LA Education Weekly Update

15th December 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.

We wish you and your colleagues a restful Christmas break and look forward to working with you next term.

Reminders:

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 Schools/Settings:

Launch of the Big SEND Conversation Workforce Research - survey and focus groups open until 13^th February 2026!

We're pleased to share the launch of The Big SEND Conversation - a London-wide workforce research programme led by the London Innovation & Improvement Alliance (LIIA) on behalf of the Association of London Directors of Children's Services (ALDCS).

This programme brings together a workforce survey and a series of focus groups, designed to hear directly from the people who make SEND services work every day.

• Why are we doing this? The aim is simple: to inform change with not to the SEND workforce. We want to understand the realities of working in children's SEND services, and your feedback will directly shape the priorities of the regional SEND Workforce Programme.
• Why now? SEND services are under significant pressure across the UK. With a Government White Paper expected in early 2026, this is a crucial moment for the workforce's voice to influence upcoming reforms. Your insight matters; the more responses we receive, the greater the impact.
• Who is the SEND Workforce? The SEND workforce is diverse and multi-agency. Whether you work in a local authority, school, health organisation, or partner agency and whether you are permanent, agency, or independent - we want to hear from you. The research is completely anonymised, and the survey questions will adapt to reflect your role.
• How can I take part? The research includes:

o   A survey open to all members of the SEND workforce, including multi-agency partners

o   A series of focus groups targeted to specific roles within the SEND workforce

• Why does your contribution matter? By taking part, you're helping build a shared evidence base that will support local authorities and partners to improve how we recruit, support and retain the workforce. Findings will be shared directly with Central Government to influence national reforms - underlining the workforce as our greatest asset.

>>Click here to get started on the Big SEND Conversation<<

We encourage everyone to complete the survey and join the relevant focus group. Please share with your colleagues, partners and networks to support reach!

We hope you will take this opportunity to share your voice and help shape the future of SEND services. If you have any questions don't hesitate to get in touch with rula.tripolitaki@londoncouncils.gov.uk or madeline.oakes@londoncouncils.gov.uk

Health & Safety Training for Headteachers (Community Schools only)

As discussed at the recent Head Teachers' Termly meeting, all community maintained school headteachers should book onto the course listed below which will be held at the Civic Centre. Deputy headteachers will also benefit. Bookings via the Council's Learning Zone.

Date available:

Tuesday 20th January 2026 9.30 am - 4.30 pm - CR4 & 4a

Thursday 12th February 2026 9.30 am - 4.30 pm - CR5

Tuesday 24th March 2026 9.30 am - 4.30 pm - CR5

Click here to book: Health & Safety Responsibilities for Headteachers

This course will provide Headteachers with an overview of their key health and safety responsibilities in the following areas and understand how behaviour will influence outcomes.

• Legislation
• Moral, legal & financial implications
• Accidents & root causes
• Strategic H&S management
• Principles of risk assessment
• Incident/accident investigation
• Fire safety management
• Managing contractors

Ofsted Inspections

A new post, "School inspections: frequently asked questions" has just been published on the Ofsted Education Blog: inspections-frequently-asked-questions

Please click link below to read notes reflecting on a recent Ofsted inspection. This is a useful document for schools to see, especially if you are expecting an inspection soon.

Ofsted notes Dec 2025 (PDF, 198 KB)

Governors Half Termly Newsletter

Please see latest edition: Half-Termly-School-Governors-Update-Winter-Issue-5

School Food Survey

Ofsted's new Common Inspection Framework includes a judgment on personal development, behaviour and welfare. As part of reaching this judgment, throughout their entire inspection, inspectors will look at the extent to which schools are successfully supporting pupils to:

• gain knowledge of how to keep themselves healthy
• make informed choices about healthy eating and fitness

Please complete this short survey which provides a useful starting point for school leaders and governing bodies to consider and evidence how they are taking a whole school approach to school food.

School food  - Fill in form

Please complete this by the end of term.

