Just as it seems that schools have got into the full swing of the Autumn term, we have a bank holiday weekend. This is an unexpected change, under very sad circumstances, but I hope this might be an early opportunity for you to recharge. There has been much significant change socially and politically during the last few years, and as always it is the role of schools to offer the continued routines and stability that keep young people safe and focussed on learning. This is exhausting work!

There has rightly been a national focus on getting children back to school following the Covid related closures. Young people only have 190 days in school and the last week has again tested the interpretation of ‘exceptional circumstances’. The overriding priority will always be for young people to be in school rather than not, as it is sadly most often those with the poorest attendance who need to be in school the most. Having a robust policy of not authorising term time absence, whilst celebrating good attendance will go a long way to supporting this. Please do also reach out to our attendance service for guidance and help.

I attended an Ofsted conference last Friday. This highlighted an inspector focus on the meaningful adaptation of activities to ensure all learners, particularly those with SEND, can access the full curriculum. This access is underpinned by teachers confidently knowing the component knowledge, or building blocks, that support current learning for learners of all abilities. This is not a new theme, but as we all know, something that can be difficult for teachers to achieve in practice. Making the most of professional development opportunities and shared practice is integral to them honing their craft. Camden, as a school led community, offers many opportunities for the sharing of best practice and staff development. I hope that you have been able to encourage staff to engage with the various NPQs, subject network events and courses that are taking place, and are seeking to use this to complement your own in-house provision. There is more information on these below. We are also holding two events to update school leaders who are anticipating an Ofsted inspection this year: Ofsted ‘Good to Know’ Briefing for Secondary Headteachers and Senior Leaders with Lisa Gorman on the 28th September and a session for middle leaders on the fundamentals of their role and the deep dive process with Prue Barnes- Kemp on the 4th October 2022, 4 – 5:30pm. More details here

You will recently have been sent a link to a survey to feedback on Camden Learning services – your feedback will help define our future offer so I hope that you can find the time to complete this. There will be more information on hubs and initiatives later this month

In the meantime have a great weekend when it comes.

Stephen Hall

Chief Executive Officer, Camden Learning