25th November 2024

Dear Colleagues,

Can we ask you to please forward this email to the leads in your settings or team members who might be interested in the content, so they can follow up the relevant offers. Thank you in advance!

Reminders:
Governors can attend the Ofsted Update session. Please click here to register	on 04/12/24
All Academy Primary Schools - The STA requires you to nominate your moderation partner, please complete this form if you have not already	by 10/01/25
Development Day for DSLs - further details to be shared soon	on 04/04/25
Schools' Forum meeting papers can be accessed here	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:
Schools Forum Meeting - 16^th October 2024 Papers from this meeting can be accessed here: Hillingdon Schools Forum - Hillingdon Council
Safeguarding Children Depicted Within Indecent Images Online The National Child Abuse Image Database (CAID) team provide support to each UK Police Force to assist in the identification of children who are depicted in indecent Images and videos circulated online. As you are aware the prevalence of this form of abuse has escalated over the last decade and has caused a devasting impact upon child victims. One area that investigators found particularly challenging was identifying and locating increasing numbers of children depicted in images wearing a school uniform. The Home Office have worked with and funded a company called Camera Forensics and a charity, The Global Emancipation Network (who support child victims of trafficking) to develop and build the UK Uniform Intelligence Hub (UIH), a database that contains images of UK school uniforms. When a child is pictured in school uniform, the investigators can search the database to identify the school. When a successful match is made the investigator will then contact the school and work in partnership to identify and safeguard the child. This has been extremely successful however the database is not complete with 3,174 schools not being represented in the data set or have uniform images of poor quality. To address this the Home Office and CAID are seeking support from schools to work in partnership with local police and Camera Forensics to upload any missing images or replacing any images of poor quality. This process was piloted with 7 forces and supported by a small number of schools in Hertfordshire and more recently in Northamptonshire to ensure the technology and system worked as expected. They are now ready to roll this out across the UK. Local Police forces/Camera Forensics will email or visit schools via their liaison /community officers with details of how to register to upload your unform image. We are asking all schools to support this project.
Achievement for All Programme Launch Conference Thank you to those schools who attended the launch event at Brunel University on 20^th November. Slides and resources can be found here on LEAP: Disadvantage Programme - Achievement for All (AfA) - Leap Plans for the next steps are underway, we will share these as soon as they are finalised.
Attendance Support The Attendance Support Team recently launched a new attendance process in line with the Working Together to Improve School Attendance guidance that become statutory in August 2024. All school were invited to attend an Attendance Cluster meeting in their locality, where a presentation was shared on using the new process and an opportunity was offered to ask questions and provide feedback. Attendance Support Officers are available to their allocated schools to provide ongoing support and guidance around the attendance process which is available on LEAP. Template Letters can be found here Letter Templates Process notes, a road map & flow chart can be found here Attendance Process 24-25
What is Kooth? Kooth is a free, safe, and anonymous digital mental health platform available to young people aged 11-25 in North West London. We are proudly commissioned by the North West London NHS ICB and offer a range of mental health and wellbeing support without needing referrals, criteria, or thresholds. On Kooth, users can access: 1:1 professional support with trained counsellors and wellbeing practitioners. Self-help tools like articles, activities, and journaling. Peer support via moderated forums. Out-of-hours support, providing a vital resource when other services may be unavailable. Kooth complements the wider service offer by working alongside other providers to support those on waiting lists, offer step-down care, and provide flexible, immediate help. To ensure young people and professionals can fully access Kooth, we offer a comprehensive engagement package, including: Wellbeing assemblies for schools. Staff training for professionals. Access to free printed and digital resources to help signpost the service. Kooth is here to ensure young people in North West London have the mental health support they need, when they need it. Contact your local engagement lead, Daya Mangat: dmangat@kooth.com, to arrange your wellbeing assembly and staff training.
Funding Opportunity for Disadvantaged Children The Laurel Trust has issued its annual invitation for schools to apply for grant funding. The details are linked below, and the invitation is live on their website www.laureltrust.org Cohort 7 Advert and Briefings Details (PDF, 1 MB)
Launch of School Food Standards E-learning for Governors & Trustees The DfE have launched a new online training course about school food in partnership with the National Governance Association. The e-learning is available to everyone and will run as a pilot until 1 April 2025. The course is designed to provide governors and trustees with the skills and expertise to understand their responsibilities concerning school food, including pupils' access to healthy and nutritious food.
*Reminder to share with parents:* Health Questionnaires for Children in Reception and Year 7 The Hillingdon School Nursing Service is asking all parents of children in reception and year 7 to complete this short health questionnaire all about your child's health. Please complete one questionnaire per child. Please click on this link to access the health questionnaire: https://www.oc-meridian.com/cnwl/survey/SchoolHealthServiceParentQuestionnaire

