Welcome to West Berkshire Education

This site provides comprehensive information on all the services currently available to schools, academies and other organisations from West Berkshire Council. West Berkshire Council has a great deal of experience and expertise in providing support and services to schools. There are many benefits to buying services from the Local Authority: • We are committed to supporting schools to make the best possible use of their resources in order to maximise the impact on raising educational standards for pupils. • We have an experienced and highly trained workforce familiar with the work of schools and in the context in which they operate. • We ensure our services are compliant with legal requirements and national standards • We are committed to improving the lives of children.

Health and Wellbeing in Schools Update – January 2020 Live Well, Learn Well In the new issue of the Health and Wellbeing in Schools Hub we celebrate the current Peer Mentors in our secondary schools. Peer Mentors from six secondary schools came together at the annual conference in November. Have a look at the video to find out more https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wz7Vy-YUzAk During January many of us will be reflecting on positive changes we can make to support our health and wellbeing. Here are some ideas 5 Ways to Wellbeing The Five Ways to Wellbeing Framework was developed by the New Economics Foundation as a set of five evidence based actions that promote wellbeing. Based on the latest scientific evidence the simple actions, if taken regularly, can improve wellbeing and enhance quality of life. The Five Ways to Wellbeing are to: l Connect – connecting with others l Give – helping others l Be active – doing something active l Take Notice – taking notice of yourself and the world around you l Keep Learning – learning new things Find out more at https://info.westberks.gov.uk/fivewaystowellbeing Have a look at the 5 Ways to Wellbeing workshop developed for schools for Years 5, 6 and 7 children. Available to download at http://www.westberkseducation.co.uk/Page/12077 Action for Happiness Looking for a great way to start 2020? Try our Happy New Year calendar of daily actions to spread happiness throughout January. A new calendar is published for every month available at https://www.actionforhappiness.org/calendars Next month it is Children’s Mental Health Week 3rd – 9th February. Set up by children’s mental health charity Place2Be, the week shines a spotlight on the importance of children and young people’s mental health. This year’s theme is Find your Brave. https://www.childrensmentalhealthweek.org.uk/ Also in January’s Hub find out about Active Travel, resources for schools to deliver Relationships, Relationships and Sex and Health education and the calendar of events for January to March 2020.

Children’s Mental Health Week 3rd – 9th February 2020 Guide for schools Set up by children’s mental health charity Place2Be, the week shines a spotlight on the importance of children and young people’s mental health. This year’s theme is Find your Brave. Life is all about taking small brave steps every day. Bravery could be about sharing worries and asking for help when you need it, trying something new or making the right choices. From assembly guides and class activities, to top tips for pupils and parents, our free resources will help children and young people to explore what it means to Find your Brave. Download resources https://www.childrensmentalhealthweek.org.uk/schools-and-youth-groups/ In the guide there is information and ideas including Planting a Positivitree and 5 Ways to Wellbeing and the very important signposting guide for children , young people and school staff.

Ebug New online health and hygiene course open to teachers, foundation stage practioners, youth and community workers working with 4-18 year olds [starting January 13th] E-Bug, in collaboration with the British Society for Antimicrobial Chemotherapy (BSAC), have developed an E-Learning course for educators and community members who work with children and young people. It has been designed to improve the learner’s knowledge and confidence to deliver health education on microbes, preventing the spread of infection, and antibiotic use in an engaging and age-appropriate way. The course will be delivered through the FutureLearn website starting January 13th and will require participants to attend the following three two-hour sessions over three weeks. It is free to those who complete all three sessions. Week 1: Microbes, hand and respiratory hygiene Week 2: Food hygiene and oral hygiene Week 3: Antibiotics, vaccinations and self-care Find out more about the scheduling and register here This CPD opportunity will support educators delivering the new Health education subject. The Health and Wellbeing in Schools team has attended E-Bug training and has a set of primary and secondary E-Bug resources. Please do email if you would like to view the resources and find out more about the training.

Pupils and staff in schools are particularly susceptible to infections which increase over the winter months, such as seasonal influenza (flu) and stomach infections (such as norovirus). These can be very infectious and cause outbreaks in school settings due to close contact. The spread of these illnesses can be limited by infection control practices within the school. This briefing provides: 1. Key messages for head teachers and nursery leaders on winter preparedness. 2. Two checklists on flu and norovirus readiness, including when and how to report outbreaks. 3. Leaflets and further information on flu, norovirus, meningitis and measles.