27th September 2021

Dear Colleagues,

Please see our weekly Education Executive Summary round-up of schools' guidance update.

COVID Management

Please see Contingency Framework for full details of managing COVID. Please see below for summarised some key points to be aware of:

Threshold for support:

Mainstream schools:

• 5 children, pupils or staff who have likely to have mixed closely, test positive for COVID-19 within a 10-day period or
• 10% of children, pupils, student or staff who are likely to have mixed closely test positive for COVID-19 within a 10-day period

For special schools, residential settings, and settings that operate with 20 or fewer children, pupils, students and staff at any one time:

• 2 children, pupils, students and staff, who are likely to have mixed closely, test positive for COVID-19 within a 10-day period

Staff Positive Cases:

For all cases relating to staff, please also see the guidance for workplaces: NHS Test and Trace in the workplace.

Employers should call the Self-Isolation Service Hub on 020 3743 6715 as soon as they are made aware that any of their workers have tested positive.

If cases amongst staff mean a setting meets the threshold, described above, employers will need to provide the 8-digit NHS Test and Trace Account ID (sometimes referred to as a CTAS number) of the person who tested positive, alongside the names of co-workers identified as close contacts. This will ensure that all workplace contacts are registered with NHS Test and Trace and can receive the necessary public health advice, including the support available to help people to self-isolate. Further guidance is available here.

(Source:  See page 11 of the Education Contingency Framework:

https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/1011704/20210817_Contingency_Framework_FINAL.pdf

Advice for Schools being Targeted by Anti-Vaxxers

The Department of Health and Social Care is producing advice for circulation by the Department for Education in England in schools on handling anti-vax activity. This will be shared soon. In the meantime, headteachers and teachers are advised:

• Not to engage directly: misinformation narratives and tactics flourish when they are responded to.
• Acknowledge receipt: if a response is needed, simply acknowledge receipt of concerns.
• Reassure: acknowledge concerns for wellbeing and emphasise and refer to the latest scientific guidance on the issue. Some helpful links include:
  • The World Health Organisation's Mythbusterspage
  • The Check Before You Share Toolkit

Vaccinations - Notice of potential liability: COVID 19 Vaccinations for Children - Response to Headteachers

Please see below for advice provided by our legal team in relation to a letter that has been sent to a number of schools in West London recently relating to the vaccination rollout for 12-15 years.

I write in relation to correspondence from Lawyers from Liberty that has been circulated to some schools in the West London Area. For ease of reference, I attach a copy of their  letter [92KB]  to this email which appears to be a template letter that they have sent on mass. According to their own website,  Lawyers for Liberty is not a law firm but "a self-funded, voluntary campaign group aiming to restore democracy".  Their correspondence does not refer to any legal pre-action protocol obliging a response, it also explicitly states that "it is not a legal letter". It therefore does not appear necessary for Headmasters to respond to this correspondence. Schools should continue to have regard to all relevant government guidance in respect of keeping staff and children safe while at school. Should a school receive a letter of claim on behalf of a pupil or have any concerns about their obligations and duties relating to Covid 19 they should immediately seek independent legal advice.

Education Summer Conference: HILLINGDON - STRONGER TOGETHER 

Thank you to those Headteachers who attended our conference. It was wonderful to be able to see everyone in person and work together on our future plans. Please complete our feedback survey to help ensure our next conference builds on this one. Please respond to this survey asap.

Defibrillators in Schools

The DfE encourage schools to have a defibrillator on site.  We would like to get an up-to-date position on which schools have a device. Please can all schools complete this short survey by Monday 11^th October in order for the council to assess how many schools do / do not have a defibrillator on site.

Model Attendance Policy

Promoting good attendance is a priority for all schools and is achieved most effectively in situations where there is an emphasis on developing good relationships with pupils and a responsiveness to their needs. 

The Participation Service has developed a Model Attendance Policy for Schools based in Hillingdon. The policy seeks to ensure that all parties involved in the practicalities of school attendance are aware and informed of attendance matters in school and to outline the school's commitment to attendance.   It details the responsibilities of individuals and groups involved and the procedures in place to promotes and monitor pupil attendance. 

Many schools already have robust attendance policies in place, other schools may wish to use the model policy as a framework which includes their guidelines and processes. It is recommended that all policies are reviewed annually and published on the school website.

Model Attendance Policy

Schools Admin Network Meeting

The next Admin Network meeting will be taking place on:

Date:  13th October 2021

Time:  13:00 - 15:00 

Webinar via MS Teams 

Click here for more details and to book your place via Learning Zone 

Admin Network Meeting: Admin Network Meeting (learningpool.com) 

Please book your place to receive the Link to Join.  Any queries please email learninganddevelopment@hillingdon.gov.uk

OFSTED ISDR Bulletin Update

Ofsted have asked us to forward their inspection data summary report (IDSR) newsletter to all schools. It contains updates on the items they intend to update in November 2021. The bulletin can be accessed via the weblink below. 

