News, training and professional development from Devon Education Services
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February 2025 |
FAO: Headteachers, senior leaders, governors, all teaching, early years and support staff |
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News from the education teams:
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Conferences and professional development:
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News from the education teams
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6 March 2025
4.00pm to 5.00pm |
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Calling all BookWrites subscribers!Focus: Spotlight on sequences!
Join our team at the community catch-up session, they will be sharing a selection from across our range of BookWrites sequences. They will explain why the texts were chosen and what is special about them, go through some of the key features and teaching ideas with you and (hopefully) entice you to include them in your progression plan.
An ideal opportunity for you to chat to your BookWrites colleagues from other schools. |
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 | Exeter Racecourse, Exeter
28 March 2025 |
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Outdoor learning conference: Places and spacesCome along to this event for ideas and tools for making the most of outdoor learning places and spaces on your doorstep and within your area.
With keynote speakers and workshops to help you link local places with the school curriculum and enrich children's learning. |
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Exciting summer term availabilityAre you looking for an adventurous residential experience in the heart of Dartmoor? We have prime time slots available leading up to the summer term at both our centres; Don’t miss out on this fabulous opportunity! |
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 | Sandy Park, Exeter
12 June 2025 |
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SEND conference - reduced price tickets!
To support Devon’s SEND transformation programme, and our collective commitment to improving outcomes for children and young people with SEND in Devon, we are offering reduced price tickets for all attendees in 2025.
We hope this supports you to prioritise both your leaders of SEN and SENCo’s to attend, enabling wider collaboration, sharing of best practice and development of knowledge from our expert keynote speakers, workshop hosts and additional contributors. |
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Simpler Recycling for Schools
From the 31st March 2025, schools will be required to separate dry recyclable waste such as paper, card, glass, metals & plastic, from food waste and black bin waste. Many schools already have recycling and food waste collections in place, but if your school hasn’t, then contact your waste collection provider to discuss your options. |
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 | Sandy Park, Exeter
27 November 2025 |
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Sustainability conference: Empowering schools towards a sustainable futureTo support schools and settings with their sustainability commitments, we are launching a sustainability conference on 27 November 2025 which will be held at Sandy Park.
Early bird rates are available until 23 May 2025. |
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Briefings and network meetings |
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- Bursar briefings - 4, 5, 6 Mar 2025 (in person and online)
Clerks briefing for maintained and academy schools - more dates coming soon (in person) Clerks briefing for maintained and academy schools - more dates coming soon (online) - DPO networking forum - 12 Feb, 26 Mar 2025 (online)
- Educational visits co-ordinator (EVC) termly briefings - Spring dates available
- EYFS briefings for schools - 12 Feb, 30 Jun, 1, 2 Jul 2025 (online)
Governance updates - more dates coming soon (online) Library network meetings (primary and secondary) - 19 or 20 Mar 2025 - Primary English subject leader meetings - Spring and summer dates available
- Primary Maths subject leader meetings - Spring and summer dates available
- Primary PE subject leader meetings - 23 May 2025 (in person)
- Safeguarding forums - 10, 19 Mar 10, 11 Jun 2025 (in person and online)
- SEND network meetings - 4, 5, 11 or 12 Feb 25 (in person and online)
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A fantastic opportunity for both subscribing and non-subscribing schools to meet and share ideas whilst receiving the latest updates on changes to data protection legislation and how this could affect you.
