10th October 2023
Dear Colleagues,
Please find our weekly briefing below and share with colleagues who can respond on behalf of your school or setting. Thank you.
Reminders: |
|
|---|---|
Schools should sign up to the Educational Visits Coordinator Training on 14th November 2023 here. | By 31/10/23 |
Governors can sign up to Safeguarding Training on 14th November here | By 31/10/23 |
Primaries can sign up to Music Co-ordinator Deep Dive Training on 14th November here | By 03/11/23 |
Headteachers and Deputy Heads should attend Head Teachers Termly. Agenda and link to join the meeting will be shared shortly | On 07/11/23 |
The SEND & Inclusion Training Brochure can be viewed here | Ongoing |
The HLP Brochure can be viewed at Hillingdon Learning Partnership - Leap | Ongoing |
Primary Assessment and Moderation 2023/24
Please forward this Briefing Paper to your Assessment Leads. It contains important information relating to statutory guidance, training opportunities for KS2 teachers, along with a CPD offer to act as an LA Moderator.
Academy schools - the STA requires you to nominate your moderation partner by 12th January 2024, please complete the form linked within the briefing paper.
If you have any queries regarding assessment and moderation or require further support, please email schoolimprovementadmin@hillingdon.gov.uk
Principal EP Update
Following Melanie Adkins' departure at the end of October, I am pleased to announce that we have appointed Ingrida Stankeviciene as Principal EP from 1st November. Ingrida has been in the EPS team in Hillingdon for 10 years and I am sure she will doing a fantastic job leading the EP service moving forwards.
Melanie and Ingrida will be working closely over the course of the next month to ensure a smooth handover. We would like to thank Melanie for her hard work and successful outcomes in the last few years with the service and wish her the best of luck in her new chapter.
Hillingdon Headteachers Conference
Thank you to those who were able to attend the conference. Please see links below to the slides used during the sessions.
EEF contact details: Sarah Mullins, Regional Delivery Lead (London and South East). Tel: 020 4540 7090. Email: Sarah.mullins@eefoundation.org.uk.
Hillingdon Outcomes (PDF) [217KB]
Health Related Behaviour Survey (PDF) [1MB]
Inclusion for All (PDF) [450KB]
Ofsted Autumn 2023 (PDF) [2MB]
We would really appreciate your feedback on the conference. Please complete this Feedback Form which will help us plan for future events, by 20th October.
SoundBath for Staff Wellbeing and to Reduce Overwhelm and Staff Absence
It was a pleasure to attend the Headteacher Conference on Thursday 5th October. I was pleasantly surprised at how open minded most who attended were, demonstrating that for leaders in Hillingdon, staff well-being is more than a tick box exercise.
My background, for those of you who missed the session: I stepped away from education in March 2022 and left headship. This is when I founded my company Everythingstartswithyou that provides well-being solutions with a specific focus on the central nervous system.
Sound therapy treats and works with the central nervous system, and, has specific focus on the parasympathetic nervous system, taking participants from fight or flight response into a rest and digest state.
SoundBaths are immersive experience and a restorative practice. During a SoundBath various instruments are played that create vibrations which work through your body on a cellular level, helping to release stress and tension. This therapy brings clarity, calm and stillness to a dysregulated person. Engagement is passive yet the benefits are transformative and instantaneous.
The journey at Douay Martyrs School started as pilot scheme and has been so successful the therapy has become part the school's well-being provision. Sessions have proven to be a cost-effective solution; this has been tracked through supply costs and staff absenteeism. Services have been offset against the school's supply budget.
The intention of these sessions is to give staff a space to relax, decompress, regulate, and build resilience. Sessions are proven to reduce anxiety, depression, insomnia and decrease stress.
I hope those who attended on Thursday enjoyed the taster session.
