We are delighted to inform you that following a recent procurement exercise we have appointed Think IT as our new IT partner from the 1st February 2018. Think IT is a familiar IT supplier to Luton schools and has already been working alongside the current team, and supporting schools over the last 18 months. Schools have benefitted from using the Think IT procurement portal and, ICT Technicians and Network Managers have been introduced to new programs, tools, license arrangements and services through the ICT Technicians and Network Managers Network Meetings. The Readiness Assessment Audit has helped Senior Leadership Teams in a number of Luton schools work out the technology they need based on the outcomes they want for learners, staff, parents and other key stakeholders. Think IT will be delivering and managing all of the ICT SLAs and services you have purchased including providing a technical support service. This new partnership will ensure that our offer keeps pace with the continual change in ICT and meets your needs for enhanced outcomes. Over the next couple of weeks Think IT will be in touch with those schools that buyback this service to arrange a one to one visit, to discuss the ICT SLA and any issues you may have and wish to talk about. We are also planning a series of exciting informative workshops at the Leagrave Centre and will share details with you in the near future. For further information or queries, please contact Katherine Shieber - Schools Traded Services Business Unit Manager on 01582 548020.

Looking for a fresh approach to staff development? Luton council's Workforce & Organisational Development team of experienced training facilitators can support your school management team in meeting workforce development challenges. By listening to you and understanding your story we are able to design and deliver bespoke training solutions in areas such as: Safeguarding Children & Adults Training Needs Analysis Skills Development Effective Team Building Organisational Change To see how we can develop you and your school’s people skills, please call 01582 547744 or email learninganddevelopment@luton.gov.uk

About us 'Come back to school & make a difference' Luton Council is looking for volunteers to apply as school governors. Being a school governor or trustee is a challenging but hugely rewarding role. It will give you the chance to make a real difference to young people, give something back to your local community and use and develop your skills in a board-level environment. You will also be joining the largest volunteer force in the country: there are over a quarter of a million volunteers governing state funded schools in England. School Governors provide a strong link between the school and the local community, and an independent view to support the school on long term development and improvement. Luton Council has an online form to complete and will forward onto the most relevant school to fit your skills and experience. About the job Salary: Voluntary Hours per week: As Scheduled, Part time Being a school governor means being interested in getting the best education for the pupils at the school. Governors can become involved in a range of school matters, which can include recruitment, finance and curriculum. Governance boards of maintained schools and academies are made up from various types of governors, all with different skills and experience. Some are elected posts and for others the appointment is made by the board. To fill a parent vacancy you will need to have a pupil at the school. Staff posts are only available to those who work at the school. The governing board provides strategic leadership and accountability in schools. It has three key functions: Overseeing the financial performance of the school and making sure its money is well spent Holding the headteacher to account for the educational performance of the school and its pupils Ensuring clarity of vision, ethos and strategic direction About you Governors and trustees should be committed to their role and to young people; confident in having courageous conversations; curious with an enquiring mind; able to challenge the status quo to improve things; collaborative to build strong relationships; critical to improve their own work and that of the board; and creative in problem solving and being innovative. Anyone aged over 18 can be a governor or trustee (but there are some exceptions) and you do not need to be a parent. There is no requirement for you to have an understanding of the education system, just the necessary skills, character and time to contribute. Life experience is one of the best skills that a school governor can have! The average time commitment is five to eight hours per month, although it will vary depending on the needs of the school and the role. This includes meetings, background reading, school visits & training. As well as full governing board meetings, many schools have various committees and link governor roles which you may like to contribute to – this depends on each individual school. Like magistrates or members of a jury, school governors and trustees have a right to reasonable time off work for their public duties, although this may be unpaid. Your company’s HR department will be able to tell you about its policy. Each school sets a term of office for its governors and trustees – this is normally four years. Many people choose to serve multiple terms, however as a volunteer you can resign before your term is finished if your circumstances change. So why not use your experience, or gain some experience for your future. Full details and application forms can be found by clicking here

The attached pack has been developed to give you as much practical information as possible in a condensed format. It will be a useful starting point for developing an understanding of how all the services within People work to support schools. In addition, all of the key personnel listed within the pack will be very willing to meet with you personally to discuss the services that they provide.

To maintain continuity of service and enhance our current offer all enquiries from schools will now be handled centrally by the Health and Safety Team. The team can be contacted on 01582 546290 or via the generic email box: DL-LBCCorporateHealthAndSafety@luton.gov.uk Health & Safety Team • Rachel Doyle – Support Services Manager • Tommy Syme – Health & Safety Adviser • Maureen Connolly – Health & Safety Adviser • Khurram Nawaz – Project Support Assistant All our schools will now be supported by the whole team listed above. In addition we will also be working with approved Health and Safety partners to enhance our current offer to you. AssessNet and Smart Log - Contact Any questions regarding AssessNet and Smart Log eg. training, password or how to log an accident, please contact Khurram Nawaz on 01582 546290 or email khurram.nawaz@luton.gov.uk Short Term Goals • Over the next 3-6 months we plan to visit each school to carry out a Health and Safety Audit, in consultation with schools to identify training and support requirements. • Audit the entries on Smartlog and working with the schools collating any missing data. • Where required provide AssessNet Refresher training If you have any further queries please contact Rachel Doyle on 01582 547027.