(Please note that schools who subscribe to our DPO service can attend at no charge, as part of their subscription package) | Back to top |
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Early education (EYFS) and childcare |
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Early Years Foundation Stage |
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Early Years and Childcare - including some fully funded training for Devon EYC providers (excl. Plymouth and Torbay) |
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These courses are fully funded for Devon schools and other schools with Devon children in care |
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Ethnically Diverse Education Achievement Service (EDEAS)
(Formerly EMTAS)
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Effective governance
Effective clerking
Key responsibilities
Lunchtime bite-size sessions |
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Health and safety
(now all bookable via the Devon Education Services shop platform) |
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Devon Health and Safety Service training courses
- Accident investigation - 29 Apr or 18 Nov 2025 (online)
- Asbestos operational awareness - 23 Apr, 10 Jun, 16 Sept or 4 Nov 2025 (online)
- Asbestos duty to manage - 4 Mar, 14 May, 1 Jul or 22 Oct 2025 (online)
- Control of contractors and CDM - 19 Mar, 8 Oct or 9 Dec 2025 (online)
- COSHH – managing chemicals safely - 10 Mar, 12 Jun or 26 Nov 2025 (online)
- Fire warden - 23 Apr, 15 Jul or 9 Oct 2025 (online)
- Health and safety general awareness - 15 May or 21 Oct 2025 (online)
- Health and safety risk assessment - 26 Feb, 21 May or 4 Nov 2025 (online)
- IOSH managing safely (4-day course) - 30 Apr, 24 Sept or 5 Nov 2025 (in person)
- IOSH managing safely refresher - 25 Jun 2025 (in person)
- IOSH working safely - 2 Apr or 7 Oct 2025 (in person)
- Legionella operational awareness - 13 Feb, 24 Apr, 26 Jun, 18 Sept or 2 Dec 2025 (online)
- Legionella responsible person - 11 Mar, 15 May, 10 Jul or 20 Nov 2025 (online)
- School governors’ health and safety overview - 5 Jun or 19 Nov 2025 (online)
- Senior managers’ premises overview (schools) - 13 Mar, 20 May, 15 Oct or 27 Nov 2025 (online)
- Managing work at height - 13 May or 6 Oct 2025 (online)
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Maths Subject Leaders: Support and Professional Development |
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Ordinarily Available Inclusive Provision |
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Outdoor education and leadership courses |
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Internet safety parents' workshop (delivered in school)
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School Leadership and Effectiveness |
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The School Leadership and Effectiveness Team have put together a selection of sessions which you can use to create a bespoke package for you and your team. Contact us to discuss these in more detail and to find out about our flexible delivery models and costings.
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Would you like to connect with other school librarians?
Our termly networking meetings are held either at our centre in Willand, at a host school or online. They are led by the SLS advisory team and are a source of up-to-date information, the sharing of ideas and good practice, plus a chance to look around another library and talk about the books we love.
Library network meetings (primary and secondary) - 19 or 20 Mar 2025 Focus: Non-fiction collections in the secondary library |
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SEMH - Social, Emotional and Mental Health |
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SEND - Communication and interaction (autism and language) |
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Did you know..?
All of our language training can be delivered in your school, and bespoke sessions and packages are available. Contact us to discuss your individual requirements.
Our current training sessions include
- Understanding DLD and language
- Language and behaviour – training and consultation
Developing Ordinarily Available Inclusive Provision to support C&I needs focusing on
- Vocabulary
- Visual support
- Colour Semantics
- Supporting struggling readers
- Verbal reasoning and Blank levels
Training on Speech and Language UK interventions |
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SEND - Leadership and strategic support |
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SEND - Sensory and/or physical needs |
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Sustainable schools and waste education |
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Sustainability conference: Empowering schools towards a sustainable future
To support schools and settings with their sustainability commitments, we are launching a sustainability conference on 27 November 2025 which will be held at Sandy Park, Exeter. Early bird rates are available until 23 May.
Sandy Park, Exeter
27 November 2025 |
| Find out more and book your place here
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The Department for Education has published its strategy ‘Sustainability and Climate Change: A Strategy for the Education and Children’s Services Systems’ which states that by 2025, all schools should have:
- A Climate Action Plan – outlining how the schools plan to work towards Net Zero
- A Sustainability Lead – a individual or team of people who will implement actions to improve the sustainability of the school.
Devon County Council can support schools with a wide range of resources and opportunities to help with climate action plans, but there is also a number of excellent free resources being made available. |
| Visit our website to find out more
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| Free trips for schools - Bring a class of upper KS2 or secondary pupils to see inside the Energy from Waste plants in Exeter and Plymouth. Our trips book up fast so contact us now for 2025/26 dates. Grants are available to help cover coach costs.
Free workshops for schools - Interactive and fun workshops, about topics like marine litter, materials, compost and recycling are brought to your school. They can help engage pupils with waste at school through waste audits – perfect for Eco-Groups aiming for their Eco-Schools Green Flag Award. |
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