LA Education Weekly Update
10 November 2025
Dear Colleagues,
This bulletin is for all settings that educate Hillingdon children, maintained, academies and independent.
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: |
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Governors should sign up for Ofsted training HERE | on 18/11/25 |
Year 6 teachers should sign up to attend the first KS2 Moderation Briefing Session HERE | on 20/11/25 |
DSLs should sign up to attend the next Cluster/Network Session. Please register to attend here. | on 24/11/25 |
All Primary Academies should complete Moderation Partner Agreement 2025-26 | by 09/01/26
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Useful Links: | |
Please contact education@hillingdon.gov.uk with any queries | |
Hillingdon LEAP can be accessed for information and guidance for all settings |
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Critical Incident Notification can be found here |
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Emergency closures of all schools must be reported to education@hillingdon.gov.uk |
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Education Services Contacts can be found here |
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Education & SEND Policies can be found here |
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EYES information can be found here. Support guidance and training videos have now been added for schools & settings. |
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Governors can access LA training here |
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Schools' Forum meeting papers can be accessed here. If anyone would like to attend meetings, they are welcome to do so.
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For All Schools & Settings: |
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Schools Forum Member Vacancies - Request for Membership Nominations Hillingdon Schools Forum currently has vacancies and is requesting nominations for new members:
If you wish to submit a nomination, or require further information please send an email to schoolsforum@hillingdon.gov.uk If there are more nominations than positions available an election will take place through Primary Forum for the primary sector and through HASH for the secondary sector. For more information regarding the Schools Forum please see Hillingdon Schools Forum - Hillingdon Council
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Head Teachers' Termly Autumn 2025 Please see agenda for this meeting: Head Teachers' Termly Agenda - Autumn Term 2025 V2 (PDF, 196 KB) Headteachers or their deputies should attend to hear key LA messages.
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Condition Improvement Fund (CIF) 2026-27 Application Round CIF is an annual bidding round with a core priority of keeping eligible academy, sixth-form college and voluntary aided (VA) school buildings safe and in good working order. This includes funding projects that address:
The fund also supports a small number of expansion projects. These are for academies, sixth-form colleges and VA schools that can demonstrate a need to expand. Local authorities, large multi-academy trusts and large voluntary aided school bodies, such as dioceses, instead are eligible for an annual formulaic School Condition Allocation (SCA) which they decide how to invest across their schools. Further information is available at: School capital funding - GOV.UK Application guidance and engagement The CIF 2026-27 information for applicants guidance has been produced to help eligible academies, sixth-form colleges and VA schools that wish to apply to CIF for the 2026-27 financial year (April 2026 to March 2027). It explains what CIF is, who is eligible to apply for CIF funding, what types of projects are eligible and how bids for funding will be assessed for the 2026-27 round. Key dates If schools are applying to CIF for the first time, they must register to use the CIF portal by 12 noon on Tuesday 9 December 2025. The deadline for schools submitting an application for CIF 2026-27 is 12 noon on Tuesday 16 December 2025. More information on CIF can be found here https://www.gov.uk/guidance/condition-improvement-fund Urgent Capital Support Schools that are eligible for CIF in a given financial year can apply for Urgent Capital Support (UCS) at any time of the year where there are urgent condition issues that threaten the closure of the whole school, or a significant part of it. Please see the Urgent Capital Support page on GOV.UK for further details, including eligibility, criteria and how to apply.
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AXIS Newsletter Please see latest edition here: October Bulletin 2025 (PDF, 548 KB)
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SENCo Skills Audit The SEND Advisory Service (SAS) are keen to understand the current knowledge of SENCos/Inclusion Managers in the borough to ensure that the training and support we offer is responsive to local needs. Therefore, please complete this quick 'audit' by Thursday 18 December 2025: SENCo Skills Audit - Fill in form
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NASEN Training Please see Whole School SEND - November events for free training for all schools.
