Welcome to this term’s final edition of the ‘Whistle’. As you read this there is just one teaching day until the end of term for our children.

The constant demands of this term have been colossal, but, somehow, we have risen to the challenge. We have experienced an ‘ebb and flow’ of children and staff either testing positive for coronavirus or having to self-isolate. Having said this, the distribution of disruption has not been even across our schools. Some have experienced repeated ‘bubble’ collapses whereas other schools have remained unaffected.

This week saw us having to instruct nearly 400 WeST children to have to self-isolate for ten days. I think this is a clear indication that the rate of infection continues to increase and that there is no room for complacency.

From a recruitment perspective, I am delighted to inform everyone of two recent WeST appointments:

· Karl Sampson as Director of Secondary School Improvement. Karl is currently Assistant Regional Director for Ofsted in the SW region and will bring with him a wealth of knowledge from across the education sector.

· Rachael Boothman as Executive Director of Mathematics. Rachael is based in London and currently works for a well established Multi Academy Trust as their National Lead Practitioner for Mathematics.

Both will be taking up their new posts from 1st September 2021.

Finally, a gigantic thank you for all that you have done and a wish that you will all take the opportunity to switch off and find some time to rest and relax with your family and friends in your Christmas Bubble and enjoy the festive season.

Best wishes

Rob Haring, CEO

Recruitment update:

We are delighted to inform you that there are a number of exciting career opportunities within our Trust:-

Callington Community College are looking to appoint the following:- 

  • Assistant Principal - to help drive the development and delivery of a motivating and engaging curriculum and continually develop the quality of teaching and learning. Starting April 2020. For further details click here.
  • Learning Recovery Manager - Salary Grade G (£19,863-£24,491 per annum, pro rata), 37 hours per week (term time only plus 5 inset days). For more information click here.

Plymstock School have a vacancy for a Designated Safeguarding Lead -required from February 2021. This is a permanent, full-time, all year round post – minimum 37 hours pw x 52 weeks pa (required to work such hours as necessary to meet the demands of the job). Annual leave in this role will normally be taken during school holidays. Please note that this is a support staff role, with no teaching load. Salary – Grade H - Plymouth SCP 30 – 34  £33,782 - £37,890. Closing Date: 9am – Friday 8 January 2021. For more information please visit the school's website here.

Chaddlewood Primary School are looking to appoint a Cleaner to start on  11/01/2021. This would be for 14.15 hours per week/41 weeks per year.  If you are interested in the vacancy, please contact Lynn Ebsworth via lebsworth@chaddlewoodschool.org.uk

Buckfastleigh Primary School have a Teaching Assistant vacancy - Grade: NJC C 4-6 /Fixed Term until 31st August 2021/Term-time, 26.25 hours per week (38 weeks per annum). For more information please click here.

 

Sherford Vale School have the following vacancies:- 

  • Class Teacher in EYFS - Hours: up to 0.58 FTE (Thursday and Friday in EYFS plus 2 x afternoons PPA cover in KS1), however would consider 0.4 FTE for interim period. Terms: MPS/UPS. This is an exciting opportunity for a current WeST colleague to undertake a short period of additional part time work at Sherford Vale School. The school will be undertaking a full recruitment process however in the meantime, we are seeking interest from any current colleagues to take up some additional part time work on a short Fixed Term Contract basis from January 2021 onwards. For an informal discussion regarding this role, please contact Mrs Susie Evans (Interim Headteacher) on 01752 891795. If you would like to be considered for this opportunity please submit a written expression of interest (up to 1 side of A4 max) detailing a personal statement of your interest and value you’d bring to the opportunity to admin@sherfordvaleschool.co.uk by Midday on Friday 18th December 2020.

  • Temporary, part-time Class Teacher – EYFS - 0.58 FTE (Thursday and Friday in EYFS plus 2 x afternoons PPA cover in KS1). Salary: MPS/UPS £14,136-£23,484 (0.58 fte)/£24,373 - £40,490 (Full-time salary).

  • Permanent, Nursery Practitioner - 25 hours per week. Salary: Grade C £18,933 - £19,698 (Full-time salary).

  • Permanent, Two Full-time Teaching Assistants @ 26.25hrs per week. One Part-time Teaching Assistant @ 15.75hrs per week - Salary:  Grade B £18,198 - £18,562 (Full-time salary).

