29th January 2024

Notification Of Critical Incident and Contact List

There have recently been a number of critical incidents affecting Hillingdon schools.

I would like to remind all schools, including academies, free schools and other independent schools, if you have a critical incident in your school, you must let the Council know, so they can provide you with support and liaise with other local agencies that may be involved.

The Educational Psychology Service provide training on dealing with critical incidents and the Council's critical incident policy is being updated and will be shared with everyone imminently.

In the event of a critical incident please inform the Stronger Families Hub as soon as possible.

The first two names on the contact list are your initial contacts. However, if you are unable to get a response, please continue down the list using directorate contacts first:

Head Teachers' Termly - Spring 2024

The next meeting will held on 12^th March via MS Teams at 10 am - 12 pm.  Agenda and link to join will be shared soon.  If you are unable to attend, please ask a colleague to attend for your setting.

SEND & Inclusion Service Newsletter

The LA is continually striving to keep you informed of current legislation, guidance and information which is relevant to supporting vulnerable students and students with SEND.  

Please see click here to access the new and improved SEND and Inclusion Service Newsletter. Please note that there is a subscribe button, so that you can be added to the mailing list.

SaLT & OT Additional Funding

The LA and the ICB have been working together to identify additional funding to help reduce waiting times for Speech and Language Therapy (SaLT), and Occupational Therapy (OT) for children and young people in Hillingdon. Meeting the needs of children and young people and tackling the increased waiting times that are the result of an increase in demand, and delays arising from the impact of the Covid pandemic, remains a high priority for both organisations, and we continue to work together with our Providers to ensure we can respond creatively and effectively.

A further £233,500 is being provided which will be used to fund additional therapeutic support between now and April. We are working with the ICB and CNWL to identify additional therapists that we can commission to support the children and young people, and although we recognise there is a national shortage of therapists, we are confident we will be able to find a solution in the near future. The aim is to reduce waiting times for those children and young people after they have had their needs assessed, and enable them to access support quicker, helping to improve their long-term outcomes. This will enable schools to receive therapeutic input for children and young people much faster, providing them with strategies to meet their needs, and also ensure that we are able to meet our statutory duties in line with children and young people's EHCP's.

The LA, ICB, and CNWL, continue to work collaboratively looking at longer term solutions to meet the growing demand, so that children and young people can continue to have their needs met in a timely way.

Communicating with Children with Disabilities and Complex Needs

The Safeguarding Children Partnership have recently produced guidance in respect of safeguarding children with disability.  Please see Children with Disabilities - Leap

Parenting Apart Programme

The Parenting Apart Programme (PAP) supports parents who are going through conflict, divorce or separation, where relationships have broken down. It also supports the emotional wellbeing of children during this difficult time. The Parenting Apart Programme information can be found at - www.hillingdon.gov.uk/parenting-apart.

Fully Funded Available Training for Schools

Mastering Number at Reception & KS1

This national fully funded programme, now in its third year, will develop solid number sense, including fluency and flexibility with number facts, which will have a lasting impact on future learning for all children. Please see flyer for full details and sign-up information:  Mastering Number at RecKS1 (PDF) [672KB]

Encouraging Girls in Computing

Please see this flyer with details of a fully funded training event on 9^th February for KS2 - KS5 teachers:  Encouraging Girls in Computing Event 9th Feb (PDF) [541KB]

Staff Wellbeing

Tia Harris, who provided the Soundbath taster session at the Headteachers Conference last term, is hosting a 'Nurture your Nature' day retreat on Saturday 24^th February.  Join her at the serene Cucumber Fields in Hatfield, an award-winning sanctuary nestled amidst woodlands, orchards, and paddocks. This investment in yourself is priced at £110.

Booking link Nurture your Nature 24th February Information

Wraparound Childcare

The government have announced that, by September 2026, they want to ensure that every parent of primary school aged children can access wraparound childcare from 8 am - 6 pm, if they wish it. The expectation is that this is childcare that parents would pay for unless they get support from the government for some of the childcare costs.

In order to plan for this, the LA needs to assess how much wraparound childcare already exists, where there is demand for places, and any plans for future expansion.

Therefore, please can you complete this online form to share how wraparound childcare is delivered in your school, both now and any plans for the future.

School Readiness at Learn Hillingdon - please share with EY parents / carers

So, what is school readiness? Well, we see it as a measure of how prepared a child is to succeed in school, cognitively, socially and emotionally. This allows teachers to focus on developing skills and stops young children playing 'catch up', so they can develop their love for school and parents can be confident that their child is coping well with the transition.

Sadly, the last statistical data shows that in Hillingdon 1 in 2 children are 'school ready' compared to Lewisham where about 3 in 4 children are school ready - fingertips.phe.org.uk 2014. And the pandemic will not have improved this situation.

So we are offering all parents of young children, who are about to go to school for the first time a free course, details below:

School Readiness (online course) 10am to 12pm

Wednesday 28^th February to Wednesday 20^th March (4 weeks)  Click here for info

School Readiness (Online course) 7pm-9pm

Tuesday 5^th March to Tuesday 26^th March (4 weeks)  Click here for info

Parents can enrol here: Course List | ontrack: Learner Hub (tribal-ebs.com) just click on the blue ENROL button. We will then send them, via email all the information they need to attend including the link to the class.

Free MOPAC Commissioned Teacher Toolkit: Ending Gender-Based Violence

The Ending Gender-Based Violence Teacher Toolkit is being delivering by Tender and MOPAC as part of the Mayor's Office's £1 million pledge to support London's educators to address Gender-Based Violence. This programme consists of a free Toolkit resource, and free, CPD accredited training for London's schools.

Ending Gender-Based Violence Teacher Toolkit - free resource and CPD accredited training.

The Teacher Toolkit is a free resource, developed to help schools facilitate important conversations with children and young people around GBV, and meet key elements of the RSE curriculum. It can also support staff's vital safeguarding role.

The Secondary Toolkit is available now.

The Primary Toolkit will be launched Spring 2024.

To support the use of the Toolkit in schools, Tender are offering free CPD accredited and online training to teachers and school governors in every London borough. The details of Hillingdon's upcoming sessions are below. You can find further information on the sessions here.

Primary Teachers: Talking to Children and Young People about Relationships and Gender Equality

Wednesday 22^nd May 16:00-17:00 Click here to register

Secondary Teachers: Increasing Awareness of Gender-Based Violence

Tuesday 18^th June 16:00-17:00 Click here to register

SEN Teachers: Support Children and Young People with SEND to Understand Healthy Relationships and Gender Equality

Thursday 20^th June 16:00-17:00 Click here to register

Governors (Primary and Secondary): Introduction to Ending Gender-Based Violence Toolkit

Thursday 20^th June 17:30-18:30 Click here to register

If you have queries, please contact Rose Cleary at Rose@tender.org.uk