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Good morning colleagues
Welcome back after the Easter break. I hope that you all had a good rest and that the Summer term has started smoothly.
Please find this week's update below.
As always, copies of this update are now archived here on the Shropshire Learning Gateway where there's also a link to add other email addresses to the distribution list.
Have a good day,
Best wishes,
John
John Rowe
Head of Education Quality and Safeguarding
john.rowe@shropshire.gov.uk
I'd like to highlight some key meetings taking place this term
Summer Term Headteacher briefings - Joining links here
Primary - Tuesday 10th and Wednesday 11th June at 1.30pm
Secondary - Thursday 12th June at 1.30pm
Maintained Schools Forum - Joining link here
All headteachers of maintained schools are invited to attend the Maintained Schools Forum on 8th May at 9.30am.
SEND and Inclusion Network Meetings
SENCOs and leaders are encouraged to book on the forthcoming SEND and Inclusion Network meetings on 6th, 7th and 8th May (see CPD section below)
Please see attached our local agreement for KS2 moderation. Please could forms be signed and returned to Beth.Parry-Jones@shropshire.gov.uk by Friday 9th May 2025. Many thanks.
This summer we will be asking schools to submit their EYFSP to us at the Local Authority by Monday 30th June 2025 and Yr1 and Yr2 (recheck) Phonics (this includes year 2 pupils who did not meet the expected standard for phonics decoding or were absent or disapplied from the check in June 2024) by Friday 27th June 2025. The submission of KS1 data is no longer statutory.
Where possible, we would welcome early receipt of your data from Thursday 19th June 2025. This is to ensure we have sufficient time, before schools break for the summer holidays, to process all the information before submission to DfE.
KS2 teacher assessment data, needs to be submitted direct to the STA via the Primary Assessment Gateway website by no later than Friday 27th June 2025.
Please note – we have seen from previous years that DfE websites often experience performance issues during the deadline day for KS2 teacher assessment submissions due to the volume of activity on this day. It is recommended, where possible, that schools do not leave it until the last minute to make their submissions so there is scope to overcome any problems encountered.
Multiplication Tables Check (MTS) administration window is from Monday 2nd to Friday 13th June 2025 and will be accessible via DfE Sign-in.
I hope this is helpful and as always we appreciate your support and cooperation during this busy period.
Further guidance on submission arrangements will be circulated nearer the time.
Please find attached information / guidance for you all with reference to School Educational Visits and Offsite trips.
It has come to my attention that there may be a number of schools who may not be familiar with the protocols and arrangements necessary to organise Educational Visits and Offsite trips.
It would appear that shortcuts are being implemented that potentially could put individuals in the firing line of legal liability in worse case scenarios.
The jailing of a Paddle board company boss last week in Wales (ten and a half years prison term) should be a wakeup call to all those involved in schools who organise such activities.
This includes teachers who take on the responsibility for running the trips and also to those staff within schools who have the responsibility of signing off these trips that can also involve High Risk activities.
Please ask yourselves -
- Does your school have an up to date Educational Visits and Offsite Policy, that is available and easy to access by staff?
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Do those signing off such trips have the necessary experience and knowledge to do so? (knowledge of running Educational / Residential trips and a technical understanding of the activities being provided to your students, or access to advice from someone who does)?
If you are uncertain about the current situation within your establishment or wish to discuss further, regardless of if you have an SLA with the Local Authority or not, then I can be contacted on the phone number/email below. Please read the attachment provided that gives additional information on the running of Educational and Offsite trips that gives additional guidance and hopefully provide peace of mind!
Dave Thorley
Outdoor Education Advisor
Learning and Skills
Telephone: 01743 254485
Email: dave.thorley@shropshire.gov.uk
The Department for Education has introduced new nutrition guidance in the EYFS statutory framework, which will replace the ‘Examples menus for early years settings in England’ guidance from September 2025.
