17th 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.

Dear Colleagues,

Firstly, I wanted to say how pleased I am to be back working with you all. My new role as Director of Education and SEND is a real opportunity for us to work collaboratively on the key priorities we have identified and, along with the closer working with Social Care, bringing together these aspects will be important moving forwards.

Many of you will know me from my last role in Hillingdon Council but I am conscious that there have been a number of new Headteachers since I was last in the borough. For those of you who do not know my background, I thought it would be useful to share this with you. My career in schools has been predominantly based in primary schools, where I have had the privilege of starting as a Teaching Assistant many years ago through to becoming a Headteacher. From there, I joined Hillingdon Council as the Head of Education & Learning and then moved to Luton Council to be a Service Director. In my time at Luton Council, we experienced many similar challenges to Hillingdon with SEND and education, along with some different challenges. It was an LA with an inadequate social care inspection and also had a Written Statement of Action from the SEND inspection. During my time there, we had a full ILACs inspection, where progress was evidenced, and a SEND revisit, where we removed all five areas of weakness. However, the challenges with demand and funding etc are common across many Local Authorities.

I am privileged to be in this role with the Council as I genuinely care about children and their outcomes. SEND has been a passion of mine for a long time and, having been a SENDCo for many years, I am well aware of the challenges in the system but also feel hopeful about the changes coming on the horizon with the new SEND & AP Improvement Plan. This is an opportunity for us to reflect on what is working well and what we can do to further improve outcomes.

We have strong educational provision in Hillingdon and many strengths which I hope we can build on over the next year. I have been thrilled to see how the Hillingdon Learning Partnership has grown and successfully delivered the first year of operation. I am looking forward to seeing how this develops further and enables schools to work in partnership, along with the LA, to progress key areas of development for the Borough.

With statutory assessments completed, reports being finalised and the many events that take place in the run up to the end of the year, you must all be ready for a break to stop and reflect. I am planning to visit lots of schools over the next few months and I will look forward to seeing you all next year. I wish you a restful and enjoyable summer and hope you all manage to get some well-deserved down time. I will look forward to working with you next term.

Best wishes,

Abi Preston, Director of Education & SEND

 Finance Information Sharing & Networking Sessions

Thank you to those who attended the finance information sessions so far.  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 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. 

Development Day for Designated Safeguarding Leads (DSL) - 13^th October 2023 - Save the date!

DSLs are invited to a DSL Development Day on 13^th October 2023. This day is aimed to support your work to evaluate how you meet statutory safeguarding obligations by working with DSLs from other Hillingdon schools and settings.

This one-day event will provide the opportunity for you to:

• Reflect on some of the key self-evaluation themes and questions with other DSLs;
• Share examples of your practice that are effective to help other DSLs improve their practice;
• To learn from how other schools & settings address safeguarding to support you in your work;
• This will then help you self-evaluate your practice in an interactive, practice and resource sharing way.

The event will take place at ACS Hillingdon International School, 108 Vine Lane, Hillingdon UB10 0BE.

There will be no cost to schools, academies or FE providers. Due to limits of space, 1 representative from each school or setting can attend.

A flyer and sign-up information will be provided in early September.

Governor Training for 2023/24

Dates for your diaries:

• New Governor Training - Tuesday 19^th September 6 - 7 pm - sign up here
• Safeguarding Training for Governors - Tuesday 14^th November 6 - 8 pm - sign up here

Other training sessions are currently being planned for the next academic year.  We will share dates as soon as these are finalised.

St Mary's Ukrainian School: Request for Support to Provide a Saturday School for Ukrainian Children in Hillingdon

St Mary's Ukrainian School is looking for premises to start a Saturday School to support Ukrainian children in Hillingdon. Their requirements are set out in the Headteacher communication below. If you are able to support the school, whether able to rent the accommodation set out below or in another way, please contact mhawkins@hillingdon.gov.uk. They hope to start in September. They are OFSTED registered and can provide all the compliance of an out of school setting.

Since the start of the war in Ukraine in February 2022, St. Mary's Ukrainian School has been at the forefront of providing vital support and education to displaced children and families. With a student body of 1000 for the 2023/2024 academic year, the school has rapidly expanded, operating from nine locations, including five school sites in London and satellite St. Mary's Ukrainian schools in Woking, Tunbridge Wells (Kent), Richmond, and Kingston. St. Mary's is proud to have increased staffing, with 82% of the newly recruited teachers being displaced individuals from Ukraine.

At the heart of our commitment is a comprehensive Saturday School program. This unique offering provides displaced Ukrainian children with lessons in Ukrainian language, literature, history, and geography, following the Ukrainian national curriculum, preparing them for Ukrainian school leavers exams. In addition to academic subjects, St. Mary's Saturday School offers enrichment programs and after-school activities. From dancing, singing, and art therapy to cooking and structured English language lessons for both children and parents, we prioritise creating a natural cultural and language environment. Our aim is to rebuild confidence and trust while fostering a sense of belonging. Through structure, routine, and engaging learning experiences, we guide these children through the revival and transition process, equipping them with the tools they need to flourish. St Mary's helps our students to adjust to and participate in mainstream UK education, empowering them to maintain their cultural identity while integrating into their new environment.

