Coronavirus - UPDATED Wednesday 01/07/2020 
Public Health and HCC are regularly updating their advice and information for schools on Coronovirus and links to the latest news to keep you up to date on this rapidly evolving situation.
Latest: Go to: Coronavirus latest updates and guidance
 Coronavirus FAQs for schools - (26/06/2020) Updated
Medium term planning framework from HfL and HCC - 29/06/2020 New
COVID-19 update - Tania Rawle, Head of School Standards and Accountability -
(26/06/2020)
IMPORTANT NOTICE: REMOTE ACCESS TO CORONAVIRUS INFORMATION |
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Top-up High Needs Funding (HNF) and Local High Needs Funding (LHNF) in mainstream schools
The SEND Funding in Mainstream Schools Banding Tool is now available. This sets out Hertfordshire’s approach to funding the special educational provision expected for children and young people in a mainstream school or early years setting. There is a guide in the tool that will explain how the different sections and tabs (worksheets) within the Excel tool operate and what information is required to ensure it works as expected. Read more
Thursday 2nd July 2020 |
Important announcement from Herts for Learning Data Management Services and Capita ESS
Capita announced this week that they are to sell Education Software Services, this is the Capita division that is responsible for the SIMS Software that many of you use for your MIS. A Statement was emailed out to all customers from Andy Bennett, Managing Director of Capita Education Software Services. If you have not received the email then you can access it here.
Data Management Services attended a briefing call with Andy Bennett this week and can advise that there is no need to be concerned, this will not affect the service you receive from HfL DMS or Capita ESS. As far as HfL DMS and Capita ESS are concerned it is business as usual and you will see no change in your support. We will endeavour to keep you informed as the sale progresses but if you do have any concerns then please feel free to contact us via the ICT Service Desk.
Friday 26th June 2020 |
Top-Up High Needs Funding (HNF) – Interim arrangements for extraordinary cases
The new system for funding CYP with High Needs in Mainstream Schools will begin from September 2020. There is more information on children and young people with EHCPs in place from 1st September 2020 and Early Years children starting in September Find out more
Tuesday 23rd June 2020 |
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Armed Forces Day school toolkits
This year, Armed Forces Day is 27 June and is a chance to show support for the men and women who make up the Armed Forces community. The Armed Forces Day website has a lot of helpful information and provides toolkits for both Key stage 2 and Key stage 3 to get involved. Read more
Tuesday 16th June 2020 |
Fake invoices – protect your school
It appears the head teachers and other school member’s emails have been compromised and fake invoices are being sent to finance. Take care and follow action plans to protect your school from fake invoices. Read more
Friday 12th June 2020 |
Herts for Learning summer training update
Since the start of April we have taken more than 2,800 bookings for delegates on a programme of over 100 courses, seminars and conferences and as you will be aware, due to Covid-19, we have responded by switching our training programme to purely online delivery and have continued to update to the programme to respond to feedback from schools and the ongoing and continually developing situation. Details of all the courses available for the balance of term are available on this link: HfL-DigitalTraining-summer2020 or via HfL CPD Hub
Thursday 11th June 2020 |
Important information - insurance renewals 2020
Last year we asked you to complete the online Insurance Recharge form which is a new way of asking you for your Annual Travel Scheme, Third Party Hirers and Computer declarations. We would now like you to complete and submit this form for this year. The Insurance Recharge form can be found in your list of forms when you log in to The Schools On Line Electronic Returns and Outputs (SOLERO). Please complete and submit this form by Tuesday 30th June 2020. Failure to send this to us by the deadline date will result in your school being recharged using the information we currently have. If you do have any questions, please email insurance@hertfordshire.gov.uk.
Monday 8th June 2020 |
Bereavement support for students
Teachers need to support pupils as much as possible if they are dealing with family bereavement. Lessons on change, loss and bereavement should be taught in the classroom as part of a planned programme of PSHE education. Pupils should engage with this complex and sensitive topic in discussions and activities facilitated by a teacher, within a safe classroom environment.
