Mental health grants Black leaders training

GRANTS of £1,200 for mental health training are available from the Department for Education for schools and colleges.

Funding will help the school mental health lead measure need and monitor:

• the impact of interventions;

• understand the mental health needs of vulnerable groups of pupils such as those with a social worker and young carers;

• put in place strategies to support staff and learners’ mental health;

• strategies to develop positive relationships with parents, families and carers.

The grant can be spent on one of over 100 quality assured courses, delivered online or in-person, and beginner, intermediate or advanced levels. It can also be used to pay for supply cover to backfill the mental health lead while they are training.

Go to onlinecollections.des. fasst.org.uk/fastform/ senior-mental-healthleads

See How I…page 16

A DEVELOPMENT programme for aspiring Black leaders, funded by the NEU, will start in January. Applications are now open. The sixth-month programme, Positioned for success, is designed to help tackle the persistently low number of Black leaders in education.

It is open to Black NEU members, based in a school or post-16 college, with at least three years’ experience who are looking to take the next step in their career.

Tutors Marva Rollins and Dolapo Ogunbawo, both highly experienced school leaders, have been delivering bespoke training for Black teachers for 15 years. Their new course, delivered in partnership with the NEU, covers a broad range of skills needed to move into or upwards in education leadership including submitting top class job applications and interviewing skills.

The application deadline is 9 December. Places are fully funded by the union, which will also cover reasonable travel expenses.

To book neu.org.uk/ black-leaders-course

See an interview with Marva Rollins and Dolapo Ogunbawo on page 12