LA Education Weekly Update

20 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. 

We wish you a restful and enjoyable summer break and look forward to working with you again from September.

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:

Children's Social Care Reset 2026 - 2029 - Briefing for Headteachers 

You will already be aware the Government has published it's implementation plan for the next phase of children's social care reform, covering the period 2026-2029. While this is a national social care reform programme, there are important implications for schools, particularly in relation to safeguarding, early help, information sharing, attendance, inclusion, kinship care and the role of the Virtual School. 

We have prepared a short briefing for Headteachers which summarises the key changes and highlights what schools may want to consider as local implementation develops. The main message is that education settings will become more formally connected to local safeguarding and family help arrangements, with a continued emphasis on early identification, strong partnership working and joined-up support for vulnerable children and families. 

Headteachers are encouraged to read the briefing and consider the practical questions included, particularly with DSLs, SENCOs, designated teachers, attendance leads and pastoral teams. Further local updates and guidance will follow as national requirements are confirmed and implementation planning progresses. 

Delivering the CSC Reset - Education - Information for Schools (PDF, 244 KB)

DSL Cluster/Network Meeting 

The next meeting is on Wednesday 30 September 2026 at 1 - 3 pm at the Civic Centre. Please register to attend here and further details and agenda will be sent to you: DSL Cluster/Network Meeting : Wednesday 30 September 2026 1 - 3 pm In person - Fill in form 

This session will include: 

• A presentation from Dan Allchurch from Talk Consent

• A workshop on Making Referrals to Stronger Families, focusing on the key information required when completing referral forms. This session will be led by Indeep Sethi and Grace McKenzie from the Stronger Families Team

If you have any queries, please contact Amandeep Tamber, Education Safeguarding and Wellbeing Officer at educationalwellbeing@hillingdon.gov.uk 

SEND Reform & Inclusion Development Session  

As part of the delivery of Hillingdon's SEND Reform Plan, we are pleased to invite all Headteachers, SENCOs and Governors to an online SEND Reform and Inclusion Development Session on Tuesday 8 September 2026 at 3.30pm - 4.30pm. 

This session will provide an opportunity to update schools on the progress of the SEND Reform Plan, share emerging developments, and discuss the next phase of co-production with schools as we continue to design and shape future models of support across the borough. The session will be recorded and made available to anyone who is unable to attend. 

In addition, a separate in-person session will be held on 24 September 2026 for secondary Headteachers and Academy CEOs. This will focus on aspects of the reforms that are particularly relevant to secondary education. Further information and invitations for this session will be shared with secondary leaders shortly. 

There will also be a range of further engagement opportunities throughout the autumn term, enabling schools to play an active role in shaping the delivery of the reform workstreams. Further details will be circulated in September. 

The Government's ambition is to create a more inclusive education system where children and young people receive the right support, at the right time, as close as possible to their local communities. The reforms place a strong emphasis on strengthening inclusion within mainstream schools, improving the consistency of support, promoting earlier intervention, and developing more effective partnerships between education, health and local authority services. 

Locally, Hillingdon has been working closely with schools, families, young people and partner agencies through a series of co-production activities. During our workshop with school leaders on 27 April, participants explored key themes including early intervention, improving access to specialist advice and support, strengthening inclusion within mainstream settings, and creating more joined-up pathways for children and young people with SEND. 

A key element of Hillingdon's SEND Reform Plan is the development of the Experts at Hand (EaH) model. This approach aims to bring specialist expertise closer to schools through locality and cluster-based arrangements, enabling earlier access to advice, consultation, training and targeted support. While further details of the EaH model will be shared in the coming months, this session will focus on the wider SEND Reform Plan and the vision for the Experts at Hand offer. Additional sessions will take place during the autumn term to support co-production with schools as we design the pathways and support offer that will underpin its implementation. 

We look forward to continuing to work in partnership with you on this important programme of change and to ensuring that children and young people with SEND receive the support they need to thrive. 

Please sign up to attend the session on Tuesday 8 September using the following link, and a Teams invitation will then be shared with you: SEND Reform and Inclusion Development Session - Fill in form 

New Referral Route for Children & Young People's Neurodevelopmental (ND) Assessments 

From 3 August 2026, Central and North West London NHS' (CNWL) autism and ADHD diagnostic assessments for children and young people will move to a single integrated service: SHINE (Specialist Hub for Integrated Neurodevelopmental Evaluation).  This change will affect all schools in Hillingdon. Only SENCos can make referrals, but teachers may be asked to answer questionnaires as part of Stage 2 of the referral process. 

SHINE brings together Community Paediatrics and CAMHS diagnostic assessment services, supported by a new Single Point of Access (SPA) and digital referral processes. 

Who can refer? GPs, health professionals (including health visitors, speech and language therapists), community and hospital paediatricians, CAMHS clinicians, nursery/school SENCos and social workers. Parental consent is required. Age eligibility remains unchanged: 2-17+  

New referral process: 

Part 1: Referrers submit an online referral request via the SHINE professionals webpage [https://www.cnwl.nhs.uk/shine/professional-certification], including the child's details, reason for referral, parent/carer contact information, nursery/school and GP details, and any interpreter requirements. 