The new guidance has been developed with nutrition and sector experts. It will help early years providers understand how to meet the existing EYFS requirement: ‘Where children are provided with meals, snacks and drinks, these must be healthy, balanced and nutritious’.
Good nutrition in the early years is crucial for setting the foundations for a lifetime of good health. From September 2025, providers will be required to have regard to the new nutrition guidance, meaning they must take it into account and should follow it unless there is good reason not to.
To read the new nutrition guidance, visit Early Years Foundation Stage Nutrition
Please find attached the SaLT submission form and information update
Please see attached a Stakeholder Briefing from NHS Shropshire, Telford and Wrekin providing an update on the CAMHS/BeeU service.
As part of the SENDAP Change Partnership Programme, we are thrilled to introduce a new initiative for the Summer Term 2025 designed to support schools with Early Help processes.
Recognising the significant challenges of school leadership, our goal is to keep the child at the centre of our efforts despite external pressures. In collaboration with the Shropshire Early Help service, we will work closely with schools to enhance their understanding and implementation of Early Help processes. With upcoming changes through the Family First Programme, we aim to support schools in preparing for these new processes.
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Practical Advice & Coaching: Tailored support for Heads and DSLs through coaching, mentoring, and practical advice.
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Effective Safeguarding: Collaborating to ensure sustainable and effective safeguarding processes across all educational providers.
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Advocacy: Acting as a voice for schools, providing feedback to the Early Help service to address barriers and create opportunities.
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Cultural Development: Assisting schools in developing a preventative, restorative culture and robust leadership systems around Early Help.
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Myth busting around the role of the Lead Practitioner, enabling staff to lead an early multi-agency response through the team around the family process.
I am eager to visit schools and spend time supporting the development of understanding of the Early Help process.
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In order to improve the timeliness in which we can share information with you and to keep information for schools in one place, we are further developing the Shropshire Learning Gateway (SLG).
- All information for SENCOs and schools that relates to inclusive practice, training and resources is moving over to the SLG.
- CPD opportunities are now all together on a dedicated CPD page—click HERE.
- Inclusive Practice information for practitioners, including newsletters, slides from network meetings, resources and GSP paperwork can be found in a new Inclusive Practice section—click HERE.
- All information relating to statutory SEND processes (ECHNAs, EHCPs and Annual Reviews) will remain on the Local Offer so that it can be easily accessed by parent carers.
- The Local Offer will remain as a central point of information for all things SEND and you will be able to link to all information from both the Local Offer but for ease of updating, the SLG will host the main content for practitioners.
If you have any suggestions for online content you would like to see made available for practitioners or for parent carers, please e-mail us: EQA@shropshire.gov.uk
Newsletter Delivery Updates—subscribe now!
We are shortly moving to using the GovDelivery system for the SEND and Inclusion newsletter so that it can be delivered direct to your inbox. We therefore need to ensure we have your correct e-mail address.
Please complete the following MS Form as soon as possible so that we can add you to the mailing list: https://forms.office.com/Pages/ResponsePage.aspx?id=ETDBti03i0O8gmfkx5ZuiaazIZllUHZPgyIWnpSskWxUOEhJUUtJU0pLTDM0MFlTUUw5NEtMNTM1Vi4u
A link to the newsletter will continue to be added to the Inclusive Practice pages of the SLG so you will be able to view and download it if you don’t receive the e-mail.
The Statutory Assessment Panel (SAP) considers new requests for education, health and care needs assessments and reviews advice collected during an assessment to decide whether a plan should be issued. The panel has representatives from the EHCP Team, health and social care. We also invite SENDCOs to SAP every week which takes place on a Tuesday morning between 9am and 12pm. We have commitment from SENDCOs to attend panels up to the end of April 2025, and we would now like to invite any SENDCOs who have an interest in attending to email us (EHCPTeam@shropshire.gov.uk) and we will extend a meeting invite to you for the summer term. If you have attended before and would like to attend again you are more than welcome.
