Director's Message - 18th January 2021

Dear Colleagues, 

Thank you for all of your hard work ensuring schools are open to critical workers and vulnerable learners as well as providing some excellent examples of remote learning provision. We have been impressed with the efforts of Hillingdon schools throughout this lockdown.

To Action:

The highlights for this week are:

LCRC resource packs for schools

The LCRC has developed an information and resources pack for schools and early years settings. This should support the need to carry out on-site risk assessments, send communications to parents, seek advice from other resources, know when to review the situation or seek further support from the DfE, HPT or LCRC.

Action: Free School Meals for out of term time Winter Grant Scheme

Hillingdon's Winter Grant Team need information relating to children entitled to free school meals attending your school. This information is being gathered to ensure all families entitled to free school meals receive their meal vouchers (out of term time) from the Winter Grant Scheme and have made an application for the Winter Grant utilities payment.

Please could all schools complete and return this   FSM Winter Grant Scheme data excel document [20KB] by Friday 22^nd January. If you have any queries relating to the Winter Grant Scheme please contact: wintergrant@hillingdon.gov.uk.

National FSM voucher scheme

This national scheme went live today and schools have the option to use it instead of their local schemes. All schools should have received an email from Edenred to reset your previous accounts by yesterday. If you have not heard from them, please complete Edenred's online change request form. E-codes will be provided for 4 week periods for £15 vouchers per week. As well as using the national voucher scheme, your school still has the option of providing food to your eligible pupils via a lunch parcel, through a caterer or food provider, or via a locally arranged solution. For those arranging vouchers locally rather than through the national voucher scheme, more details will be available soon on how you can claim back these costs. The rates are £15 for vouchers or a £3.50 top up if you are providing lunch parcels. Please see the full guidance on providing free school meals during the national lockdown.

Wrap Around Care

The DfE have asked us to gather information about whether wrap-around care is being provided as normal to families of critical workers or vulnerable children. If any schools have made the decision to not re-open wrap around care, or if you use a provider who has not re-opened, please can you email the team at education@hillingdon.gov.uk to make us aware by Wednesday 20^th January.

Education and Skills Funding Agency update 

The ESFA has published latest information on coronavirus and actions, which includes information on teaching school hubs, reporting, record keeping, adult educational budget and capital funding. 

Vaccine Hubs - how children can get involved 

The Confederation, which is a member of Hillingdon Health and Care Partners is asking children to send their drawings of what a happier future will be from their perception. It will brighten up the vaccine hubs and they will be scanned and put on the large TV screens at the Ruislip site on a slideshow for all to see. To be included in this opportunity, please send in pictures with the pupil's name, age and school to: Ruislip Young People Centre Bury Street HA4 7SX. Please see   poster [259KB] that can be shared with all pupils. 

Spring School Census 2021 - Readiness Bulletin 2

The DfE's has confirmed the decision to proceed with the Spring Census. Please can you forward    Spring Census [18KB]  information to the relevant staff in your school. If you have any queries please contact: Steve Buckingham SBuckingham@hillingdon.gov.uk or Sree Reddy SReddy@hillingdon.gov.uk.

Full Covid-19 DfE guidance 

Please access our update on Covid-19 guidance via the attached weekly  Executive Summary [28KB] , along with full guidance and key contacts on LEAP. If you need any support from the Council please email the Education Team via education@hillingdon.gov.uk. 

Regards, 

Dan