10th July 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.

Schools Forum Review 2023 - Your Views Please!

Hillingdon Schools Forum is undertaking a review of how Schools Forum is working and would welcome your views by completing this short survey.  The findings from the survey will be used to make changes in the way Schools Forum works and engages with the wider schools and providers. This survey is targeted at all head teachers and chairs of governors.

The survey is anonymous and confidential. The findings will be presented to Schools Forum in the Autumn Term with recommendations for changes.

The survey will take no more than 5 minutes to complete. Closing date is Friday 21st July 2023.

Could you please complete the survey linked below and also share the link with your chair of governors.

Hillingdon Schools Forum review for Head Teachers and Chairs of Governors

Thank you for your contributions.

Tony Eginton

Chair, Schools Forum

Dedicated Schools Grant Safety Valve Programme Update

Please see this link to view the council's Executive Summary, providing a progress update on delivering the Dedicated Schools Grant Safety Valve programme. We will keep you updated at quarterly intervals. 

Finance Information Sharing & Networking Sessions

Thank you to those who attended the first finance information session last week.  For those who were unable to attend you can watch the session and access the slides used here: Finance Information Sharing & Networking Sessions July 2023 - Leap (hillingdon.gov.uk)

The next sessions are:

• Tuesday 11h July - Re-structuring process with Bob Charlton from Schools HR 
• Tuesday 18th July - Forward planning - pupil number forecasting 
• Tuesday 12th September - Cost cutting whilst keeping the quality of provision as good as possible 
• Wednesday 20th September - Grant / Procurement / Income generation 
• Tuesday 26th September - Sharing resources / Marketing 

Suitable for Headteachers/SLT, SBMs and governors, sessions will be held online via MS Teams from 4.30 - 5.30pm. 

Please sign up HERE.  MS Teams links to join will be sent by email shortly before each session. 

Grants & Funding Available to Schools

Please see Grants & Funding - Leap (hillingdon.gov.uk)

Please share with your Finance teams

ContrOCC Finance Systems

LBH Finance are pleased to announce we are introducing an exciting new payments system via our ContrOCC system to make payments to you, on a monthly basis for Early Support Funding (ESF). This will come into effect from September. This will only be for newly allocated ESFs, following the ContrOCC go live date. All other payments items, including existing ESFs will be paid through their current channels. We are confident that the new process will be easier for you to manage payments and ensure prompt payment is received.

Please review this attachment and forward to your finance team. 

Speech & Language Link

The Speech and Language Link secondary briefings are on:

Tuesday 11^th July at 3.30 pm (virtual)

Friday 14^th July at 9.30 am (virtual)

Please contact clewis@hillingdon.gov.uk for more information and MS Teams link to attend.

SEND & Inclusion Newsletter

Please see the latest edition here; SEND & Inclusion Newsletter - Leap (hillingdon.gov.uk)

Pornography and Youth Based Sexual Imagery Training 2023/24

The aim of this session is to enable participants to understand the emerging prevalence of online pornography and youth produced sexual imagery (YPSI). This training is open to all professionals working with young people offering as insight into the pressures of online life for young people.

The pornography and youth produced sexual imagery training has undergone an update, please see below updated training outcomes. 

• Overview the research and laws covering pornography and young people.
• Consider the impact of pornography on young people.
• Consider how to talk to young people about Pornography
• Overview the research and Laws surrounding Youth Produced Sexual Imagery
• Consider the impact of Youth Produced Sexual Imagery and Image Based Sexual Abuse on young people
• Consider how to talk to young people about Youth Produced Sexual Imagery and Image Based Sexual Abuse 

This session via Zoom and is free of charge.  Course dates are:

• 11th July 2023
• 28th September 2023
• 28th November 2023
• 23rd January 2024

Book your place here: Pornography and Youth Based Sexual Imagery 2023/24

Or click here to access the system. Please click here to access the Learning Zone User Guide.  If you require a new Learning Zone account, complete the short form: Safeguarding Partnership New Account Request MS Form  

Behaviour Hubs Programme for Schools

Behaviour Hubs is a one-year programme for schools, with the option to extend for a second year if needed. The programme is fully funded by the DfE and provides schools with bespoke support, training and advice aimed at improving behaviour culture, which is tailored to each individual school. The programme matches schools with a Lead school who has an exemplary track record in behaviour culture to provide bespoke support, training and advice aimed at improving behaviour culture.

Schools on the programme receive a lump sum of funding at the end of their time on the programme to part fund travel, expenses and staff backfill and implementation of their new behaviour approaches. Schools will receive a grant of up to £9,000 with the amount of funding is in proportion to the time commitment for each stream. There are two streams of the programme to choose from, available to schools depending on their needs:

For further information please see link and register interest: https://behaviourhubs.co.uk/behaviour-hubs-the-programme/

Wellbeing and Mental Health Theatre Performance Offer for Secondary Schools

The Adolescent Development Services and Theatre for Life theatre company are coming to the borough with the production SILENT MIND.

SILENT MIND is a positive and inclusive experience.  As an interactive piece of theatre it actively involves young people to participate in wellbeing and mindfulness techniques.

