Oxfordshire Governors' Association

Support for Energy Saving and Carbon Reduction

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Interest free loans through Salix Energy Efficiency Loans Scheme (SEELS) funding are available for maintained schools.

Until 11th January there is an opportunity for Academies to access funding through the Salix Energy Efficiency Funding (SEEF) scheme.

In Oxfordshire work is proceeding to develop support for Maintained schools to reduce their carbon emissions.

A survey will be sent to all maintained schools to better understand existing activity, barriers and priorities on carbon management. The survey closes on 15th January 2021. Analysis of the results will take place by the end of January. OCC has already undertaken a market consultation to understand what training and advicethe market is able to provide to schools. The results of the surveys will allow OCC to develop a support proposal for schools.

Active travel projects are intended to reduce carbon emissions from school travel.

Formal ‘School Street’ pilots–The project aims to reclaim roads outside schools from traffic at the start and end of each day, reducing air pollution outside the school gates and making it easier for children to walk, cycle or scoot to school. Due to strict DfT criteria, the formal School Street pilots can only be considered as ‘complementary’ measures to other road space reallocation measures which are proposed in Bicester, Oxford and Witney. With the exception of Windmill Primary School in Headington (which received Councillor Priority Funding), the decision on whether to proceed with the nine proposed pilots is contingent on funding from the DfT. OCC is still waiting to hear from the DfT whether the Tranche 2 bid to the Emergency Active Travel Fund to support School Streets has been successful. As soon as OCC learns of the project outcome,the individual schools concerned will be informed.

School Traffic Demand Management funding–OCC are keen to engage with schools that have demonstrable issues with access and/or congestion to implement a variety of targeted initiatives including: *Support with the development and updating of School Travel Plans *Development of Park and Stride initiatives *Scoping the feasibility of enhanced school gate parking management/restrictions.

These above will complement general offers open to all schools: a) Street Tag Oxfordshire: b) Access to resources for schools to develop and update Travel Plans including walking and cycle route mapping c) Promotion of Living Streets’ WOW –the year round walk to school programme for primary school age children -and Little Feet –early years focused resources including journey maps, stickers and educational games to reward families for active journeys.If you would like to find out more about any of the above initiatives please email: SchoolsActiveTravel@Oxfordshire.gov.uk and include the name of your school and ‘School TDM’ in the title. School Wayfinding funding–Sport England funding is available for the development and installation of wayfinding signs and highway markings around, at least, four Oxfordshire primary schools. Wayfinding will be co-designed by school children to highlight active, sustainable and social routes between designated Park and Stride car parks, schools and nearby sites where children can be physically active. This research project seeks to investigate the effectiveness of using wayfinding to increase physical activity on journeys to and from school in a variety of urban and rural settings. If you would like to find out more please email: schoolstreets@Oxfordshire.gov.uk and include the name of your school and ‘Wayfinding’ in the title.

There is a petition to government to fully fund schools for Covid-19 costs and provide relief for loss of income. Please consider signing this!

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Without delay, for government to:

• agree to reimburse schools’ exceptional costs associated with Covid-19 measures
• reimburse schools’ lost income from Covid-19 (eg. rental/lettings)
• guarantee reimbursements will be paid directly to schools for financial years 2020/21, 2021/22, as requiredMore details

This term, schools are facing increasing Covid costs, in addition to those incurred between March and June.

Costs include: supply staff, materials, cleaning, ventilation systems, handwashing stations, improved IT and training to enable blended learning.

Schools have simultaneously lost income, unable to let premises. Unlike businesses, schools are not eligible for grants to alleviate such pressures. Sign this petition

Government will respond

Government responds to all petitions that get more than 10,000 signatures

At 100,000 signatures…

At 100,000 signatures, this petition will be considered for debate in Parliament.

OGA Autumn Meeting

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Schools and Oxfordshire: The Way Ahead.

Booking is essential via the link on the flyer or through the calendar on this website

Autumn Meeting FlyerDownload

The agenda for the meeting including the AGM is available now.

The AGM will form a very short part of this meeting so please read the AGM information in advance of the meeting.

Reports from the Treasurer and the Chair together with the minutes of the 2019 AGM are now available.

OGA Spring Meeting: Sustainable Schools – Postponed

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Regrettably we have decided to postpone our Spring meeting which was due to take place on Saturday 14th March.

Despite the excellent speaker with an international reputation relatively few people signed up to attend. We are not sure if this was because too many Governors were not aware that the meeting was planned or the current concern around the coronavirus. So it would be very helpful if you could advise us via our contact page if you did not know about the meeting.

We are hoping to rearrange the meeting in the second half of the Summer term.

Funding Announcement

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On 3rd September the Secretary of State for Education announced additional funding for education. Whilst a three year settlement is to be welcomed the absence of additional money in the current year is not! A PDF of the statement as recorded in Hansard may be found here  Funding Statement 3.09.2019. On 9th September Nick Gibb added some more detail in a written statement.  Of course in the current political climate there remains uncertainty around the future funding for our schools.