Newport City Council

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STEP Learn.net is Newport LEA's learning and information portal. It is designed to help schools and LEA support services to communicate more effectively as well as delivering learning to pupils and practitioners.

CPD SE Wales- http://www.cpdsewales.org.uk/

The 5 LEAs within the South East Wales Consortium are working together to change the face of the current structures for CPD provision for school based staff via a new web based on-line system, CPD SE Wales at http://www.cpdsewales.org.uk/

The Consortium’s work towards this new collaborative approach to the delivery of CPD is well under way. The individual School Improvement Services within the Consortium, which includes Newport , are aiming to radically improve the CPD provision to schools in the region.

The new joint approach to CPD provision through http://www.cpdsewales.org.uk/. aims to bring a number of clear benefits to schools: The new structure plans to:

· Give more choice of CPD across the consortium

· Bring a broader range of expertise available to schools than any one LEA can provide

· Enable specialist advice which is not currently offered in some authorities to be offered to all schools

· Provide the opportunity of joint appointments and joint sourcing of outside consultants to address gaps in provision

· Facilitate school networking within and across LEAs

· Provide an up to date record of CPD of all staff within any one school.

· Offer an effective system for recording evaluations and feedback about impact upon school practice/standards

Joint working is ongoing in a number of areas such as Curriculum 2008, the Foundation Phase and the reorganisation of advisers’ consultancy deployment on a consortium basis, in order to make better use of resources and improve services. This work supports the Consortium’s aim to provide a service that will be more flexible and tailored to the developmental needs of schools.

The Consortium is also working with outside partners to broaden the range of CPD provision offered to schools. These outside partners include recognised experts in their field such as the Key Skills Support Programme Cymru, CILT Cymru, Llantarnam Grange Arts Centre, Gwent Theatre and Management and Education departments within Further and Higher Education institutions.

From the end of February in the Spring Term 2008, LEAs will hold workshops to familiarise staff with the new system. The introduction of the system will commence with a short initial pilot phase followed by the launch of access to all schools further into the Summer term 2008. All schools will be contacted by the local Schools Advisory team to arrange for participation in one of the familiarisation workshops.

For more information contact SEWC Project Manager elizabeth.arthur@torfaen.gov.uk

The City of Newport Quality Approach to Substance Misuse Education is now available on the StepLearn.net website. This approach provides a clear and comprehensive framework for substance misuse education and incident management.

The Quality Approach includes copies of relevant strategy documents, curriculum and resourcing guidance and lessons plans (including those kindly shared by Rhondda Cynon Taff

The Quality Approach includes a self-audit tool constructed around Welsh Assembly Government and Estyn requirements and aims to help organisations conduct effective substance misuse education work, identify existing gaps in their substance misuse policy and practice, and determine new areas of work that can be undertaken with the whole school community.

Implementing the Quality Approach to Substance Misuse Education can be counted as an action under the Welsh Network of Healthy Schools Scheme.

Additional support on the development of substance misuse education can be obtained from Newport Substance Misuse Education Coordinator on 01633 261448 or email andrew.powles@newport.gov.uk

The Newport International Dimension in Education Support Network has been created to help schools develop international links by providing access to the vast array of advice, support and funding that is available to them.

A link to the network can be found on the front page of STEP3 Learn.net.

http://www.steplearn.net

School Pupils say hello to the Vital 5!

The Vital 5 consist of 5 Super Hero fruit and vegetables each with their own super power and individual message for kids in Newport on healthy eating and living and active lifestyles.Meet the Gang, find out their super power and hear their messages:

Name	Superpower	Message
Captain Carotene	X-ray Vision and Flying	Lower the Fat, Lower the Sugar
Archie Apple	Super Strength and Balance	Getting the Balance Right
Stella Sweetcorn	Can Glow and Sparkle in the Dark	Are you getting enough Water?
James Broccoli	Super Intelligent	Kick Salt into Touch
Bella Banana	Super Speed and Energy	Healthy Eating and Active Living

School Meals in Newport are the right choice for your children at lunch times this year. A school meal gives your child the ability to have a nutritious hot meal that will help their concentration through the afternoon. We are developing menus to provide more fresh produce into children’s diets. School Meals also provide a Vegetarian and Halal option each day. We have also frozen school meals at 2006 prices.

