Norwich Opportunity Area Newsletter January 2020
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NORWICH OPPORTUNITY AREA SCHOOL NEWSLETTER January 2020 Norwich Opportunity Area Newsletter IN THIS ISSUE Happy New Year 2020! What’s changedIssue in the NOA? Date Page 2 Norwich know that the work to transform Congratulations and thank you to all who life chances is more than a three year An ELSA in every year group Page 3 have given their time and energy over the programme, but we share a Hub Schools and Settings Page 4 last couple of years to help improve social determination to use it, and welcome a mobility for children and young people in fourth year of the programme, to Hub Schools and Settings Page 5 Norwich. The value of this place-based accelerate progress towards a more approach has been recognised in the equitable society. All in education know Community CC’s Page 6 extension by the Government of the the power of education in changing Opportunity Area programme into a society and providing opportunities to all, Research School Page 7 fourth year. regardless of background. University of East Anglia Page 8 This has been an unusual Government The NOA Partnership Board has the Page initiative, with a strong emphasis on local privilege of representing you in the work What a difference a day makes 9 leadership and freedom to design local with Government and in bringing Transition Page 10 solutions. Here in Norwich, we have had together the work of the working groups. such active working groups for each of We look forward to the energy from 14th Bridging Project Page 11 the OA priorities that commitment to January conference to drive forward work continuing the work is now clear, across all the priority areas and hope that Norwich 2040 vision Page 12 regardless of the additional funding that you find the information in this we are looking to secure. The big newsletter helpful in your work to Wensum 2040 vision Page 13 achieve the ambitions you have for the priorities are now so well supported that Community Innovation fund Page 14 there is clear commitment to networks young people for whom you are continuing to drive forward each priority responsible. Parent Sessions Page 15 well beyond them being supported by the Department for Education. Norwich Opportunities Fair Page 16 With a new Government in place, now is Enterprise adviser network Page 17 the time to help set the agenda for the children and young people who most EAN Case studies Page 18 need their voices heard, those who have Youth Board Page 19 not had the same opportunities as their more advantaged peers. All who have Tim Coulson, Chair of Norwich Opportunity Dates for your diary Page 20 worked with communities across Area Partnership Board NORWICH OPPORTUNITY AREA NEWSLETTER 2 ‘What’s Changed in the NOA?’ Conference In September the ‘What’s changed in the NOA?’ conference took place at The Nest. This was a chance to take some time at the end of the first two years of the NOA to reflect on what activity looked like in schools and colleges, and ensure the programme is focussed on the right things as we go into the final year. This had great attendance and we heard from many speakers about the impact they are seeing. Jo Philpott, Headteacher at City of Norwich School spoke about the their classes. impact of coming together as a group of secondary headteachers. We were grateful to have John Morse with us to speak on behalf of local employers about careers. We were also joined by students from Mile Cross Primary with their headteacher Stuart Allen, who spoke about how the school has tackled disadvantage over the years. Lastly, we had a Questions and To see what has changed in the NOA Answers session with a panel from you can read the full paper here Cecilia Basnett from Bignold Primary the NOA Partnership Board. told us about the usefulness of the Communication Champion training and how beneficial it has been to network with other schools. The chance to network was also highlighted by Jo Brown, Principal at Charles Darwin Primary, when talking about the Inclusion Charter. Natalie Freeman from The Hewett Academy praised the Career Facilitator network, explaining that teachers are seeing the impact in NORWICH OPPORTUNITY AREA NEWSLETTER 3 An ELSA in every year group At Mile Cross Primary School, we have something had ELSA (Emotional Literacy Support happens. It’s Assistant) support in place for several impacted on the years now, but with an ever-growing way I interact number of children experiencing with children in social, emotional and mental health the school and difficulties, waiting times for support supported me in had become too lengthy. developing really positive relationships.” With this new skill base in school, we are Whole School ELSA assembly also developing a Young Carers (November 29th, 2019) network, establishing a system for A grant from the Inclusion Fund has another vulnerable group of children Year 6 pupil, Cyrus Horth says enabled us to train three additional requiring dedicated support. about his ELSA time; “It had members of staff as ELSAs (with quite an effect on me because I NOA funding has given us the another four due to be trained by was pushing everyone away at January). This training has given opportunity to up-skill and develop the start and I questioned it at members of staff the skills and key staff in order to create a first, but it really helped because sustainable programme in school. We I could get everything out and re- confidence to support children with a arrange it. It was nice to have wide range of difficulties such as have already seen the impact in terms bereavement, family break up, anger of our provision and our school someone who didn’t just say I culture, but also, more significantly, understand.” and anxiety management. the impact on individual children who We have refurbished our ELSA room have participated in ELSA sessions. to create a more comfortable and Their difficulties have not inviting space and purchased new disappeared, but these children have resources conducive to delivering been helped to develop coping This project has already made a effective ELSA sessions. strategies; building their resilience, difference in our school and will self-esteem and confidence. These continue to benefit our school, our All our ELSAs are class-based support are skills that our children will be able children and our families, now and in staff. They have dedicated 1:1 time to develop further throughout their the future. for ELSA sessions but can also deal lives. with issues as they arise in the Eileen Maceachern classroom and the wider school; supporting children at the times they SENCO need it most. Evette Styles, one of our Mile Cross Primary School newly trained ELSAs reflected, “the https://www.elsa-support.co.uk/ training has made me really stop and think about how I’m responding when NORWICH OPPORTUNITY AREA NEWSLETTER 4 Lakenham EY Hub Schools and Settings Primary A NOA EY Hub School or Setting is refine provision in our own School- an educational provision that has schools; auditing our practice and It has been great been selected by the NOA to completing staff training to ensure meeting lots of become a ‘centre of excellence’ that teaching and learning other settings included in the NOA around Speech, Language and interactions and environments are Communication Champions and Communication Needs (SLCN). communication friendly. EY Hub Schools project and having Each school/setting will develop Working alongside our Community the opportunity to share best its own area of expertise and as a Communication Champion, Oliver practice between each setting has result, will lead in sharing Joyce, we’ve been exploring been beneficial to all. knowledge and best practice opportunities to engage families We are excited to think about the around this aspect of SLCN with and have successfully held Café- opportunities arising in the near the rest of the NOA and beyond. style events to share the key future and look forward to sharing strategies that we learnt in our these with others. training. Catton Grove and Mile The network meetings being held From next term, we will be are growing with every session and Cross Primary Schools are offering training for staff in Sign-a- working in partnership as lots of valuable information and long and Word Aware. We’re best practice is being shared. This looking forward to a programme means that awareness of SLCN is The North Norwich of reciprocal visits within our Communication Hub. being raised and a variety of network, and to growing our techniques to tackle this are being network to include a wider range used in multiple settings. of practitioners. As a hub school we offer CPD Our next network meeting is on opportunities surrounding SLCN th Tuesday 11 February 4.00- including Sign Along training and 6.00pm at Mile Cross Primary workshops for Word Aware. School. For anyone who would like to join the Lakenham Network and Our vision is to create a centre of If you would like to attend, please become a part of raising the excellence for the development of contact: awareness for SLCN, please speech, language and contact us: Cathy Bryan, communication skills. This will CC and nursery teacher at Jessica Bell and Tracey directly benefit our catchment Catton Grove Primary School Hawthorne families by improving outcomes for children and by creating a base [email protected] Lakenham Primary from which excellent practice Communication Champions and across the primary phase will be or Eileen Maceachern, Hub School disseminated to other schools and CC and SENCO at settings.