Annie Williams, EHCP Team Manager
Shropshire Safeguarding Community Partnership are hosting a series of Spotlights which are in-person Safeguarding Workshops on key themes from learning, we are inviting frontline professionals, volunteers, managers at every level, and stakeholders from partnerships, services and settings to book on and attend.
Use this link to book onto all Spotlights Book onto SSCP multiagency Spotlight Sessions - In person across Shropshire
Or use the individual booking links below to book on, you will receive a confirmation email at the point of booking on, you will have the option to save this in your electronic calendar.
Booking Link Spotlight - Beyond Family Boundaries Hidden Harm 14th May 12:30-17:00 Barnabas Centre
Booking Link Spotlight - Safeguarding Children against modern day risks and abuse 3rd June 09:00-13:30 Ludlow Assembly Rooms
Booking Link Spotlight on Early Help: How Can I Help? 24th June 12:30-17:00 Barnabas Centre
DfE has recently updated its data protection in schools’ guidance to make clear that schools will need to provide parent and carer contact details to School Aged Immunisation Service (SAIS) teams. This guidance was updated following the issues raised around inconsistencies across schools in terms of how GDPR guidance is interpreted.
You will need to provide data to support immunisation programmes in your school. This includes:
- sharing information leaflets and consent forms with parents or carers
- providing a list of eligible children and young people, and their parent’s or carer’s contact details to the School Age Immunisation Service (SAIS) team.
Sharing these contact details does not mean that a vaccine will be given. A parent or carer will need to give their consent for a vaccine to be given to their child. There is a lawful basis for you to share information with school immunisation teams under article 6(1)(e) of UK GDPR.
This states that the information can be shared if “processing is necessary for the performance of a task carried out in the public interest or in the exercise of official authority vested in the controller ”.
This means that the school can share this information with immunisation programmes as it is in the public interest. Sharing information with immunisation programmes is part of the exercise of a school’s official authority. Schools also have a duty to support wider public health. Data protection laws do not prevent you from sharing personal data where it is appropriate to do so in a fair and lawful way, and in this instance it is beneficial to do so.
We are excited to announce the launch of our new Employee Assistance Programme (EAP) with Vivup. This valuable service is designed to help you take a proactive approach to your mental health and wellbeing.
For immediate ‘in the moment’ support, you can call the telephone helpline on: 0330 380 0658. This helpline provides professional support and guidance whenever you need it on a wide range of work, family, and personal issues.
Additionally, the Your Care platform is an online health and wellbeing platform delivering effective, evidence-based interventions to help people live healthier lives. Users have access to their own confidential, personalised dashboard which is specific to their needs. Health-boosting goals can be set with small sustainable lifestyle changes through personalised gamification, including calls to action, suggestions and prompts in the user’s improvement journey.
Your Care also offers CBT self-help guides that provide practical advice on various mental health issues. To access these resources on the Your Care platform, you will need to register on the Vivup employee benefits platform which offers lifestyle savings on a number of products and services. Registration is quick and easy.
The telephone helpline, counselling service, and the Your Care platform are available to all Shropshire Council employees, including school-based staff directly employed by the Local Authority.
One of Shropshire MYP's has organised a conference for young people to discuss the future of Youth Provision in Shropshire.
Welcome back to the summer term, one I know will be busy for you all. I hope you had a good chance to recharge over the Easter break.
Our IAG team are busy contacting all the EHE, CME and TMBSS students to offer impartial advice and guidance where required.
Whilst our Transition Support Workers have already started to contact the Risk of NEETs, including some visits into schools from the information already received.
If you haven’t done so already, please upload your Y11 intended destinations to the SharePoint site for me to complete our September Guarantee. Clearly mark up any who you feel are at risk of NEET ([RoN] students who have failed to engage or those with no September Guarantee plans in place) to allow our TSW’s to add them to their caseloads to be contacting.