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Education Secretary Live Online Event on Curriculum Reform On Wednesday 12 November at 4.15 - 5 pm. Sign up to attend here
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Martyn's Law The Terrorism (Protection of Premises) Act 2025, commonly referred to as Martyn's Law , requires that those responsible for certain premises and events consider how they would respond to be better prepared and protected. The DfE and the Home Office are delivering a series of webinars for schools to learn about Martyn's Law, join via MS Teams on: |
Thrive Webinar - Wellbeing Matters: One month on - insights from the new Ofsted framework With the first inspections under Ofsted's new framework beginning this month, many schools are turning their attention to how the changes will play out in practice - particularly around wellbeing and inclusion. Join this free webinar on 11 December where there will be discussions on early reflections, practical insights and considerations for senior leaders. Sign up for free here
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Please share with your parents / carers Parent/Carer Programmes We understand that it can be difficult for families to know what parenting courses and workshops are available in Hillingdon. To help, please find attached a simple document, created in collaboration with parents, that outlines the current offer.
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Please share with parents / carers Free Mental Health Support by Kooth Confident Conversations (PDF, 192 KB)
Anti-bullying resources As the nights draw in and young people spend more time indoors and on their phones, feelings of isolation can intensify. Increased screen time can also bring greater exposure to bullying and cyberbullying. With over half of young people experiencing bullying first hand, the need for trusted, accessible mental health support has never been more important. Kooth have a powerful anti-bullying film and shareable assets. These spark conversations, raise awareness, and help young people stand up to bullying. kooth-and-diana-award-tackling-bullying-together
Supporting young people to manage anxiety webinar - 13 November Join Kooth for a free 45 minute webinar and you will hear from one a community engagement team, alongside a clinician from Kooth, who will share expert tips on how to spot the signs of anxiety, how to offer support to young people who are struggling, and how Kooth can help. How to support young people manage anxiety with self care
Smartphone safety and cyberbullying webinar - 20 November Do young people know how to protect themselves from cyberbullying? This November, we're inviting parents to join us for a free 45 minute webinar. We will share practical tips on how to help children deal with potential problems, how parents can spot signs of cyberbullying and what action to take. Smartphone Safety & cyberbullying
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For Primary Schools: |
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Consultation for Whiteheath Infant and Nursery School to Lower Age Range Further to the email sent to Headteachers on 27 October, Hillingdon Council proposes to lower the age range of children who can attend Whiteheath Infant and Nursery School, in order that they can offer places to two-year-olds. These places would be available no later than September 2026. To participate in the consultation, please read the information here. The link to the questionnaire to be completed is also on the webpage. You can respond to the consultation by completing the questionnaire or emailing fis@hillingdon.gov.uk. Please note that the consultation will run until 5 pm on Monday 1 December.
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Club Leader Programme for Wraparound Childcare Team We've got a great opportunity coming up for you and your Wraparound childcare team - and it's completely free! We're launching a Club Leader Programme starting in January, delivered by the brilliant Mark West from Fun Days Club. Some of you might already know Mark, he's worked closely with us to deliver the Wraparound programme as a Local Authority and brings lots of energy and experience to the table. Here's what you need to know:
To find out more, we're hosting a relaxed in person coffee morning with Mark on Friday 5 December 9.30 am to 11.30 am at William Bryd Primary Academy, Victoria Lane, Hayes UB3 5EW. It's a chance for Headteachers, Business Managers and Club Leaders to pop in, have a chat and ask questions. If you'd like to come along, just sign up here Register for Club Leader Training coffee morning . Please share with anyone in your school who would like to come along!
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Family Hub Network Training for November to January All of the 2026 training is now live and ready to take bookings. If you have any questions about our training then please do not hesitate to get in contact with familyhubtraining@Hillingdon.gov.uk Family hub network training - Nov - Jan (PDF, 3 MB)
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Warm regards,
Abi Preston
Director of Education & SEND
Children, Families & Education
London Borough of Hillingdon, Civic Centre, Uxbridge, UB8 1UW
