LA Education Weekly Update

6 July 2026

Dear Colleagues,

We would be grateful if you could share this briefing with relevant leads within your setting or with team members who may have an interest in the content, so they can follow up on the opportunities outlined.  

This bulletin is intended for all educational settings supporting children in Hillingdon, including maintained schools, academies and independents. 

Reminders:

Useful Links:

Hillingdon LEAP can be accessed for information and guidance for all settings. Please contact education@hillingdon.gov.uk with any queries.

• Critical Incident Notification can be found here
• Emergency closures of all schools must be reported to education@hillingdon.gov.uk 
• Education Health Care Needs Assessment Panel sign up can be found here 
• 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.  

All Schools/Settings:

Multi-Agency Safeguarding Arrangements 2026 

Please see the newly published document and take a few minutes to review the information provided. 

MASA (PDF, 4 MB)

Safeguarding Partnership Training 

Please book your place via logging into your Learning Zone account. Please click here [hillingdon.learningpool.com] to make your bookings. If a new learning zone account is required, please use the link provided [hillingdon.learningpool.com] and select Create New Account on the homepage detailing Safeguarding Partnership Training as reason for new account set up.  

2 July 2026 Course: Initial Working Together to Safeguard Children L3 2026-27 

6 July 2026 Course: Domestic Abuse and the Impact on Children and Young People 

7 July 2026 Course: Pornography and Youth Produced Sexual Imagery  2026/27 

9 July 2026 Course: Pornography and Youth Produced Sexual Imagery  2026/27 

14 July 2026 Course: Supporting LGBT+ Young People 2026/27 

15 July 2026 Introduction to Domestic Abuse 2026/27: Introduction to Domestic Abuse 2026/27 

16 July 2026 Course: Exploitation - Harm outside the Home 2026/27 

17 July 2026 Course: Adult Safeguarding L3 2026/27 

20 July 2026 Course: Domestic Abuse and the Impact on Children and Young People 

23 July 2026 Course: Walking in our Shoes 2026/27 

29 July 2026 Course: In-depth understanding of Probation Services (Managers or above) (NEW)  

10 August 2026 Course: Domestic Abuse and the Impact on Children and Young People 

27 August 2026 Course: Walking in our Shoes 2026/27 

17 September 2026 Course: Introduction to Domestic Abuse 2026/27 

23 September 2026 Course: Initial Working Together to Safeguard Children L3 2026-27 

28 September 2026 Course: Refresher Working Together to Safeguard Children L3 2026-27 

Please direct all Safeguarding Partnership Training queries to safeguardingpartnership@hillingdon.gov.uk  

Help Us Shape Childcare Provision Across Hillingdon 

To support the ongoing expansion and development of childcare services across Hillingdon for children aged 0-14 years (or up to 18 years for children with SEND), we are seeking feedback from both families and education providers. 

We are keen to hear from schools about the childcare services you offer, including any opportunities or challenges you may be experiencing in delivering childcare provision. 

Your insight is invaluable in helping us understand local needs and identify how we can better support providers across the borough. 

Please complete this survey Early Years & School Age Childcare - Fill in form by Friday 17 July. 

Thank you for taking the time to share your views and help shape childcare services for children and families across Hillingdon. 

Staff Development Opportunity: Foundation Degree Partnership 

Foundation degree opportunity with the Centre for Children's Workforce is now LIVE! 

Through partnership with the Centre for Children's Workforce (CCW) we are delighted to share the opportunity for Hillingdon colleagues to apply for a foundation degree which integrates theory and practice from education, early childhood studies, social work and youth and community work. This 2-year programme supports colleagues to study and further career ambitions alongside your current employment. 

For further information please explore the below links, sign up to a half hour Eventbrite session with CCW or contact Alistair for further detail Alistair.crawford@theedenacademy.co.uk 

Foundation Degree — Centre for the Children's Workforce 

FAQs — Centre for the Children's Workforce 

Foundation Degree EOI Form 

Eventbrite  

Supporting Health & Wellbeing in Schools 

Congratulations to the following schools who have achieved Healthy Schools Gold Award for their data led and planned approach to health improvement, supporting universal preparation for adulthood and pupil wellbeing:

Botwell House Catholic Primary School: Physical activity focus  

• Implemented a Daily Mile challenge linked to community-based physical activity options

• Pupil-led activity during Children's Mental Health Week around physical activity and wellbeing

• Delivered a Couch to 2K programme for target pupils in Year 5

• Regular promotion of local physical activity opportunities to include facts and links to mental health and wellbeing to parents

• Staff training on how physical activity supports positive mental health and wellbeing

Key outcomes: increased physical activity, including a 20% increase in active travel; an increased number of parents reporting their child had excellent wellbeing.  

