upcoming challenges for schools & support from hfl 4 - b… · • hfl/hcc will produce a ltp...

1 © 2020 Herts for Learning

Upcoming challenges for schools

& support from HfL

Education Panel Presentation – 8/9/20


Significant Challenges

• Ensuring 100% of schools and settings are open and all staff and learners attending from September

2020

• Ensuring social distancing where possible and minimising risk of infection

• Supporting leaders to get the curriculum Back on Track (making up for lost learning and addressing

gaps), with a particular focus on cohorts with examinations in 2021

• Improving the quality and consistency of remote/digital learning and preparing for future partial or local

lockdowns

• Addressing staff and pupil wellbeing issues arising from COVID-19 and an extended period of home

learning

• Supporting leaders with complaints, appeals and autumn series exams for those who were awarded

GCSEs and A levels in summer 2020

• Supporting schools with the financial implications of COVID-19 and smart use of additional funding

• Supporting governors and senior leaders to plan for the medium and long term implications of COVID-

19


Ensuring 100% of schools and settings are open and all

learners attending from September 2020

• HfL worked closely with HCC teams during the summer term to ensure that schools opened to the

cohorts identified by the government and to collect attendance data

• Medium Term Planning (MTP) document gave leaders advice about transport and travel arrangements

• DSEAs, HIPs and SEAs have alerted HCC and RSC to any schools experiencing issues in opening

fully for September

• EY team have liaised closely with Ofsted Regional Regulatory inspectors to address any concerns with

PVI practice

• DSEAs, HIPs and SEAs will scrutinise attendance levels at their Autumn Visits with each school

• EYCs will support all settings reopening and those newly registered. They will prioritise support for

those currently judged less than Good by Ofsted or causing concern


Ensuring social distancing where possible and

minimising risk of infection

• HfL/HCC’s Short and Medium Term Planning documents (STP & MTP), issued to schools in May and

June respectively, gave extensive advice and guidance around adaptations to sites and buildings,

cleaning and care routines, curriculum organisation and other aspects of infection control

• HfL advisers and consultants have worked with individual schools and settings during the summer term

and school holidays to support with their planning for opening and to assist with queries regarding

issues such as wearing of face masks

• Transition toolkit and blogs available to all schools promoted earlier engagement of professionals and

provided guidance on remote transition processes

• Autumn Visits will provide an opportunity to assess social distancing arrangements in practice


Supporting leaders to get the curriculum Back on Track

(making up for lost learning and addressing gaps)

• The Autumn Visits at all phases will focus specifically on the curriculum: how leaders are assessing

learning that took place during lockdown and gaps that emerged, how programmes of study are being

adapted to incorporated key learning not covered during lockdown, plans for catch up, mentoring and

intervention lessons

• EY visits will support leaders evaluation of support for the most vulnerable learners and ensure Year 1

provision recognises the need to adapt pedagogy to support and effective return to the classroom

learning environment

• The Secondary ‘Leading after Lockdown – Next Steps’ programme will support leaders in making

informed curriculum choices (planning and delivery) , support reengagement of students and address

meeting the demands of the exam series for 2021

• The secondary team will also support middle and senior leaders in ensuring work is assessed to

accurately to facilitate appropriate interventions and in case there is a CAG process for 2021

• There will be a particular focus on the progress of new Year 11 and Year 13 cohorts and the

interventions required to ensure that they are exam ready in May/June 2021: this will include HfL

revision hub provision


The ‘Back on Track’ programme for Primary Schools

Back on Track is a package of CPD, resources and support, rooted in

pedagogical research and effective formative assessment techniques. It has

been developed to enable primary and EY leaders in particular plan

strategically and deliver confidently the curriculum changes needed to get

pupils back on track with their learning.


How does the programme meet schools’ needs?

• Back on Track:

- Is curriculum facing

- Ensures learning is carefully structured

- Supports teachers so pupils meet at least age-related standards by the end of the academic year.

• The English and Mathematics plans encompass a range of tools, guidance and resources to ensure

that the revised curriculum is able to support staff with focused planning and delivery

• Assessment for Learning (formative assessment) will be used to ensure the most critical skills and

knowledge are taught with precision.

• The package supports pupils in their transition to their new year group / key stage through ‘low stakes,

high impact’ learning

• The Early Years offer helps in planning for effective delivery of a responsive curriculum through EYFS

pedagogy, focussing on

- the prime areas of learning

- supporting the transition for those pupils moving into Year 1


Back on Track – the productsAssessment:

• 2 x live digital training (will be recorded)

• 1 x digital twilight session

• Consultancy

English and Mathematics:

• 7 x recorded digital training sessions

• Resources

• Consultancy

Early Years: consists of two offers

• For years N and R: 3 x live digital training (recorded for later income)

• For year 1: 3 x recorded training, 1 x live training + optional consultancy

The ‘Back on Track’ concept and logo is also being utilised by other teams: Wellbeing, Science, Modern

Foreign Languages


How will schools fund the programme?

• Government funding can be utilised to access this comprehensive package.

