Driving a minibus - training from HCC now available for school staff
Hertfordshire County Council is now offering practical training for school staff to enable them to add minibus (D1) entitlement to their driving licence. This is essential for any employee who wishes to drive a minibus, regardless of the weight of the vehicle.  More information (pdf)
Thursday 6th December 2018 |
Occupational Health Service – powered by Optima Health
Herts for Learning is pleased to introduce a new service from spring 2019: Occupational Health Services – powered by Optima Health. This service was previously provided to schools via Hertfordshire County Council (HCC), however from April 2019, HfL will be working directly with Optima Health to deliver an enhanced service to Hertfordshire schools and academies. More information
Thursday 6th December 2018 |
URGENT ALERT FROM HFL: Hacked email accounts 
Herts for Learning have recently seen a rise in the number of compromised Office 365 accounts; in most cases the accounts have been accessed by the hacker simply guessing the users password. These are referred to as brute force attacks. The hacker will use a program to try thousands in an automated fashion. Once the hacker gains access to the users email sometimes they are just sending lots of junk messages to other users within the school and externally. Others are sending emails internally in the schools with fake invoices and bank account details. HfL is taking action to address but also require urgent actions from schools. More information
Thursday 6th December 2018 |
LGBT History Month, February 2019 – Sharing good practice
Hertfordshire’s LGBTQ+ children and young people working group are inviting Hertfordshire schools to help us to mark LGBT History Month, February 2019. We would like you to consider submitting a brief description and/or photographs of activities, events and/or developments in LGBTQ+ that you have been involved in over 2018 or have planned for 2019 so we can share good practice in Hertfordshire schools. More information
Thursday 6th December 2018 |
Hertfordshire Year 5 Maths Challenge 2019
Entries are invited for the Year 5 mathematics challenge 2019. Each school is encouraged to submit a team of four Year 5 pupils for this friendly inter-school competition. The challenge will comprise a mixture of challenge, problem-solving and fun. More information
Thursday 6th December 2018 |
Don’t miss out! Final week for submitting bids for Feeling Good Week 2019 - closing date is this Friday 7th December
Feeling Good Week will be 11th – 17th February next year. Feeling Good Week is a Hertfordshire-wide event that encourages schools and the wider community to promote children and young people’s emotional wellbeing by raising awareness of mental health and showing where support can be accessed within the community. There is opportunity to put in a funding bid for up to £500 to support activities in school that week. The deadline for applications is the 7th December. More information
Tuesday 4th December 2018 |
Herts for Learning launches The Great School Framework: building on The Nine Pillars of Great Schools
To support its work on school improvement, Herts for Learning (HfL) has launched The Great School Framework©, an aspirational vision of the features of a great school which focuses on the holistic outcomes for children. More information
Monday 3rd December 2018 |
Helping to remove key barriers to securing optimum outcomes
HfL research projects and programmes starting this spring to help improve spelling, phonics, comprehension, sentence structure and punctuation. More information
Monday 3rd December 2018 |
Herts for Learning Training & Events
Fixing full stops in Years 3 and 4
Monday 21st January 2019 Book now
Teaching grammar: practical and engaging approaches
Tuesday 22nd January 2019 Book now
Securing age-related expectations in English - Year 2 / Year 6
Beginning Tuesday 22nd January 2019 Book now
School business management briefing
Tuesday 22nd January 2019 Book now
An action plan to navigate future financial sustainability
Tuesday 22nd January 2019 Book now
A lean office? The challenge to drive efficiencies by doing things differently
Tuesday 22nd January 2019 Book now
Effective and efficient observation, assessment and planning in the EYFS
Thursday 24th January 2019 Book now
|
Supporting your strategic plan
In this challenging financial climate, the importance of medium-term planning and having a strategic financial plan cannot be underestimated. To ensure that these provide an effective management tool, time is needed to evaluate how resources are being used and to scan the horizon for challenges which may impact plans. To help Hertfordshire maintained schools gain an early view of their financial plan/budget for 2019/20, Herts for Learning Financial Services team have recently launched a mid-year update to their financial planning tool, HCSS budgeting software. More information
Friday 30th November 2018 |
Schools emergency response plan
The schools emergency response plan is an up to date guide for Hertfordshire schools to use when responding to an emergency, which may affect the operation of their premises and their day to day business. Tabletop excersize templates and scenarios have also been added to give guidance in dealing with emergency situations. More information
Thursday 29th November 2018 |
Financial Resilience Forum 2018
The Financial Resilience Forum on Tuesday 27th November was a half-day event, featuring a range of speakers who provided insight into how schools can effectively make the most of the budget they have. More information
