A-Z Listing

Applies to Maintained Schools Background New arrangements for teacher appraisal and new teaching standards came into force 1 September 2012. Approval Governing boards free to delegate to a committee of the governing board or an individual governor. Review frequency Governing board free to determine. Local guidance Model policies and toolkits for both teaching and non-teaching staff can be accessed via SchoolsWeb HR Zone, Managing Performance . DfE guidance Deploying staff Legislation The Schoo…

Schools that do not currently offer a hot meal service should start to consider how and when they may be able to introduce such a service. Not every school will be able to set up a financially viable service offering a choice of hot meals, so a variety of solutions will need to be developed to meet local needs. Below is a list of suggestions for schools to consider, but this list is not exhaustive. Schools working together Schools which have an in-house service with capacity to provide meals f…

Applies to Maintained Schools, Academies, Free Schools, Sixth Form College, Pupil Referral Units, Independent Schools, Non Maintained Special Schools. Background It is a statutory requirement (Keeping Children Safe in Education, Paragraph 112) for all schools and academies to keep and maintain a single central record (SCR) of recruitment and vetting checks for their whole workforce (including volunteers, supply staff and teacher trainees on salaried routes). Academies will also need to keep th…

Applies to Maintained schools, academies, and free schools. Background Governing boards are required to have a policy on charging for additional educational activities (eg music tuition), and on remissions of charges. Approval Governing board free to delegate to a committee of the governing body, an individual governor or the head teacher (local recommendation is delegation to the Finance Committee). Review frequency - governing board free to determine (recommended annually). Local guidance Ch…

Applies to Maintained Schools Academies Free Schools Sixth Form Colleges Pupil Referral Units Independent Schools Non-Maintained Special Schools Further Education Background Governing boards have a responsibility to safeguard children and promote their welfare. Governing boards also have a responsibility to work together with other agencies to ensure adequate arrangements within our schools to identify, assess, and support those children who are suffering harm. Approval Governing board or prop…

In September 2024 the role of Virtual School Heads will expand further to specifically include championing the educational attendance, attainment and progress of children in kinship care. This will bring greater focus to the distinct needs of children in kinship care, within Virtual School Heads’ existing responsibilities. The Virtual School Head strategic role will include: Raising the visibility of the distinct needs of children in different types of kinship care arrangements and the disadva…

Cognition and Learning Specialist Teachers Cognition and Learning support is provided across Buckinghamshire by qualified Specialist Teachers. They have expert knowledge of SEND in the classroom. Support from the team Buckinghamshire Council’s Cognition and Learning Specialist Teachers provide: traded, high-quality cognition and learning assessments exam access arrangements bespoke training The Specialist Cognition and Learning Teachers work with SENCOs, class teachers, and teaching assistants…

All schools must have a committee that considers pay, and academy trusts must have an audit committee. Beyond this, there are no set requirements as to committee structures that governing boards must set up. Many governing boards establish committees to assist in carrying out their work and may delegate some governing board functions to those committees. However a growing number of governing boards are choosing to work without committees, reporting a reduction in repetition and every governor…

All schools, including PRUs, should be using the Common Transfer File or CTF to transfer pupil data electronically whenever a pupil changes schools at any time during the year. This could be at the end of an academic year or phase of education and involve a whole cohort of pupils or it could be mid-phase or mid-year for a single pupil. CTFs provide schools with valuable information about new pupils which can be automatically uploaded into their management information systems (MIS). The law req…

Communication and interaction difficulties are often considered under the following two areas: Speech, language and communication Social interaction Although a child or young person may experience both difficulties at the same time, this section of the toolkit has been divided into these two main areas for ease of use.

Schools can refer children and young people to their local Community Paediatrician if they have a Buckinghamshire GP. Information on making a referral can be found on the Bucks Healthcare children and young people's website . If the child’s GP is from another county, then they'll see the paediatrician in that county. The Community Paediatric Team provide assessment, diagnosis, treatment, support and monitoring for children with a range of complex needs and disabilities such as cerebral palsy,…

Background Schools should take appropriate steps to help staff, helpers and pupils maintain a safe and responsible level of conduct in their use of online technology. Review Computer Resources Policy including Internet Code of Practice - three yearly review recommended for Schools Financial Value Standard. Local guidance Please refer to the Safeguarding Toolkit for further information . DfE guidance Child internet safety Cyber Safety training courses for individual Governors and whole Governin…

If you have concerns about the safety and wellbeing of a child, please contact First Response on 01296 383962 (or 0800 999 7677 out of hours). Call the Police on 999 if there is an immediate risk. You can report your concerns using the online report a concern form . You can find out more about safeguarding young people from the Buckinghamshire Safeguarding Children Partnership.