Ofsted's Inspection Data Summary Report (IDSR) external newsletter (office.com)

Educational Visits 

Evolve Advice Ltd have been appointed by the London Borough of Hillingdon to offer specialist expertise, experience, and a 'no-nonsense' approach to Educational Visits and Health & Safety to Hillingdon schools.

This year's Educational Visits Coordinator (EVC) training is being offered:

Date: Tuesday 16^th November 2021

Time: 9.30 am- 12.30 pm

Part 1 - e-learning 

This is the self guided e-learning part of the course. This must be completed ahead of part two, access will be granted for this element 5 days before part 2.

Part 2 - Live Zoom (3 hours) 

This is the face to face element of the course. The zoom room will open 20 minutes before the start time to allow you time to join and check your connection before starting. If you have not completed the e-learning by this time you will not receive the invite to part 2.

Cost:

• Maintained Schools - £85.00 per person 
• Academy / Independent Schools - £135 per person

This course is aimed at new and existing EVCs outlines key considerations in planning an educational visit, updating participants with current good practice in the supervision of young people. It will also provide training in strategies used for risk management and risk assessment off-site. 

To register for this training, please use the following link.

Mandatory Exploitation Awareness training for Hillingdon DSLs

This year Hillingdon has introduced a mandatory training for all DSLs on exploitation.  This is recognising the ongoing concern regarding the exploitation of children & young people, including an increase in concerns regarding primary age children. The updated KCISE (2021) has highlighted the need for schools to be alert to the risk factors regarding different types of exploitation and youth violence and this will also be a focus from Ofsted when looking at Safeguarding in your setting. 

The training will be run by Phil Skidmore from Axis and will provide DSLs with an overview of CCE & county lines, CSE, Serious Youth Violence, gang affiliations/culture and missing episodes including current trends and themes in Hillingdon and nationally, signs & indicators for school staff to look out for and what to do. The session will also cover the role of Axis and the work they do in diverting young people away from exploitation and onto a better path highlighting the importance of schools in this area and the key to information sharing.   

The aim of the session will be to increase DSLs awareness in this area and to support DSLs to disseminate this information to all school staff (additional resources will be shared to support in this). 

The first sessions will be on;  

• Tuesday 28^th September 10am -11am (Via MS Teams) - Focus for Secondary Settings  
• Friday 8^th October 10am -11am (Via MS Teams) - Focus for Primary Settings.  
• Tuesday 2^nd November 2pm-3pm (Via MS Teams) - Focus for Secondary Settings 

Session are free of charge.

As the training is mandatory we are asking that all Hillingdon DSLs attend as a minimum (also open to DDSL's/headteachers/pastoral staff).  

Please could you email Hannah Ives, hives@hillingdon.gov.uk to let her know which training you will be attending and a link will then be sent out to you prior to the sessions.

Operation Makepeace

I would like to take this opportunity to make you all aware, if you are not already, of Operation MAKEPEACE which is the MET's Firearms Command's youth engagement project and can be booked for Schools, PRU's or even a youth group.

Makepeace is the work frontline firearms officers carry out with young people on the consequences of youth violence.

The Met's Specialist Firearms Command, SCO19, designed Makepeace specifically for those aged 11 and above growing up in London. Makepeace sessions take place in schools, pupil referral units or youth groups - they provide an opportunity to build trust between young people and police officers while discussing the issue of youth violence.

The sessions are interactive and non-judgemental - they tackle difficult and emotive subject matter openly and honestly, and officers answer any questions young people have, however challenging.

All our officers have a background in youth work, combined with unique experience as the first responders to armed incidents in London - from terrorism to gang violence.

The sessions cover:

• the causes and consequences of youth violence
• a discussion of real-life case studies
• footage from live incidents
• basic first aid
• how young people can help to stop the violence
• the work of SCO19 in London

Schools can make a booking directly by following this link https://www.met.police.uk/makepeace

Chris Price from SC&019 Specialist Firearms Command provides a brief rundown of the Makepeace presentation.

• It takes around 45 minutes, although more time allows for more Q&As. Ideally an hour.
• Based around a Power Point presentation, suitable for all key stage 3 and 4, it is deliberately hard hitting.
• Opens with a brief explanation of policing in the UK, and armed policing within that. Explanation of "policing by consent".
• Discussion about how many shootings BY police there are in recent years to gauge understanding, often there is a vast overestimate due to media/social media misinformation.
• Talk on grooming, gang crime and who is really benefiting from young people and crime.
• Discussion about "snaking, snitching, grassing" etc., and doing the right thing, personal responsibility.
• Brief look at UK terrorism.
• Impactive section on knife and gun crime, highlighting the fact that young people are massively over represented as both victims and perpetrators of violent crime in London.
• Knife attack first aid.
• Discussion on self-defence and understanding that carrying a knife is illegal and makes you more likely to be a victim of crime.
• Q&A session with nothing off the table, open and honest answers from police officers.
• We can tailor it to specific issues in the school or current events.

We have spoken to 10s of thousands of young Londoner, even this year with lockdowns etc. we have managed to speak to over 5000, we have developed our online capability using Teams for situations when we can't meet face to face.

