4th March 2024

Dear Colleagues,

Please find our weekly briefing below to cascade to your colleagues who can respond on behalf of your team, school or setting. Thank you.

Reminders:
All School Governors are invited to attend SEND Training on 21^st March at 6 -7 pm online. Please register to attend HERE	By 13^th March
Schools should attend the online Elective Home Education Information Session. Register here	On 14th March 10 - 11.30 am
All School Governors are invited to the Governors Networking Event on 18th June 2024 at 6 - 7.30pm at the Civic Centre. Please click here to register	By 31^st May
Schools can sign up here to attend the Hillingdon Virtual School Conference on 3^rd July	By 14^th June
Hillingdon LEAP can be accessed for information and guidance for all settings	Ongoing
The SEND & Inclusion Training Brochure can be viewed here	Ongoing
The HLP Brochure can be viewed at Hillingdon Learning Partnership	Ongoing

Updates/Information:
Head Teachers' Termly Spring 2024 Please see agenda for the next meeting to be held on 12^th March 2024 at 10 am - 12 pm via MS Teams. The link to join the meeting is in the agenda. We hope to see you. Head Teachers' Termly Agenda - Spring 2024 (PDF) [131KB]
Child Exploitation Awareness Day Child Exploitation Awareness Day is on 18^th March, this is an opportunity to raise awareness about all forms of exploitation, including modern slavery, criminal exploitation, sexual exploitation, and trafficking. Our aim is to highlight good practice locally and to support the continuous development of services across the Safeguarding Partnership. The theme this year for Hillingdon is: 'Going back to basics' - a reminder that everyone has a responsibility to prevent child abuse and ensure that all children are safe from harm.' This year the Safeguarding Partnership offer includes three webinars, each an hour long and held between 12:30 and 13:30 - join us if you can! Monday 18th March - Myth Buster and taking us back to basics - Book here Thursday 21st March - Axis Understanding Local Exploitation Trends - Book here. Friday 22nd March - The Children Society - Disruption and Transitional Safeguarding - Book here The webinars are open to anyone working with children and families in Hillingdon, they are free of charge and available on a first come first serve basis. Child-Exploitation-Awareness-Day-Briefing-2024 (PDF) [633KB] These events have been added to the Calendar for DSLs which can be found on LEAP here.
NSPCC Speak Out. Stay Safe. Free Safeguarding Programme for Schools The free NSPCC Speak Out. Stay Safe. programme consists of pre-recorded online assemblies for KS1 (20 minutes) and KS2 (30 minutes). These assemblies can be shown either in classroom format as a PSHE lesson or as a key stage assembly. They have also provided parent/carer letters, teacher guidance and follow on lesson plans to consolidate learning. Face-to-face workshops can be arranged subject to availability, where NSPCC volunteers lead in activities related to the key messages from the assemblies such as bullying, children's rights and how to contact Childline. Speak Out. Stay Safe. is also available for SEND students and has been developed in partnership with Image in Action to create a 6-session programme addressing the key messages. The SEND programme comes with a free virtual briefing available to all teaching and supporting staff to ensure the programme can be adapted to best suit the needs of each student. Please contact Porsche Thomas, West London NSPCC Schools Coordinator, for more information on SOSS or any other NSPCC services: Porsche.thomas@nspcc.org.u This will be on the agenda of the next DSL Cluster Meeting if anyone has questions - Porsche will be attending. HILLINGDON Newsletter content Feb 24 (PDF) [122KB]
School Business Managers Network Meeting (organised by volunteer Jo Palmer) On: Thursday 14^th March 2024 at 1 - 3 pm in Committee Room 5, Civic Centre, Uxbridge. Please email Jo if you would like to attend at joannapalmer44@hotmail.com

Updates/Information:

Head Teachers' Termly Spring 2024

Please see agenda for the next meeting to be held on 12^th March 2024 at 10 am - 12 pm via MS Teams. The link to join the meeting is in the agenda. We hope to see you.

Head Teachers' Termly Agenda - Spring 2024 (PDF) [131KB]

Child Exploitation Awareness Day

Child Exploitation Awareness Day is on 18^th March, this is an opportunity to raise awareness about all forms of exploitation, including modern slavery, criminal exploitation, sexual exploitation, and trafficking. Our aim is to highlight good practice locally and to support the continuous development of services across the Safeguarding Partnership.

The theme this year for Hillingdon is: 'Going back to basics' - a reminder that everyone has a responsibility to prevent child abuse and ensure that all children are safe from harm.'

This year the Safeguarding Partnership offer includes three webinars, each an hour long and held between 12:30 and 13:30 - join us if you can!

Monday 18th March - Myth Buster and taking us back to basics - Book here
Thursday 21st March - Axis Understanding Local Exploitation Trends - Book here.
Friday 22nd March - The Children Society - Disruption and Transitional Safeguarding - Book here

The webinars are open to anyone working with children and families in Hillingdon, they are free of charge and available on a first come first serve basis.

