11th July 2022

Dear Colleagues,

Have Your Say on the New Four-Year Council Strategy

The Council is inviting comments on its draft strategy, vision and priorities for the next four years which outline its ongoing commitment to putting residents first.  The council's vision remains putting residents first and the ambition statement for residents is that Hillingdon is a safe, inclusive, more digital borough with a strong economy. 

Have your say on the new four-year council strategy - Hillingdon Council

School Admission Appeals Panel  

As the admission authority for community schools within Hillingdon, we are currently contacting Headteachers and Governors in the Borough in an attempt to recruit new members for our School Admission Appeals Panel. Each year, as school places are confirmed, a number of appeals are received from parents/guardians who wish to appeal against a decision not to admit a child to their preferred school; these appeals are subsequently considered and determined at a School Admission Appeals Hearing held at the Civic Centre in Uxbridge.  

To hold a School Admission Appeals Hearing, we require 3 members to sit on our Appeals Panel. Each Panel must comprise at least one member from each of the following categories:  

Lay members - those without personal experience in the management of or provision of education in any school (a lay member can also be someone who is, or has been, a school governor or someone who has worked or works in a school as a volunteer). 

Experienced members - those with experience in education; this includes teachers / teaching assistants, ex-teachers / ex-teaching assistants, individuals acquainted with educational conditions, or parents of a registered pupil at a different school.  

We are asking if you could kindly circulate the application form below to anyone fitting the above criteria who may express an interest; for further information they can email educationappeals@hillingdon.gov.uk or phone Democratic Services on 01895 250636.  

Application form (Word doc) [55KB]

Full initial training will be provided with refresher training at regular intervals (currently every two years) to ensure everyone is kept up to date with changes to admissions law and the codes. 

Members can choose to serve on a panel as few or as many times as they wish throughout the year. We maintain a database of trained members and will make contact when organising an appeal to check availability.  

Some of our panel members undertake extra training in order to sit on panels for Exclusion Independent Review Panels (IRP), which are rare in the London Borough of Hillingdon. If you would like to be trained and considered for an IRP panel, let us know by completing the application form.  

Democratic Services 

Open Evenings for Secondary Transfer  

Please click here for the 2022 Open Evening dates received from HASH.

Household Support Grant - Summer Holiday Meal Vouchers 

As part of the Household Support Grant Scheme, Hillingdon will be providing Edenred food vouchers to all children entitled to benefit related free school meals during the summer holiday period. Parents will receive two payments to cover the six weeks holiday, the first payment will be sent week ending 22^nd July and a second payment week ending 12^th August. 

Further information is available on our website  Household Support Fund - Hillingdon Council

Opportunities for Children and Young People this Summer - Please share with parents/guardians 

FIESTA 2022:

FIESTA is one of the summer holidays programmes being delivered from 25^th July to 26^th August 2022 and is offered to children and young people in school years 1 to 12. 

FIESTA delivers from various locations across the Borough including the Young Peoples Centres in Ruislip, South Ruislip, Harlington and Uxbridge, and from local sports facilities and community venues including the Compass Theatre, This year's offer includes Summer Fun and Big Summer multi-activity programmes, Musical theatre for young people with disabilities and support needs, cricket, netball, tennis, First Aid, plus much more. There really is something for everyone. 

Bookings are now open! You can book via the web on Summer Activity Programme 2022. - Hillingdon Council. There are 3 different types of tickets that can be booked ; 1. resident tickets - if you live or are educated in Hillingdon, 2.non-resident tickets - if you live outside the borough and do not attend a Hillingdon school or 3. HAF tickets - for children and young people who are on free school meals who families are in receipt of benefits (theses families would have already received an email on how to book.  If you feel that you are eligible for HAF and not received an email, please contact HAFprogramme@hillingdon.gov.uk).

For further details please contact FIESTA@hillingdon.gov.uk

Holiday Activities and Food Programme (HAF) 2022:

School holidays can be pressure points for some families because of increased costs (such as food and childcare) and reduced incomes. For some children, this can lead to a holiday experience gap, with children from disadvantaged families being less likely to access organised out-of-school activities and more likely to experience 'unhealthy holidays' in terms of nutrition, physical health and social isolation. 

The HAF programme, funded by the Department for Education, is a response to this issue and offers children the chance to participate in free holiday provision, including healthy food and enriching activities coordinated by the local authority. 

