-E at A level. However, we are keen not to become complacent, and ensure we continue to keep on responding to local demand for education, especially in these vital years of development for our young people.”

STAC will become the 13th sixth form in the borough.

New sixth form

Check your emails

Please ensure you check your emails regularly for communi-cations from the Headteachers Executive. The mails invariably contain important information, but we know from the email monitoring that mails are being missed.

If you have spam filters, make sure your Heads Exec mails are allowed.

For all your information needs visit www.southwarkheads.org.uk

HEADS UP is published monthly during term time by Southwark Headteachers Executive. We would love to hear from you, so tell us your news: Yolanda HoustonT: 01797 364366 M: 07770 347616E: yolanda@headexec.com

SEND US YOUR NEWS!

BE FIRST FOR FIRST AID!

WWW.cpdnet.org will be advertising a

number of courses to support schools

including Team Teach, Fire Safety and

First Aid The first courses to be run

will be Emergency First Aid at Work a

one day course on the 20 January and

First Aid At Work a 3 day course run-

ning from the 20 – 22 January 2015.

Both courses will be run at the Uni-

versity Engineering Academy South-

bank and all courses are accredited.

Please go to www.cpdnet.org to book

in the New Year.

A course called Teaching Phonics With Confidence was hosted by Charles Dickens’ school on Saturday 13 December and organised by Uteach, the specialist overseas teacher recruitment company.

The tutor was Elizabeth Nonweiler, an independent phonics trainer with 30 years of classroom experience. She has spent the past eight years helping teachers and governments to raise stan-dards in literacy. Delegates having completed the session:

• Understand what synthetic phonics is and why it works• Understand the complexities of the English alphabetic code• Understand what children are expected to know for the new national curriculum• Be able to teach a phonics lesson effectively• Be able to help children apply phonics to improve their reading and spelling

Participants received a certificate of completion and Uteach’s UK Director of Education Julia Citron said “Charles Dickens’ staff were lovely and it was an enriching day with several teachers and TAs from Southwark”.

Teaching Phonics With Confidence

Don’t miss “Ebay” Day @ Southwark Park Southwark Park school is moving to its new home and will have a number of items that it is looking to dispose of (whiteboards, furniture etc). On 13 February the school will be holding an “Ebay” Day. All schools are invited to come along and bid for any of the items for disposal. Bidding will take place over a set period of time during which each item will have a ticket on which to place a bid, bidders will be able to bid and rebid on any item during the selling period. The

end of the sale will be marked by a klaxon sounding and the last (highest) bid registered on the tickets of each item will win the pur-chase.Sale items will include:• Chairs• Tables• Storage cupboards• Tray units• PC tables • Interactive whiteboards• PCs (some are good)• Wireless system routers (ICT Educa-

tional Services have stated that these have value)

• Anything in the building after 12 February!

Purchased items will need to be collected from Monday 16 to Wednesday 18 February between 10:00am and 4.00pm.For further information, contact Jane Howard, Bursar, Southwark Park Primary Schoolon 020 7237 1180.

There is an event for SBM and Administrative staff on 12 February, hosted by Southwark HR and the Headteachers Executive.

As well as HR topics there will also be informa-tion on Private Fostering and we would invite SBMs to provide input with regards to any fur-ther subject/topic that they would like to know more about.

Please send suggestions to yolanda@head-exec.com

HR and Private Fostering for SBMs