For Action All Schools:

Schools Forum Meeting - 16^th October 2024

Papers from this meeting can be accessed here: Hillingdon Schools Forum - Hillingdon Council

Safeguarding Children Depicted Within Indecent Images Online

The National Child Abuse Image Database (CAID) team provide support to each UK Police Force to assist in the identification of children who are depicted in indecent Images and videos circulated online. As you are aware the prevalence of this form of abuse has escalated over the last decade and has caused a devasting impact upon child victims.

One area that investigators found particularly challenging was identifying and locating increasing numbers of children depicted in images wearing a school uniform. The Home Office have worked with and funded a company called Camera Forensics and a charity, The Global Emancipation Network (who support child victims of trafficking) to develop and build the UK Uniform Intelligence Hub (UIH), a database that contains images of UK school uniforms.

When a child is pictured in school uniform, the investigators can search the database to identify the school. When a successful match is made the investigator will then contact the school and work in partnership to identify and safeguard the child. This has been extremely successful however the database is not complete with 3,174 schools not being represented in the data set or have uniform images of poor quality. To address this the Home Office and CAID are seeking support from schools to work in partnership with local police and Camera Forensics to upload any missing images or replacing any images of poor quality.

This process was piloted with 7 forces and supported by a small number of schools in Hertfordshire and more recently in Northamptonshire to ensure the technology and system worked as expected. They are now ready to roll this out across the UK.

Local Police forces/Camera Forensics will email or visit schools via their liaison /community officers with details of how to register to upload your unform image. We are asking all schools to support this project.

Achievement for All Programme Launch Conference

Thank you to those schools who attended the launch event at Brunel University on 20^th November.

Slides and resources can be found here on LEAP: Disadvantage Programme - Achievement for All (AfA) - Leap

Plans for the next steps are underway, we will share these as soon as they are finalised.

Attendance Support

The Attendance Support Team recently launched a new attendance process in line with the Working Together to Improve School Attendance guidance that become statutory in August 2024.

All school were invited to attend an Attendance Cluster meeting in their locality, where a presentation was shared on using the new process and an opportunity was offered to ask questions and provide feedback.

Attendance Support Officers are available to their allocated schools to provide ongoing support and guidance around the attendance process which is available on LEAP.

Template Letters can be found here Letter Templates

Process notes, a road map & flow chart can be found here Attendance Process 24-25

What is Kooth?

Kooth is a free, safe, and anonymous digital mental health platform available to young people aged 11-25 in North West London. We are proudly commissioned by the North West London NHS ICB and offer a range of mental health and wellbeing support without needing referrals, criteria, or thresholds.

On Kooth, users can access:

1:1 professional support with trained counsellors and wellbeing practitioners.
Self-help tools like articles, activities, and journaling.
Peer support via moderated forums.
Out-of-hours support, providing a vital resource when other services may be unavailable.

Kooth complements the wider service offer by working alongside other providers to support those on waiting lists, offer step-down care, and provide flexible, immediate help.

To ensure young people and professionals can fully access Kooth, we offer a comprehensive engagement package, including:

Wellbeing assemblies for schools.
Staff training for professionals.
Access to free printed and digital resources to help signpost the service.