A reminder that there is an electronic where next form available for all schools to make use of. Please email me for a link and any further information.
If you have any questions or queries, please don’t hesitate to contact me.
With thanks
Jo Brown
Post 16 System Administrator & Data Coordinator
Learning & Skills
joanne.brown@shropshire.gov.uk
01743 257876
We have had to suspend the Family and Community Hub services at Ludlow Youth Centre from Monday 28 April until further notice following a road traffic accident overnight involving a lorry which has caused damage to the building.
We regret any inconvenience this may cause for people using the hub in Ludlow. The council and partner agencies are contacting anyone who was due to attend a pre-booked appointment to advise them of the closure.
We are working with services based in the Hub to see if these can be moved to alternative venues in the town. Further updates on this will be provided as work continues with the next update provided by Wednesday 30th April 2025.
For the safety of the public and staff, the building will remain closed while we conduct a thorough assessment and carry out any necessary repairs. Members of the public are advised to stay away from the building during this time.
All the latest updates will be posted on our webpages which can be found by following this link: Community hubs | Shropshire Council
The SEND and Inclusion network meetings for Summer Term 1 will be online via MS Teams. Please book your place via Eventbrite using the links below. The draft agenda includes:
1. Speaker from Barnardo’s
2. Speaker from MPFT to talk about mental health support
3. Speaker from the Marches Careers Hub (Secondary and Post 16 meeting only)
Tuesday 6th May, Primary SEND and Inclusion Update, 3.30-4.30pm:
Wednesday 7th May, Secondary and Post-16 SEND and Inclusion Update, 3.30-4.30pm:
Thursday 8th May, Early Years SEND and Inclusion Update, 6-7pm:
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Please find attached a flyer which details multi-agency training which is currently available to schools and early years settings staff working with children, young people and families in Shropshire, in particular welfare/pastoral staff and DSLs.
Please note that although there is no charge for Shropshire Council staff to attend, we do operate a cancellation policy on all our training, whereby any place cancelled within 7 calendar days of the training or failure to turn up on the day will result in a cancellation charge being made unless a colleague is able to attend in their place.
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AmazingCPD are delighted that staff from over 60 different schools have attended subject network meetings and courses since September.
MFL Network meeting for subject coordinators
The first Primary Network Meeting for the term is Modern Foreign Languages on May 20th. Delivered in collaboration with The Primary Language Network the content includes ‘what does outstanding MFL look and feel like in a Primary School?’. Details and agenda are here.
9 courses to ensure computers are used safely and effectively in school
With the role of technology increasing in importance Richard Smith is providing nine courses to ensure that school staff are fully up to date in the key areas of Computing, AI and online safety. These are listed here.
How to manage and minimise the impact of complaints: led by Steve Compton
Steve Compton will be providing guidance in the area of ‘Developing best practice in dealing with complaints’. With complaints increasing significantly over recent years this online course will provide useful advice to manage and minimise the impact of complaints. Book your place here.
Summer Conference: Developing a Love of Language and Literature with John Murray
The AmazingCPD Summer Conference is entitled ‘Developing a Love of Language and Literature – The key to successful learning’. Led by national literacy expert John Murray with input from two Shropshire schools the event will allow schools to reflect on reading and writing standards and discuss best practice. Hosted by Wilfred Owen School with details here.
The Summer schedule includes over 25 events. There are Primary Subject Network meetings for every subject and a range of useful courses for Primary and Secondary. Click here to download the PDF. For queries email Lucy Adams via lucy@amazingcpd.co.uk
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The Early Years Alliance's has announced the line-up for its 2025 virtual annual conference, which will be taking place via Zoom on Thursday 26 June from 6.15pm - 8.45pm.
The event, entitled No child left behind, will explore what it really means to put the needs of the child at the heart of early years provision, and look at the practical steps that those working in the early years can take to all children are able to access quality early education and care, regardless of background, circumstance or level of need.
