York Police advice on Halloween

York Police are asking children and residents to observe a code of conduct in the run up to Halloween. The following poster can be downloaded from their website

Trick or Treat

Parents should take responsibility for their children’s behaviour – know where they are at all times, and follow a few key dos and don’ts.

Do:

  • Only trick or treat in your own neighbourhood unless you’re with an adult
  • Stay in well lit areas where there are plenty of houses
  • Make sure an adult knows the area you plan to visit and what time you’ll be back
  • Look out for ‘no callers please’ posters and respect your neighbours
  • Keep to pavements and trick or treat on one side of the street before crossing safely to the other side – don’t criss-cross
  • Wait to eat any treats until you get home so that an adult can check them

Don’t:

  • Don’t cut through back alleys, ginnels or fields, and don’t trick or treat too far from home
  • Don’t go alone – take an adult with you or stay in a group
  • If you do decide to go trick or treating, please respect the wishes of householders who do not wish to take part, and please do not use the season as an excuse for anti-social or intimidating behaviour.

Even if you are not involved in trick or treating, bear in mind the following:

  • Not everyone appreciates trick or treaters. To prevent unwanted ghosts and ghouls, put a ‘no callers’ note on your front door.
  • If you are prepared to receive the local monsters, switch on your outside light and remove any trip hazards. If you set lanterns outside your front door with candles in them, make sure that they are far enough out of the way so that costumes won’t accidentally be set on fire.
  • If you are driving on the evening of the 31st, remember that excited children don’t always do as they are expected, so slow down in residential areas and take extra care.
    If things get out of hand, you feel intimidated, or someone’s safety is at risk, contact North Yorkshire Police.

Tax credit change could hit 8000 York families

Cllr Sue Hunter8,000 families in York will lose out under Conservative plans to cut tax credits.

Figures produced by the House of Commons Library show over three million low-income working families currently in receipt of tax credits will see their entitlement reduced, as part of the Government’s proposals.

Despite claims from the Conservatives that those affected will benefit from plans to increase the minimum wage, the independent Institute for Fiscal Studies has said Tory figures don’t stack up. IFS analysis shows a £750 average annual loss for families in York will only be offset by £200 as a result of the new minimum wage.

Liberal Democrats have opposed the move and said it undermines the work of the Coalition Government, to make sure it always pays more to be in work than on benefits.

Cllr Sue Hunter (pictured), Liberal Democrat Councillor for Westfield, said:

“The changes to tax credits will hammer families inYork. The move completely undermines any claim the Tories have of being on the side of working families.

“What makes this even worse is that 12,200 children in our area will now be forced to live in poorer households, reducing their life chances and making it harder for their parents to make ends meet.

“Study after study have shown that the Conservative’s claim to be supporting low income families through a minimum wage increase nowhere near make up for these cuts. It’s time for them to come clean and be honest with those doing the right thing and going out to work.

“I am pleased that Lib Dems are opposing this measure. We worked hard in the Coalition to ensure that work would always pay more than choosing to remain on benefits. It is a disgrace the Conservatives are now undermining this.”

The Lib Dems are currently opposing the plans in the House of Lords: http://www.libdems.org.uk/lib-dems-table-fatal-motion-tax-credits

Steps to success event attracts big attendance at Knavesmire

City of York Council’s annual Steps to Success event proved to be a huge success with the event at York Racecourse welcoming over 2000 young people and parents looking for information and advice.

steps to successSteps to Success, held in partnership with York St John University and The University of York, was held on Tuesday 20 October with the aim of providing attendees with information on education and training options, as well as career routes.

The event housed 58 stands at the racecourse providing a wealth of information on Sixth Forms, Colleges, Universities, Apprenticeship Training Providers, Employers and other Support Services.

Running throughout the evening was a rolling programme of presentations including; Options for Key Stage 4 and Beyond, Options for Post 16 Education and Training, Apprenticeships, Progression to Higher Education and Future Job Opportunities.

Anyone parents or young people unable to attend the event who would like a copy of the parents’ guides or more information from the event please contact Beverley Wills on beverley.wills@york.gov.uk or call 01904 553008

 

Anti social behaviour tackled by new policing plan for half term

A youth protection scheme is to be re-run over half term following its success in the summer.

Operation liberate Sept 2015Operation Liberate, led by City of York Council and North Yorkshire Police, and other partners, aims to keep young people feeling and being safe. Police, local authority officers and healthcare professionals offer young people support and help, and where necessary take action to prevent anti-social behaviour or offending.

Between 24 July and 5 September on Friday and Saturday nights during the summer holiday, Operation Liberate targeted areas where anti-social behaviour has been an issue in the past. Police response teams identified 18 young people at risk and vulnerable aged between 10 and 18, of whom 75 per cent were female. Of them, 25 per cent were in danger of getting involved in anti-social behaviour and 75 per cent were considered vulnerable.
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National adoption week starts in York

National Adoption Week 2015 takes place this week from 19 to 25 October with the theme ‘Too old at 4?’

adoption week 2015

Older children waiting to be adopted are often likely to be in sibling groups or to have additional needs and there is currently a shortage of adoptive parents coming forward for these children.

Sadly, sibling groups, those with complex needs and children from black and minority ethnic families are amongst the children who wait longest to be adopted.

During National Adoption Week 2015, City of York Council is joining all its adoption partners to work together to highlight the need to find adoptive families for these children.

