14th October 2024

Dear Colleagues,

We know the start of the academic year is a very busy time for everyone. It's easy to miss lots of the support offers available through this bulletin and to forget to share them with the leads in your school who might take up those offers. Can we ask you to please forward this email to the leads who might be interested in the content of this bulletin, so they can follow up the relevant offers. Thank you in advance!

Reminders:
All Schools can register for Educational Visits Coordinator Training HERE	by 25/10/24
Schools can sign up for 2 Day Training on Behaviour (PDF) [571KB]	on 11 & 19/11/24
Governors can sign up to Safeguarding Training HERE	on 12/11/24
Headteachers & Chairs of Governors should complete this form: Schools Forum Survey	by 15/11/24
Add date to your diaries - Addressing the Disadvantage Gap Conference 2024 at Brunel. Full details to be shared soon	on 20/11/24
Secondaries should share the Hillingdon Post 16 Prospectus 2024/25 with students, parents / carers, staff and governors	Ongoing
Emergency closures of all schools must be reported to education@hillingdon.gov.uk	Ongoing
Notification of Critical Incident can be found here	Ongoing
Education Services contacts can be found here	Ongoing
Hillingdon LEAP can be accessed for information and guidance for all settings	Ongoing
HLP Course Booking	Ongoing

For Action All Schools:
Head Teachers' Termly Autumn 2024 This meeting will be held via MS Teams on Tuesday 12^th November at 10 am - 12.30 pm. Agenda with link to join will be shared shortly. All headteachers or their deputies should attend to receive key updates.
Mental Health Lead Training Schools and colleges can apply for a grant to train a senior mental health lead. This training helps school and college leaders promote and support the mental health and wellbeing of their pupils, learners and staff.  Reserve your grant before 31^st December 2024. There are a range of courses available for your mental health lead, with start dates up to the end of spring term.  Related mental health practical resources and toolkit for leads: A resource hub is available to support embedding and sustaining a whole school/college approach to mental health and wellbeing, and has been updated with new, evidence-based resources for this academic year. A targeted mental wellbeing support toolkit to help a school/college develop and provide effective targeted support A resource page for teachers, parents and carers supporting children and young people experiencing difficulties with mental wellbeing and regular school or college attendance.
*Please share with staff* Early Years Educator with SEND Level 3 Apprenticeship Send Level 3 (PDF) [241KB]
Survey on Wheelchair Accessibility in Schools Whizz Kidz is the UK's leading charity for young wheelchair users. They create opportunities for young wheelchair users to get the equipment, skills and confidence to go further. Earlier this month, they launched the largest UK survey of young wheelchair users and schools. The Whizz Kidz School Report: Young Wheelchair Users in Education Survey aims to shine a light on positive and negative school experiences. They want to identify gaps in support and find ways to increase and support inclusion in schools. Why This Survey Matters: Wheelchair accessibility and inclusivity are crucial to creating a supportive and equitable educational environment. By completing the survey you will contribute to a comprehensive study that seeks to identify current challenges and opportunities for enhancing accessibility for all students. They would greatly appreciate if you could complete the survey if not already, so they can hear from as many schools as possible. The survey will take approximately 5-10 minutes to complete, is anonymous, and will close on 25^th October 2024. Please click here - Supporting Young Wheelchair Users in School
Talk Money Week The Money and Pensions Service's Talk Money week runs from 4th to 8th November. The theme this year is 'Do One Thing' and schools and colleges are being encouraged to share the 'one thing' they are talking to students about to help them learn more about money. The Money and Pensions Service has published a toolkit with lots of ideas and resources to help schools get involved and talk money in the classroom.
*Please share with staff & parents / carers* Learn Hillingdon Digital for Life Programme Digital for Life Programme November 24 to March 25 (PDF) [45KB]

For Action All Schools:

Head Teachers' Termly Autumn 2024

This meeting will be held via MS Teams on Tuesday 12^th November at 10 am - 12.30 pm. Agenda with link to join will be shared shortly. All headteachers or their deputies should attend to receive key updates.

Mental Health Lead Training

Schools and colleges can apply for a grant to train a senior mental health lead. This training helps school and college leaders promote and support the mental health and wellbeing of their pupils, learners and staff.  Reserve your grant before 31^st December 2024. There are a range of courses available for your mental health lead, with start dates up to the end of spring term. 

Related mental health practical resources and toolkit for leads:

A resource hub is available to support embedding and sustaining a whole school/college approach to mental health and wellbeing, and has been updated with new, evidence-based resources for this academic year.
A targeted mental wellbeing support toolkit to help a school/college develop and provide effective targeted support
A resource page for teachers, parents and carers supporting children and young people experiencing difficulties with mental wellbeing and regular school or college attendance.

Please share with staff

Early Years Educator with SEND Level 3 Apprenticeship

Send Level 3 (PDF) [241KB]

Survey on Wheelchair Accessibility in Schools

Whizz Kidz is the UK's leading charity for young wheelchair users. They create opportunities for young wheelchair users to get the equipment, skills and confidence to go further.

Earlier this month, they launched the largest UK survey of young wheelchair users and schools. The Whizz Kidz School Report: Young Wheelchair Users in Education Survey aims to shine a light on positive and negative school experiences. They want to identify gaps in support and find ways to increase and support inclusion in schools.