There are a few ways you can engage with my services:
· Weekly staff therapy sessions - 45 mins - 1 hour
· Half termly or Termly well-being sessions
· Twilight or Inset sessions
· Packages can be bespoke in line with schools needs after an initial consultation
My website is www.everythingstartswithyou.co.uk. Mobile: 07868 715560 and email: hello@everythingstartswithyou.co.uk
Tia Harris
Please ensure this information reaches your Designated Safeguarding Lead and Deputies
Hillingdon Education Safeguarding Self-evaluation Process and Section 157/175 Audit 2023-24
In conjunction with the Education Safeguarding Sub-group of the Hillingdon Safeguarding Children Partnership, we are launching a new safeguarding self-evaluation process for schools, academies, settings and colleges. The Education Safeguarding Sub-group consists of your representatives from each phase of education. The new self-evaluation process and the self-evaluation audit tool can be found on LEAP here .
Under the new process, you have options as to how you self-evaluate your safeguarding arrangements and the DSL Development Day on Friday 13th October is part of that process. The requirement for each school, academy, setting or college to provide a safeguarding development plan by the end of the Autumn term is non-negotiable. This allows the Education Safeguarding Team and the Hillingdon Safeguarding Children Partnership to support robust safeguarding practice across all education providers in Hillingdon.
We thank you in advance for your engagement. Any questions or queries can be directed to MHawkins@hillingdon.gov.uk.
Hillingdon Health Related Behaviour Survey 2023
You are invited to participate in an important school-based survey focusing on the health and wellbeing of children and young people in Hillingdon.
As stated at the Headteacher Conference, this will be fully funded by the Council this year.
The survey questions range widely over several health and lifestyle topics, including wellbeing, relationships, bullying diet and oral health, safety and school life. Schools will receive their own profile report and you will find out things like:
- Whether boys or girls report more bullying behaviour in your school
- If pupils in your school have better emotional wellbeing than those in the rest of Hillingdon
- If pupils qualifying for free school meals who have SEND feel differently about your school than do others
Your school profile report will provide broad and current evidence to inform self-evaluation and school improvement priorities and to plan health education and support based on the needs of your school.
The survey is intended for use in Years 4 and 6 in primary schools and Years 8 and 10 in secondary schools. The responses collected from the young people are anonymous and confidential. Your school profile will be kept confidential.
There is no cost to schools and the survey period will take place in November 2023. Registration closes on 20th October.
Please see this information sheet for more details: Hillingdon Health-Related Behaviour Survey 2023 (PDF) [164KB]
To register, please use https://www.sheu.org.uk/register and If you have any queries, please contact Julia Heggie, Public Health Team by e‑mail jheggie@hillingdon.gov.uk
Attention all DSLs - the Metropolitan Police's Cyber Choices Team Needs You!
Please see information from the Cyber Crime Unit - Prevent Team here.
Cyber Choices now forms part of the Department for Education's - Keeping Children Safe in Education 2023, p145.
Cyber Choices is a national referral programme led by the National Crime Agency (NCA), developed to assist in the fight against cybercrime.
Please read the information to see how they can support your school and students. This information has also been uploaded to LEAP under the Prevent / Hate Crime tab.
Wear RED to Show Racism the Red Card 16th - 20th October 2023
'There's a big difference between being not-racist and being anti-racist. I know it doesn't seem like it. I know that both of these things seem equally good, but they're not.'
This year Hillingdon Safeguarding Partnership is raising awareness of the importance of anti-racist practice through wearing red to show racism the red card. Show Racism the Red Card is the UK's leading charity challenging racism through education, you can request a fundraising pack from the website, or donate online/via text.
Linked here is a practice briefing covering cultural literacy, anti-racist practice, the 2021 census and intersectionality: Anti Racist Practice (PDF) [2MB]
Please do disseminate this information within your school, start conversations and join in and wear red between 16th and 20th October.
Both the SAB and Safeguarding Children Partnership websites have been updated.
Mental Wellbeing Resources for Primaries
For World Mental Health Day (10th October), Better Health have created two new mental wellbeing resources for pupils aged 5-11. The What is wellbeing? Assembly and Self-care Resource can help young people understand the meaning of wellbeing and explore activities to help them feel good and boost their physical and mental health.
Accredited by the PSHE Association and the NHS, they include an immersive film featuring young people speaking about their thoughts on self-care, worksheets and scenario-based activities that can be delivered flexibly across the school timetable.
These are available to download for free here: PHE School Zone
Regards,
Abi Preston
Director of Education & SEND
Children's Services, London Borough of Hillingdon, 4E/07, Civic Centre, Uxbridge UB8 1UW
