Sandwell Virtual School Newsletter

In June, Halesowen College held its first Care Experienced Day with an impressive turnout. The event aimed to ease the transition to further education, featuring campus tours, information on financial and academic support, and street first aid training from St John Ambulance. The hosts, Mandy Downing and Catherine Caseley said that feedback was highly positive, and the college and staff appreciated meeting future students ahead of their September start. 

We are a supportive partner of the West Midlands Virtual School ARTs Foundation who offer a range of activities for the children we care for.  This term young people were given the opportunity to attend an educational inspired performance of Hamilton. Sandwell Virtual School (VS) took 12 ESOL learners to Birmingham Hippodrome to see the musical, marking their first visit to a British theatre.  A further seven youngsters were given the opportunity to enjoy the performance in the London West End.

The group enjoyed the show and a special workshop with the cast, learning about diverse roles in large-scale productions and receiving career advice. This opportunity highlighted various career paths in Performing Arts.

Commenting on the Birmingham performance, Post-16 EDO Jay Willis, who accompanied the group, noted, "The day was fantastic for all. Schools from across the Midlands joined us, and everyone enjoyed the show. The scale and quality of the production really surprised our students."

The trip was a highlight of the students' success in their 10-week ESOL course at Sandwell VS, which prepared them for higher-level courses at local colleges through specialist provision and care.

For more information about WM Arts Foundation see the following website:https://www.wmvscicfoundation.org.uk/about-us/about-the-arts-programme

Congratulations to Crocketts Primary School for being the first primary setting to attain the Attachment Research Community’s Gold award for the considerable support they provide for children, families and the community they serve.

If you would like to discuss the support Sandwell Virtual School can provide for your school in working towards these standards, please contact Scott Johnson: scott_johnson@sandwell.gov.uk

All bookings for the courses below will be sent out via email

• Develop one SMART target focused on pupil voice, ensuring it is specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound to empower the child in decision-making processes.

• Create one SMART target addressing any area of concern identified from the SDQ score, making it quantifiable and attainable within the set timeframe to effectively support the child's emotional and behavioural needs.

• Establish one SMART target to bridge learning and development gaps, specifying clear, measurable outcomes and considering PP+ spend for maximum impact on academic progress and overall wellbeing.

Please refer to the very informative guidance at: https://lace.sch.life/page/detail/pupil-premium

Sandwell Virtual School participates in the Letterbox club for our reception cohort. Parcels are ready to be sent in the Autumn term.

A number of our team are now qualified Thrive Practitioners. This has enabled young people to benefit from one to one Thrive sessions that are personalised to the young person's needs. The sessions focus on emotions and understanding how and why we feel what we do and young people are supported to look at strategies to help manage them. Please contact us if you would wish to use this service.

Drawing and Talking allows individuals to discover and communicate emotions through a non-directed technique, setting it apart from existing solution-focused and cognitive-based therapies and interventions. If you require this service please get in touch.

The HAF club Sandwell which is funded by the Department of Education are now taking applications for the Summer holidays.

There are lots of great, exciting activities planned for children and young people right across Sandwell this winter From horse riding to rock climbing there really is something for everyone. Holiday Activities are a brilliant way to try new things, make new friends and learn new skills.

If you meet the criteria you will receive an E-voucher prior to Easter, Summer and Winter holidays through email or via text message. This will have booking information and codes you need to book your child onto activities.

Don’t forget there is still lots of fun to be had in the build up to the holidays!

Go Play – Sessions are open to all children and young people aged 5-12, and it is free to attend. They run during the school holidays, after school or at the weekend. The sessions are run by trained playworkers, who are there to support children and young people to have fun and learn new skills. Visit www.goplaysandwell.co.uk for more information on activities and programmes or follow us on Facebook (search ‘GoPlaySandwell’).

Just Youth – provide a range of free activities aimed at 11 to 19-year-olds (up to 25 for those with SEND) right across Sandwell. They offer sports, arts, music virtual reality experience and more. They also run 7 open access youth clubs and have 2 detached teams in each town. Visit www.justyouth.org.uk for more information on activities and programmes or follow us on Facebook (search ‘JustYouthSandwell’).

Children and Education Directorate

Sandwell Virtual School
The Hollies STEPS Centre
Coopers Lane
Smethwick
West Midlands
B67 7DW

LEARN . ACHIEVE . TOGETHER