14 September 2026

Dear Colleagues, 

This bulletin is intended for all educational settings supporting children in Hillingdon, including maintained schools, academies and independents. 

We would be grateful if you could share this briefing with relevant leads within your setting or with team members who may have an interest in the content, so they can follow up on the opportunities outlined. 

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 Health Care Needs Assessment Panel sign up can be found here 
• 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
• Schools' Forum meeting papers can be accessed here. If anyone would like to attend meetings, they are welcome to do so.  

All Schools & Settings:

Help Shape Hillingdon’s SEND Reforms 

Following our recent SEND Reform and Inclusion Development session, we are inviting school leaders and practitioners to join two exciting working groups that will help shape Hillingdon's future approach to inclusion. The groups will support the development of the Experts at Hand model and future Capital Inclusion projects, ensuring schools play a central role in designing support and provision across the borough.  

Experts at Hand Working Group:

• Help design Hillingdon's locality-based support model 

• Shape access to specialist expertise and inclusive practice 

• Contribute to referral pathways, support offers and future implementation 

Capital Inclusion Working Group:

• Review proposals for support bases and sensory room funding 

• Help ensure investment strengthens local SEND capacity 

• Inform the future development of specialist and inclusive provision 

We welcome expressions of interest from SENCos, senior leaders and headteachers. This is a valuable opportunity to influence SEND support and inclusion across Hillingdon. 

Please register your interest here: SEND Reforms Working Group Expression of Interest 

Family First Partnership Reforms Webinar Available Now 

Schools are encouraged to watch the Family First Partnership (FFP) Reforms webinar, now available on the Hillingdon Safeguarding Partnership website. 

The webinar provides an overview of the upcoming reforms and what they mean for agencies working with children, young people and families. It is a valuable resource for practitioners looking to understand the changes and how they will impact local practice. 

You can access the webinar here: https://hillingdonsafeguardingpartnership.org.uk/professionals/webinars/ 

Please take the opportunity to share the link with colleagues who may find it useful. 

Religious Education - please share with your RE lead 

The latest Hillingdon SACRE Newsletter contains important information about the new Hillingdon Agreed Syllabus, including guidance on curriculum planning, implementation expectations and access to the new Subject Leaders' Toolkit. The syllabus is expected to be implemented by September 2027 and will be a key focus for RE curriculum development across schools.  

The newsletter also includes details of the upcoming RE Subject Leaders' Professional Learning Network meeting and materials for Interfaith Week 2026. 

Please ensure this newsletter is shared with your RE Lead and any colleagues responsible for Religious Education so they can access these important updates and support materials.

Supporting Service Children 

Please see the September newsletter from the Stronger Schools Officers for Service Children, which includes details about September's free online CPD session with Dr Lucy Robinson, the SCiP Alliance Listening Tour, information for parent newsletters and our contact details for parents and families. 

You can also see the updated toolkit for schools with new, more accessible resources. 

Festival of Friends Project 2026/27 - Join by 25 September 

All Hillingdon schools with service pupils are invited to take part in the free Festival of Friends collaborative project, including schools with only a small number of service children on roll.  

Working alongside schools across Berkshire and Surrey, and in partnership with Brunel University, the project offers a unique opportunity to strengthen support for service pupils through accessing professional learning, networking opportunities, peer collaboration, pupil voice activities and a chance to celebrate achievements at a regional Festival of Friends event in Summer 2027. 

Importantly, taking part does not require a significant commitment or additional workload. Schools are encouraged to implement one small action that supports service children, something many schools may already be doing. Whether it is raising awareness of service children among staff or enhancing communication with families, every action can make a meaningful difference. 

Please read the full invitation and acceptance form. Completed acceptance forms should be returned to Matt Blyton (mattblytoneducation@outlook.com) by 25th September. 

Jack and the Beanstalk – Christmas Panto at the Compass Theatre 

The December 2026 pantomime Jack and the Beanstalk at the Compass Theatre, Ickenham is now taking provisional school reservations!  

The schools' show tickets will remain at £11.00 each this year, inc VAT. Bookings minimum 20 tickets and for every 10 tickets your school pays for, we will include a free 'teachers' ticket. The maximum possible number of tickets available at each performance is 150 (137 paid + 13 free teachers). We have two wheelchair accessible spaces available for booking, contact us for further information. 

Once reservations have been confirmed, we will require payment or cancellation before the end of September 2026 via the box office (card payments). 