Thursday 29th November 2018 |
Severe weather guidance - November 2018
The Severe Weather Plan for Schools has been updated. As the weather turns colder please make sure you are familiar with the procedures for school closures in the event of snow and the closure notification system. More information
Wednesday 28th November 2018 |
Just Talk Week - 4th February 2019
Just Talk Week will be taking place in w/c 4th February 2019. As part of the campaign, the Public Health team is inviting young people aged 9-21 to help us raise mental health awareness with teenage boys across Hertfordshire. Young people are invited to send us a story board for a short film helping us to promote the Just Talk campaign. For the winning story board/s, we will work with the entrant to professionally produce their film which may well become a key part of our campaign. This will look great on their CV and the creator/creators of the winning 'piece' will also receive £100 in vouchers. More information
Monday 26th November 2018 |
|
Herts for Learning Training & Events
Analysing data using ASP and IDSR in Key Stages 1 and 2
Tuesday 15th January 2019 Book now
Analysing data using ASP and IDSR in Key Stage 4
Monday 21st January 2019 Book now
SIMS FMS: accounts payable / receivable for new users
Wednesday 16th January 2019 Book now
Strategic leadership and teaching to embed a school-wide growth mindset culture
Thursday 17th January 2019 Book now
Phase 1-2 phonics: teaching and supporting 'Letters and Sounds'
Thursday 17th January 2019 Book now
Addressing the challenge of EAL and SEND in Early Years
Thursday 17th January 2019 Book now
RM Finance Online: new users
Friday 18th January 2019 Book now
|
Teach in Herts Recruitment Events – Registration is now open
The first Get Into Teaching Fair that took place in Watford on 10th November was a great success, with 121 potential teachers registering and 80 delegates arriving on the day to attend workshops and talk to teaching schools and the university face-to-face, and they provided very positive feedback. The registration for the next series of events is now open for both school exhibitors and attendees. More information
Thursday 22nd November 2018 |
HFL Service Desk Christmas hours
The ICT Service Desk will be closed for the Christmas period from Monday 24th December at noon until Wednesday 2nd January when normal service hours will be resumed. The HICS Service Desk will be open throughout the Christmas period (excluding Bank Holidays) for emergencies but calls will be re-directed to RM. We would like to wish you all a happy Christmas and New Year.
Thursday 22nd November 2018 |
Shared Anti-Fraud Service
The Shared Anti-Fraud Service (SAFS) is a fraud prevention and investigation service. SAFS operates alongside the Shared Internal Audit Service, an existing partnership based in Stevenage and hosted by Hertfordshire County Council. More information
Tuesday 20th November 2018 |
Primary assessment updates - November 2018
Updates include: initial release of data for KS2, KS1 and Phonics, voluntary data collection - Y4, Y5 and Y6 Summer data, FFT Aspire tools subscription information and documentation regarding statutory assessment at the end of Key Stages EYFS, 1 and 2. More information
Tuesday 20th November 2018 |
Christmas show for primary schools – Alice in Wonderland – special offer
Flying Pizza Theatre Company’s Alice in Wonderland is specially adapted for children age 4-11. Packed with delightful animal characters, a magical story, song, dance, costume, beautiful backdrops, a six foot flamingo puppet and loads of audience high-jinks and fun. Special offer for Herts schools - £50 off - for any shows booked for November, December or January. More information (doc)
Monday 19th November 2018 |
Have your say on budget spending survey – please share with students
Every year, Hertfordshire County Council asks Hertfordshire residents what they think our priorities should be for the next financial year. Last year, less than 1% of respondents were under the age of 18. This compares to the over 22% of the Hertfordshire population that are under 18. That is why this year we would like to encourage you to share this survey with students, in the hope that we can get a more representative set of results that reflect the views of whole county. The survey can be completed online through the following link www.hertfordshire.gov.uk/budgetsurvey and should take less than 5 minutes. More information
Monday 19th November 2018 |
School Admissions Consultation for 2020/21
The consultation on school admission arrangements for 2020/21 opens on 19th November 2018 and closes on 6th January 2019. Information about the consultation is available online. Please read the consultation and complete the online response form at More information
Monday 19th November 2018 |
Love That Book: Inspiring Quality Reading and Writing Through Quality Literature - Wednesday 6th February 2019
Our Primary Spring Reading Conference will feature illustrators and authors sharing their thoughts on what makes a great book, and giving some insights into their own reading journeys. We are delighted to have Jane Ray joining us for an informal question and answer session, Bob Cox, back by popular demand, running a workshop and Joe Todd-Stanton signing books and joining a workshop that showcases work inspired by his book, The Secret of Black Rock. More information
Monday 19th November 2018 |
|
Herts for Learning Training & Events
SIMS Census preparation (on school data)
