13 July 2026

All Schools and Setting

Action Required: DSL Contact Details Update

It is essential that we hold up-to-date contact information for all Designated Safeguarding Leads (DSLs) and Deputy Designated Safeguarding Leads (DDSLs). 

Please complete this form:DSL/DDSL Contact Details 2026/27 - Fill in form by the end of this term to ensure we have current email addresses on record for the new academic year. Important safeguarding correspondence, updates, and communications are sent directly to DSLs, so having accurate contact information is crucial.

DSL Cluster Meetings 2026/27 - Save the Dates

We now have the dates confirmed for the DSL Cluster Meetings for the next academic year. Please ensure these are booked into your calendar: 

 30 September 2026 | 1:00pm - 3:00pm | In person at the Civic Centre 

This session will include: 

  • A presentation from Dan Allchurch from Talk Consent

  • A workshop on Making Referrals to Stronger Families, focusing on the key information required when completing referral forms. This session will be led by Indeep Sethi and Grace McKenzie from the Stronger Families Team

27 January 2027 | 1:00pm - 3:00pm | Online (link to join will be shared with you) 

30 June 2027 | 1:00pm - 3:00pm | Online (link to join will be shared with you) 

Please make sure these sessions are booked into your calendar. 

If you have any safeguarding questions or queries, please contact Amandeep Tamber, Education Safeguarding and Wellbeing Officer at educationalwellbeing@hillingdon.gov.uk.

Safeguarding Partnership Newsletter

Please find link to the July 2026 Newsletter which includes information on:

  • Summer safeguarding messages for professionals and Severe Weather Emergency Protocol (SWEP) 
  • Reviewing Transitional Safeguarding Week 2026 
  • Home Fire Safety Checker 
  • What's new in Hillingdon: New Hillingdon Domestic Abuse protocol, Walking in Our Shoes expanded training 
  • Upcoming training: Late July, August & September 2026 
  • What's coming up: ICON week, NSPCC PANTS week, Professional Curiosity and Cultural Competency events 

School Organisation Plan (SOP) 2026-27

The School Organisation Plan has recently been updated to reflect the latest pupil census data, School Capacity Survey (SCAP) returns, and demographic forecasts.  

 Please see: School Organisation Plan - Leap 

These updates help ensure that school place planning continues to meet the needs of local communities and supports the effective use of education provision across Hillingdon. If you have any queries regarding SOP please contact schoolplaceplanning@hillingdon.gov.uk.

Supporting Service Children

Please see the July Newsletter 2026 from the Stronger Schools Officers for Service Children, which includes details about the SCiP Alliance Listening Tour, funding opportunities and our new contact details for parents and families.  

Festival of Friends Project 2026/27:

All Hillingdon schools are invited to take part in a free 'Festival of Friends' collaborative project designed to strengthen support for children from Armed Forces families while contributing to school improvement.   

We are delighted to be taking part alongside schools across Berkshire and Surrey and working in partnership with Brunel University. Open to all schools with service pupils, including those with only a small number on roll, the project offers professional learning, peer support and pupil voice events. Participating schools will work alongside colleagues from across the region and celebrate their achievements at a special festival event in summer 2027.   

Read the full invitation and find out how to get involved here:

Language Link Key Headlines from 2025-26

Thank you to all schools who engaged with Language Link during 2025-26.

Across Hillingdon: 

  • approximately 75 primary schools engaged with Language Link assessment and screening activity
  • approximately 7 secondary schools engaged with Language Link assessment and screening activity
  • 7,477 assessments were completed across Reception to Year 9 

This year's data continues to show that speech, language and communication needs are an important consideration across all phases of education. 

Hillingdon's Language Link data also suggests that a higher proportion of pupils are being identified as requiring support when compared with national Red and Amber outcomes: 

  • Infant: Hillingdon 36.0% / National 26.3%
  • Junior: Hillingdon 35.7% / National 29.2%
  • Secondary: Hillingdon 21.4% / National 20.2% 

The data reinforces the value of universal screening at Reception, Year 3 and Year 7, while also highlighting the importance of continuing to monitor language development between these points. 

As we move into 2026-27, our shared focus is not only on identifying need, but on ensuring assessment information is used to inform intervention, classroom practice, APDR cycles and Ordinarily Available Provision. 

The upcoming Language Link webinars provide a useful opportunity for schools to refresh their knowledge, support new staff and strengthen implementation across the year. 

  • Using Infant & Junior Language Link - Tuesday 22 September 2026 at 9.30 - 10.45 am. This session may be particularly useful for primary colleagues who are new to Language Link, would benefit from a refresher, or are planning how to strengthen use of assessment and intervention during 2026-27. 
  • Using Secondary Language Link - Thursday 24 September 2026 at 9.30 - 10.45 am. The aim of this 1 hour 15 minute session is to provide an overview of the Secondary Language Link package, highlight key features and resources and answer user questions. This session may be particularly useful for secondary colleagues planning Year 7 screening, transition work, SEND pathway screening or targeted identification linked to existing school data. 
  • Using Language Link in Special Schools and Alternative Provisions - Tuesday 13 October 2026 at 10.30 - 11.30am. The aim of this 1 hour session is to provide an overview of the Language Link packages, support colleagues working in special schools and alternative provisions to get the most out of the packages, highlight key features and resources and answer user questions 

Language Link are also running short webinars to share new features coming to Speech Link, Infant Language Link, Junior Language Link and Secondary Language Link this September. 

