LA Education Weekly Update

20th January 2025

This email can also be viewed online here

Dear Colleagues,

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:
Year 6 teachers can sign up to KS2 Writing Assessment and Moderation Briefing Session 2 HERE	on 13/02/25
DSLs can sign up to attend 'Strengthening Safeguarding: Best Practices for School Leaders' HERE	on 04/04/25
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
Education Services contacts can be found here	Ongoing
Hillingdon LEAP can be accessed for information and guidance for all settings	Ongoing
HLP Course Booking	Ongoing

For Action All Schools:
Update on School Census Software Issues The software issues identified late last week have been resolved. Thank you all for your patience. The DfE identified the issues relating to primary schools were due to their specification errors. COLLECT and school MIS systems have been updated and are now working correctly. Schools can now safely resume uploading their census data to COLLECT. We have delayed this notification to ensure the issues had been fully addressed. Once schools have uploaded their returns can they please check their errors/queries in COLLECT and NOT their MIS. Please use the spreadsheet files below for validation of data and DfE acceptance notes. School_Census_Notepad_entries_2024_25_v.1.0_ (Excel doc, 40 KB) School_census_validations_2024_to_2025_v1.5 (Excel doc, 123 KB) Marc Sherman, Business Intelligence Team
SEND Post 16 School Travel Policy Consultation 2025 As part of our commitment to supporting young people, the Council has a responsibility to publish the annual Post 16 Travel Policy. This year, we are taking the opportunity to review and consult on this policy to ensure it provides greater flexibility and promotes independence for young people. The consultation on potential changes will start on 17th January 2025 and will be concluded 28th February 2025. For more information about the policy, proposal and how to respond to the consultation please use the following link: www.hillingdon.gov.uk/send-travel-consultation
Thrive Children's Mental Health Week is just around the corner (3rd-9th February), and to mark the occasion Thrive will be sharing a range of free resources to help support your children and young people. This year, the theme is 'Know Yourself, Grow Yourself', so they are bringing you a range of resources that encourage self-awareness, resilience and emotional wellbeing: 30-minute bitesize training session: '5 Proven Strategies for Educators to Help Pupils Express their Emotions'. Quick reference handout: A quick and easy handout with key takeaways from in the webinar above. 'Understanding my emotions' videos: Four engaging videos for young people to explore their core emotions: joy, sadness, fear, and anger. Detailed e-guide: Practical tips on how to spot the early warning signs of poor mental health in children and young people. Sign up below to receive everything straight to your inbox: Children's Mental Health Week 2025 Resources 5 Proven Strategies for Educators to Help Pupils Express their Emotions
*Please share with parents / carers* Learn Hillingdon Courses Flyer Mens Cookery Sessions Recipes Jan 25 (PDF, 190 KB)
#NAW (National Apprenticeship Week) 2025 To celebrate #NAW 2025 The LMP Group are holding a series of webinars. Please follow the links below to register interest and attend: Monday 10^th February at 2 pm - How School Leaders can use Apprenticeships to Develop Staff & Hire New Talent. Zoom Registration link Click here. This event is for school and MAT leaders, CEOs, CFOs, HR Directors, Careers Advisors. Tuesday 11^th February at 3.30 pm - How to Grow Your Career as a Teaching Assistant. Zoom Registration Link Click Here. This event is for existing teaching assistants, experienced TAs, people looking to become a teaching assistant, educators, school leaders, careers advisors. Wednesday 12^th February at 12 pm - How to Grow and Retrain Talent using the power of Apprenticeships. Zoom Registration Link Click here. This employer event is for school business managers, directors or managers, HR managers, HR directors, roles recruiting and managing apprentices. Thursday 13^th February at 2:00pm - Discover Career Progression through Early Years Apprenticeships. Zoom Registration Link Click here. This event is for employers, nursery managers, early years managers, HR managers and those interested in starting an early years apprenticeship. For more information, please visit national-apprenticeship-week-2025

For Action All Schools:

Update on School Census Software Issues

The software issues identified late last week have been resolved. Thank you all for your patience.

The DfE identified the issues relating to primary schools were due to their specification errors. COLLECT and school MIS systems have been updated and are now working correctly. Schools can now safely resume uploading their census data to COLLECT. We have delayed this notification to ensure the issues had been fully addressed.

Once schools have uploaded their returns can they please check their errors/queries in COLLECT and NOT their MIS. Please use the spreadsheet files below for validation of data and DfE acceptance notes.

School_Census_Notepad_entries_2024_25_v.1.0_ (Excel doc, 40 KB)

School_census_validations_2024_to_2025_v1.5 (Excel doc, 123 KB)

Marc Sherman, Business Intelligence Team

SEND Post 16 School Travel Policy Consultation 2025

As part of our commitment to supporting young people, the Council has a responsibility to publish the annual Post 16 Travel Policy. This year, we are taking the opportunity to review and consult on this policy to ensure it provides greater flexibility and promotes independence for young people.