Our HAF programme is open to school-aged children (reception to year 11) who receive benefits-related free school meals.  Through our programme of healthy food and fun activities, children and young people can develop new skills, take part in creative and physical activities, learn about food and cooking, and enjoy free nutritious meals each day.

This summer our HAF programme in Hillingdon will be offering eligible children the chance to participate in up to four weeks of free activities - maximum of 4 days per week/16 across the summer.  We have over 5000 places on weeklong programmes being delivered across the Borough, working with over 20 different providers. Activities include sports programmes, life skills, creative arts, outdoor adventure activities and multi-activity summer camps.

Programmes are delivered across the whole borough utilising schools, leisure centres, outdoor spaces and other community venues to bring the activities to the local communities of eligible children. 

For further information please see Information for parents - Hillingdon Council 

Post 16 Options & Ideas Event - Secondaries, please share with Year 11 parents/guardians

We will be running two face to face events on 14th and 21st July at the Boundary House, Cricket Field Road, Uxbridge, UB8 1QG (just behind the Civic Centre) from 2 pm to 4 pm. 

This is an opportunity for students who are Not in Education, Employment or Training (NEET) or at risk of becoming NEET to meet and talk to providers about their next steps in education, employment, or training. Parents and guardians are invited to attend alongside the young person.  

Please circulate to those who you think may be interested in attending (in particular those students who may not have destinations for September).  

Please contact dhughes@hillingdon.gov.uk if you have any questions.  

Educational Psychology Service Traded Offer

We are planning the service for 2022-2023.  Please sign up here to indicate your preferences at the earliest opportunity so we can ensure that your needs can be met.  

Educational Psychology Service 

Hillingdon EPS Traded Offer 2022-2023 (PDF) [110KB] 

Disney 10 Minute Shake Up

A message from Better Health School Zone:

Summer is fast approaching and we want to ensure your pupils have the opportunity to bring the 10 Minute Shake Up fun home to their families!

We sent a free class set of take-home Shake Up games packs to your school via the School Fruit and Vegetable Scheme. Need more?  You can send all of your pupils home with a pack by simply ordering more for free via email: schoolzone@prolog.co.uk or call: 0300 123 1002.

London Marathon Events 

TCS Mini London Marathon in Schools  

For the first time ever, there will be a one-mile and 2.6km event for children the day before the world-famous TCS London Marathon. It's a chance for your children to run, jog, walk or wheel by Buckingham Palace and cross the very same Finish Line as the world's best athletes. All abilities and ages can take part, from Reception through to Year 12. You'll be able to pick the distance that suits your pupils the best when you register. 

And that's not all... every child who finishes will receive a special TCS Mini London Marathon medal AND your school will receive £10 per finisher to spend on PE or IT equipment.  To find out further info and to enter, visit: TCS Mini London Marathon - TCS London Marathon 

If schools are not able to make the event in person on 1 October, there is still of course the 2022 TCS Mini London Marathon in Schools Challenge: Mini London Marathon in schools - TCS London Marathon. The challenge is for children to run, jog, walk or wheel 2.6 miles in their school between Monday 26 September and Friday 21 October. 

Any school can take part and it's suitable for all ages and abilities. There's lots of resources on the website to help make the event a success and every finisher receives a commemorative pin badge completely free of charge.  

Find out more and sign up here: https://www.tcslondonmarathon.com/the-event/tcs-mini-london-marathon-in-schools 

2022 TCS Mini London Marathon in schools flyer (PDF) [138KB]

Free £!0 for 2022 TCS Mini London Marathon (PDF) [82KB]

The Daily Mile 

Sign up and join in with The Daily Mile for a Commonwealth Challenge Badge here.  In the meantime, you may / may not have seen this, which might help with any Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games engagement: The Daily Mile Athletics & Para-Athletics Commonwealth Challenge Badges | The Daily Mile UK

MyHealth Asthma Workshops - please share with parents/guardians 

MyHealth are running FREE Asthma workshops for parents who have children with Asthma. These sessions are run by the Hillingdon Hospital asthma nurses giving you the chance to learn from health professionals and to ask them questions directly.  Some of the content included in these sessions is Asthma attacks, Asthma triggers, inhaler techniques and Asthma action plans. 

The workshop is run online using ZOOM from 4pm - 5pm you can register your FREE place from this link .

You can also contact the MyHealth team on tel: 01895 543 437 or nhsnwlccg.myhealth@nhs.net 

Asthma Workshops (PDF) [185KB]