Child-Exploitation-Awareness-Day-Briefing-2024 (PDF) [633KB]

These events have been added to the Calendar for DSLs which can be found on LEAP here.

NSPCC Speak Out. Stay Safe. Free Safeguarding Programme for Schools

The free NSPCC Speak Out. Stay Safe. programme consists of pre-recorded online assemblies for KS1 (20 minutes) and KS2 (30 minutes). These assemblies can be shown either in classroom format as a PSHE lesson or as a key stage assembly. They have also provided parent/carer letters, teacher guidance and follow on lesson plans to consolidate learning. Face-to-face workshops can be arranged subject to availability, where NSPCC volunteers lead in activities related to the key messages from the assemblies such as bullying, children's rights and how to contact Childline.

Speak Out. Stay Safe. is also available for SEND students and has been developed in partnership with Image in Action to create a 6-session programme addressing the key messages. The SEND programme comes with a free virtual briefing available to all teaching and supporting staff to ensure the programme can be adapted to best suit the needs of each student.

Please contact Porsche Thomas, West London NSPCC Schools Coordinator, for more information on SOSS or any other NSPCC services: Porsche.thomas@nspcc.org.u

This will be on the agenda of the next DSL Cluster Meeting if anyone has questions - Porsche will be attending.

HILLINGDON Newsletter content Feb 24 (PDF) [122KB]

School Business Managers Network Meeting (organised by volunteer Jo Palmer)

On: Thursday 14^th March 2024 at 1 - 3 pm in Committee Room 5, Civic Centre, Uxbridge.

Please email Jo if you would like to attend at joannapalmer44@hotmail.com

For Action:
Post 16 Prospectus 2024/2025 Interest We are now entering our 3^rd year of the Hillingdon Post 16 Prospectus 2023/24 - Hillingdon Council where this year we saw over 2,000 views and just under 1,500 visitors spend on average 4 minutes 30 seconds viewing all the content. For the upcoming academic year, we will be showcasing a variety of content as bulleted below to around 3,832 year 11's and 2,264 Year 13's - early intervention is also key so some content will support 3,699 year 10's. Key updates for 2024/2025 Post 16 Prospectus which have come through the various focus groups I led in the autumn with students: A careers lesson plan accessible to all students- based on 'Skills Builder Partnership' What are foundation level pathways? Traineeship, Internship, Apprenticeship and T-Level videos Why get into childcare and the various routes/pathways? What is a conversion course?- with video A 360 tour of HRUC And many more updates We understand that budgets may be tight for some schools given the feedback from a recent survey that showed cost would be a big barrier to not being part of this; however, for this to run we do need some resource from schools. We are therefore proposing a cost of £300 per page for schools to purchase, which is £150 less than last year's version - the hope is that we get all schools and FE providers to feature on the prospectus to show young people the variety of Post 16 options available. If your school is not currently part of the prospectus please use the link above and discover the schools/colleges pages that are currently on it, to see how they market their post 16 offers. When it comes to marketing the brochure, the following will also happen from September 2024 to ensure your setting has maximum exposure: A text message will be sent to all year 11's and year 13's with a link to the prospectus. A feature in the Hillingdon People magazine which is delivered to all Hillingdon residents Signposting through the 'Next Door' app - a community app in Hillingdon that families are signed up to Geo-data adverts on Facebook and Instagram If you could please email Post16prospectus@Hillingdon.gov.uk by 22^nd March to notify of your intention - even if this is a no, that would be great! I look forward to hearing from you. Mike Pearson, Post 16 Partnerships Co-ordinator
Panels for Governors/Trustees & Leadership Pay Training delivered by The Schools HR Co-operative Governors/Trustees and Headteachers are invited to attend one of the two-hour online training sessions being held at 5 pm on 14th March 2024 [Session A] and 5 pm on 12th June 2024 [Session B]. The identical sessions will be delivered by Bob Charlton from The Schools HR Co-operative. The session will cover: Understanding the expectations of being on a panel How a panel is constituted The different people/roles involved in the process The authority the panel has and other procedural matters How to deal with difficult participants The role of the Panel Chairperson Implications of panel decision making and how to come to a decision. In addition, the session will include a briefing on Leadership Pay to support governors/trustees with implementing leadership pay following pay awards and performance reviews etc. Attendance at a session is complimentary for schools that purchase The Schools HR Co-operative's core HR Advice & Guidance SLA. For schools that do not purchase the Schools HR SLA there will be a charge of £30.00 + VAT per delegate to attend. To book, please email the delegate's name, role, school, email address and requested session to coursebookings@schoolshr.net. Delegates will be sent the Microsoft Teams link following receipt of the booking request.
Food Growing Training Sessions Monday 11th March, 10:00 - 12:00 Online workshop: building community networks. How can you create community networks to sustain our food growing spaces? What happens to your growing sites during school holidays? How do you engage parents, teachers and the wider community and where can you find resources to sustain our projects? In this interactive webinar, we will be chatting with Caroline D'Souza from LEAP London and Rachel Copus from School Food Matters about setting up your food growing projects in schools. Book your place Friday 26th April, 11:00-13:00 at Hackney School of Food, Oswald Street, E5 0BT. Join us for this in-person training on the setting up a food-growing site. Explore Hackney School of Food's dedicated food-growing space, learn through interactive activities and gain practical insights into setting up and sustaining your own food-growing site. Book your place Wednesday 22nd May, 14:00-16:30 at Paper Garden, Teredo Street London SE16 7LW. Learn how to create a school garden curriculum through the school calendar year. Explore Global Generation's Paper Garden to learn through interactive activities and gain practical insights into structing your school food-growing site with the curriculum. Book your place