There are three dates available:

  • Monday 14 September 2026, 2.45 - 3.15pm 
  • Wednesday 16 September 2026, 12.30 - 1.00pm 
  • Friday 18 September 2026, 9.15 - 9.45am 

All booking links are available via the Language Link bulletin board. Colleagues are encouraged to register even if they are unable to attend live, as registration will allow access to the session on demand afterwards. We would encourage schools to consider which colleagues would benefit from attending, particularly where Language Link is being used to support whole-school approaches to SLCN, intervention planning, transition, APDR processes and inclusive classroom practice. 

Thank you for your continued engagement with Language Link and for your ongoing commitment to supporting children and young people with speech, language and communication needs across Hillingdon. 

Please contact Heather Casey at HCasey@hillingdon.gov.uk if you have any further queries.

Ordinary Available Provision (OAP) Training and Traded Workshop Offer

As part of Hillingdon's ongoing work to support the implementation of Ordinary Available Provision OAP and inclusive practice across education settings, we are pleased to share the Universal OAP training dates for education staff for the 2026-2027 academic year. 

These free borough-wide sessions are designed to support staff to develop a shared understanding of OAP, including how it links to inclusive practice, reasonable adjustments, adaptive teaching and the graduated response. 

Universal OAP training dates for education staff: Course: Ordinary Available Provision (OAP) Workshop - Education Staff 0 - 25 

  • Monday 9 November 2026, 1 - 4pm, Civic Centre CR5 
  • Tuesday 20 April 2027, 9am - 12 pm, Civic Centre CR6 

These sessions are suitable for SENCOs, teachers, practitioners, tutors, support staff and leaders working with children and young people aged 0-25. 

Alongside the Universal training offer, settings can also commission a bespoke in-setting OAP workshop through the traded offer. This may be useful where a setting would like OAP training delivered to a whole staff group, adapted to their context, or linked to current priorities such as inclusive practice, adaptive teaching, reasonable adjustments, APDR or evidencing ordinarily available provision. 

Traded OAP in-setting workshop - £250 for a 3-hour session 

The traded workshop can include: 

  • a brief discussion beforehand to understand the setting context and priorities
  • a tailored 3-hour OAP workshop for staff
  • practical examples linked to everyday classroom or setting practice
  • reflection prompts and supporting resources
  • next-step recommendations to support implementation 

Feedback from previous OAP sessions has been positive, with settings valuing the practical examples, opportunities for reflection, and support to develop a clearer shared understanding of what should be ordinarily available as part of everyday inclusive practice. 

Please note that targeted OAP support through the SEND Advisory Service will focus on coaching, modelling and implementation support. Bespoke or whole-staff OAP training is available through the traded offer. 

We are also exploring whether there would be interest in a dedicated summer OAP session for ECTs and trainee teachers. 

Proposed ECT / trainee teacher session: 
Thursday 1st July 2027, 9am - 12 pm, Civic Centre CR6 

If your setting would be interested in sending ECTs, trainee teachers or staff new to role to this session, or if you would like to discuss the workshops further, please email Heather Casey so that we can consider uptake and plan accordingly at hcasey@hillingdon.gov.uk. 

Free DfE-Funded E-Learning: Inclusion Bases Guidance

We would like to draw your attention to a new free e-learning programme on Inclusion Bases, developed by the Council for Disabled Children (CDC) through the Research and Improvement for SEND Excellence (RISE) programme and funded by the DfE. This training has been released alongside the recently published DfE guidance on inclusion bases in schools. 

The training is designed to help schools, trusts and local authorities develop a shared understanding of what high-quality inclusion base provision looks like and how inclusion bases can support children and young people to access the right support in the right place at the right time. 

Who should complete the training? Headteachers and Senior Leaders, SENCOs, Teachers and support staff, Trust leaders, Colleagues involved in developing or delivering SEND provision.

Learning outcomes include: 

  • Identifying examples of high-quality practice in the establishment and delivery of inclusion bases. 
  • Understanding strategies that support high-quality inclusive practice. 
  • Exploring expectations of schools, trusts and local authorities in relation to inclusion base provision. 

This training is particularly timely given the publication of the new DfE guidance, which sets out principles of effective practice for inclusion bases and supports schools and local authorities to develop and strengthen inclusive provision. You can access the e-learning here: Inclusion Bases Guidance E-Learning 

We would encourage all schools to make use of this valuable resource.

Free School Meal Changes from September 2026

From September 2026, the DfE requires all schools to carry out annual FSM eligibility checks for: 

  • Pupils who are already registered for Free School Meals (FSM) 
  • All new FSM applications submitted by parents or carers 

This represents a significant change from the previous Ever 6 FSM arrangements. Transitional protection will no longer apply, meaning eligibility must be confirmed through the annual checking process. 

Following these checks: 

  • Pupils confirmed as eligible for Targeted FSM will attract Pupil Premium (PP) funding for the school. 
  • Pupils confirmed as eligible for Expanded FSM will be entitled to receive a free school meal. 

Schools should ensure that eligibility checks are completed annually to ensure pupils receive the correct entitlement and that schools receive the appropriate funding. 

Please see: Free school meals: guidance for schools and local authorities - GOV.UK..