News, training and professional development from Devon Education Services

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March 2026

FAO: Headteachers, senior leaders, governors, all teaching, early years and support staff

News from the education teams:


Conferences and professional development:

Training and courses:

News from the education teams

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National Year of Reading 2026

Discover our new Directory of Services

The new Directory 2026-27 is here, packed with everything your school needs. From safeguarding, SEND and attendance, to curriculum support, governance, outdoor education, music, library services and more — it’s your one-stop shop for expert advice, training, and practical resources. Every service is designed to help you improve outcomes for children and support your whole school community.

Explore the full range and find out how our strengthened locality teams and Inclusion Partners can offer tailored support, earlier intervention, and closer collaboration.

Access the Directory now: devoneducationservices.co.uk or contact us on 01392 287301 for more information.
School support services conference: Supporting schools to innovate, sustain and thrive

20 March 2026
Exeter Racecourse

Outdoor learning conference

Empower educators with the tools, inspiration, and confidence to take learning outside.
 Keynote speakers include:

Let nature be your classroom - join us and be part of the movement to reimagine learning in the great outdoors.

👉 Find out more and book your place now
Wraparound childcare funding

Data Protection networking forum 

Join our upcoming Data Protection Networking Forum on 19 March, where this month’s topic is Records Retention & Management.

The session will offer practical guidance on how long to keep key school records, what can be securely disposed of, and how to stay compliant with ease. Free for subscribing schools.

We encourage all staff involved in managing pupil, staff or administrative information to come along.

👉 Book your place now
Win £200 of books for your school library

NEW locality network meetings

We’re pleased to share that a new series of Locality Network Meetings will be running throughout March. These informal, face‑to‑face sessions are a chance to meet your local Early Years and Childcare team, hear key service updates, and connect with other providers in your area.

Whether you're looking for the latest information, support, or simply the opportunity to build local connections, these meetings are designed to strengthen collaboration across each locality.

👉 Find out more and book here
Climate action planning reporting

Moving and handling

A practical in‑person training for staff supporting children with physical or mobility difficulties. 

This course covers safe handling techniques, legal requirements, back care, risk assessments and handling plans.

Book the initial training
Book the refresher training
Have your say on DES services

18 June 2026
Sandy Park, Exeter

NEW Devon attendance conference

Bringing professionals together to deepen understanding of attendance as a safeguarding, inclusion and wellbeing priority, and to strengthen collective approaches that help pupils feel safe, supported and able to attend school regularly. 

👉 Find out more and book your place

Conferences

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Spring term 2026

Summer term 2026

Autumn term 2026

Full details and bookings details coming soon....

Find out more and book your place here

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Briefings and network meetings

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Attendance

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Data Protection

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Data Protection networking forum - Tips for keeping your schools data safe

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.

Data Protection networking forum (online)
19 March 2026
Records retention and management

(Please note: schools who subscribe to our DPO service can attend at no charge, as part of their subscription package)

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Early education (EYFS) and childcare

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    Early Years Foundation Stage

      Early Years and Childcare - including some fully funded training for Devon EYC providers (excl. Plymouth and Torbay)

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      Educational Psychology

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        These courses are fully funded for Devon schools and other schools with Devon children in care

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        English

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          • Assessment of writing - Make accurate, evidence-based assessments of writing across KS1 and KS2 where no national criteria or exemplification exists.

          • BookWrites and BookBuds - An innovative package of English teaching sequences for R-Y6, a secure but flexible framework of learning, within which teachers can develop their own expertise.

          • Re-think Reading! - A comprehensive resource to support the teaching of reading from Y1-Y6.

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          Ethnically Diverse Education Achievement Service (EDEAS)

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          • EDEAS inset day training and key twilight sessions (fully funded for Devon maintained schools) and all delivered online - various dates, times and themes

            • Gypsy, Roma, Traveller and Showman (GRTS) Awareness training

            • Supporting multilingual children in the Early Years

            • Classroom strategies for multilingual children

            • Equality, diversity and inclusion awareness

            • Improving support for multilingual children

            • Supporting multilingual children with writing

            • Closing the word gap

            • Understanding different cultures in our Devon schools

          • Proficiency assessments - multilingual children - a powerful tool for helping multilingual children in their educational journey

          Find out more about EDEAS training and book your whole-school place

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          Finance

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          • Bursar briefings (in person and online) - 20, 21, 22 Oct 2026
            Subscribing schools can bring a colleague for just £60

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          Governance

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          Governance consultancy subscriptions - everything you need to support governance, in one place

          Effective governance

          Effective clerking

          Key responsibilities

          Lunchtime bite-size sessions

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          Health and safety

          Devon Health and Safety Service training courses

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          Music

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            Ordinarily Available Inclusive Provision

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              Outdoor education and leadership courses

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                Safeguarding

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                School Library Service

                Would you like to connect with other school librarians?

                Our termly networking meetings are held either at our centre in Willand 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.

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                SEND

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                SEND - Sensory and/or physical needs

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                  Online learning from the sensory team:

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                  Sustainable schools and waste education

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                  The Department for Education's strategy ‘Sustainability and Climate Change: A Strategy for the Education and Children’s Services Systems’ stated that all schools should have:   

                  • A Sustainability Lead – a individual or team of people who will implement actions to improve the sustainability of the school
                  • A Climate Action Plan – outlining how the schools plan to work towards Net Zero

                  It’s not too late to get started on your Climate Action Plan; if you are still looking for help developing and implementing your plan, then visit Devon County Council’s Sustainable Schools webpages for links to a wide range of excellent free resources and opportunities.

                  Visit the Sustainable Schools website

                  The Zone Recycle Devon website provides a wealth of resources, from lesson plans and activities through to practical advice for managing waste better in schools.

                  Visit the Zone Recycle Devon website
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                  Sign up for a half-termly bulletin full of info and resources for teachers and schools in Devon around environmental issues, sustainability and outdoor learning. Keep up-to-date with the Sustainability Bulletin.

                  Take a look at past issues here: Sustainability Bulletin - Zone

                  Sign up to the sustainability bulletin here

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