The consultation on potential changes will start on 17th January 2025 and will be concluded 28th February 2025.

For more information about the policy, proposal and how to respond to the consultation please use the following link: www.hillingdon.gov.uk/send-travel-consultation

Thrive

Children's Mental Health Week is just around the corner (3rd-9th February), and to mark the occasion Thrive will be sharing a range of free resources to help support your children and young people. This year, the theme is 'Know Yourself, Grow Yourself', so they are bringing you a range of resources that encourage self-awareness, resilience and emotional wellbeing:

30-minute bitesize training session: '5 Proven Strategies for Educators to Help Pupils Express their Emotions'.
Quick reference handout: A quick and easy handout with key takeaways from in the webinar above.
'Understanding my emotions' videos: Four engaging videos for young people to explore their core emotions: joy, sadness, fear, and anger.
Detailed e-guide: Practical tips on how to spot the early warning signs of poor mental health in children and young people.

Children's Mental Health Week 2025 Resources

5 Proven Strategies for Educators to Help Pupils Express their Emotions

Please share with parents / carers

Learn Hillingdon Courses

Flyer Mens Cookery Sessions Recipes Jan 25 (PDF, 190 KB)

#NAW (National Apprenticeship Week) 2025

To celebrate #NAW 2025 The LMP Group are holding a series of webinars. Please follow the links below to register interest and attend:

Monday 10^th February at 2 pm - How School Leaders can use Apprenticeships to Develop Staff & Hire New Talent. Zoom Registration link Click here. This event is for school and MAT leaders, CEOs, CFOs, HR Directors, Careers Advisors.
Tuesday 11^th February at 3.30 pm - How to Grow Your Career as a Teaching Assistant. Zoom Registration Link Click Here. This event is for existing teaching assistants, experienced TAs, people looking to become a teaching assistant, educators, school leaders, careers advisors.
Wednesday 12^th February at 12 pm - How to Grow and Retrain Talent using the power of Apprenticeships. Zoom Registration Link Click here. This employer event is for school business managers, directors or managers, HR managers, HR directors, roles recruiting and managing apprentices.
Thursday 13^th February at 2:00pm - Discover Career Progression through Early Years Apprenticeships. Zoom Registration Link Click here. This event is for employers, nursery managers, early years managers, HR managers and those interested in starting an early years apprenticeship.

For more information, please visit national-apprenticeship-week-2025

For Action Primary Schools:
School Food Matters Webinars School Food Matters are hosting events to help primary schools establish and run successful breakfast clubs that serve tasty, nutritious food! Primary School Breakfast Club Pilot and Future Rollout - Tuesday 21st January, 12 - 1 pm - nationwide event Hear firsthand from headteachers as they share their experiences delivering different models of breakfast club provision. Join to gain expert guidance, practical tips, and valuable resources ahead of the government's free breakfast club pilot and future rollout. Click here to sign up Benefits of a Nutritious Breakfast Webinar - Thursday 6th February, 4 - 5 pm - Hillingdon Schools only Ahead of the national rollout of the Government's school breakfast programme, this webinar will explore the benefits of a nutritious breakfast, how to apply school food standards throughout the school day, and a range of breakfast club models that work in different settings. We'll also be answering questions you may have about delivering great breakfasts during the webinar. Click here to sign up

For Action Primary Schools:

School Food Matters Webinars

School Food Matters are hosting events to help primary schools establish and run successful breakfast clubs that serve tasty, nutritious food!

Primary School Breakfast Club Pilot and Future Rollout - Tuesday 21st January, 12 - 1 pm - nationwide event

Hear firsthand from headteachers as they share their experiences delivering different models of breakfast club provision. Join to gain expert guidance, practical tips, and valuable resources ahead of the government's free breakfast club pilot and future rollout. Click here to sign up

Benefits of a Nutritious Breakfast Webinar - Thursday 6th February, 4 - 5 pm - Hillingdon Schools only

Ahead of the national rollout of the Government's school breakfast programme, this webinar will explore the benefits of a nutritious breakfast, how to apply school food standards throughout the school day, and a range of breakfast club models that work in different settings. We'll also be answering questions you may have about delivering great breakfasts during the webinar. Click here to sign up

For Action Secondary Schools:
AIM High Could we ask schools and settings to display this new poster and share with your parents / carers to promote the SEND youth forum, AIM High. SEND Youth Forum (Aim High) A4 Poster v5 (PDF, 918 KB)

For Action Secondary Schools:

AIM High

Could we ask schools and settings to display this new poster and share with your parents / carers to promote the SEND youth forum, AIM High.

SEND Youth Forum (Aim High) A4 Poster v5 (PDF, 918 KB)

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