LA Education Weekly Update

23rd June 2025

This email can also be viewed online here

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:
All schools and settings should attend EYES Portal Establishment Training. Please see EYES - Leap for full details and links to join the sessions	on 23/06/25 at 12.30 pm or 26/06/25 at 9.30 am
Hillingdon LEAP can be accessed for information and guidance for all settings	Ongoing
Education Services contacts can be found here	Ongoing
Schools' Forum meeting papers can be accessed here	Ongoing
Emergency closures of all schools must be reported to education@hillingdon.gov.uk	Ongoing
Notification of Critical Incident can be found here	Ongoing
HLP Course Booking	Ongoing

For All Schools & Settings:
Hillingdon Teacher Wins National Teaching Award for Transformative Work Congratulations to Minet Infant and Nursery School teacher Sundip Bhambra, who has been recognised with a silver award for Teacher of the Year in a Primary School in this year's Pearson National Teaching Awards. Please see press release for details: PRESS RELEASE (PDF, 339 KB)
Consultation on the Proposal to Amalgamate Harefield Infant School & Harefield Junior School Please use the following link to the consultation on the proposal to amalgamate Harefield Infant School and Harefield Junior School to form a single two-form entry Primary School. The consultation period will last from 9am Wednesday 18 June, until 5pm on Wednesday 30 July. Harefield Infant and Junior Schools consultation - Hillingdon Council
Healthy Schools London - action required The GLA have reviewed the Healthy Schools London (HSL) programme and some changes have been made. The award application and registration process will be temporarily paused on 31 July and will reopen at the end of September. During this transition period, please note the following actions: Applications for awards in this academic year Deadline to submit is 30 June 2025. This will allow quality assurance to be carried out prior to awards being uploaded to the HSL website before it closes on 31^st July. Please contact Julia Heggie if you are planning to submit and award. New registrations to HSL Deadline to register a new user is 31st July Following 31st July, those who want to register should wait until the updated website is ready in September. If you have an existing account If you have not logged in within the last 4 years but, would like their account to be migrated to the updated website, will need to login by Thursday 31st July. Those who do not login will not have their account migrated but will need to register again in September. This only applies to users and not to schools pages as these can be migrated without an active user. Training will be provided on the new HSL programme. This will include how to progress through the programme and the timetable for submitting bronze, silver and gold awards for 2025-2026. Contact Julia Heggie jheggie@hillingdon.gov.uk for more information or if you have specific questions.

For All Schools & Settings:

Hillingdon Teacher Wins National Teaching Award for Transformative Work

Congratulations to Minet Infant and Nursery School teacher Sundip Bhambra, who has been recognised with a silver award for Teacher of the Year in a Primary School in this year's Pearson National Teaching Awards.

Please see press release for details: PRESS RELEASE (PDF, 339 KB)

Consultation on the Proposal to Amalgamate Harefield Infant School & Harefield Junior School

Please use the following link to the consultation on the proposal to amalgamate Harefield Infant School and Harefield Junior School to form a single two-form entry Primary School.

The consultation period will last from 9am Wednesday 18 June, until 5pm on Wednesday 30 July.

Harefield Infant and Junior Schools consultation - Hillingdon Council

Healthy Schools London - action required

The GLA have reviewed the Healthy Schools London (HSL) programme and some changes have been made. The award application and registration process will be temporarily paused on 31 July and will reopen at the end of September. During this transition period, please note the following actions:

Applications for awards in this academic year

Deadline to submit is 30 June 2025.
This will allow quality assurance to be carried out prior to awards being uploaded to the HSL website before it closes on 31^st July.
Please contact Julia Heggie if you are planning to submit and award.

New registrations to HSL

Deadline to register a new user is 31st July
Following 31st July, those who want to register should wait until the updated website is ready in September.

If you have an existing account

If you have not logged in within the last 4 years but, would like their account to be migrated to the updated website, will need to login by Thursday 31st July.
Those who do not login will not have their account migrated but will need to register again in September.
This only applies to users and not to schools pages as these can be migrated without an active user.

Training will be provided on the new HSL programme. This will include how to progress through the programme and the timetable for submitting bronze, silver and gold awards for 2025-2026.

Contact Julia Heggie jheggie@hillingdon.gov.uk for more information or if you have specific questions.

For Secondary Schools /FE:
Post 16 Update - Mental Health Statistics/Themes in Hillingdon We recently held a Power Hour which was presented by Hillingdon Healthwatch. During the session we learned about key themes that came from young people's surveys as well as recommendations given to the local services that support young people with mental health needs. Presentation slides: Schools workshop 11 June 2025 (PDF, 3 MB) The session also provided attendees with the chance to feed back their own thoughts within their roles which you can see in this document: Schools Power Hour CYP MH_2025-06-11_12-36-11 (PDF, 20 KB) If you would like to be part of the conversation further please email mpearson@hillingdon.gov.uk to find out about the 14-25 Steering Group which is currently focusing on EBSNA - linked to mental health.
NHS Careers Information for Schools Please see below a new document for use by schools in their career programmes. It talks about potential career opportunities within the NHS. NHS Careers Untapped - launch of resources 2025 (PDF, 222 KB)
*Please share with students* Sign Up To a Compass Project This Summer! Compass is coming to Hillingdon to run workshops this summer! Would you like to get better at your English and get creative over the holiday? Every day you will be learning new skills to improve our confidence, creativity and English and will also be learning all about making films, how to perform and most importantly have LOTS OF FUN! The project is running from Monday 4 August to Friday 15 August (weekdays only), 11.30 am - 4 pm at Brunel University, Kingston Lane Uxbridge UB8 3PH. Travel expenses, hot lunch and snacks will be provided. Sign up to get involved HERE

For Secondary Schools /FE:

Post 16 Update - Mental Health Statistics/Themes in Hillingdon

We recently held a Power Hour which was presented by Hillingdon Healthwatch. During the session we learned about key themes that came from young people's surveys as well as recommendations given to the local services that support young people with mental health needs.