The Vital 5 Gang also have a new website –

www.myschoollunch.co.uk/newport

here you can find out loads of information about school meals and kids can play the very addictive and fun interactive games, which have been designed educate users on healthy eating, Maths and English. The website will be officially launched in September.

Cllr Bob Poole Cabinet Member for Young People Services was enthusiastic about the new mascots and their website, "The Vital 5 Gang are a great addition to the great school meal service provided by Newport Catering Services. The Mascots have been developed to help Primary School Pupils learn and encourage healthy eating and living an active lifestyle. Their website is also a fantastic tool to find out more about school meals and the fun and interactive games will have your kids occupied for hours!"

For more information log on to

www.myschoollunch.co.uk/newport

or call Daniel Finch, Marketing Manager on 01633 656 656.

Editors Notes:

Full profile of the Vital 5 Gang:

Captain Carotene

Super Powers - X-ray vision and flying

Personality - A dynamic vegetable. A real super hero ready to save the world from all the bad food out there! The leader of the Vital 5 Gang.

Loves - Using his X-ray vision to look for danger!

Favourite Hobbies - Playing air hockey

Worst Enemy - Colin Crisp

Favourite Music/ Band - The Tutti Fruities

Favourite Film - The Fantastic Five

Best Mate/s - James Broccoli and Stella Sweetcorn

Favourite Food/Drink - Tomato Juice

Archie Apple

Super Powers - Super strength and balance

Personality - A very strong character! Performs the perfect food balancing act and can lift more than any other fruit or vegetable.

Loves - Lifting things to help other foods

Favouratie Hobbies - Going to the Gym

Worst Enemy - Sammy Salt

Favourite Music/Band - Veg Goes Pop

Favourite Film - The Incredible Bulk

Best Mates - James Broccoli and Bella Banana

Favourite Food - Spinach soup

Stella Sweetcorn

Super Powers - Can glow and sparkle in the dark

Personality - Simply full of fun, dazzling and glamorous -just beautiful.... A real superstar, sparkling and radiant!

Loves - Being a Vital 5 celebrity

Favourite Hobbies - Going to fashion shows and films

Worst Enemy - Connie Cake

Favourite Music/Band - Kiwi Minogue

Favourite Film - Stella and The Giant Peach

Best Mates - Captain Carotene and Bella Banana

Favourite Food/Drink - Passion Fruit Smoothie

James Broccoli

Super Powers - Super Intelligent

Personality - A real super food! Smart, strong, active and healthy.

An attractive and sophisticated vegetable. As cool as a cucumber!

Loves - Using his super intelligence to solve clues and puzzles.

Favourite Hobbies - Skiing and reading.

Worst Enemy - Bobby Biscuits

Favourite Music/Band - Jazzy Juice

Favourite Film - Vegetable Impossible

Best Mates - Captain Carotene and Archie Apple

Favourite Food/Drink - Spring Water with Ice

Bella Banana

Super Powers - Super speed and energy

Personality - Energetic, athletic and super fit. This bubbly and lively banana enjoys competing with all the other foods. Full of beans!

Loves - Arriving everywhere before the others!

Favourite Hobbies - Cooking and having the Vital 5 gang round for tea.

Best Mates - Shirley Sugar

Favourite Music/Band - The Banana Splitz

Favourite Film - Bananaella

Best Mates - Archie Apple and Stella Sweetcorn

Favourite Food/Drink - Strawberry Shake

Primary School Pupils will have some new friends at school meal times this year, say hello to the ‘Vital 5 Gang’. The Vital 5 have come all the way from Fruitopia and Vegetania to teach kids in Newport about healthy and nutritious school meals.

Just letting everyone know, if you haven't already seen it, there is a new section that's open to all teachers on the front page of Steplearn.net. Creative Multimedia in our Schools is an area set aside to celebrate the good work done in the field of film making and animation in Newport schools.
Please have a look and show your colleagues. It might give you some inspiration for creating your films. cool

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4 Feb, 15:09
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New CPD Online Website more...
24 Oct, 15:35
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