However, at times when there has been a bereavement in the school community the priority is for pastoral care rather than preventative education, so we would direct teachers to Child Bereavement UK, Winston’s Wish, Hope Again and Grief Encounter. All offer excellent guidance that teachers may find useful to forward to parents and pupils, as well as helpline options. Read more
Monday 1st June 2020 |
Financial Services Helpline closed for training
The Financial Services Helpline will be closed for training on Tuesday 2nd June. Cases can still be raised and will be addressed on the Helpline’s return.
Monday 1st June 2020 |
New HfL and HCC funded Covid 19 return to school primary English resources
The HfL primary English advisers have produced a FREE and comprehensive suite of ‘return to school’ resources that can be used by teachers/teaching assistants to engage their groups in exciting and purposeful book-based learning activities from Monday 1st June and over the summer term. Find out more
Friday 29th May 2020 |
New Grid website - user testing task
Thank you to everyone who responded to the first user testing task we sent out.
Monday 26th May 2020 |
Returning to school – audit of needs
The Educational Psychology Service are creating a resource to help schools support the wellbeing of children and families in the return to school. To make sure this is matching the needs of parents, we would like to hear from school leaders and parents about any concerns you have and the support you would be interested in receiving. The survey should take less than 5 minutes to complete and can be accessed by the following links: School leaders survey: https://app.sli.do/event/nlkbwgkc and Parent survey: https://app.sli.do/event/l9wyw5z8
Monday 18th May 2020
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Family First News: Covid-19 special edition
Whilst our services are all adapting and working differently we want to ensure we stay in touch with our partners and continue to share some of the key information that is being sent our way. We will continue to update and add to this special Covid19 edition of the Families First News which we hope you will find valuable. Families First Newsletter: Covid-19
Friday 15th May 2020 |
Cycle to Work Scheme - June 2020
The cycle to work salary sacrifice scheme will be running throughout June 2018, to help with the cost of new bicycles and cycling equipment up to £2,000. The scheme will be open from 1st – 30th June 2020. Cycle to Work Scheme
Friday 15th May 2020 |
Impact of Covid-19 on NQT induction
Herts for Learning has produced some guidance about the changes to the NQT process due to the impact of Covid-19. NQT induction and Covid-19
Wednesday 13th May 2020 |
Herts SACRE Newsletter for Schools – RE teaching resources
A special Hertfordshire SACRE Newsletter for Schools with information about resources to help teachers with their online teaching resources. RE News
Monday 11th May 2020 |
Britannica Digital Learning
Britannica is a safe, cloud-based resource library. It is differentiated, updated every 20 minutes, matches the curriculum and is translated into over 120 languages. This site is accessible for the least to the most able. Britannica Digital Learning
Wednesday 6th May 2020 |
COVID 19 – Temporary extension of FSM eligibility to NRPF groups
This article provides guidance about the extension measure put in place by DfE and how schools should support families with applications. Temporary extension of FSM eligibility to NRPF groups
Tuesday 5th May 2020 |
Important update to SFVS requirements
As part of the approach to reducing information collection and reporting burdens on Schools during this challenging period, the Department for Education have this week removed the requirement for the Council to submit the CFO Annual Assurance Statement for the School’s Financial Value Standards. For Hertfordshire schools, we would still recommend the completion and return of outstanding SFVS returns, but with an extended timeline for submission to the Local Authority of September 2020 (with this timeline subject to further review where required). Update to SFVS requirements
Tuesday 5th May 2020 |
New Grid website - volunteers needed for user testing
Despite the Covid-19 pandemic and the shift in all our priorities, we are starting work on the development of the new Grid website as commissioned by HCC. Feedback from schools will be important in shaping the website and ensuring it meets your needs so we are looking for volunteers from schools to take part in online user testing (10-15 minutes each time) over the next few weeks. Ideally from a range of roles in schools (heads, SBMs, teachers, school office staff), to reflect all users of the Grid. How to get involved
Thursday 30th April 2020 |
Changes to Exceptional Needs Funding (ENF)
We have reviewed the way in which we currently meet complex (high) needs in schools through ENF. Both nationally and locally, there is a rising need for support for pupils with complex needs in mainstream schools and nurseries. This has an impact on how we spend money we have across the education system. The review highlighted the concerns of education providers and parents/carers about ENF, and their views that children and young people are not all getting the funding they need. The review is part of our commitment to make sure that funding is sustainable for schools and nurseries in the future so that they can fully meet children and young people’s needs. Read more
