22nd April 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.

Reminders:
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:
LBH Critical Incident Policy The LBH Critical Incident Policy has been recently updated and approved by the Council's SLT. Please find this here on LEAP: Notification of Critical Incident & Contacts - Leap. We have also included a pdf version of the Contacts List for printing for your staff notice boards.
AXIS Please see this month's bulletin: Axis Monthly Bulletin April 2024 final (PDF) [393KB]
Attendance Self Evaluation Form With school attendance coming into sharper focus than ever before in this academic year, the Attendance Support team have developed a Self-evaluation Framework, linked below, which can be used by schools to assess their position on attendance. Use of the framework is voluntary, but we would encourage all schools to consider how it could be used as a tool to assess what you are currently doing well and where your areas for development are regarding attendance. If you choose to complete the framework, the findings can also form part of your school's termly meeting with your allocated Attendance Support Officer who can provide further support and guidance. Attendance-Audit---Self-Evaluation-form-for-schools
Year 11 & Post 16: Tracking Destinations of Young People Hillingdon Council and West London Partnership Support Unit continue to work together in partnership with schools and further education providers to fulfil the statutory duty to track the destinations of young people to the end of year 13 or until the young person's 25th birthday if they have an EHCP. Last year we managed to get our best ever September Guarantee return because of the improved data returns from schools, so this year we would like to build on that. The main contributing factors were the inclusion of contact details and timely submissions to the local authority. I would like to thank you for your support and look forward to furthering the improvement this year starting with our upcoming information session webinar. This webinar will: provide an opportunity to meet the Post 16 Team provide an overview of the September Guarantee and Destination Tracking projects provide information on the process and what is expected of schools and colleges. provide an update on timelines for returns provide advice to help support year 11s who are at risk of becoming NEET provide a space for you to ask questions or share comments relating to the current process. The session will take place on Wednesday 8th May, 10am-11am. Register now by completing this booking form. Once you have registered, you will receive a Microsoft Teams link which will enable you to join the webinar. We look forward to seeing you. Please contact the team at post16eet@hillingdon.gov.uk if you have any queries.

Updates/Information:

LBH Critical Incident Policy

The LBH Critical Incident Policy has been recently updated and approved by the Council's SLT. Please find this here on LEAP: Notification of Critical Incident & Contacts - Leap.

We have also included a pdf version of the Contacts List for printing for your staff notice boards.

AXIS

Please see this month's bulletin: Axis Monthly Bulletin April 2024 final (PDF) [393KB]

Attendance Self Evaluation Form

With school attendance coming into sharper focus than ever before in this academic year, the Attendance Support team have developed a Self-evaluation Framework, linked below, which can be used by schools to assess their position on attendance.

Use of the framework is voluntary, but we would encourage all schools to consider how it could be used as a tool to assess what you are currently doing well and where your areas for development are regarding attendance. If you choose to complete the framework, the findings can also form part of your school's termly meeting with your allocated Attendance Support Officer who can provide further support and guidance.

Attendance-Audit---Self-Evaluation-form-for-schools

Year 11 & Post 16: Tracking Destinations of Young People

Hillingdon Council and West London Partnership Support Unit continue to work together in partnership with schools and further education providers to fulfil the statutory duty to track the destinations of young people to the end of year 13 or until the young person's 25th birthday if they have an EHCP.

Last year we managed to get our best ever September Guarantee return because of the improved data returns from schools, so this year we would like to build on that. The main contributing factors were the inclusion of contact details and timely submissions to the local authority. I would like to thank you for your support and look forward to furthering the improvement this year starting with our upcoming information session webinar.

This webinar will:

provide an opportunity to meet the Post 16 Team
provide an overview of the September Guarantee and Destination Tracking projects
provide information on the process and what is expected of schools and colleges.
provide an update on timelines for returns
provide advice to help support year 11s who are at risk of becoming NEET
provide a space for you to ask questions or share comments relating to the current process.

The session will take place on Wednesday 8th May, 10am-11am. Register now by completing this booking form. Once you have registered, you will receive a Microsoft Teams link which will enable you to join the webinar. We look forward to seeing you.

Please contact the team at post16eet@hillingdon.gov.uk if you have any queries.

For Action:
*Please share with your EY parents* School Readiness at Learn Hillingdon 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 online course: School Readiness at 7pm to 9pm on 30th April - 21st May - Tuesday evenings for 4 weeks. Course Information: Learn Hillingdon - School Readiness CHO1055 - Google Docs Parents can enrol here: Course List \| ontrack: Learner Hub (tribal-ebs.com) just click on the blue ENROL button. Or if you can't make this particular course, then you could chose the course that is starting in early June or late June. Once enrolled, we will then send the parent, via email, all the information they need to attend including the link to the online class.
Shelia Coates Foundation Funding The Shelia Coates Foundation rapid impact fund releases small awards to address real issues facing autistic students in a short time frame. Between 2021 and 2023 seven rapid impact rounds helped over 12,500 autistic students in over 350 schools and colleges to access mainstream education. Round 8 is open for applications until 7th May. It offers funding of £5,000 to mainstream secondary schools and colleges across England. Click the 'apply now' button in the link below to access the application form. Small awards to address real issues facing autistic students (sheilacoates.foundation)

For Action:

Please share with your EY parents

School Readiness at Learn Hillingdon

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 online course: School Readiness at 7pm to 9pm on 30th April - 21st May - Tuesday evenings for 4 weeks.

Course Information: Learn Hillingdon - School Readiness CHO1055 - Google Docs

Parents can enrol here: Course List | ontrack: Learner Hub (tribal-ebs.com) just click on the blue ENROL button. Or if you can't make this particular course, then you could chose the course that is starting in early June or late June. Once enrolled, we will then send the parent, via email, all the information they need to attend including the link to the online class.

Shelia Coates Foundation Funding

The Shelia Coates Foundation rapid impact fund releases small awards to address real issues facing autistic students in a short time frame. Between 2021 and 2023 seven rapid impact rounds helped over 12,500 autistic students in over 350 schools and colleges to access mainstream education.

Round 8 is open for applications until 7th May. It offers funding of £5,000 to mainstream secondary schools and colleges across England. Click the 'apply now' button in the link below to access the application form.

Small awards to address real issues facing autistic students (sheilacoates.foundation)

Regards,

Abi Preston

Director of Education & SEND

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