27th March 2023
Dear Colleagues,
Please find our weekly briefing below and share with colleagues who can respond on behalf of your school or setting. Many thanks.
Ongoing reminders: |
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|---|---|
Schools can sign up to Attendance training here | by 30th March |
Governors & Clerks can complete this survey on their preferences for delivery of training/briefing sessions | By 31st March |
Maintained schools should submit their Climate Action Plans | by 28th April |
Schools can sign up to SEND Training here | Ongoing |
Schools can sign up to the Hillingdon Learning Partnership courses here | Ongoing |
Measles - please share with parents / carers
The local Public Health team has informed us that there has been a recent increase in the number of cases of Measles in Hillingdon. The cases all children aged 1 to 16, and all are unvaccinated.
The current MMR vaccination uptake in Hillingdon is less than 75%, which means that 1 in every 4 children in the borough has not had the two doses of MMR vaccination that provides safe, effective protection against measles. There is variation in uptake across areas of the borough, which means that is some areas a greater number of children have not been vaccinated. This increases the risk of measles transmission in schools.
Measles is a highly infectious respiratory virus that transmits through respiratory droplets from an infected person when they cough and sneeze which is then inhaled by another person. If that person is not fully vaccinated the risk of getting measles is high.
The signs and symptoms of measles to be aware of are:
· Cold-like symptoms, such as a runny nose, sneezing, and a cough
· Sore red eyes that may be sensitive to light
· A high temperature (fever), which may reach around 40°C
· Small greyish-white spots on the inside of the cheeks
· A few days later, a red-brown blotchy rash will appear, usually starting on the head or upper neck, before spreading outwards to the rest of the body.
It is important that if a child is suspected of having measles, they do not attend school. They must telephone their GP or NHS 111. Measles is a notifiable disease which means all cases must be followed up, and contacts identified and given advice on what action they need to take.
Please share this information with parents and carers. It is important that parents and carers know whether their child has had two MMR vaccinations, and direct them for more information either to their GP or an NHS information website: https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/measles/
LBH Public Heath Team
Hillingdon's Easter Holiday, Activities and Food (HAF) Programme - please share with parents / carers
Bookings for Hillingdon's Easter Holiday, Activities and Food (HAF) programme have now opened!
Through our programme of free healthy food and fun activities, children and young people can develop new skills, take part in creative and physical activities, learn about food and cooking, and enjoy a nutritious meal each day.
Our holiday programme, funded by the Department for Education, is open to school-aged children from reception to year 11 (inclusive) who receive benefits-related free school meals. We are also able to provide a limited number of discretionary places to vulnerable children that do not meet the Free School Meal criteria, if you would like for a child you are supporting to be considered for a HAF place, please email HAFprogramme@hillingdon.gov.uk with the child's name, date of birth, address and parent contact details.
Activities this Easter include:
- Learn to ride a bike or develop your cycling skills
- Football, Cricket, Basketball and multi-sports
- Parent and child cookery sessions
- Dance, drama and arts programmes
- Multi-activity camps
- Remote Control car racing
- Coding activities
- SEND activity camps
- Specialist music and drama programmes for asylum/refugee children
To support families to book a place on the HAF programme:
- Direct them to the webpage and help them to choose an appropriate programme from our list
- Use the links provided to book a place directly through the provider. Booking links and contact numbers are listed for each provider.
- When booking their free places, parents/guardians will be prompted to provide their child's unique individual HAF reference number which has been sent directly to parents of all eligible children.
- If a family is unable to locate their reference number, please contact us on the details below and we will be happy to assist.
View our webpage Easter HAF programme - Hillingdon Council where you can find out more about HAF, check out the Easter programme offer and find booking information. If you require any help or support, please contact the HAF programme team via HAFProgramme@hillingdon.gov.uk or 01895 277881.
SORTED Substance Use and Misuse Support Offer for Children in Year 6 and their Parents/Caregivers
With the Summer term fast approaching your Year 6 students will be preparing for their transition from primary to secondary school. The LA's Substance Use and Misuse team (SORTED) have devised a package of support which includes workshops and webinars to address children's vulnerabilities with regards substance misuse and child exploitation and support to parents/caregivers.
Our SORTED team have historically worked in secondary schools across the borough however, we have, in response to growing concerns locally and nationally that children and young people are being exposed to teenage substance use earlier, expanded our education and prevention offer to primary schools.
We are seeking to support schools to prevent their pupils' potential engagement in risky behaviours and raise awareness of the risk of grooming and child exploitation. Please see this document for full details of the offer and how to book: Year 6 Transition Support- SORTED team offer (PDF) [220KB]
Should you have any questions or wish to discuss further please contact: afrejlich-botha@hillingdon.gov.uk
H&S Alerts -City Council Fined Following School Caretaker Fall from Ladder
Please see the latest OHS Green Alert: OHS 0145 - GREEN alert re City Council Fined Following School Caretaker Fall From Ladder (PDF) [95KB]
This safety alert describes a case whereby a school caretaker fell from a height of around 2.5 metres and died. There have been around five previous safety alerts regarding working at height and nearly all of them from cases involving schools. These cases nearly always involve falls from around 2 metres.
The LA is circulating this alert directly to all schools as it provides guidance on the principles of ensuring working at height is done safely. Please cascade to your SMTs as appropriate.