Why This Survey Matters: Wheelchair accessibility and inclusivity are crucial to creating a supportive and equitable educational environment. By completing the survey you will contribute to a comprehensive study that seeks to identify current challenges and opportunities for enhancing accessibility for all students. They would greatly appreciate if you could complete the survey if not already, so they can hear from as many schools as possible.

The survey will take approximately 5-10 minutes to complete, is anonymous, and will close on 25^th October 2024. Please click here - Supporting Young Wheelchair Users in School

Talk Money Week

The Money and Pensions Service's Talk Money week runs from 4th to 8th November. The theme this year is 'Do One Thing' and schools and colleges are being encouraged to share the 'one thing' they are talking to students about to help them learn more about money.

The Money and Pensions Service has published a toolkit with lots of ideas and resources to help schools get involved and talk money in the classroom.

Please share with staff & parents / carers

Learn Hillingdon Digital for Life Programme

Digital for Life Programme November 24 to March 25 (PDF) [45KB]

For Action Primary Schools:
Primary Assessment and Moderation 2024/25 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 10^th January 2025, 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
Closing Date for Starting Secondary School Applications This is a reminder that the deadline for parents/carers to submit their starting secondary school application is midnight on 31st October 2024. The School Placement and Admissions teams will continue to share lists with schools, identifying those who have yet to apply. We kindly ask that you follow up with parents of your Year 6 pupils who haven't submitted their application, reminding them to do so before the deadline. Please send as many reminders as possible before the half-term break. If any pupils on the spreadsheet you receive from the Admissions team have left your school, please inform us so we can update our records. Likewise, if any new starters are missing from the list, let us know so we can ensure they apply on time. For any questions, please contact the School Placement and Admissions team at admissions@hillingdon.gov.uk
Hillingdon Primary School Food Survey A huge thank you to all of you who participated in our Primary School Food Survey. The results are now in and will inform the next stage of the research, which will be in-person audits of 12 Hillingdon schools. Key strengths identified were interesting models of procurement including group contracting and school-to-school provision, and a high level of support for SEND students. Key challenges included awareness of statutory requirements around leadership and oversight of school food, and providing equity of access to students with cultural and religious dietary requirements. A final report will be shared at the start of 2025. The initial survey results, which are linked below, prompted further questions so please complete this survey by Friday 25^th October. Hillingdon Survey Results - for schools (PDF) [1MB]
Black History in Maths - Celebrating Thomas Fuller On Tuesday 22nd October at 10am and 2pm join for cross-curricular online workshops to celebrate the genius of Thomas Fuller. Primary schools are welcome. Maths challenges aimed at upper primary. As well as discovering Thomas Fuller's story, special guest speaker and maths superstar Professor Nira Chamberlain OBE will explore mental maths - what does it mean and is it still relevant today? The sessions are completely free to schools to attend thanks to the generosity of the HEilbronn INstitutue and the London Mathematical Society. Sign up and get ready to exercise your mental maths muscles for Black History Month: www.big-ideas.org/black-history-in-maths/

For Action Primary Schools:

Primary Assessment and Moderation 2024/25

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 10^th January 2025, 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

Closing Date for Starting Secondary School Applications

This is a reminder that the deadline for parents/carers to submit their starting secondary school application is midnight on 31st October 2024.

The School Placement and Admissions teams will continue to share lists with schools, identifying those who have yet to apply.

We kindly ask that you follow up with parents of your Year 6 pupils who haven't submitted their application, reminding them to do so before the deadline. Please send as many reminders as possible before the half-term break.

If any pupils on the spreadsheet you receive from the Admissions team have left your school, please inform us so we can update our records. Likewise, if any new starters are missing from the list, let us know so we can ensure they apply on time.

For any questions, please contact the School Placement and Admissions team at admissions@hillingdon.gov.uk

Hillingdon Primary School Food Survey

A huge thank you to all of you who participated in our Primary School Food Survey. The results are now in and will inform the next stage of the research, which will be in-person audits of 12 Hillingdon schools. Key strengths identified were interesting models of procurement including group contracting and school-to-school provision, and a high level of support for SEND students. Key challenges included awareness of statutory requirements around leadership and oversight of school food, and providing equity of access to students with cultural and religious dietary requirements. A final report will be shared at the start of 2025.

The initial survey results, which are linked below, prompted further questions so please complete this survey by Friday 25^th October.

Hillingdon Survey Results - for schools (PDF) [1MB]

Black History in Maths - Celebrating Thomas Fuller

On Tuesday 22nd October at 10am and 2pm join for cross-curricular online workshops to celebrate the genius of Thomas Fuller. Primary schools are welcome. Maths challenges aimed at upper primary.

As well as discovering Thomas Fuller's story, special guest speaker and maths superstar Professor Nira Chamberlain OBE will explore mental maths - what does it mean and is it still relevant today?

The sessions are completely free to schools to attend thanks to the generosity of the HEilbronn INstitutue and the London Mathematical Society.

Sign up and get ready to exercise your mental maths muscles for Black History Month: www.big-ideas.org/black-history-in-maths/

Regards,

Abi Preston

Director of Education & SEND

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