Kooth is here to ensure young people in North West London have the mental health support they need, when they need it.

Contact your local engagement lead, Daya Mangat: dmangat@kooth.com, to arrange your wellbeing assembly and staff training.

Funding Opportunity for Disadvantaged Children

The Laurel Trust has issued its annual invitation for schools to apply for grant funding. The details are linked below, and the invitation is live on their website www.laureltrust.org

Cohort 7 Advert and Briefings Details (PDF, 1 MB)

Launch of School Food Standards E-learning for Governors & Trustees

The DfE have launched a new online training course about school food in partnership with the National Governance Association. The e-learning is available to everyone and will run as a pilot until 1 April 2025.

The course is designed to provide governors and trustees with the skills and expertise to understand their responsibilities concerning school food, including pupils' access to healthy and nutritious food.

Reminder to share with parents:

Health Questionnaires for Children in Reception and Year 7

The Hillingdon School Nursing Service is asking all parents of children in reception and year 7 to complete this short health questionnaire all about your child's health. Please complete one questionnaire per child.

Please click on this link to access the health questionnaire: https://www.oc-meridian.com/cnwl/survey/SchoolHealthServiceParentQuestionnaire

For Action Primary Schools:
Sing!25 Primary Singing Festival - Register Now! Registration is now open for Hillingdon Music Service's Sing! 25 Primary Singing Festival. Starting in January 2025, This is a 6-month scheme, designed to provide support, advice, training and a performance opportunity at the Wycombe Swan theatre in June 2025. Further information and the sign-up link are in this letter: Sing! 25 Register your Interest (PDF, 116 KB), which has also been sent to school reception teams, music leads and senior leaders. For Further information about the benefits of music in school, please see 10_things_booklet (PDF, 1 MB). Deadline for school sign ups is 9 am on Monday 2nd December.
Primary Music Network Online Drop-In Sessions On Tuesday 26^th, Wednesday 27^th and Thursday 28^th November at 4 - 5 pm, Hillingdon Music Service will be hosting the Autumn Primary Music Network Online Drop-In session. This is an informal online meeting for music coordinators and music specialists who work in the Borough's Primary Schools. This is in place of the Primary Network Meeting that is usually held on a termly basis. The sessions will be held on Teams and are an opportunity to discuss music education in Hillingdon's schools. Please pass on the following link to your colleagues and feel free to direct any questions or apologies to rporter@hillingdon.gov.uk The link for the meeting on Teams can be found here: Join the meeting now Meeting ID: 384 359 173 302 Passcode: 6G7GKL
The Daily Mile Santa Run, 6^th December We're calling on as many primary schools and early years settings as possible to get moving on the same day to celebrate The Daily Mile Santa Run! This is a fantastic opportunity to highlight all the amazing physical and mental health benefits that daily physical activity brings. Here's how your setting can get involved: •  Run, wheel or walk your Daily Mile at any time on Friday 6th December. •  Use the fun resources to add some festive cheer to your celebration day. •  Spread the joy of your pupils taking part in the Santa Run by sending your photos from the day - we'd love to see how you celebrate! Access your free and fun resources here The Daily Mile Santa Run \| The Daily Mile UK

For Action Primary Schools:

Sing!25 Primary Singing Festival - Register Now!

Registration is now open for Hillingdon Music Service's Sing! 25 Primary Singing Festival. Starting in January 2025, This is a 6-month scheme, designed to provide support, advice, training and a performance opportunity at the Wycombe Swan theatre in June 2025.

Further information and the sign-up link are in this letter: Sing! 25 Register your Interest (PDF, 116 KB), which has also been sent to school reception teams, music leads and senior leaders. For Further information about the benefits of music in school, please see 10_things_booklet (PDF, 1 MB).

Deadline for school sign ups is 9 am on Monday 2nd December.