Wednesday 29th April 2020 |
Diabetes 4 T's campaign
Diabetes UK have re-launched the 4 T’s campaign to raise awareness of signs and symptoms of Type 1 diabetes in children & young people. This is especially important currently when people may delay or avoid seeking medical advice or treatment because of social distancing measures due to the coronavirus pandemic. 4 T's campaign
Tuesday 28th April 2020 |
Summer training and events: leading the way in digital delivery
In response to the continuing Covid-19 situation we have taken the decision to rationalise our summer programme of training and events. Approximately one third of courses originally scheduled to be delivered face-to-face during the summer term will now be delivered digitally, focusing on areas where demand from schools and settings is likely to be greatest. Read more
Monday 27th April 2020 |
Online safety at home
The #OnlineSafetyAtHome hashtag has been created by the NCA-CEOP Thinkuknow Education Team to support parents and carers during COVID-19 and the closure of schools. Each fortnight, the team release new home activity packs with simple 15 minute activities parents and carers can do with their child to support their online safety at home. Read more
Thursday 23rd April 2020 |
Get involved with #iSchoolation
We want to see what imaginative, creative or artistic methods teachers and parents in the county are using to educate their and pupils and children. We’re running a social media campaign called #iSchoolation where people can share all the great examples of home learning that they’ve witnessed during the lockdown and take some inspiration from others in the same situation. Read more
Wednesday 22nd April 2020 |
New Relationships Education or RSE School Policy Review service launched for summer 2020
Schools will be finalising their Relationships Education or RSE (Relationships and Sex Education) policies in the summer term 2020 to ensure that they are fully compliant with their new statutory duties from September 2020. The HfL Wellbeing team are offering a new RSE policy check and review service for schools who would like to be sure their policy meets all requirements. Find out more
Monday 20th April 2020 |
New home learning resources
You may be feeling anxious or concerned about continuing to provide the best support for LGBT children and young people in the face of school and youth group closures. We know that for many LGBT children and young people, schools and youth groups can be some of the most important sources of support and community in their lives - being apart from teachers, group leaders, friends and peers may feel scary and isolating right now. Stonewall have produced a range of free downloadable activity packs and educational resources that can be used in the classroom with children and young people still attending school, or at home for those who are now being cared for by family and friends. Read more
Tuesday 14th April 2020 |
Update to Child Protection Policy
Additional information has been added to the Child Protection Policy for Coronavirus (COVID-19): Safeguarding in schools, colleges and other settings as well as interim DfE Safeguarding Guidance. Child Protection Policy
Tuesday 7th April 2020 |
Online safety newsletters - Summer 2020
With many school staff and Early Years practitioners currently supporting pupils and their families at home and online, the HfL Wellbeing team have brought forward the publication of the summer term School Staff and Parents and Carers HfL Online Safety Newsletters. The newsletters feature a wealth of helpful links, guidance, news and updates. Please feel free to download the School Staff and / or Parents and Carers version and share it with your schools’ parent body and your personal and professional networks. Online safety newsletters
Monday 30th March 2020 |
Insurance - engineering inspections
Further to our previous update we have now received the below from HSB Engineering:
Following the latest UK government update on Monday 23 March, we made a difficult decision to pause our inspection services whilst we sought guidance from the HSE and SAFed as to the approach required for statutory inspections. As of Thursday 26 March, we will be continuing with our inspections in accordance with the latest HSE and SAFed guidance.
Monday 30th March 2020 |
HICs Customers - RM SSL Connect (VPN) Service Improvements
We have had several reports from schools who have been experiencing VPN connection issues and have been in discussions with RM to identify how we can jointly support you as effectively as possible.
Within the next 24 hours the following changes will take place:
- All schools will each be upgraded from 10 concurrent sessions to 50
- The HICs network was previously capped at 500 concurrent connections. Burst capacity will be enabled for up to 2500 connections
- The duration of user connections timing out when they are inactive has been reduced to 10 minutes. This will reduce the amount of connections which are left dormant, making them available for others to use.