St. Mary's staff is trained in recognising trauma and providing trauma support. With support from organisations such as Children and War charity, the International Rescue Committee, and experiences from trauma-informed schools in Westminster, we have equipped our staff with valuable techniques and tools to manage their own trauma and support their pupils.

Requirements for the premises:

• St. Mary's is seeking premises for a Saturday School
• 60 children aged 5-16 years old will be attending
• Access is needed from 9 am to 3:30 pm, including enrichment classes
• 3-4 classrooms are required to launch the school
• St. Mary's will handle all cleaning responsibilities
• Access to a hall is essential for program activities
• Access to a kitchen would support providing free hot meals, ensuring the highest food hygiene standards are maintained
• Requesting a small room for administrative purposes (copier, resource storage, and first aid).
• Requesting permission to use the playground for children's well-being (weather permitting).

St. Mary's Ukrainian School remains committed to empowering displaced Ukrainian children and families, cultivating resilience, and building a brighter future for all. With the support of the school and the wider community, we can continue to make a positive impact on the lives of these remarkable individuals, helping them grow, heal, and thrive.

Together, we are shaping a future of hope and opportunity for displaced Ukrainian children.

An Invitation for Schools to Share Daily Attendance Data and Use Attendance Reports to View Severe Absence

71% of schools in Hillingdon are now sharing daily attendance data with the Department for Education (DfE). Sharing data gives you access to daily attendance reports on view your education data.

The reporting tool also includes severely absent pupil data. This is when a pupil is absent for at least 50% of the time. This group is a top priority for schools, as outlined in the latest guidance.

To share daily attendance data, please accept the request in your Wonde portal. If you do not use Wonde, you should have an information email from them. You can email Wonde directly if you have not received this at support@wonde.com.

You can also view a public dashboard for pupil attendance and absence in England, so you can make local authority, regional and national comparisons.

For further information from the DfE on sharing your daily school attendance click here

Updates to CME Referral Process

A communication to all Attendance Officers will be going out this week informing them of some changes to CME process from August 2023. Moving forward CME referrals will require evidence that all necessary checks have been completed by school before referring to the local authority. A CME training webinar is planned for the autumn term. Further information will follow in September 2023.

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. 

Team Teach Level 1 and Level 2 Courses

Team Teach Level 1             4^th October 2023 at St Mary's Catholic School

Team Teach Level 1             17^th January 2024 at St Mary's Catholic School

Team Teach Level 2             19^th & 20^th March 2024 at St Mary's Catholic School

To find out what is covered on each course please view the Level 1 and Level 2 agendas below:
Click here to view Team Teach Level 1 agenda.pdf

Click here to view Team Teach Level 2 agenda.pdf

To check availability and reserve your space, please email info@changing-behaviour.co.uk with the following details:

• Name, job title and email address of person/s wishing to attend
• Name and address of school
• Contact name and email address for invoicing.

Please share with parents / carers

Summer Youth Activities

Looking for something to do this Summer, want to have fun with your friends or make new friends at the same time learning new skills! 

The Universal Youth Service is running Summer Youth Activities for children in school year 1-12 and will run from 24th July to 25th August 2023.

The programme costs £18.40 per day and will provide opportunities to have fun, while developing new skills and self-confidence.  We have free HAF places for children on benefit-related free school meals. 

Our multi-activity programmes are for school years 1-3 and -4-6 which are themed weeks such as Carnival, Under the Sea, Around the World, Princesses and Princes and Mermaids and Pirates weeks, each day is filled with fun activities such as baking, games, outdoor activities, board games, arts and crafts and take part in our showcase at the end of the week.

 If you're in school years 7-12 our multi activity programme activities you can take part in baking, basketball, tennis, football, gardening, make your own beauty products, music, health, and wellbeing and so much more!

Bookings are open and to find out more information. Universal Youth Service - Summer Youth Offer - Hillingdon Council

Please share with staff, parents / carers

Could You Foster a Child?

If you have a spare bedroom and a caring heart, why not find out about fostering opportunities with Hillingdon Council?   

The children we look after need different types of care; so we welcome carers from all backgrounds.

Attend a fostering information session where you can talk to a foster carer and we can help you work out the best type of care you could offer.

Find out more: www.hillingdon.gov.uk/fostering

Please share with staff, parents / carers

MyHealth Asthma Workshops

MyHealth are running FREE Asthma workshops for parents who have children with Asthma. These sessions are run by the Hillingdon Hospital asthma nurses giving you the chance to learn from health professionals and to ask them questions directly. Some of the content included in these sessions is:

•       Asthma attacks

•       Asthma triggers

•       Inhaler techniques

•       Asthma action plans

The workshop is run online using ZOOM you can register your FREE place HERE.

All sessions are from 4 - 5 pm and current dates are:

• Monday 4th September
• Monday 2nd October
• Monday 6th November

You can also contact the MyHealth team on tel: 01895 543 437 or nhsnwlccg.myhealth@nhs.net.

Regards,

Abi Preston

Director of Education & SEND

Children's Services, London Borough of Hillingdon, 4E/07, Civic Centre, Uxbridge UB8 1UW