Wednesday 9th January 2019 Book now
SIMS for new users
Monday 14th January 2019 Book now
Write Away Together
Tuesday 15th January 2019 Book now
Archieving mathematical
age-related expectations in Year 2 / Year 6
Beginning Tuesday 15th January 2019 Book now
New to primary NQT induction for NQTs and their tutors - spring starters
Tuesday 15th January 2019 Book now
Induction for new SENCOs
Tuesday 15th January 2019 Book now
Linking science and English for impact
Wednesday 16th January 2019 Book now
|
Insurance Services
The Insurance section of Hertfordshire County Council provides insurance policies to schools. Follow the link for updates on policies we provide, optional extensions (schemes) and frequently asked questions. More information
Tuesday 13th November 2018 |
Get into Teaching – Saturday 19th January 2019
Our next free Get into Teaching event will be at Letchworth in January. This recruitment event is essential for anyone interested in teaching as a career. More information
Monday 12th November 2018 |
RE Assessment grid for primary age related expectations by year group
An RE assessment grid has been developed by Hertfordshire SACRE members to provide the statutory expected learning outcomes for the end of each key stage taken from Hertfordshire Agreed Syllabus for Religious Education 2017-2022 pages 18-22 wheels. For years 1, 3 and 5 new suggested non-statutory exemplars are provided in italics. In school training and consultancy on assessing RE is available from HfL. More information
Thursday 8th November 2018 |
Hertfordshire Primary Schools' PE and Sport Conference : Securing a Legacy for Healthy, Active Children through PE and School Sport
Herts for Learning is delighted to support and work in partnership with Herts Sports and Physical Activity Partnership, Youth Sport Trust and Sport England to deliver their sixth primary PE conference on 15 January 2019. More information
Wednesday 7th November 2018 |
Spring 2019 Training Programme
Herts for Learning (HfL) is pleased to announce that our spring 19 training programme for staff working in primary, including Early Years, and secondary phases has now been published on our booking site. More information
Monday 5th November 2018 |
Female Genital Mutilation - Home Office campaign
The Home Office is launching a Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) campaign on the 5th October and it will be running for eight weeks as part of their commitment to tackling this crime and protecting vulnerable women and girls. The campaign will support their ongoing work to tackle FGM, which includes an ongoing programme of outreach by the Home Office’s FGM Unit, work with law enforcement bodies, and working with partners to help ensure the Government’s response is as effective as it can be. The campaign seeks to help prevent FGM by changing attitudes among affected communities through raising awareness of the negative long-term health consequences of FGM. The campaign also encourages communities to report via the NSPCC’s FGM helpline. More information (pdf)
Monday 29th October 2018 |
HCSS Budgeting mid-year update
HCSS budgeting mid-year update for maintained schools is planned for release during half term. It will include the Teachers Pay Award along with other known changes and revised assumptions. IMPORTANT: The update will be presented as an optional update. It is strongly recommended that users lock any working scenarios that they wish to save prior to applying the update.
Details of the update will be available in a Financial Services bulletin planned to accompany the release of the software. More information
Tuesday 23rd October 2018 |
EpiPen and EpiPen Junior shortage – please ensure you are aware of the following information
Schools should be aware that there is currently a supply issue affecting EpiPen and that there is likely to be limited availability of EpiPen and EpiPen Junior for the remainder of 2018. More information (pdf)
Monday 22nd October 2018 |
Home Office guidance on county lines
This guidance outlines what county lines (and associated criminal exploitation) is, signs to look for in potential victims, and what to do about it. The document is a supplement to an organisation’s existing safeguarding policies, to help identify and protect those exploited through gang violence. More information
Monday 22nd October 2018 |
Hertfordshire Secondary Headteachers' Conferences 2018-19
Planned by headteachers, for headteachers, these conferences provides an ideal opportunity for leaders to hear from national experts, reflect on practice in their schools and strengthen collaboration on a local level. Book all three conferences by Friday 2nd November 2018 to receive a discount. More information
Monday 22nd October 2018 |
New management advisers introduced to support schools in maximising their resources and budgets
Herts for Learning will be providing 20 School Resource Management Advisers to work with schools across Hertfordshire, Bedfordshire, Buckinghamshire and the London boroughs. HfL are one of just nine providers across the country that have been awarded a contract to deliver this highly specialist service. More information
Friday 18th October 2018 |
Hertfordshire Teacher Recruitment Events
Herts for Learning is pleased to announce that they will be extending their Hertfordshire Teacher Recruitment Events brought to you by Teach in Herts to five events over the key teacher recruitment period November 2018 to May 2019 in three different locations in Hertfordshire. More information
Wednesday 17th October 2018 |
