Clinically extremely vulnerable staff returning to the workplace We know that after a period of shielding, the transition back to the workplace may leave some staff feeling anxious. Shielding advice was paused nationally from 31 March, with further information available on GOV.UK. Clinically extremely vulnerable staff in schools, EY settings and colleges are advised that, if it's possible for them to fulfil their role from home, they should continue to work remotely. If they cannot work from home, they should return to the workplace. Cases of COVID-19 have fallen considerably across all parts of the country. The system of controls in place in schools, EY settings and colleges, when implemented in line with the school's risk assessment, create an inherently safer environment where the risk of transmission is substantially reduced. If you are feeling anxious about this change, we encourage you to speak to your headteacher about the safety measures in place. You can also access resources to support your mental health and wellbeing, including Mentally Healthy Schools, Headspace for Educators and a free 24-hour helpline offered by Education Support. Keep testing and reporting - new poster for pupils  We've created a new testing poster which we hope will be a simple, clear tool that you can use to remind pupils about the importance of regular testing. As students and their families get into the swing of the summer term, we also want to stress the importance of reporting their results, whether they're positive, negative or void, to NHS Test and Trace as this helps build an accurate picture of the spread of COVID-19. Download the poster. | The Big Ask - a new national survey of children The Big Ask, the largest ever consultation with children aged 4 to 17 in England, was launched by the new Children's Commissioner this week. It aims to find out children's concerns and aspirations about the future, so that we can put children at the heart of our country's recovery from the pandemic. The results will help the Children's Commissioner identify the barriers preventing children from reaching their potential, put forward solutions and set ambitious goals for the country to achieve. All schools are encouraged to support their pupils to complete the survey. A range of teaching resources have also been produced, including lesson plans and activity packs, to help teachers incorporate this into their lessons. Free resources for Stress Awareness Month April is Stress Awareness Month. Mentally Healthy Schools' toolkits for primary, secondary and FE settings are full of free resources to help you and your pupils cope when stress becomes overwhelming. Summer school funding allocated for secondary schools This week we have published the summer school funding allocation on GOV.UK so that secondary schools can start making preparations to help pupils make up for missed learning and boost their mental health and wellbeing. Funding is allocated on the basis of schools' existing year 7 cohort. While we recommend a focus on incoming year 7 pupils so that they can make friends and familiarise themselves with the new school environment, schools are free to identify who would benefit the most from summer schools. Read the guidance on summer schools on GOV.UK. Next week we will ask secondary schools to complete a simple sign-up form to indicate if they intend to take part, followed by a request in June for their confirmed plans. Dates for your diary 21 April at 4pm | National Tutoring Programme webinar (online) The NTP are running information webinars for all state-maintained schools, where you can hear directly from Tuition Partner organisations and learn about the subsidy. A recording of the webinar will be available on NTP's website if you're not able to join live. 26 April at 4pm | NTP Alternative Provision webinar (online) The National Tutoring Programme are running information webinars for schools in the Alternative Provision sector, where you can hear directly from Tuition Partner organisations and learn about the subsidy. A recording of the webinar will be available on NTP's website if you're not able to join live. 27 – 30 April | Schools & Academies Show (online) Amongst a packed agenda to support the sector with the resources, tools and guidance to deliver outstanding teaching and learning, the DfE and ESFA will be leading a number of free sessions, including how you can get the best value ICT for your school, teacher wellbeing and workload and understanding your pre-16 funding. 28 – 29 April | EdTech Update (online) The EdTech update will be a highly interactive free event bringing together senior education leaders with IT and Digital experts to discuss the role technology has played over the past year and to reflect on the lessons learnt from this. 30 April – 3 May | Captain Tom 100 Challenge To celebrate what would have been his 101st birthday, The Captain Tom Foundation would love everyone, of all ages and abilities, to take part in the Captain Tom 100 Challenge. Everyone is invited to take on a challenge around the number 100 anytime and anywhere over Captain Tom's birthday weekend. Visit their website, watch the campaign video or download the schools toolkit. 18 May | Deploying Apple in Education Series (online) Apple is running a four-part online series to support schools with how to set up and integrate Apple products into your school. The sessions include Elements of Deployment, Apple School Manager, Deploy and Manage Apple Device and Teacher Tools. | 
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