This year's conference will include keynote speeches from Waterstone's Children's Laureate Frank Cottrell-Boyce, educational psychologist Dr Melernie Meheux and Alliance CEO Neil Leitch. Attendees will also get the opportunity to attend one of three practical seminars (and will receive recordings of the other two sessions).
- Alice Sharp, early years specialist and trainer, on early communication and language
- Suzy Rowland, founder and CEO of the Happy in School Project, on supporting children with SEND and building inclusive early years environments
- Jo Sharpen, consultant, on supporting children and families experiencing domestic abuse in the early years
In light of the ongoing financial pressures facing the early years sector, the Alliance is once again offering tickets to free to all Alliance members and their teams, and for just £15 for non-members.
Book your place at bit.ly/AllianceConference2025.
Healthier Together provides advice for those caring for babies, children and young people in Shropshire and Telford. It provides consistent, accurate and trustworthy healthcare advice on common childhood illnesses for both physical and mental health, and information on long term conditions. It also provides details of where to seek help if required and national and local support services. All the information on the site is checked by clinicians, and local organisations and parent carers are involved in its content development.
There have been two recent additions to the website
These new sections build on other recently developed sections such as the Neurodiversity pages which contain articles about common neurodivergent conditions and the Neurodiversity support offer.
Support for neurodivergent children and their families
The Healthier Together website provides consistent, accurate and trustworthy healthcare advice for parents, carers, young people and professionals. All the information on the site is checked by clinicians, and local organisations and involves parent carers in its content development.
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Due to the response from schools and professionals regarding the recent Netflix mini-series 'Adolescence', one of the PREVENT leads in the region has created this factsheet for awareness about the content that was raised during the programme, relating to Incels, Misogyny and the Manosphere.
Suspected poisoning is one of the most common reasons that young children get taken to A+E. Often items we have in the home can look very tempting to children whether it is cleaning products and washing items being pretty bright colours or painkillers in shiny packets, children (and sometimes adults) don’t realise the risk that they pose. This link to Free resources on poisoning prevention | Child Accident Prevention provides information, posters and safety sessions plans to deliver to staff or parents.
Charlotte Percival
Safeguarding Officer,
Early Years and Childcare,
As part of the autism strategy we have published a county wide Employment Survey focussing on Autism. In addition, the House of Lords Committee wants to understand how well the Autism Act, the Government’s autism strategy and the statutory guidance are working so that it can make specific, practical recommendations about what the Government should do next. For more information,please see attached,
The Department for Education (DfE) has commissioned BMG Research to carry out a survey with schools and other settings as part of the current SEND and AP Change Programme evaluation. The survey is aimed at mainstream and special schools, registered alternative provision schools and post-16 providers and further education colleges in CPP areas.
This survey will play a key role in understanding school’s experiences and views on how to improve support for children with SEND and AP needs.
These views will support information collected through other parts of the evaluation, including research with children and families, to provide a holistic view of how support can be improved.
This survey is the next important step in the Change Programme evaluation. We would really appreciate your support by sharing details of this survey with schools or settings you are working with. The survey is now live and is available at www.changeprogrammesurvey.co.uk. If you wish to view the survey, mandatory screening questions must be completed - please enter "dummy" as the school name if not responding as a participant.
The survey should be completed by the person in the school or setting who is best able to tell us about SEND provision and partnership working, such as a senior leader with responsibility for SEND or a SENCo. The survey should take around 15 minutes to complete and is confidential. It will not be possible to identify respondents or the school/setting from the responses. All findings will be reported anonymously.
Julie Johnson
SEND and AP Change Programme Partnership Senior Lead
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Hope House Children's Hospices have asked me to share the attached fundraising research questionnaire in the newsletter that is sent to schools.
The charity would be grateful if schools could complete it please.
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Congratulations are due to Steve Compton who successfully completed the 2025 London Marathon in challenging conditions on Sunday. Well done Steve!
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