8th December 2025

Reminders:

As part of our Hillingdon Local Area Project to support students with Emotional-Based School Non-Attendance (EBSNA), we want to work closely with schools to understand the challenges and co-produce effective training and support.

To help us plan and deliver this work, please EBSNA SUPPORT - Fill in form

By 12/12/25

SENCos can complete the SENCo Skills Audit Form tounderstand the current knowledge of SENCos/ Inclusion Managers.  

By 18/12/25

Schools can sign up to attend the Celebrating Inclusion Conference: Empowering Every Learner in Hillingdon HERE

On 18/03/25

Useful Links:

Please contact education@hillingdon.gov.uk with any queries

Hillingdon LEAP can be accessed for information and guidance for all settings

Critical Incident Notification can be found here

Emergency closures of all schools must be reported to education@hillingdon.gov.uk

Education Services Contacts can be found here

Education & SEND Policies can be found here

EYES/Establishment Portal information can be found here.

Governors can access LA training here

Hillingdon Learning Partnership

Schools' Forum meeting papers can be accessed here. If anyone would like to attend meetings, they are welcome to do so.

For all School Settings:

Please share with Parents/Carers

Bookings Now Open for Hillingdon's Winter HAF Programme

We're delighted to announce that bookings are now open for Hillingdon's Winter 2025/26 Holiday Activities and Food (HAF) Programme.

This funded programme is available to school-aged children from Reception to Year 11 who are eligible for benefits-related free school meals. Discretionary places may also be available for vulnerable children who do not meet the Free School Meal criteria. Professionals can request these places by completing our online form:
Discretionary Place Request Form

Children and young people can enjoy:

·         Healthy meals every day

·         Fun, creative, and physical activities

·         Food, cooking, and nutrition activities

·         Opportunities to learn new skills and make friends

This winter's activities include:

·         Sports sessions

·         Creative arts programmes

·         Multi-activity camps

·         STEM workshops

·         SEND-friendly activity camps
 ...and much more!

Full details, including how to book and provider contact information, can be found at:
www.hillingdon.gov.uk/haf-programme

If you need help or have any questions, you can contact us via:
Email: hafprogramme@hillingdon.gov.uk
Phone: 01895 277881

Please share with Parents/Carers

Education & SEND Parent Event

We are excited to announce the Education & SEND Parent Event taking place on:

Date: Monday, 26 January 2026

Time: 10:00 AM - 2:00 PM

Venue: Civic Centre, Uxbridge

This event is a fantastic opportunity for parents and carers to:

·         Hear from key services including SEND Advisory Team, Children's Integrated Therapies, SENDIASS, Parent Carer Forum, Local Offer, Family Hubs, and more.

·         Access valuable information and support around SEND and education.

Spaces are limited and will be allocated on a first-come, first-served basis.
Parents can register using the link below:
Register Here

Please find the event poster attached. We kindly ask you to share this with your parent community via your usual communication channels (newsletter, email, noticeboard, etc.)

SEND & Education Parent Event (1) (PDF, 618 KB)

London RISE Open Education Fortnight

The DfE have sent information about a London RISE Open Education Fortnight that they would like to run in March next year. At this stage, they are seeking expressions of interest from London schools willing to host visits for staff from other schools across London and share best practice.

Please find attached a letter and overview which includes the link to an expression of interest form.

London RISE Open Education Fortnight (1) (PDF, 115 KB)

Open Education Fortnight Overview and EOI (PDF, 137 KB)

The DfE are encouraging all schools to take part and hope that, if successful, this will build into a regular feature that enables schools to network and share practice across London. Please do consider participating in this programme hosting, and in taking up the opportunity to visit other schools.

Interested schools should complete and submit the expression of interest form via this link by no later than 5pm Monday 15^th December 2025. 

Ofsted - Stakeholder Surveys

Please see the link to the documents below about the text that Ofsted will be using for their stakeholder surveys. This might be something to be considered for your own information gathering.  

School inspections: staff and pupil questionnaire text - GOV.UK

Please share with Parents/Carers

Government launches national conversation on SEND

Government acts on commitment to make sure parents play a central role in helping shape the future Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) system, as it sets ambition to deliver the biggest national conversation on SEND in a generation.

Government launches national conversation on SEND - GOV.UK

There are several ways to get involved:

·         Sign up to attend a regional engagement event here.

·         Sign up to attend an online event here.

Hillingdon Libraries World Book Day Festival 2026

To celebrate World Book Day and the National Year of Reading, Alice Hemming and Thiago de Moraes will be doing virtual and in person sessions for EY up to KS2 and Nathanael Lessore will be doing a virtual session for Year 6 and KS3.

See posters attached for more details and how to book your free spaces.          

WBD Festival Primary (1) (PDF, 810 KB)

WBD Festival Y6 KS3 (1) (PDF, 1 MB)

Please share with Parents/Carers

BOUNCE: Self-esteem and Resilience Building Programme for Children Aged 8 plus in Primary School

The London Borough of Hillingdon Youth Offer, Targeted Team 'Bounce: Self-esteem and Resilience Building Programme' is a group intervention programme for children in primary school aged 8 years and above who require support with building self-esteem and resilience and the challenges they may face in their lives. The programme is designed to be both therapeutic and interactive. 

The programme is offered FREE of charge.

 Main Programme: this will consist of a 9-week main programme of which all these sessions must be attended by your child

Dates: Every Friday from Friday 16^th January to Friday 27^th March 2026

Times: 4:15 to 6:15pm

Location: Hayes Family Hub, College Way, Hayes, UB3 3BB

How to refer a child:

If you are a member of school staff and know a child that might benefit from this intervention, then you will need to do one of the following:

You as a professional can refer a child via the following link: Early Help Assessment; or, 

You can ask a parent/guardian to refer their child via the following link: Parent/Guardian Referral Form

For further information about the content of the course please refer to the document

BOUNCE Self-esteem and Resilience Building Programme (2) (PDF, 134 KB)

Please share with Parents/Carers

Missed their school flu vaccination? There's still time to protect your child this winter

Flu cases are rising locally and can be more serious during this cold weather. The NHS is reminding parents that the free NHS flu vaccine is still available to school-aged children.

Flu is often unpleasant illness for children but it can also have much more serious symptoms such as high fever, coughs, aches, and in some cases complications like pneumonia or ear infections.

Children do not build up natural immunity to flu and the viruses change every year, which is why children need one very year. The nasal spray vaccination is the safe and effective way to ensure they have the protection they need.

Vaccination doesn't just protect your child - it helps keep the whole community safe. By being vaccinated, children are less likely to pass flu on to those who are more likely to become seriously ill from the virus.

There will be another opportunity for your child to have their vaccination at school, so look out for their consent form. If they do miss out, you can book a catch-up at: www.schoolvaccination.uk/catch-up-clinics

Other groups are eligible too, including people over 65 and those with certain health conditions. To find out more you can visit: www.nwlondonicb.nhs.uk/fluCOVID

If you have any questions or concerns, talk to your GP or local pharmacist.

DfE's Reception Year Quality - Series of Webinars

The DfE's RISE teams have put together a series of webinars to support effective practice in Reception. Please do share with relevant colleagues who work in the early years phase.

Reception-year quality - YouTube