Applies to Maintained Schools, Academies and Free Schools Background Conflicts of interest may arise where an individual's personal interests, business interests, family interests, loyalties or other responsibilities conflict, or could reasonably be perceived to conflict, with those of the governing board, committee or academy trust board. Conflicts of interest can: Inhibit open and impartial discussion. Influence, or appear to influence, decision-making. Result in decisions that are not in th…

Governance Group The Governance Group, which includes the Cabinet Member and supporting officers from the Local Authority (LA), recommends and confirms the nominations of Local Authority Governors and agrees any changes of name to Instruments of Government . It is also responsible for the Local Authority Governor Removal Process as set out in the Governance Group Terms of Reference . Instruments of Government Governance Group Terms of Reference (Download). Nomination of Local Authority (LA) Go…

Our Address & Training Location: Buckinghamshire Council Walton Street Offices Walton Street Aylesbury HP20 1UA Buckinghamshire Car Parks (gov.uk) Telephone: 01296 383500 Opt 1: SIMS, Arbor & Bromcom - MIS Opt 2: FMS, Arbor Finance, Bromcom Finance & PFM - FSST Opt 3: Technical Support - TST Opt 4: Packages, Services & Training Email : ictschools@buckinghamshire.gov.uk Email : schooltst@buckinghamshire.gov.uk Self Serve Portal: Service Portal - Service Portal Opening Hours General Opening Hour…

Email: healthandsafety@buckinghamshire.gov.uk Telephone: 01296 674 412 Address: Buckinghamshire Council Offices Walton Street Aylesbury Buckinghamshire HP20 1UA

Please contact us if you have any queries or need further information at : The Virtual School, Buckinghamshire County Council, 1st Floor, New County Offices, Aylesbury, Bucks HP20 1UZ E-mail thevirtualschool@buckinghamshire.gov.uk Tel 01296 387047

To contact the SEND team, use the below to direct your request or query to the right place. General SEND enquiries - EHCEnquiries@buckinghamshire.gov.uk EHC Needs Assessments - EHCAssessments@buckinghamshire.gov.uk Annual Review paperwork - EHCRreviews@buckinghamshire.gov.uk SEND Support Line - 01296 382 135 EHC Coordinators (EHCCos) If your query is in regard to a specific pupil, please contact your allocated EHCCo or named professional. To find your EHCCo please contact EHCenquiries@buckingh…

Local Authority contacts Exclusions & Reintegration Team Website: Support for children at risk of being suspended or excluded from school | Buckinghamshire Council Telephone: 01296 382835 Email: exclusions@buckinghamshire.gov.uk Virtual School Website: Virtual School (SchoolsWeb) Telephone: 01296 387047 Email: thevirtualschool@buckinghamshire.gov.uk County Attendance Team Website: County Attendance Team (SchoolsWeb) Email: countyattendanceteam@buckinghamshire.gov.uk Bucks SEND IAS Service Webs…

Briefings for Chairs of Governors, Headteachers and Governor Clerks occur at the beginning of each term and are led by senior officers of Buckinghamshire Council with a focus on national and local updates across all areas of Children's Services. Details of these sessions are sent directly to Chairs, Clerks, and Heads each term. Items will also be posted in Governor Times (Schools Web) and Governor Hub. Meetings Scheduled 2026 to 2027 Wednesday 16th September 2026, 9:30am to 11am on Teams, book…

Buckinghamshire Virtual School provides a range of professional development opportunities designed to help education professionals better understand and support vulnerable children and young people. Working alongside local authority partners, we deliver practical, evidence-informed training that helps schools create inclusive, nurturing environments where all pupils can thrive. Explore our upcoming training, access specialist seminars, or catch up on previous sessions below.

The Safeguarding in Employment Team at Buckinghamshire Council (BC) is tasked with implementing and applying the latest government legislation, reviewing guidance, and offering advice and support in all areas of safer employment practices, including the processing of DBS Checks. Explore these pages to learn about DBS checks for employees, volunteers, and contractors in schools, as well as additional safer recruitment vetting checks. Safeguarding concerns or allegations of a child protection na…

These pages contain resources and information for each key stage, along with information on PHSE and Swimming. Click here for PHSE Information Public Health in Schools information including resources and training information The Equalities pages contain information and classroom resources to help schools tackle sensitive topics such as racism, radicalisation, bullying, gender and sexual orientation.

Bikeability Training Bikeability is the leading cycle training programme in England. Courses are available throughout the year in most local authorities in England. Children and adults can be trained individually or in groups, through school, clubs, or private tuition. Bikeability terms and conditions Buckinghamshire Council has been awarded funding from Active Travel England for Bikeability training to take place at your school. Schools need to bid for funding the term before their training c…

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