Head Teachers' Termly - Spring 2023
Following on from the recent HTT, please see slides below used during the meeting for the Safeguarding update:
HTT - Safeguarding Partnership slides (PDF) [527KB]
The agenda and slides for future meetings will be sent out one week before the event.
Perspective Lite Updates
Over the next few weeks NCER will be updating the Perspective Lite product, follows:
- From 4 pm until 11 pm on Wednesday 29th March 2023 Perspective Lite will not be available as it is being upgraded.
- Perspective Lite Nova Reports and Insight Analysis now show the 2022 DfE Amended KS2 & KS4 NPD data as default for schools.
All LBH school census data has now been uploaded to Nexus and is therefore available within Perspective Lite. Any school can compare its figures against the LBH numbers. You will not be able to view other schools' detail data. Screen dumps showing the type of data/infographics are show in the LBH School Census Sample Reports document here: LBH School Census Sample Reports (PDF) [1MB]
Perspective Lite - Secondary Schools Presentation and Demonstration
Hillingdon's Business Performance & Intelligence Team are excited to invite you to join us for an important 60-minute online Perspective Lite Showcase for Secondary Schools.
On: 28th March 2023
Time: 12 - 1 pm
To book: Confirm Your Place Now
If you cannot attend, please ask a colleague to represent you.
This showcase is specifically designed for Headteachers, SLT, and school assessment/data leads, empowering all Hillingdon's schools with user-friendly interactive self-serve reports, as we look to upgrade our services to you in 2023. We are partnering with Angel Solutions to show you all the tools and benefits you can expect.
In just 60 minutes, we will demonstrate how schools can quickly;
· gain insight into detailed performance data with readymade analyses
· use interactive data reports and real-time data dashboards, before the DFE statistical first release
· turn census data into instant shareable infographics, with just one click
· access all the latest information on Ofsted and its Inspectors
· additionally, you will learn how to pick up key announcements, download visit reports, and send and receive files securely.
In England there are 20,000 schools benefitting from Perspective Lite, including having early benchmark data to see the bigger picture and turn data into simple, actionable insights, all in one place and Hillingdon schools are part of that community.
Accessible 24/7, Perspective Lite can also support you when you need it, giving you quality information and extra time to focus on what really matters.
You will receive an email on the morning of the event with a live link to join and a reminder 15 minutes before the start time.
Add events@angelsolutions.co.uk to your address book to avoid information getting blocked or put in a spam folder.
Message from HACS - please share with SENCOS
Hillingdon Autistic Care & Support (HACS) in partnership with the CCG are planning to deliver a two-part parent and young person intervention/workshop for autistic young people who transitioning from primary to secondary school in 2023.
We know that the transition from primary to secondary school can be a worrying time for parents and young people. Funded by Hillingdon Health and Care Partners, we are running a new programme so that parents are empowered to support their child through this difficult change and young people have an opportunity to talk about their worries and get practical tips for how to cope during this time.
This is a two-stage programme, starting with a webinar for parents/carers and followed by a practical support workshop for young people:
- Stage 1
A workshop to educate parents/carers on why transitions are challenging for autistic young people. We will focus on the four areas of difference in autism and associated challenges with executive functioning, together with practical tips to prepare for the change. The webinar will provide a safe space for parents to discuss their fears and worries about the primary to secondary transition.
- Stage 2
HACS will then host a practical workshop attended by both the parent and young person to work through their worries and coping strategies to aid a smoother transition, i.e. expectations at secondary school, problem-solving activities for common scenarios etc.
School input into this programme is invaluable to us. We would greatly appreciate your feedback and views about transition support that is already available. The survey will take no more than 5 minutes.
Primary School SENCO questionnaire: https://forms.office.com/e/pFjM0YNnj7
Secondary School SENCO questionnaire: https://forms.office.com/e/AS7ikjvC0D
Please contact Hillingdon Autistic Care & Support on tel: 0208 606 6780 if you need further support.
DfE Invitation for Schools & Colleges to Access Quality Assured Mental Health Led Training
The DfE is offering eligible schools and colleges a grant of £1,200 to pay for training for senior mental health leads in educational settings. The training will help embed an effective whole school or college approach to mental health and wellbeing, including:
- understanding and identifying mental health and wellbeing needs
- approaches to plan and lead change to improve an approach
- developing a setting's universal and targeted support offer
- strategies to listen to student/pupil voice and develop positive relationships with parents, families and carers
- approaches to work effectively with community mental health services
The grant can also be used to pay for supply cover to backfill the individual undertaking training, or for further support to sustain approaches to mental health and wellbeing. Grants are available for around a third of all state schools and colleges in the 2022 to 2023 financial year, with the aim of offering grants to all settings by 2025.
Grant guidance and eligibility criteria are linked below. Schools and colleges can apply for a grant if they are able to begin training by 31 July and must submit their application by 31 March.
Application form: https://onlinecollections.des.fasst.org.uk/fastform/senior-mental-health-leads
The Laurel Trust - Apply for Grant Funding
The Laurel Trust is a grant-giving charity that supports groups of schools in areas of economic and social deprivation. Each year schools are invited to apply for funding to conduct practitioner research which will lead to improved outcomes for children and their families.
A new round of grant funding from The Laurel Trust is now open. Full details on making an application can be found here: https://laureltrust.org.uk
Funding from the LT and Dates of Briefings (PDF) [1MB]
We wish you a restful break when it comes.