For Action:

Post 16 Prospectus 2024/2025 Interest

We are now entering our 3^rd year of the Hillingdon Post 16 Prospectus 2023/24 - Hillingdon Council where this year we saw over 2,000 views and just under 1,500 visitors spend on average 4 minutes 30 seconds viewing all the content.

For the upcoming academic year, we will be showcasing a variety of content as bulleted below to around 3,832 year 11's and 2,264 Year 13's - early intervention is also key so some content will support 3,699 year 10's.

Key updates for 2024/2025 Post 16 Prospectus which have come through the various focus groups I led in the autumn with students:

A careers lesson plan accessible to all students- based on 'Skills Builder Partnership'
What are foundation level pathways?
Traineeship, Internship, Apprenticeship and T-Level videos
Why get into childcare and the various routes/pathways?
What is a conversion course?- with video
A 360 tour of HRUC
And many more updates

We understand that budgets may be tight for some schools given the feedback from a recent survey that showed cost would be a big barrier to not being part of this; however, for this to run we do need some resource from schools. We are therefore proposing a cost of £300 per page for schools to purchase, which is £150 less than last year's version - the hope is that we get all schools and FE providers to feature on the prospectus to show young people the variety of Post 16 options available. If your school is not currently part of the prospectus please use the link above and discover the schools/colleges pages that are currently on it, to see how they market their post 16 offers.

When it comes to marketing the brochure, the following will also happen from September 2024 to ensure your setting has maximum exposure:

A text message will be sent to all year 11's and year 13's with a link to the prospectus.
A feature in the Hillingdon People magazine which is delivered to all Hillingdon residents
Signposting through the 'Next Door' app - a community app in Hillingdon that families are signed up to
Geo-data adverts on Facebook and Instagram

If you could please email Post16prospectus@Hillingdon.gov.uk by 22^nd March to notify of your intention - even if this is a no, that would be great!

I look forward to hearing from you.

Mike Pearson, Post 16 Partnerships Co-ordinator

Panels for Governors/Trustees & Leadership Pay Training delivered by The Schools HR Co-operative

Governors/Trustees and Headteachers are invited to attend one of the two-hour online training sessions being held at 5 pm on 14th March 2024 [Session A] and 5 pm on 12th June 2024 [Session B]. The identical sessions will be delivered by Bob Charlton from The Schools HR Co-operative. The session will cover:

Understanding the expectations of being on a panel
How a panel is constituted
The different people/roles involved in the process
The authority the panel has and other procedural matters
How to deal with difficult participants
The role of the Panel Chairperson
Implications of panel decision making and how to come to a decision.
In addition, the session will include a briefing on Leadership Pay to support governors/trustees with implementing leadership pay following pay awards and performance reviews etc.

Attendance at a session is complimentary for schools that purchase The Schools HR Co-operative's core HR Advice & Guidance SLA. For schools that do not purchase the Schools HR SLA there will be a charge of £30.00 + VAT per delegate to attend. To book, please email the delegate's name, role, school, email address and requested session to coursebookings@schoolshr.net. Delegates will be sent the Microsoft Teams link following receipt of the booking request.

Food Growing Training Sessions

Monday 11th March, 10:00 - 12:00 Online workshop: building community networks. How can you create community networks to sustain our food growing spaces? What happens to your growing sites during school holidays? How do you engage parents, teachers and the wider community and where can you find resources to sustain our projects? In this interactive webinar, we will be chatting with Caroline D'Souza from LEAP London and Rachel Copus from School Food Matters about setting up your food growing projects in schools. Book your place
Friday 26th April, 11:00-13:00 at Hackney School of Food, Oswald Street, E5 0BT. Join us for this in-person training on the setting up a food-growing site. Explore Hackney School of Food's dedicated food-growing space, learn through interactive activities and gain practical insights into setting up and sustaining your own food-growing site. Book your place
Wednesday 22nd May, 14:00-16:30 at Paper Garden, Teredo Street London SE16 7LW. Learn how to create a school garden curriculum through the school calendar year. Explore Global Generation's Paper Garden to learn through interactive activities and gain practical insights into structing your school food-growing site with the curriculum. Book your place

Regards,

Abi Preston

Director of Education & SEND

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