Presentation slides: Schools workshop 11 June 2025 (PDF, 3 MB)

The session also provided attendees with the chance to feed back their own thoughts within their roles which you can see in this document: Schools Power Hour CYP MH_2025-06-11_12-36-11 (PDF, 20 KB)

If you would like to be part of the conversation further please email mpearson@hillingdon.gov.uk to find out about the 14-25 Steering Group which is currently focusing on EBSNA - linked to mental health.

NHS Careers Information for Schools

Please see below a new document for use by schools in their career programmes. It talks about potential career opportunities within the NHS.

NHS Careers Untapped - launch of resources 2025 (PDF, 222 KB)

Please share with students

Sign Up To a Compass Project This Summer!

Compass is coming to Hillingdon to run workshops this summer! Would you like to get better at your English and get creative over the holiday? Every day you will be learning new skills to improve our confidence, creativity and English and will also be learning all about making films, how to perform and most importantly have LOTS OF FUN!

The project is running from Monday 4 August to Friday 15 August (weekdays only), 11.30 am - 4 pm at Brunel University, Kingston Lane Uxbridge UB8 3PH. Travel expenses, hot lunch and snacks will be provided.

Sign up to get involved HERE

For Primary Schools:
Summer Primary Music Network Meeting Thursday, 26 June at 16.00 (60 minutes) via MS Teams This term's Primary Music Teacher's Network meeting will be an opportunity to discuss music education in Hillingdon Schools. Click here to join the meeting Meeting ID: 352 804 702 029 3 Passcode: x2vD68VX At the meeting we will also welcome guest speaker, Sally Greaves. Sally is an experienced teacher and renowned composer of music education resources. Her website "Groove n Play" compiles several schemes of work that are widely used in other London Boroughs to support classroom instrumental music making. Hillingdon Music Service will be buying licenses for 1 unit of work for all Hillingdon schools from September 2025. This session promises to be an informative session that offers a brief insight into the music that students perform in the Groove n Play units of work and is an opportunity to hear about the resources from their creator. The Groove n Play website can be viewed here: groovenplay \|Whole Class Music \| Sally Greaves Please pass on the above information to your colleagues and feel free to direct any questions to rporter@hillingdon.gov.uk
No School Library? Apply Now for 500 Free Books, Training, and Library Furniture We're pleased to share a fantastic opportunity from the National Literacy Trust for primary schools without a library or designated reading space. Their Libraries for Primaries programme is fully funded and free to join, offering eligible schools an incredible package of books, resources, training and support to establish or improve a school library. Reading for pleasure can boost children's wellbeing and attainment across subjects. By providing access to a large range of books, schools can support whole-setting reading culture - with immediate and long-term benefits. Each school receives a package worth over £6,500, including: • 500 high-quality, diverse children's books • Library furniture (modular shelving & soft seating) • Audiobook player and story cards • Bespoke CPD training for 2 teachers on reading for pleasure • Membership to the National Literacy Trust and access to author visits Applications are now open for the 2025/26 academic year. Find out more and apply here: Schools \| Libraries4Primaries

For Primary Schools:

Summer Primary Music Network Meeting

Thursday, 26 June at 16.00 (60 minutes) via MS Teams

This term's Primary Music Teacher's Network meeting will be an opportunity to discuss music education in Hillingdon Schools.

Click here to join the meeting

Meeting ID: 352 804 702 029 3 Passcode: x2vD68VX

At the meeting we will also welcome guest speaker, Sally Greaves. Sally is an experienced teacher and renowned composer of music education resources. Her website "Groove n Play" compiles several schemes of work that are widely used in other London Boroughs to support classroom instrumental music making.

Hillingdon Music Service will be buying licenses for 1 unit of work for all Hillingdon schools from September 2025.

This session promises to be an informative session that offers a brief insight into the music that students perform in the Groove n Play units of work and is an opportunity to hear about the resources from their creator. The Groove n Play website can be viewed here: groovenplay |Whole Class Music | Sally Greaves

Please pass on the above information to your colleagues and feel free to direct any questions to rporter@hillingdon.gov.uk

No School Library? Apply Now for 500 Free Books, Training, and Library Furniture

We're pleased to share a fantastic opportunity from the National Literacy Trust for primary schools without a library or designated reading space. Their Libraries for Primaries programme is fully funded and free to join, offering eligible schools an incredible package of books, resources, training and support to establish or improve a school library. Reading for pleasure can boost children's wellbeing and attainment across subjects. By providing access to a large range of books, schools can support whole-setting reading culture - with immediate and long-term benefits.

Each school receives a package worth over £6,500, including:

• 500 high-quality, diverse children's books • Library furniture (modular shelving & soft seating) • Audiobook player and story cards • Bespoke CPD training for 2 teachers on reading for pleasure • Membership to the National Literacy Trust and access to author visits

Applications are now open for the 2025/26 academic year. Find out more and apply here: Schools | Libraries4Primaries

Warm regards,

Abi Preston

Director of Education & SEND

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

For previous LA Education Weekly Updates please click here