{item_alt_tag}

Welcome to this edition of the Weekly Whistle.

As we look forward to the year ahead, we can do so with a genuine sense of optimism. Our collective endeavours through Terms 1 & 2 has meant that our children are now well placed to succeed at the end of the year.

The start of the calendar year presents as an opportunity to take a moment to reflect on the values that underpin our work and guide our direction of travel.

Collaboration in our family is the dynamic synergy of harnessing a shared vision and navigating across boundaries with equity and inclusivity. It involves skilfully working with and engaging others, fostering an environment where diverse perspectives thrive. This commitment extends to building and securing value from relationships, as well as the ongoing development of oneself and others, all aimed at achieving positive and meaningful outcomes for our entire community.

Aspiration in our school trust signifies fostering high expectations and modelling the delivery of exceptional outcomes. It's about embodying passion, persistence, and resilience, seeking creative solutions for continuous improvement and excellence. Through unwavering dedication, we inspire and empower all members of our school community to reach for their highest potential and contribute to a culture of continual growth and achievement.

Integrity within WeST is a steadfast commitment to always prioritise the interests of children and young people. It involves an unwavering adherence to strong moral and ethical principles, ensuring consistency in actions. We communicate with transparency and respect, fostering a working environment grounded in trust and honesty. Through these principles, we uphold the highest standards of conduct, creating a foundation of integrity that resonates throughout our entire school community.

Compassion within our trust is the heartfelt recognition of needs in others, coupled with intentional actions driven by positive intentions. It is the catalyst for promoting well-being and consistently striving to improve outcomes for the entire school community.

As is customary at this time of year, we are about to enter a busy period of recruitment. Indeed, we already have several leadership positions open for application.

It is worth signposting that we have moved to a new website platform for our advertising. We are now using MyNewTerm. Do take a moment to have a look at the website. Education Job Search | Find Teaching, Leadership & School Support Jobs (mynewterm.com

Best wishes, 

Rob Haring

CEO

Education Job Search | Find Teaching, Leadership & School Support Jobs

New Vacancy and Recruitment Platform!

We are pleased to share that WeST is now working with My New Term to promote employment opportunities across the entire trust.  WeST’s career page can be found here and you will see the platform enables us to promote roles across the whole trust while also raising awareness of each unique school.

Please do share this widely within your personal networks; we recognise that our staff will likely know others working in education and are key advocates in marketing our schools and harnessing efforts to attract talented colleagues to a range of job roles across WeST.

Link: https://mynewterm.com/trust/Westcountry-Schools-Trust/136557

Thank you

Flu Vaccinations 2023/2024

WeST continues to support staff wellbeing and is pleased to offer staff access to flu jab vaccinations this winter.


Following your feedback and market research, this year we have partnered with Doctorcall to deliver a limited number of flu vaccination vouchers to use at participating pharmacies. These vouchers are provided at no cost to staff members and we encourage all staff to take up the offer of a flu jab.

 

To request your flu vaccination
voucher, please visit here or
scan this QR code:

 

Flu vouchers can be used at one of the Doctorcall participating pharmacies, which include Tesco, Day Lewis, +Well and Asda.


To find a pharmacy near you and to book your appointment at a time and date which suits you, please visit: https://doctorcall.co.uk/pharmacy-finder


Please note if you would like to book with a +Well Pharmacy there are more location options listed directly on their website https://services.well.co.uk/
Flu vouchers are redeemable until 31 March.

For further information please contact WeST HR via hr@westst.org.uk

Wellbeing Webinars

 

At Westcountry Schools Trust we are committed to ensuring that all employees enjoy a healthy work culture with access to responsive and quality advice, support and wellbeing services.

With this in mind, we would like to highlight the wellbeing resources available to you on the Staff Portal. Here you are able to find further information regarding our Employee Assistance Programme with Care First, support for your mental health at work with Able Futures and top tips for managing stress.

As part of the staff wellbeing offer you are able to access a range of free webinar sessions via Care First and Able Futures, including:

‘Financial Wellbeing and Debt Advice’

A Care First webinar discussing debt advice provided by guest speaker Anthony Price at PayPlan, one of the UK’s free debt advice organisations.

Friday 12th January 2024 at 12pm.

To register: Click here

‘New Year Mental Health’

A light touch session on how you can set some goals and make some changes in 2024 provided by Able Futures.

Monday 15th January 2024 at 2pm.

To register: Click here

We hope you find these sessions of interest and value as part of our ongoing commitment to developing a culture of wellbeing at work.

Attendance at these webinars is completely confidential to you, as WeST will not be informed of any participant details.

Wesleyan have been delivering presentations to schools and colleges for over 15 years and we tend to find that professionals within Education are not aware of all the changes and benefits that are provided within their personal pension schemes. Understanding your pension, especially in a profession as pivotal as yours, is crucial for several reasons:

  • Securing Your Future: A pension is more than just a post-retirement benefit. It's a representation of your hard work, dedication, and commitment to education. Understanding your pension ensures you are prepared for the future and can retire with the security and dignity you deserve.

  • Making Informed Decisions: With frequent changes and reforms in pension schemes, having a clear grasp ensures you can make informed decisions, whether it's about additional contributions, retirement age, or choosing between pension options.

  • Financial Planning: Your pension is a significant part of your long-term financial strategy. Knowing the ins and outs helps in planning other financial aspects, like investments, savings, or even major life decisions such as buying a home or supporting a child's education.

  • Maximizing Benefits: Only when you're fully aware of the nuances of your pension scheme can you truly maximize its benefits. This could mean availing of specific grants, understanding tax implications, or knowing the right time to draw from it.