Dates, times and more info can be found here. 

If you'd like a provisional reservation, please let us know by emailing the Hillingdon Theatres Box Office (boxoffice@hillingdon.gov.uk). 

Please share with parents/carers: 

Battle of Britain 86: The 15 Nations 

On Saturday 19 September, the Battle of Britain Bunker will be commemorating 86 years since the Battle of Britain and this year our theme is The 15 Nations.  

We welcome families to join us as we explore the remarkable stories of the countries that came to Britain’s aid during its ‘finest hour’. This includes: 

• Meet living history interpreters and take part in live theatre courtesy of Freshwater Theatre  

• Take part in family craft activities designed to encourage personal identity and connections  

• Learn about the role of the historic Operations Room through guided tours 

• Enjoy live music and community performances throughout the day 

• Under 16s go free.  

More information can be found here BATTLE OF BRITAIN 86 | Battle of Britain Bunker 

Please share with parents/carers 

Flu Vaccination 

Please see attached material from Vaccination UK regarding the school based flu vaccination programme. 

Primary Poster

Secondary Poster

Porcine Free Poster

Primary Schools:

AfA Programme - Developing Confident Writers: A Whole-School Approach to Raising Outcomes 

Following the success of last year's programme, Achievement for All is offering a second fully funded whole-school writing development programme, led by LA Lead Moderators Joanne Head and Natalie Anwar. 

Designed for KS1 and KS2 teachers, the programme consists of six training sessions that support schools in developing a consistent, evidence-informed approach to writing. Schools new to the programme are welcome to apply. 

Participants will benefit from: 

✅ Fully funded professional development  
✅ Delivered by experienced LA Lead Writing Moderators  
✅ Practical, evidence-informed strategies for KS1 and KS2  
✅ Whole-school approach with sustainable impact  
✅ Opportunity to improve writing outcomes and close attainment gaps 

Dates (1.00pm to 3.30pm, Civic Centre): 

• Autumn 2026: 22 October, 26 November 

• Spring 2027: 4 February, 18 March 

• Summer 2027: 22 April, 27 May 

Register here. Places are limited and fully funded, so early registration is encouraged. 

Child Healthy Lifestyle Programme Offer 

Helping children to achieve a healthy weight aligns to the LA’s Education Strategy priorities. 

Hillingdon Council have commissioned a children’s lifestyle programme, which is free to access and delivered by the Council’s leisure provider, GLL (Better). 

Primary schools can access the following free of charge, delivered by GLL staff: 

A Whole school assembly/challenge combined with workshops for year 5 

• Fun and engaging assembly for the whole school which is a little taster of what children will experience if they attend Xplore.    

• 4 weekly workshop sessions, each 1 hour  

In addition, there is an opportunity to host an after school-based family programme. The Xplore healthy lifestyle programme runs over 8 weeks for children and one adult.  

• The chance to take part in fun games, sports and activities  

• Learn about nutrition in a fun way 

(completers will receive a £20 pre-loaded membership card to use at any Better centre in Hillingdon)  

Schools will need to 

• Provide a space after school 4-6pm for the Xplore programme. This needs to be classroom and an additional space where children can be active. This is needed for the 8-week period. 

• Promote the Xplore programme to parents through your existing communication channels and encourage sign up through the self -referral portal. In addition, we know speaking with parents directly where there is an existing relationship is beneficial. 

For more information, please contact jaiman.pattni@gll.org

Secondary Schools:

Young Mental Health Champions 

Could your students become Hillingdon’s next Young Mental Health Champions? Fully funded places are available for eight secondary schools. 

Hillingdon Public Health is inviting secondary schools to take part in the fully funded Young Mental Health Champions programme, delivered by Brighter Futures Together and Together As One. 

Students in Years 8–10 will gain two recognised qualifications, develop leadership skills and help promote positive mental health and trusted support among their peers. 

Places are limited to eight Hillingdon secondary schools.  Please see the attached information sheet and complete the short form to register your school’s interest or attend the online information session on Wednesday 30 September, 4 - 4.45 pm.  

“The Youth Health Champions programme enabled an opportunity to both our student participants and the wider school community, with real results and legacy outcomes. The course support enabled and empowered our students for real action with real change across the school. The course also inspired our students to be more aspirational and showcased that their hard work had paid off to a level 2 qualification in year 9. This potential for all alongside the legacy value added for the school has been priceless.” Headteacher, Harlington School. 

Further information can be found here.