For any questions or more information please reach out to Chris Price:

Christopher.Price@met.police.uk

Brilliant Parents Support

I want to inform you of the Hillingdon Brilliant Parents' programme to support Hillingdon parents/carers via our Parent Champion network.

This programme has run successfully providing parenting support since the beginning of this year and we are now looking for an additional 20 families who meet the following criteria:

Hillingdon parents/carers to children aged 11-17 years who may be facing any of the following challenges;

Persistent disruptive behaviour at school.

• Alienation from the family whilst at home or outdoors.
• Inappropriate use of social media or online technology.
• Vulnerable due to additional needs.
• Involved in substance misuse; or
• Suffering with social, emotional and mental health issues.

The family will need to commit to working one-2-one with their Parent Champion over an eight-week period. Please see attached  flyer [809KB] for more information.

If you do have any families, please use the following link to refer your clients and tick the 'Hillingdon Parent Champion' option within the Local Authority category:

https://www.brilliantparents.org/brilliant-parents-client-referral/

We look forward to hearing from you.

Christmas Card Design Competition

We're looking for festive pictures related to Hillingdon for our annual competition where one winning entry will feature on the council's corporate Christmas card. 

The competition is now open, and we need your help to encourage both our younger residents and their parents to enter the competition. 

All you need to do is submit a festive image related to the borough. The winning entry will be selected by the Leader of the Council, Cllr Ian Edwards. 

How to enter the competition

• Supply your image as either a jpeg or pdf attachment. 

• Portrait or landscape format is acceptable, but it must be high resolution (at least 300dpi and 216mm by 154mm in size) 
• Only one entry per person is permitted.

Please remember to consider how your design will look when scanned, as glitter and some other collage materials can lose their effect. 

Email your entry to corporatecommunications@hillingdon.gov.uk by 5pm on Friday 29 October 2021. 

For more information, visit www.hillingdon.gov.uk/christmas-card

Music Deep Dive Webinar 

Hillingdon Music Hub is hosting an Ofsted Music Deep Dive webinar on Monday 11th October 2021, 4pm-5.30pm on Zoom.  Cost £30 per person.  Run by Wiltshire Music Connect, the webinar will be led by an ex-head teacher and a Primary Music Specialist and will include what to expect from a deep dive, what an Ofsted inspector is looking for, advice on planning, progression and resources.  

Limited tickets available from Hillingdon Theatres box office at this link:

https://mpv.tickets.com/schedule/?agency=HIMS_MPV&orgid=54332#/?event=webinar&view=list&includePackages=false

Music Hub Classroom Voice and Speaking CPD 

Hillingdon Music Hub is hosting Voice and Speaking CPD for classroom teachers on Thursday 14th October 2021, 5pm-7pm at the Compass Theatre Ickenham.  Cost is Free.  Run by BAPAM (British Association of Performing Arts Medicine), this session will center around healthy use of voice for classroom teachers, and will deal with speaking in classroom settings and voice care. Places are limited so teachers can sign up using the form below, and will be placed on a waiting list. They will then be emailed if they receive a place. Priority will be given to music leads but all teachers are welcome to come if there are places. 

https://forms.office.com/r/i0c8dk90nA

LA Schools' Governance Service Event - All Governors 

• Tuesday 5th October 2021 
• 5pm to 7pm 
•  Virtual Session - please see Agenda for link to join meeting

LA Schools' Governance Event Agenda [72KB]

We look forward to seeing as many governors as possible there to hear an update from a variety of Local Authority Services.

Head Teachers Termly 

• Thursday 11^th November 2021 
• 2 pm to 4 pm 
• Virtual session - Agenda and link to be shared shortly

​​​​​​Free Governor Briefing Sessions 2021/22 brochure 

Following on from the success of last year's governor briefing sessions the LA Schools' Governance Service have created a brochure for the 2021/22. 

There are 13 different sessions for key service areas and will allow governors to gain a better understanding of the processes and the responsibility of the schools. 

To view the brochure and to book your place onto any of these sessions please click here or see the brochure  here [305KB]. 

SEND and Inclusion Training 

The SEND and Inclusion Service are excited to share with you our 2021-22 training offer. There are a range of universal and targeted training sessions available to sign up to within the brochure here.   Please Register your interest for targeted training by Friday 22^nd October 2022. 

Votes for Schools; Raising The Pupil Voice

Each week Votes for Schools creates resources for teachers or youth leaders to hold a debate or discussion on a topical issue. The children and teenagers then have a chance to vote and comment on the topic. They then share that information with those in authority - hugely raising the profile and impact of pupil voice.

Votes for Schools typically receives around 30,000 votes each week. Examples of resources can be found here, and of data reports here.

 In the run up to the United Nations conference on climate change in Glasgow this November, COP26, they are working with a range of partner organisations including UNICEF UK to explore with children climate change and its effect on their rights.  There will be a FREE package of resources to facilitate a debate at Primary, Secondary and post-16, and the chance for children and young people to vote and comment on the question: 

'Will climate change affect children's rights?'

We aim to get 100,000 children's voices heard

Sign up here to get your children and young people involved.