While it’s great news that York has no children waiting to be adopted at the moment, across the country there are brothers and sisters, older children and those with special needs or disabilities looking for forever families. Could that be you?

City of York Council is hosting an information event on 2 November from 6:30-8:30pm  in central York where you can find out more about what adoption involves and whether it could be right for you. . To book a place please contact the duty adoption worker on: adoptiondutyworker@york.gov.uk or phone 01904 553525.

Anyone interested in adopting or who would like to know more can find lots of useful information  onthe Yorkshire and Humber Adoption Consortium website: http://beingfamily.co.uk/ or can phone the national adoption information service – First4Adoption on 0300 222 0022 where the friendly advisers will be happy to answer questions. The First4Adoption information line is open Monday-Friday between 10am and 6pm. You can also find information on their website at http://www.first4adoption.org.uk/

York still above average in education performance

A Council report,  being considered next week, confirms that the City’s education system is continuing to  achieve above average performance results.

click to enlarge

click to enlarge

Exam results at both GCSE and advance level stages show an improvement over the previous year.

OFSTED inspections reveal that, as of 9th October 2015, 89% of York secondary schools are rated “good or outstanding”, 88% of primaries are “good or outstanding” and 100% of our special schools are “good or outstanding”.

This means that overall, of the 64 schools in the city, 89% are good or outstanding.

At most education stages the difference in achievement  between less well off pupils (entitled to pupil premium) and others, has either narrowed or remained constant, although the gap widened in mathematics at Key Stage 2

Detailed performance graphs can be found by clicking here

Walk to school week in York

walking bus 2Thirty one schools and over 9,000 pupils across the city are taking part in the biggest ever Walk to School Week campaign which aims to encourage even more children to walk, cycle or scoot to school.

The school that gets the highest number of pupils walking, cycling or scooting throughout the week will win the coveted Jack Archer award and £300, funded by Age UK.

‘Scoot to School’ day will also take place on Wednesday 14 October. To encourage students to scoot the school with the most pupils who scoot to school on that day will win a Scooter Pod worth £300 donated by CyclePod.

It is recommended that children aged five to sixteen do at least sixty  minutes of physical activity that gets their heart beating faster than usual and they need to do it everyday to burn off calories and prevent them storing up excess fat in the body.

Regular activity is also important for adults and it is recommended that adults make sure they’re active for just 30 minutes each day, or 150 minutes a week.

The scheme is also targeted at families who normally take the car, and encourages them to consider walking or cycling to school instead.

Residents can find out more about changing the way they travel in York at: www.itravelyork.info/

Deadline for York Secondary School applications nears

York HighWith all open days for York secondary schools now completed, parents are reminded that applications for secondary school places for September 2016 should be made before 31 October 2015.

Parents of children currently in Year 6 – the last year of primary school – should apply for a maximum of five schools and one preference should be the catchment school.

Applications can be made online at www.york.gov.uk/schooladmissions

All details and answers to frequently asked questions can be found at www.york.gov.uk/guideforparents. This guide, updated for 2016 admissions, contains information on school admissions and appeals processes as well as information on admissions statistics, oversubscription criteria and other information for parents and carers. Also online are details for service families and information on fair access.

Applicants will be advised of their allocated school on National Offer Day, 1 March 2016.

For more detailed information, please email: education@york.gov.uk or call 01904 551 554.

Parents offered £1,300 in York

School childrenEligible residents could have up to £1,300 spent on helping their school-age child to do even better for this and for the next six academic years if they apply before January 2016.

As the new terms starts, applying for free school meals could not only mean a daily hot lunch if the child wants one, but the Government will give £1,300 every year for each eligible pupil at primary schools and £965 per year per student at secondary schools.

With an estimated 400 children eligible in York but whose parents are not claiming, this could mean that up to £380,000 of Government funding is being missed out on by York pupils and their schools.

The Pupil Premium, as it is known, is paid to the child’s school and is used to help them do even better with their schoolwork. It could mean extra help with homework, uniform vouchers or buying extra books.

The Pupil Premium will be paid whether or not the pupil takes the free meals. If they prefer, they can choose to have them on certain days or even if they prefer to take a packed lunch every day. School meals provide a tasty and nutritious choice of hot or cold lunch every day.

Successful applications made before the school census in January 2016 will mean that the school will get this funding every year for the next six academic years, but applications can be made at any time throughout the school year. Parents or carers can apply through the school or online at www.york.gov.uk/freeschoolmeals.

While all children in school Reception and Years 1 and 2 currently receive free school meals, eligible parents and carers still need to apply for the Pupil Premium to be allocated to their child.

To qualify for free school meals, parents or carers must get one of the following income-related benefits:

  • Income Support
  • Income-based Job Seekers Allowance
  • Income-related Employment and Support Allowance
  • Child Tax Credit combined with both a household income below £16,190, and not in receipt of any Working Tax Credit
  • Support under part VI of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999
  • Guarantee Element of State Pension Credit.

Contributions-based benefits, including contribution-related Job Seekers Allowanceare not qualifying benefits. Parents or carers who have just started to work less than 16 hours a week, or immediately after employment has ceased for a temporary four week ‘run-on’ period only may be eligible.

For more information, to check eligibility or to apply, please go to www.york.gov.uk/freeschoolmeals or contact School Services at West Offices, Station Rise, York, YO1 6GA or call 01904 551554 or email education@york.gov.uk