We hope this will drastically improve the effectiveness of the service during this difficult period of time and we will continue to monitor the situation closely, but if you do continue to experience any issues, please contact the Service Desk on 01438 844777 (Option 2).
Friday 27th March 2020 |
Fraud - Thank you letters from DfE
Fraudsters are sending out Thank You letters to teachers allegedly from the Department for Education. Watch out for scam messages, from unknown email addresses, Don’t click on the links or attachments in suspicious emails, and never respond to unsolicited messages and calls that ask for your personal or financial details. Fraud advice
Friday 27th March 2020 |
RE support through Coronavirus
RE Today, in parentship with NATRE, have produced a series of free, quality-assured online resources to support parents and their children with the provision of RE activities for use during the coronavirus crisis. These resources are available for anyone to access at: www.natre.org.uk
Friday 27th March 2020 |
Scam email being sent to parents asking for bank details if they are Free School Meals
HCC has received reports that a scam email is being sent to parents, asking them for bank details if they have children who qualify for Free School Meals. Please could all schools send out a communication to their parents, warning them about this scam email. In addition, it may be sensible to remind them not to give out private information (such as bank details or passwords), reply to text messages, download attachments or click on any links in emails if you’re not sure they’re genuine. Please see this government link for further helpful information: www.gov.uk/report-suspicious-emails-websites-phishing.
Wednesday 25th March 2020 |
Covid-19 Important notices from the Child Protection Team
Temporary closure of the Consultation Hub for child protection advice and team cover and contacts. More information
Cancellation of all
CPSLO training. More information
Wednesday 18th March 2020 |
Reading Well for children – books to help you feel better
A booklist has been developed which is targeted at children in Key Stage 2 (aged 7-11). It includes a wide range of reading levels to support less confident readers, and to encourage children to read together with their siblings and carers.
The books are all categorised for different aged children and relate to informative subjects and topics. More information
Wednesday 18th March 2020 |
Covid-19 - school users of HCC/Serco payroll & transactions services (For action by schools)
A summary off the steps being taken by Serco to ensure the continuation of payroll services for schools and to re-assure employees that they will continue to receive their salaries. More information
Wednesday 18th March 2020 |
How to talk to children about Covid-19
The PSHE Association’s has published advice on how to respond to any questions from pupils on the coronavirus in PSHE lessons. Please see the guidance. More information
Wednesday 18th March 2020 |
Travel insurance policy update - Coronavirus
In light of Covid-19, updated information on the current travel situation for travelling within the UK, including the Channel Islands and travelling overseas has been made available. More information
Tuesday 17th March 2020 |
Coronavirus scams - protect yourself
Fraudsters are sending out coronavirus-themed phishing emails in an attempt to trick people into opening malicious attachments or revealing sensitive personal and financial details. Watch out for scam messages: Don’t click on the links or attachments in suspicious emails, and never respond to unsolicited messages and calls that ask for your personal or financial details. Prevent Fraud by improving your processes and follow some simple tips from the Shared Anti-Fraud Service. How to protect your school
Monday 16th March 2020 |
The National Award for SEN Coordination for Hertfordshire SENCOs
All SENCOs new-to-role since 2009 must successfully complete the National Award for SEN Coordination within three years of coming into post.
The Award is a mandatory qualification which the Eastern Partnership UK (SEND) (hosted by Herts for Learning) has been delivering successfully since January 2010. Completion of the National Award ensures a high level of knowledge and skills required to lead on the development of policy and practice for children and young people with special educational needs in schools and settings. More information
Thursday 12th March 2020 |
Budget Preparation 2020-21
Financial services have issued the 2020-21 Budget Preparation Guide for schools. More information
Wednesday 11th March 2020 |
Shut Out: The experiences of LGBT young people not in education, training and work
Stonewall’s new report, with BritainThinks, shines a light on the experiences of LGBT young people. Until now, as recognised by the Government Equalities Office in 2016, no research on LGBT inequalities has existed. Shut Out uncovers the specific challenges that lead many LGBT young people to become disengaged from education, training and work, alongside the obstacles many face to re-entry. Read more
Wednesday 4th March 2020 |