False Widow spiders - advice for schools
Given the media attention in previous years any risk posed from false widow spiders has got blown out of all proportion. It is normal to see more spiders at this time of year as they come indoors for warmth. False widow spiders are native to the UK, and are common in Southern England. They are most active at night; during the day they tend to remain within or near their webs. More information
Tuesday 16th October 2018 |
Herts for Learning announced as a finalist in the 2018 Hertfordshire Business Awards
Following the judging of the Awards, organised by Archant, Herts for Learning has been voted onto the shortlist in the ‘Large Business of the Year’ category. The Hertfordshire Business Awards 2018 seek to unearth the dynamic companies, pioneering entrepreneurs and the visionary and ambitious leaders, who are breaking boundaries and showcasing innovation. More information
Tuesday 16th October 2018 |
Stress management
Work related stress accounts for almost half of all working days lost across the UK, in the last 12 months almost half a million working days were lost in secondary schools due to stress, depression or anxiety. Updated risk assessments for schools and guidance. More information
Tuesday 16th October 2018 |
Compromised email accounts
A number of schools have recently had their email accounts compromised, in some cases with hackers potentially gaining information to contents of confidential emails. These might have resulted in personal data breaches under the GDPR. All school users should be aware of the risks around having easily guessable passwords (e.g. using the school name), with not changing passwords regularly or with sharing passwords. Subscribers to the HfL GDPR toolkit can refer to the advice on managing password security in the Data Security Policy template (added to the resources in September). More information (pdf)
Tuesday 16th October 2018 |
Herts for Learning announces impact of the Reception Early Reading Project Pilot
A new pilot project, delivered collaboratively by the Herts for Learning (HfL) English and Early Years team, has doubled the progress of struggling readers within a sound Early Years ethos. The Early Reading project pilot, which started in the autumn term of 2017, involved 53 pupils from nine schools in Hertfordshire. The aim of the pilot project was to improve outcomes in reading at the end of the Reception year, effectively closing gaps in children’s early reading skills and knowledge. More information
Tuesday 16th October 2018 |
Annual Early Years Conference: Play, Learn, Achieve – Wednesday 30th January 2019
This conference will focus on the importance of supporting children's learning and development through purposeful play to maximise achievement and is a must for teachers and Early Years practitioners working with children aged three to five years in Nursery and Reception classes. More information
Monday 15th October 2018 |
Hazard House – Fire safety for children and young adults
Hertfordshire Fire & Rescue Service has launched a new gameshow to teach children and young adults about fire safety. Hazard House pits two fire cadets against each other to find eight common fire hazards in the quickest time. The 12-minute mini-episode is available to watch here: Hazard House. Watch the episode with your class to help them learn about common fire hazards and encourage them to find hazards in their own homes.
Friday 12th October 2018 |
The Hertfordshire Headteacher Updates – 2018/2019
The dates for this year’s Hertfordshire Headteacher Updates have now been confirmed. Dates for your diary
Thursday 11th October 2018 |
Parental Drug and Alcohol Awareness workshops
Choices about drugs and alcohol might be made much earlier then many parents / carers realise, with some children exposed before they leave primary school. Whilst schools provide drug education for pupils, HCC builds on this by offering Parental Drug and Alcohol Awareness workshops to help families carry on learning together at home. More information
Thursday 11th October 2018 |
SAVE THE DATE - Hertfordshire Teacher Recruitment Events 2018-19
The Teacher Recruitment Event activities this year have been increased to 5 smaller events (based on our pilot model in Watford last February) located around Hertfordshire following the consultation completed with Headteachers at the end of the summer term. Booking forms for schools will be available shortly, but in the meantime – please save the dates! Dates and venues
Monday 8th October 2018 |
Availability of EpiPen® adrenaline auto-injector in the UK
See the Allergy UK and Epipen websites for the latest updates on supply issues of EpiPen® adrenaline auto-injector in the UK. For the remainder of 2018, EpiPen® and EpiPen® Junior will be subject to restricted availability. Some specific batches of 0.3mg Epi-pen ‘senior’ have now been extended for 4 months past their expiry date. The affected lot numbers, which have labelled expiry dates between July 2018 and November 2018, are listed here. (docx)
Wednesday 3rd October 2018 |
Herts for Learning Primary Headteachers’ Seminars: Autumn 2018
We are pleased to confirm the programme for the autumn term primary headteachers’ seminars. More information
Tuesday 2nd October 2018 |
School Nature Grant
Learning Through Landscapes are still encouraging schools to apply for their Local School Nature Grant. It couldn't be easier to apply for the handy grant; which includes £500 worth of outdoor resources and a two hour training session. Read their guidance here
Tuesday 2nd October 2018 |