• £80 / pupil

• Coronavirus (COVID-19) catch-up premium

• Schools will be able to use their existing contracts to offset the cost of some elements of the

programme

• The following schools will be able to offset the cost of the programme:

- 109 schools may use their Maths SLA towards the training + consultancy offer only

- 124 schools may use their English SLA towards the training + consultancy offer only

- Schools with an EY SLA may use one half day or a full day towards the training + consultancy offer only

• HCC have agreed to fund the full set of EY, maths and English packages for small schools, and to

match fund the purchase of packages in schools on the KTS register or considered vulnerable and

facing Ofsted inspections in the next two terms:

- This is a significant investment of close to £120,000

https://www.gov.uk/guidance/coronavirus-covid-19-catch-up-premium?utm_source=366c17fa-f355-41d3-b4fb-9fd608e93f9b&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=govuk-notifications&utm_content=immediate


Improving the quality and consistency of remote/digital

learning and preparing for future partial or local

lockdowns• A key part of the Autumn Visit will be a discussion around remote learning during lockdown, what

worked well and what needs to be improved, the support and training being provided to staff and the

school’s planning to ensure that the curriculum can be delivered online in the case of future lockdowns

and to learners not able to return to school

• DfE expectations are clear moving forward in that schools should be able to deliver what was planned

for the classroom online, plans for supporting schools in doing so will be shared in the next

presentation

NB: please refer to the EdTech presentation on this meeting agenda for further details


Addressing staff and pupil wellbeing issues arising

from COVID-19 and an extended period of home

learning• The HfL Wellbeing team has provided support to school leaders throughout the lockdown period

including telephone support and delivering a session to mental health leads on teaching mental health

in primary schools to support students when they return in September

• The Back on Track programme included a Wellbeing element that has been superseded by the new

DfE Wellbeing for Education Return initiative and this is being run jointly by HCC/HfL for delivery in the

first half of the autumn term

- Hertfordshire has been allocated £198k for this initiative and Karin Hutchinson and Kate Stockdale have been

nominated as local experts to prepare and deliver the DfE training and work with key partners in Hertfordshire

to help schools to support staff, students and parents in their return to school

• In the autumn term the HfL wellbeing team is delivering additional RSE subject leader sessions for

schools who have not completed their preparations for the new mandatory curriculum and this will have

a heavy focus on mental health and wellbeing support for staff and students


Supporting leaders with complaints, appeals and

autumn series exams for those who were awarded

GCSEs and A levels in summer 2020

HfL’s secondary team have updated school leaders on a regular basis regarding the CAG process and,

Ofqual consultations and appeals – including providing a toolkit and sample letters for effective

communications

Notwithstanding the change to awarding A level and GCSE results, there will still be concerns raised.

HfL will continue to support leaders and Governors in the following ways:

• Communicate key messages re the changes to the appeals process and what that means for

schools/students

• Provide guidance to governors re the parameters of the appeals process and processes

• Support individual schools who request advice and guidance following parental concerns

• Liaise with exam board ‘relationship managers’ to provide guidance and support and seek clarification

on difficult cases

• Liaise with HCC to provide advice regarding the parameters of appeals based on bias, discrimination

• Support schools to address ‘unintended consequences’ of teacher CAGs/moderated results e.g.

students meeting criteria for A level courses despite best IAG


Supporting schools with the financial implications of

COVID-19 and smart use of additional funding

• DSEAs, HIPs and SEAs will provide advice to school leaders through regular email bulletins, phone

consultations and during their 2020-21 visits on how best to utilise additional DfE funding, including

which learners to identify for intervention classes and mentoring and which providers to use

• The impact of COVID-19 on maintained school budgets will be clearer when schools submit their termly

return. It is anticipated that lost lettings, lost income from wraparound and childcare provision,

cancelled trips and catering costs will have negatively impacted the finances of some schools. Many

schools had planned restructures to reduce costs which were placed on hold

• HfL provides support to schools in financial difficulty and will work with HCC to scale-up support if

termly returns indicate there is a widespread issue


Supporting governors and senior leaders to plan for the

medium and long term implications of COVID-19

• HfL/HCC STP and MTP documents were copied to Chairs of Governors

• SEAs/HIPs have delivered presentations and provided guidance to governors around the key

implications of the COVID-19 crisis, the new Ofsted visits and how best to support school leaders in

planning for the 2020-21 academic year

• HfL/HCC will produce a LTP document to complete the series of guidance documents

• HfL are booking speakers for headteacher and senior leader conferences in 2020-21 who will address

the ‘learning from lockdown’ agenda

• Governance in the Summer Term was generally focused on the COVID-19 crisis, boards will return to

Business As Usual, monitoring how effectively gaps in learning are identified and addressed in the

process

• Regular blogs and briefings have been provided over recent months to share advice and best practice

with governors and these will continue as we move through the Autumn Term


Education Panel Presentation – 8/9/20

• Herts for Learning (HfL) is a provider of products and services to schools and educational settings

within and outside Hertfordshire. We believe that every young person, through access to a great

education, should be able to realise their potential, regardless of where they live or their

circumstances. We focus on supporting the schools we work with to achieve successful long-term

outcomes for their children.

• Learn more about us at hertsforlearning.co.uk

upcoming challenges for schools & support from hfl 4 - b… · • hfl/hcc will produce a ltp...

Documents