William Byrd Primary School: Food, Healthy Eating and Nutrition focus 

• Reviewed whole school food policy, introducing a water only drinks policy and reducing the availability of sugar throughout the school day

• Worked with school catered to reduce the number of sugary deserts provided

• Sugar awareness session with parents

• Recruited families to a child weight management programme delivered at school by the local leisure provider

Key Outcomes: a significant increase in pupil awareness around healthy lifestyles, with children more frequently discussing healthy food choices, exercise, oral health and balanced diets both in lessons and during social times; a reduction in the number of children eating food high in sugar outside of school 

Find out more about Healthy Schools London | London City Hall and contact Julia Heggie in the Publc Health team to begin your school health improvement planning. Jheggie@hillingdon.gov.uk

Please share with your staff/parents/carers 

HELLO 

HELLO provides families and professionals with information on local services, support, activities and events for 0 to 25-year-olds with special educational needs and disabilities and helps to improve the lives of children and young people in Hillingdon. 

Welcome to HELLO - our SEND local offer 

EHCP Portal Referral & Annual Review Training Session for Schools 

The EHCP Portal Referral and Annual review training scheduled for 15 July at has been moved to 9 September 2026 at 1 pm via MS Teams. This is following feedback on the July timescale being tight with a preference for training to be delivered at the start of the new academic year.  

The new EHCP portal will improve our collaborative working with schools and will be able to complete the Referral and Annual Review process online with instant submission into the relevant LBH team. 

To assist with this EHCP system change, we will be providing an overview of the new process for Referrals and Annual Reviews where there will be an opportunity to ask any questions whilst the team are online to support. 

The training will be held online on 9 September 2026 at 13:00 to 13:45 and is for all staff involved in the EHCP Referral and Annual Review process. 

Please click here to join the session 

Meeting ID: 368 294 096 151 476 

Passcode: T8zx2pV3 

If staff are unable to attend, a recording of the session along with detailed guidance documentation will be readily available via LEAP for all staff to access and review at anytime. 

Please share this training offer with your staff who are involved in the EHCP process to ensure we can support your school with this change ahead of our go live in September. 

If you have any queries, please contact Hannah Akhtar, SEND Management Information Officer at HAkhtar@hillingdon.gov.uk 

Annual Review Paperwork 

Following several co-production workshops with settings, professionals and young people and trial sessions in select settings, our new annual review paperwork is ready!  

This will be mandatory to use from September but is available to start using now if you wish. 

The new paperwork includes a SENCO guide, a parent guide and young people's guide (easy read version with symbols is also available). Parent and young people's guides should be shared with the pre-review paperwork to allow parents and young people to prepare ahead of time. 

It also includes a wider range of views forms to help us capture the voices of our children and young people in a better way. 

Paperwork is available on LEAP using the below link and we look forward to seeing it in use in September. 

Annual_Review_Paperwork_2026.zip 

SEND & Inclusion Newsletter  

We are pleased to share the latest SEND & Inclusion Newsletter (July 2026), packed with updates, resources, and opportunities to support inclusive practice across Hillingdon. 

Please share this with your teams and networks to ensure everyone is informed of the latest developments and opportunities. 

SEND & Inclusion Newsletter July 2026 

Join the Festival of Friends Project 2026-27 

All Hillingdon schools are invited to take part in a 'Festival of Friends' collaborative project designed to strengthen support for children from Armed Forces families while contributing to school improvement.  

We are delighted to be taking part alongside schools across Berkshire and Surrey and working in partnership with Brunel University. Open to all schools with service pupils, including those with only a small number on roll, the project offers professional learning, peer support and pupil voice events. Participating schools will work alongside colleagues from across the region and celebrate their achievements at a special festival event in summer 2027.  

Read the full invitation and find out how to get involved here:

Festival of Friends Service children project 2026-27 - invitation for schools (PDF, 238 KB)

Festival of Friends Service children project 2026-27 - school acceptance form (Word doc, 137 KB)

Hillingdon Music Service SLA 2026-2027 

Please be reminded the Hillingdon Music Service SLA 2026-2027 needs to be signed and completed via E-Sign before the end of the academic year to avoid delays to any activity in the Autumn Term 2026. The SLA was sent via E-Sign directly to the head teacher inbox on 29 April 2026 and can be signed digitally via that email. 

The SLA needs to be in place in any school that is visited by our teachers delivering WCET/WCIL, ensembles, workshops or clubs throughout the academic year. This also applies to any school receiving instrumental tuition where parents are billed directly.  

If you have any questions or would like the SLA resent either to you or another named member of your school's SLT, please contact music@hillingdon.gov.uk.  

School Finance Team Update 

Pamela Hawtree left the Children's Services Finance Team on 3 July. If schools have any finance-related queries, they should direct these to their Link Officer, Kamaljit Kaur or Luisa Hansen. Contact details can be found on LEAP: Contact Us - Leap 

Rollout of Free School Meal Auto-Enrolment - Academic Year 2026/27 

As part of the ongoing commitment to supporting children and families, Hillingdon Council is in its second year of implementing a Free School Meals (FSM) auto-enrolment programme.  

The project aims to identify children attending full time education at school or a school-based nursery in Hillingdon who are entitled to FSM but whose families have not applied and automatically enrol them (unless they opt out). Using existing data, the Council will carry out an annual review to identify eligible children and notify schools for them to enrol them in the FSM scheme, unless their parents or guardians choose to opt out. This information will be shared with schools at the end of September to ensure that pupils identified can be recorded on the October Census return. This project aims to reduce administrative barriers, improve access to entitlements, and enhance the wellbeing of children through increased uptake of nutritious school meals and associated support.  