Vulnerable Learners Support Clinics

The Vulnerable Learners Support Team (VLST) is part of the Council's Education Department. Our primary goal is to work in partnership with schools, families/ caregivers, and children/young people to identify solutions and appropriate services to support learning, engagement, and reintegration.

Our team provides impartial guidance, helping schools and families work together to create the best possible outcomes for children and young people. We attend and facilitate meetings, liaise between schools and families where appropriate, and focus on supporting pupils to engage fully with their education and thrive.

We can support schools with:

• Understanding the underlying needs behind a pupil's presentation or behaviour
• Identifying appropriate next steps, interventions, or external services
• Strengthening partnerships between schools, families, and other professionals
• Offering reflective discussions to help staff explore concerns in a safe and supportive space

We hold clinics virtually via MS Teams to provide education settings a supportive space to seek guidance on how to support vulnerable learners. The sessions are designed to provide practical advice, early intervention strategies, and opportunities for collaborative problem- solving, to enable settings to feel more confident in identifying a clear plan in terms of next steps to support vulnerable learners.

Please see below the updated link for the referral form for the Vulnerable Learners   Vulnerable Learners' Support Clinic's (VLSC)

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, thank you to those who have already completed the SENCo Skills Audit Form. If you have not yet done this, please complete this quick 'audit' by Thursday 18^th December 2025: SENCo Skills Audit - Fill in form

Flu Vaccinations

Please see attached frequently asked questions on the Flu Vaccination. Second visits are now taking place in schools. Please ask parents and carers to compete the consent forms; this is not needed if a consent form has already been provided and the child was out of school for the first visit.

Flu vaccinations (PDF, 223 KB)

Flu Vaccination SEND Schools (PDF, 232 KB)

Vaping

Please see link to the communications pack to support the launch of the position statement on vaping in young people:

London-Vaping-Position-Statement-Comms-Pack.pdf

This is an important public health issue and this toolkit seeks to clarify the often confusing messages around vaping. It helps provide a clear message that young people, parents and those working with young people can hopefully understand.

The National Centre for Smoking Cessation and Training (NCST) has endorsed some excellent resources from Smokefree Sheffield in collaboration with ASH.  The resources are for teachers, safeguarding leads and youth workers.

 The aim of the resources is to provide:

• evidence based information on youth vaping
• to set the facts straight
• to enable young people to make informed decisions and have trusted conversations about vaping

The resources have been updated in line with the ban on disposable vapes and the Tobacco and Vapes Bill, plus insights from young people across the country.

 The resource toolkit comprises of:

• A knowledge presentation to support lesson planning and equip teachers to be discussion ready
• Lesson plan for schools with example activities
• A animation on vaping and young people
• A classroom presentation to support discussions and where to access further advice and support
• Posters x2

This link will take you to the resources and give further information on how you can use them: Vaping: The facts

NHS 111 Urgent Dental Help

Please help raise awareness of urgent dental care services available through NHS 111. More appointments have been made available this year and they can now be accessed through 111.

Please share the below text through your parent bulletins:

Don't suffer with dental pain - help is available 24/7 through NHS 111
If a child or adult has: knocked a tooth out, severe pain disrupting sleep or swelling/lumps in the mouth, NHS 111 is the fast track to urgent dental care, day or night.

NHS 111 can:

·         advise where to be seen

·         arrange emergency dental appointments (at a nearby practice, even if you don't have a regular dentist).

What to do if you need help:

·         contact your regular dentist first if they have one - if they can not help or you do not have a dentist then

·         call 111 or visit 111.nhs.uk

Treatment is free if you receive certain benefits, more information please see: NHS.uk/urgentdentalcare

Other materials:

You can also download posters and other materials to put up in your school. There are also videos you can play to your form/class:

https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1cH_KDG82fj-v4iS7u3evl8uPMCeNZUL2?usp=sharing

https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1Ar1u-rEJVcJU3N5_pY_5E4PT669YWRCW?usp=sharing

Thank you for your support.

Warm regards, 

Abi Preston 

Director of Education & SEND 

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