Primary Music Network Online Drop-In Sessions

On Tuesday 26^th, Wednesday 27^th and Thursday 28^th November at 4 - 5 pm, Hillingdon Music Service will be hosting the Autumn Primary Music Network Online Drop-In session. This is an informal online meeting for music coordinators and music specialists who work in the Borough's Primary Schools. This is in place of the Primary Network Meeting that is usually held on a termly basis.

The sessions will be held on Teams and are an opportunity to discuss music education in Hillingdon's schools. Please pass on the following link to your colleagues and feel free to direct any questions or apologies to rporter@hillingdon.gov.uk

The link for the meeting on Teams can be found here:

Join the meeting now

Meeting ID: 384 359 173 302

Passcode: 6G7GKL

The Daily Mile Santa Run, 6^th December

We're calling on as many primary schools and early years settings as possible to get moving on the same day to celebrate The Daily Mile Santa Run! This is a fantastic opportunity to highlight all the amazing physical and mental health benefits that daily physical activity brings.

Here's how your setting can get involved:

•  Run, wheel or walk your Daily Mile at any time on Friday 6th December.

•  Use the fun resources to add some festive cheer to your celebration day.

•  Spread the joy of your pupils taking part in the Santa Run by sending your photos from the day - we'd love to see how you celebrate!

Access your free and fun resources here The Daily Mile Santa Run | The Daily Mile UK

For Action Secondary Schools:
Excellence in Careers - Leading London's Future Thursday 28^th November 2024 \| 9am - 11am \| Central Hall, Westminster SW1H 9NH The GLA, CEC and 4 London hubs are delighted to invite you to Excellence in Careers - Leading London's Future. This event will discuss the positive impact great careers provision can have for schools and colleges, and the support available to make that happen. The event is aimed at Headteachers and Principles across London and all have received an invitation to attend from the GLA. They will be exploring the benefits of high-quality careers provision, the challenges to delivery and the support available. London aims for a high-quality careers provision that: helps every student to progress to their best next steps informs student choices that are better aligned to London's opportunities and the skills that business needs creates less gender stereotyping, improves diversity across employment sectors and creates more inclusive employment Hear from key speakers and take the opportunity to put your questions to an expert panel. Register here to attend
Teacher Run Club - FREE Run Leaders Course In partnership with Teachers Run Club, school staff are being offered the opportunity to join a FREE England Athletics Run Leaders course. This cohort will start a virtual course in January 2025 that will give you the knowledge and confidence to provide a safe and enjoyable running experience for young people aged 12+ and adults of any ability. For more information on the Leadership in Running Fitness course,  including a breakdown of the qualification, please click here TRC English Hub School Application

For Action Secondary Schools:

Excellence in Careers - Leading London's Future

Thursday 28^th November 2024 | 9am - 11am | Central Hall, Westminster SW1H 9NH

The GLA, CEC and 4 London hubs are delighted to invite you to Excellence in Careers - Leading London's Future. This event will discuss the positive impact great careers provision can have for schools and colleges, and the support available to make that happen. The event is aimed at Headteachers and Principles across London and all have received an invitation to attend from the GLA. They will be exploring the benefits of high-quality careers provision, the challenges to delivery and the support available.

London aims for a high-quality careers provision that:

helps every student to progress to their best next steps
informs student choices that are better aligned to London's opportunities and the skills that business needs
creates less gender stereotyping, improves diversity across employment sectors and creates more inclusive employment

Hear from key speakers and take the opportunity to put your questions to an expert panel.

Teacher Run Club - FREE Run Leaders Course

In partnership with Teachers Run Club, school staff are being offered the opportunity to join a FREE England Athletics Run Leaders course. This cohort will start a virtual course in January 2025 that will give you the knowledge and confidence to provide a safe and enjoyable running experience for young people aged 12+ and adults of any ability. For more information on the Leadership in Running Fitness course,  including a breakdown of the qualification, please click here TRC English Hub School Application 

Regards,

Abi Preston

Director of Education & SEND

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