Schools should continue to liaise with parents/carers as usual to complete eligibility checks. The auto-enrolment project does not replace the eligibility verification process that schools are required to undertake, these checks must therefore continue as normal. 

For more information about the auto-enrolment project, please see School Business Managers Meeting - FSM 2026 (PDF, 297 KB) shared at the SBMs Network Meeting on the 18 June 2026 and FAQs - Free School Meals Auto-enrolment Project 2026 (PDF, 162 KB).  

Hillingdon's' Holiday Activities and Food (HAF) Programme 

We're pleased to share that bookings are now open for Hillingdon's Summer 2026 Holiday Activities and Food (HAF) Programme which runs from Tuesday 21 July to Friday 28 August.  

This government-funded initiative offers free holiday clubs for school-aged children up to Year 11 who are eligible for benefits-related Free School Meals.   

A wide range of exciting activities will be available across the borough, including sports, martial arts, paddle boarding, creative arts, film making, multi-activity camps, and SEND-friendly sessions — all with nutritious meals provided each day.   

A limited number of discretionary places are also available to vulnerable children who don't meet the free school meals criteria. If you'd like a child you're supporting to be considered, please complete our request form Discretionary place request form.  

Full programme details can be found at: Hillingdon HAF Programme.  

Do you need more information or help? Contact us via HAFprogramme@hillingdon.gov.uk or on 01895 277881.  

DfE Hot Weather Guidance 

Following the period of very hot weather, the DfE would like to remind schools about the guidance available and is encouraging all settings to consider contingency plans now, and to be proactive in considering mitigations and engagement with parents. 

• Education Hub blog - this sets out a summary of points for schools to consider when hot weather is forecast 

• Looking after children and those in early years settings - our main operational guidance for schools and early years settings 

• Weather-health Alerting system - information on Heat-health Alerts and how to sign up for notifications 

• DfE severe weather guidance 

Climate Action Plans 

Do you want support in writing or updating your school's Climate Action Plan?  

 Let's Go Zero's Climate Action Advisors provide free expert support to schools, colleges and nurseries to develop Climate Action Plans and take practical sustainability action. Supporting you to meet the DfE expectation that all schools have a Climate Action Plan and Sustainability Lead.  

This service is free, is officially endorsed by the DfE, and is customised to fit the unique needs of your school, no matter what stage you are at in your sustainability journey. 

To access support from your local Climate Action Advisor, register with Let's Go Zero: Climate Action Advisors - Lets Go Zero 

Big Ideas Free Event - NASA LIVE 

Get behind the scenes of the Artemis mission with NASA's Orion spacecraft engineers Howard Hu and Branelle Rodriguez on Friday 11 September 2026 at 2 pm. 

Broadcast live from Imperial Space School in London, donʼt miss this very special opportunity to meet the engineers behind the Artemis. Discover their story, ask your questions and find out what is next as they work towards moon landing.  

This one-hour session is open to schools across the UK and is suitable for ages 8-18. Secure a place for your class now by registering here: https://www.big-ideas.org/nasa-live/ 

Primary Schools:

Family Hub Network Training 

Please see below upcoming Family Hub training. There are currently spaces available. Please book using the links or by login into your Learning Zone account. If you would like to create an account click here.  

July 2026:

The Importance of Reading - The why and how to make story time engaging - 2 July, 9 - 10:30am  

SEND - Brushing for Life, Bottle to cup - 14 July, 10 - 11am - online  

FIS - FIN funding - 15 July, 3 - 4pm - online 

September 2026:

Early Years overview training - 10 September, 9am - 4pm - Oakfarm Children's Centre  

FIS - FIN funding - 21 September, 10 - 11am - online 

DWP - Supporting Families employment - 24 September, 3 - 3:45pm - online 

October 2026:

Five to Thrive - why people need people - 14 October, 1:30pm - 4pm - Civic Centre 

Brushing for Life, Bottle to cup - 21 October, 9:30 - 11am - online

Secondary Schools / Post 16:

Vaccination Catch Up Clinics

Vaccination UK, the NHS commissioned school vaccination provider, are delivering catch up clinics during July and August for:   

• HPV vaccinations offered in year 8 and upwards

• Vaccines Covered: Year 9 & above only (Diphtheria, Tetanus, Polio), Men ACWY (Meningitis) 

Please share this information through your parent/carer communication channels. This includes dates, venue, booking process and contact details: Catch Up vaccination clinics (PDF, 155 KB)

New DfE Reading Programme

'Unlocking Reading' is a new DfE-funded CPD programme designed to help secondary schools support struggling readers. This free programme allows for two staff members to attend and network at a local in-person training session, with access to a range of supporting online training modules tailored for school leaders, teachers and teaching assistants. There are four in person events in July 2026 and online sessions in the autumn. If you would like to access this free CPD programme, sign up. 

Warm regards, 

Abi Preston 

Director of Education & SEND 

Children's Services, London Borough of Hillingdon, Civic Centre, Uxbridge UB8 1UW