  • Permanent, Playworker - 6.25hrs per week (Breakfast Club 7.30-8.45am. M-F Term-time only.) Salary: Grade C £18,933 - £19,312 (Full-time salary).

  • Permanent, Nursery Practitioner - 20 hours per week. Salary:  Grade C £18,933 - £19,312 (Full-time salary).

    For more information on any of the above vacancies please visit the School's website here.

Onboarding Survey

We hope you have now settled into working for Westcountry Schools Trust and had the opportunity to complete a Starter Experience Survey when you first started.  Let the HR Team know if you did not and would like to by emailing HR@westst.org.uk and we will send you a link.  

As part of the Trust's aim of continual improvement, we would appreciate it if you would spend a few minutes completing the form available here about your experience of your first term with the Trust.  

We are interested to know what you felt; went well and, your view of what did not go so well and what could be improved on. 

Thank you!

Covid-19 update - change in isolation period:

From Monday 14th December, the self-isolation period for close contacts of a positive case of coronavirus (COVID-19) changed from 14 to 10 days. This change applies to all those who are currently self-isolating including those who commenced self-isolation before Monday. This means that if on Monday you were in the 11th, 12th or 13th day of your current self-isolation period – you can stop isolating. Any new cases identified for self-isolation will be advised to self-isolate for 10 days.

The NHS test and trace app will be updated to reflect the change from tomorrow, Thursday 17 December and will tell people to isolate for 10 days.  Anyone who is, or has been, contacted by the NHS app to self-isolate before 17 December can reduce their isolation period by 3 days. 

Coronavirus testing for schools and colleges from January

The DfE have announced that teachers and students will have access to rapid testing to help keep schools and colleges open throughout the spring term. The WeST Executive Leadership Team will be working with Senior Leaders across our schools in early January in terms of implementation.

Below is a summary of the key details of the announcement:   

  • Weekly rapid tests will be available to all secondary school and college staff from January.
  • Staff and students who are close contacts of cases will be eligible for daily testing, preventing the need for immediate self-isolation. Only if a daily test returns a positive result will the staff member need to isolate.  
  • Test kits will begin arriving at secondary schools and colleges for the first phase of rollout to staff from the first week of January.

You can read the press notice and the guidance on GOV.UK.

There is no expectation that school and college staff will need to work on this over the Christmas break. Existing staff meetings or inset days can be used for training as appropriate for each individual setting.

The DfE have published a Q&A to answer some of your questions.  Further, their Coronavirus helpline & Christmas opening hours are noted as follows:-

Phone: 0800 046 8687

Opening hours:

  • 24 December – 8am to 4pm
  • 25 to 28 December – Closed
  • 29 to 30 December – 8am to 6pm
  • 31 December – 9am to 4pm
  • 1 January – Closed
  • 2 to 3 January – 10am to 6pm

Dunstone Primary's Christmas Wild Tribe 

      

At Dunstone Primary School we wanted to make sure we could still celebrate Christmas as a school community so we have been busy creating outside displays which can be enjoyed by all. 

The children have been using their sawing, whittling and cutting skills to create a magical Christmas grotto outside. Every child in the school made a decoration during their Wild Tribe sessions and they are now hanging on our outside tree. 

They have also created some fantastic stained glass windows which can be enjoyed by the parents as they come to school. We have seen some brilliant creativity and problem solving as well as collaborative work during these sessions.

COVID-19 Staff Status Declaration Form

So that we continue to operate effectively in the delivery of education and learning during the Covid-19 pandemic your school/business unit shared a link to their staff status declaration form this year.  They will have asked you to complete an initial declaration and another one every time your availability changed.

Thank you to all of you who have completed a form and have kept it updated every-time your availability changed.

With the Christmas break coming up, this is a reminder to please complete a staff status form for your school/business unit in the following circumstances:

  • If you have never completed a Covid-19 Staff Status Declaration Form
  • If your availability changes for some reason

If you are unsure whether you have completed a form or updated it to show your current availability then please complete one so your school/business unit knows it has up to date information.

If you don’t have the current link (published Sept 2020) please ask your school administrator for it.  Alternatively contact the HR team at hr@westst.org.uk confirming where you work and we will provide the correct link to you.

 Thank you for taking the time to do this.