It is an authentic piece of theatre based on real life experiences of mental health, carefully communicating various issues impacting young people today. Our audiences actively participate in therapeutic drama-based activities within the play and workshop to facilitate personal growth and wellbeing. In recent times, it has been adapted to reflect the impact of the pandemic. Throughout the play, themes around mental health and LGBTQ+ are explored in a safe and appropriate style, suitable for audiences aged 12-25.

Available for one term only (Autumn 2023), to a limited number of schools. Theatre for Life will come to your school on a Tuesday in the Autumn term, perform this remarkable performance and then lead a workshop for your students on the issues explored in the show.

This is a brilliant way of:

• enhancing the wellbeing of your students
• giving them strategies to support their resilience
• developing understanding of mental health.

The Adolescent Development Service have underwritten this experience for LBH secondary schools and are thrilled to be able to make a difference to your students.

To reserve your free experience, in this booking form and select any dates that work for you! We appreciate school calendars for 2023-24 are still yet to be formalised, so this form will just register your interest at this point. We will get back to you to confirm.

If you need further information, please get in touch directly with Naomi White, Education and Community Lead, Theatre For Life.  Tel: 07855 567503 www.theatreforlife.co.uk

Silent-Mind-Pack-2023 (PDF) [8MB]

Post 16 Update

It was a pleasure to meet some of you at the 14-19 Strategy last week and work through the key topics as well as the excellent ongoing work with the 14-16 pilots being run by Uxbridge College and a few of the secondary schools.  I especially enjoyed hearing all your thoughts and opportunities in the second half of the session and look forward to see how we can develop some work streams around these areas.  I will provide you some updates in the coming weeks/months as there are a few takeaways that I have come away from the meeting with and received some positive discussions to move some of these forward, particularly around NEET prevention and Parent Programmes in particular.

You also may not be aware that there is an event being run at the Civic Centre on 8^th August at 3  - 5 pm.  This will be a Careers Event for Young People who are currently NEET or do not have a September guarantee - the event will host a variety of companies who include; SCS Railways, MIT skills, Uxbridge College, Burleigh College, Lifetime Training/Whitbread, 20/20 Investment, JGA, ASK Apprenticeships and the DWP.  The event will also include two providers named New Meaning and Central Training who are Employability and Apprenticeship providers for Young People who have EHCPs.  We hope that by having the DWP in attendance that we can also highlight the role of Sector Based Work Academies to Young People as a way of bridging a pathway into employment. 

To help market the event and encourage Young People to attend we have managed to secure some prize money, therefore every Young Person that attends will be entered into a prize draw (should they agree) with the chance to win Amazon Vouchers.

Please share this poster with your students:  Careers Fair digital poster (PDF) [1MB]

Mike Pearson,Post 16 Partnerships Co-ordinator

Please share with staff / parents / carers

Hillingdon Family Hub and Early Years Nurseries Consultation

Hillingdon Council is inviting children, young people, families, carers, partners, providers and community organisations to have their say on its proposals to roll out a family hub model boroughwide and options for its early years nurseries. 

Family hubs are one-stop-shops where all families can access important services. Hubs deliver these services from conception, through a child's early years, and until they reach the age of 19 (or 25 for young people with special educational needs and disabilities). Family hubs act as a single 'front door', making it easier for families to get the help they need, and to improve the support on offer.  

The family hub model in Hillingdon would build upon existing services that are in place to support families in the early years, by evolving the children's centre offer to support older children and young people, while working with partners more closely to increase the range of support and services available. 

Residents are also being asked to share their views on proposals regarding the future of the council's directly provided childcare in three early years nurseries, located in Hayes, Uxbridge and South Ruislip. 

Have your say by completing our online form Family hub and early years nurseries consultation - Hillingdon Council before Sunday 30th July. 

Please share this information with families via your school newsletters and websites. 

Protocol of Parental Responsibility

The School Placement and Admissions team have seen a significant increase in the numbers of disputes between parents relating to where their children should go to school.  Therefore, we have created guidance to help parents understand Hillingdon Local Authority's protocol for dealing with situations in which parents disagree. This is general guidance intended to help parents understand their rights and responsibilities in line with the law. 

Please feel free to use and refer to the document below where you receive such queries.

Hillingdon's Protocol of Parental Responsibility (PDF) [141KB]

Please share with parents / carers

#DoSomethingThisSummer

The Adolescent Development Service has free activities for children and adolescents, who live, learn or are looked after by Hillingdon, taking place this summer with lunch provided.

For more information visit www.hillingdon.gov.uk/targeted-programmes

Nominate a Child in Care for a Kids in Care Award

Nominate a care-experienced young person for Hillingdon Council's annual Kids in Care Awards and celebration, by emailing KICA@hillingdon.gov.uk before Sunday 30th July. You can highlight their achievements, or any positive changes made in the past 12 months.

The awards ceremony on Sunday 17th September will include food, DJs, a red carpet ceremony and performances from the children, in a stunning marquee.

Additionally, if you or someone you know can offer any support to the event by providing prizes for the children, or treats like a popcorn machine or a bouncy castle, please contact the council with the details: KICA@hillingdon.gov.uk

Regards,

Education Improvement & Partnerships Team, Children's Services,  London Borough of Hillingdon, 4E/07, Civic Centre, Uxbridge UB8 1UW