support services
- alternative provision (7)
- complaints (1)
- education psychology (2)
- elective home education (EHE) (4)
- engage (3)
- English as additional language (2)
- human resources services to schools (including recruitment) (8)
- IT and information systems for schools (3)
- music service (3)
- SACRE (Standing Advisory Council for RE) (1)
- Schools' Forum (14)
- SEND (15)
- Solihull schools’ strategic accountability board (SSSAB) (35)
Solihull’s inclusion charter
The draft inclusion charter is now out for sign off to parents groups, schools through collaborative groups, early years settings, local authority, health and social care colleagues. It will be finalised and published in December 2019. Work on Solihull’s SEND strategy will be based on the values of the inclusion charter and will commence in November 2019.
Speech and language strategy
Six schools have just completed the first year of the ELKLAN pilot. This is a joint project delivered by SISS and the speech and language therapy service (SALT) aimed at supporting schools to gain communication friendly status.
A huge well done to the 27 school and SISS ARC support staff who have worked hard to achieve their level 3 award in speech and language support for 5-11 year olds. Five of the six schools are now beginning their level 4 award to become accredited communication friendly schools by the end of this academic year.
In addition, for 2019/20 we are running a pilot with SALT for early years ELKLAN, supporting eight settings to become communication friendly.
The ELKLAN projects are the next phase of delivering Solihull’s speech and language strategy. Language link continues to be used successfully in most schools, with particular successes for the language link training with parents.
Policy work
We are working alongside colleagues form adult services and schools to produce a draft policy for provision of equipment and a corporate manual handling policy. Policies will be finalised by Easter 2020.
Primary and secondary schools currently served by the Solihull catering service may have been notified directly from Parent Pay that the software allowing their tills to talk to the Parent Pay (e-payments) system will no longer be working as of 31 October 2019. Solihull catering service has stepped in to negotiate with the provider so that it will continue to operate safely until February 2020.
Solihull catering services will now go to the market this July to buy new tills and an associated operating system. It is anticipated that a new contract will be awarded by early October 2019. Once the new contract is in place each school will be contacted with regard to individual ‘go live’ dates once an implementation plan has been developed, with full implementation to be completed by February 2020.
This area of technology has developed significantly since the original rollout of the cashless system for schools. Alongside additional functionality that a new till will bring, there will also be further benefits for those schools wanting to support the healthy eating agenda. The new tills will provide improved data; helping both the caterer and schools to support pupils and parents to make better decisions about the food our children eat.
If you would like any further information please do not hesitate to contact us on cateringadmin@solihull.gov.uk