  • Early Retirement: While many teachers look forward to a well-deserved retirement, some are forced to retire early due to health issues or burnout. Understanding your pension can be a lifeline in such unexpected circumstances.

  • Opting Out: It's been observed that younger teachers sometimes opt out of pension schemes, not realizing the compounded benefits they'll miss out on in the future. Awareness and understanding are key to making informed decisions.

  • It's More Than Just Retirement: Your pension doesn't only provide retirement pensions. It also offers benefits related to death in service, ill-health retirement, and more.

FREE TO ATTEND WEBINARS

To help you get a better understanding of your current pension scheme, Wesleyan will be running a series of webinars on both the Teachers' and Local Government Pension Schemes, providing a thorough breakdown of:

  • The benefits provided for both yourself and your loved ones
  • How much you contribute and how your retirement income will be calculated
  • The various changes that have happened within the scheme and which pot your pension fund accumilation falls within
  • The McCloud Judgement and understanding the letter you have received
  • How to maximise your pension allowance and increase your retirement funds

Our webinars are free to attend and last between 45-60 minutes, including a live Q&A session at the end. To book your place, please click on the link below relevant to your pension below and register your details on Microsoft Teams.

Local Government Pension Scheme webinar

Tuesday 16th January at 3.45pm - Click here to register

Tuesday 13th February at 6.30pm - Click here to register

Teachers' Pension Scheme webinar

Thursday 18th January at 3.45pm - Click here to register

Thursday 15th February at 6.30pm - Click here to register

{item_alt_tag}

Happier January 2024

{item_alt_tag}
{item_alt_tag}

Internal vacancy: 

Plympton St Maurice Primary School are seeking to appoint a Cleaner (Temporary).

Location: Plympton St Maurice Primary School

Terms: Casual worker claims, up to 10 hours per week

Pay: Grade A, SCP2 = £11.59 per hour plus holiday pay (at 12.07%)

Time: This can be worked in the morning before school or after school. It can be some days or all 5 work days. This will be up to February half term in the first instance.

Duties: During an exceptional period, providing additional support to maintain a clean and safe environment around the school. Duties will include hoovering, wiping tables/work surfaces, and potentially some mopping. The Caretaker on site will be supporting with oversight and direction of priority duties.

Recruitment update:

We are delighted to inform you of the following exciting career opportunities within our Trust:- 

For more information on the above vacancies, please click here.

Coombe Dean are seeking to fill the following vacancies:

HLTA - Reading and Literacy Intervention - are looking to appoint an enthusiastic and inspirational HLTA. The successful candidate will be a hard-working individual with high expectations and an unwavering determination to get the best outcomes for students.  For more information, please click here. Closing date: 19 January 2024.

Eggbuckland Community College are seeking to fill the following vacancies:

 Casual Examination Invigilators - Successful candidates will support the exams administrators with the day-to-day operation of examination venues. Duties may include reading and/or scribing for students with special needs. Closing date: On-going.

Cover Supervisors x2 - Eggbuckland currently require two Cover Supervisors to provide supervision of classes/groups of students in the absence of teachers. Closing date: 6 February 2024.  

For more information on the above vacancies, please click here.

Holbeton Primary School are looking to fill the following vacancies: 

Teaching Assistant - Holbeton are seeking an enthusiastic and caring Teaching Assistant and Mealtime Assistant to provide support to children within our school.  In this role, you will work closely with targeted children to help them access the curriculum, participate in activities, and reach their full potential. Closing date: 24 January 2024.

After School Club Supervisor - Holbeton currently require an after school club supervisor to provide supervision. You will be required to assist in the day to day organisation of the after school club provision, providing high standards of care and play opportunities for our children who attend from our school. Closing date: 24 January 2024.

After School Club Assistant - Holbeton currently require an after school club assistant to work alongside the after school club supervisor. You will be required to assist in the day to day organisation of the after school club provision, providing high standards of care and play opportunities for our children who attend from our school. Closing date: 24 January 2024.

For more information on the above vacancies, please click here. 

Ivybridge Community College are looking to appoint a Casual Examination Invigilator. Hours of work are by negotiation, to cover examination sessions throughout the year. The ability to work at least three days a week during the peak times in May and June. A full day, morning (start 8.30am) and afternoon sessions are offered. Closing date: On-going.

Senior Administrator - The Senior Administrator will provide a high standard of secretarial and administrative support to assist with the smooth operation of the organisation. 

For more information on the above vacancies, please click here.

Plympton St. Maurice Primary School are seeking to appoint a Mealtime Assistant. Plympton St Maurice are looking for an enthusiastic and friendly colleague to join our lunchtime team. The successful candidate will be part of a small team monitoring the children and engaging them in positive play, whilst ensuring good behaviour. For more information, please click here. 

Plymstock School are looking to fill the following vacancies: 

Exam Invigilators - The post holders will be a confident and reassuring presence to students whilst providing supervision within an exam room. Duties will include assisting the Exams Team in ensuring examinations are carried out to the correct guidelines. For more information, please click here. Closing date: On-going.

Westcountry Schools Trust is seeking to appoint an exceptional individual with vision, energy and inspirational leadership to the position of Headteacher at Boringdon Primary School. They will be required to provide and model outstanding leadership to secure its continued improvement journey, ensuring high quality education for all its students and improved standards of achievement. For more information, please click here. Closing date: 15 January 2024.

Woodford Primary School is looking to appoint a KS2 Class Teacher (Fixed Term) - Maternity Cover. Woodford are looking to appoint an inspirational classroom practitioner to cover a fixed term maternity leave starting March 2024 until 31st December 2024. The successful candidate will be expected to have excellent research-based practice in curriculum and curriculum delivery with a genuine drive to achieve the highest standards for all children. For more information, please click here. Closing date: 24 January 2024.