LA Education Weekly Update

11 May 2026

Dear Colleagues,

This bulletin is for all settings that educate Hillingdon children, maintained, academies and independent. 

Please forward 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:

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 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:

Support for Families 

With the half‑term holiday approaching, we would like to highlight available support for families who may be experiencing financial difficulties. 

The Government's Crisis and Resilience Fund is designed to provide targeted support to residents facing financial hardship. In line with national guidance, this scheme is not intended to provide blanket holiday meal vouchers. Instead, it offers individual support through an application process, where families can share information about their circumstances. This approach helps ensure that assistance is directed to those most in need. 

Families who may benefit from this support can apply directly, and further information or queries can be directed to:  CrisisandResilience@Hillingdon.gov.uk 

We would also like to remind schools about the Holiday Activities and Food (HAF) programme, which is available for children from Reception to Year 11 who are in receipt of benefits‑related free school meals. The programme runs during the Easter, summer, and winter holidays and provides a range of enriching activities alongside meals. It is funded by the DfE. 

Please support families by signposting them to further information: Does my child qualify? | Information for parents (HAF) | Hillingdon Council 

Thank you for your continued support in helping ensure families are aware of the assistance available to them.

Children's Wellbeing and Schools Act 2026 

The Children's Wellbeing and Schools Act 2026, in force from 29 April 2026, introduces significant changes for schools, strengthening safeguarding, reducing costs for families and increasing accountability across the education system. 

Please see a summary document below, which provides useful guidance for education leads and governors. 

Children Act 2026 Summary (PDF, 149 KB)

Section 19 Policy 

We wanted to share the newly published Local Authority Section 19 Policy, which is now in place. 

This policy is an important document, as it sets out our shared approach and expectations for how we ensure children who are unable to attend school continue to receive suitable education in line with our statutory duties. It provides clarity on roles, decision-making and pathways and supports consistent practice across the borough, with a strong focus on children's needs and timely reintegration wherever possible. 

We would be grateful if you could take some time to read the policy and share it with relevant colleagues. 

Thank you, as always, for your continued partnership and commitment to supporting our most vulnerable learners. 

Section_19_Policy_2025-26 

Reminder - S157/175 Safeguarding Audit  

The deadline for all settings to complete the audit is 1 June. Please remember this audit will help provide clear evidence about the progress your setting is making in response to safeguarding.  

All education settings need to complete the following: 

• Use the updated S157/175 audit tool or your own version if you have one. If you have your own school version of an audit tool this does not need to be shared with LBH but please submit an action plan with details of your evaluated Safeguarding processes.    

• Please make sure you see the few key updates outlined in the audit tool document from KCSIE 2025 to inform your planning.   

• Submit an updated action plan/completed excel audit for 2025-2026 to educationalwellbeing@hillingdon.gov.uk by 01/06/2026.

• The headteacher/principal is responsible overall for this document however, it is recommended this is a joint piece of work between the headteacher, DSL and Safeguarding Link Governor with input from other key safeguarding professionals or relevant individuals for example site managers. 

  If you have any questions regarding the Audit, please get in touch with Amandeep Tamber educationalwellbeing@hillingdon.gov.uk 

Supporting Pupils during Exams  

We recognise that schools will already have their own practices and support in place to help pupils prepare for exams and manage exam-related stress. However, to complement and enhance this existing work, we have included the attached document as an additional resource that can be used alongside current approaches, should it be helpful. 

Exam stress support (PDF, 117 KB)

An Invitation from the Hillingdon Interfaith Community 

The Hillingdon Interfaith Community is a network of local faith leaders and representatives who work together to promote mutual respect and understanding between the faiths.  They invite Heads of RE and RE Teachers of Hillingdon schools to a light lunch at St Margaret's Church on 16 June between 12 and 1pm. An opportunity to network, learn more about their work and resources for RE education in Hillingdon. RSVP: hillingdoninterfaithcommunity@gmail.com 

www.hillingdoninterfaithcommunnity.com 

Growing up in the Online World: A National Consultation  

Technology is part of most children's lives from an early age. It can help them learn, build friendships and develop creativity. But it also brings risks, and many parents, teachers and young people have said the current situation is not working well enough.  

The government is consulting on further measures to prepare children for the future in an age of rapid technological change. Growing up in an Online World: a national conversation, will consider how children and young people use digital technology in school and at home.  

The consultation closes on 26 May 2026. We want to hear your views and experiences as teachers and school leaders. You can also sign up to the online national conversation event for teachers and school leaders on Thursday 21 May at 4pm to 5pm. 

There is a separate survey available for parents and carers and for children and young people, and an online event for parents and carers on Wednesday 20 May at 6pm to 7pm - please share these with your communities. 

EEF's A School's Guide to Implementation 

The EEF's A School's Guide to Implementation has recently been refreshed.  

The guidance focuses on 3 key elements: 

• The behaviours that drive effective implementation. 

• The contextual factors that facilitate implementation. 

• A structured process to enact implementation. 

Primary Schools:

Belongings Workshop: Withdrawn to Engaging  

Date: 16th June 2026  

Time: 1:30 - 3 pm 

Venue: Oak Farm Primary School 

Parking: Available on surrounding roads 

This workshop is for SENDCO's/DSL's/Deputy Heads of Primaries to discuss a theme that has been identified in the SEND White Paper Every Child Achieving and Thriving.   

Children need to thrive, with a deep sense of engagement, belonging and inclusion, to achieve and excel at school. We are aware of some Primary Schools already looking at 'Belongings' and Emotional Based School Non-Attendance (EBSNA).  

This session will largely be a round table discussion to reflect and share on the below points - led by a team within Children Services which are working towards a 'Belongings Guidance'. 

• Too many children are withdrawn

• Parent-school relationships have been increasingly strained

• Pupil absence and dysregulated/distressed behaviour are too high 

Please complete form to register: Belongings Workshop: Withdrawn to Engaging - Fill in form 

School Food Contracts & Procurement Support 

Schools have told us they want support primariy schools with school food procurement and contract management.  The Great Plates Partnership between the Mayor of London and School Food Matters, are offering a series of free webinars and resources designed to support schools to make the quality of London school food the very best it can be. 

Book your free school food procurement 'ask the expert' sessions. These short, practical sessions will give schools the chance to ask questions about their own catering arrangements, whether you're considering a new tender, reviewing an existing contract or running an in-house service. Each school can book a 15-minute slot to get tailored advice and discuss the challenges or opportunities specific to your setting.  

To secure a slot  book a free one-to-one session with school food procurement specialist Rachel O'Grady.on one of the following dates:  

• Friday 15 May, 2.30-4 pm  

• Wednesday 24 June, 2.30-4 pm 

We hope you'll take advantage of this one-off opportunity to get tailored support for your school. 

Session resources - including slides and recordings - are being posted on the Great Plates Partnership webpage.  

For more resources please see: School Food - Leap 

Book Witch Performances / Meet the Author Events 

An open-hearted show featuring live music, puppetry and storytelling from award-winning Coppice Theatre at Ruislip Manor and Botwell Green libraries: 

• How to Catch a Book Witch Show and Workshop by Coppice Theatre at Ruislip Manor Library | Hillingdon Council 

• How to Catch a Book Witch Show by Coppice Theatre at Botwell Green Library | Hillingdon Council 

 An inspirational talk with a remarkable young lady, who became a published author at 9 years old! Betsy is visually impaired and lives with a life-limiting condition. Her talk will focus on her book, positivity and how she deals with daily life: 

• Children's Author Betsy Griffin | Hillingdon Council 

Warm regards, 

Abi Preston 

Director of Education & SEND 

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