Part 2: The SPA Hub sends digital referral packs to GPs, parents/carers, young people aged 12+ (where appropriate), and education settings to gather information. All packs must be returned within two weeks. Once received, clinicians will triage the referral and confirm the outcome with the family and GP. 

What makes a good referral? 

• Clear examples of developmental concerns 

• Relevant developmental, medical, family and social history 

• Nursery/school and specialist reports 

• Details of support already in place. 

For more information, call 0800 0234 650, email cnwl.cypndspa@nhs.net, or visit the SHINE webpage [https://www.cnwl.nhs.uk/shine] from 3 August 2026.

MHST Parent Webinar Series 

The Mental Health Support Team (MHST) will be launching a monthly Parent Webinar Series as part of a tri-borough initiative across Brent, Harrow and Hillingdon. 

The webinars are open to all parents and carers whose child or children attend a school in Brent, Harrow or Hillingdon. The sessions will cover a range of topics relating to children and young people's emotional wellbeing and mental health, offering practical advice, guidance and strategies to support families. 

The webinar series aims to provide parents and carers with access to information from mental health professionals, increase understanding of common wellbeing challenges, and promote awareness of the support available for children and young people. 

Further details, including webinar topics, dates and registration information, is in the pdf linked below. Schools are encouraged to share this opportunity with parents/carers. 

London MHST Parent Webinar 2026 (PDF, 3 MB)

School Governors Newsletter 

The latest edition can be found here: Half Termly School Governors Update Summer Issue July 2026 (PDF, 175 KB)

Governor Training Sessions for Autumn 2026 

Clerks Briefing Autumn 2026 - Thursday 10 September at 6pm or Tuesday 15 September at 10am Clerks Briefing Autumn 2026 - Registration Form 

Safeguarding Training for Governors 2026/2027 - Wednesday 16 September 2026 at 6pm Safeguarding Training for Governors 2026/2027 - Registration Form 

Understanding Governor Responsibilities to Handling Complaints - Monday 5 October 2026 at 6pm Understanding Governor Responsibilities to handling complaints  - Registration Form 

An Overview of Schools Finance for Governors, Knowing your Responsibilities - Monday 23 November 2026 at 6pm An Overview of Schools Finance 2026-2027 for Governors - Registration Form 

Flu Programme Update  

Vaccination UK will be hosting an information session for all Hillingdon schools on the upcoming flu vaccination programme on Monday 14 September from 3:30 - 4:15 pm. 

Please join the meeting using the link below and share it with any colleagues who will be involved in the delivery of the programme: 

Click here to join the session  

We encourage all relevant staff to attend, particularly Headteachers and Designated Safeguarding Leads (DSLs), to support a smooth and successful rollout of the programme. 

Primary Schools:

Early Years Funding: Proposed Changes to the Entitlements Funding System 

The government have published a consultation with proposals to change the early years funding system.  Enclosed are two documents for the consultation - the consultation document and an Annex to indicate the impact on local authorities of how funding rates are calculated from some of the proposals  

The stated aims of the proposals are:  

• Improving access to the early years entitlements, particularly for disadvantaged children and those with SEND  

• Supporting children with additional needs  

• Changing funding so that it reflects the cost provision  

If you would like to respond, please use this link: Changes to the funding system for early years entitlements - GOV.UK by the closing date of 14 September 2026.  

If you would like further clarification on what some of the proposals are about, please contact FIS@hillingdon.gov.uk 

Early year funding proposed changes to the entitlements funding system consultation document (PDF, 541 KB)

Illustration impacts of applying two planned data updates to 2026 to 2027 rates if no year-to-year protection applied (PDF, 357 KB)

Lowering School Age Range To Offer Places For Two-year-olds 

For community schools who wish to lower their age range to take two-year-olds, there is a process, led by the local authority, that needs to be followed to seek approval for this. If any primary or infant school wishes to do this, in order to offer places from September next year, please can you email fis@hillingdon.gov.uk by Friday 11 September 2026.  

Academies, foundation or voluntary schools who wish to lower their age range would lead their own process to do so but please email fis@hillingdon.gov.uk if you will be doing this, as the local authority is responsible for ensuring sufficient early years provision in the borough and we would need to be aware of how any additional places would impact on existing provision.

Secondary Schools / Post 16:

London Region KS3 RISE Alliance Launch 

Hillingdon Schools are invited to the launch of the London Region KS3 RISE Alliance, a new opportunity to collaborate on improving KS3 outcomes through research, innovation and shared practice. 

The attached briefing provides full details of the programme, launch event, opportunities for involvement and how to register your interest. Please take a few minutes to read it and consider how your school might engage with this exciting initiative.   

London Region KS3 RISE Alliance Launch (PDF, 3 MB)

Warm regards, 

Abi Preston 

Director of Education & SEND 

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