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All headteachers of Shropshire maintained schools are invited to attend the maintained headteacher's forum this Thursday. For the link to the meeting, please visit this page of the SLG.
Emma Harding, our Schools Safeguarding Officer has now returned to work following a period of maternity leave. Please see the Safeguarding Team Information and Services | Shropshire Learning Gateway for a reminder of the scope of work of our Safeguarding Officers Emma, Jane and Charlotte.
For details of designated lead training please see below or visit this page on the SLG
Please see the attached letter from Jo Smith, Lead Education Officer, which provides a briefing with respect to managing pupils' leave of absence in term time (LATT).
Please see the attached document which details sources of help and support to families in the Oswestry and Market Drayton areas.
As previously advised, Shropshire Council has been allocated additional funding through the Household Support Fund (HSF7) for the 12 month period,1 April 2025 – 31 March 2026. This means that we are able to extend the arrangements for the provision of support with food costs outside of term time to fund benefits-related FSM pupils (including 24U and EYPP children who are in a school nursery class). Funding will be provided for the Easter holidays 2025 (2 weeks), Summer half term 2025 (1 week), Summer holidays 2025 (3 weeks), Autumn half term 2025 (1 week), Christmas 2025 (2 weeks), Spring half term 2026 (1 week) and Easter holidays 2026 (2 weeks).
HAF - The Holiday Activities and Food Programme allows children and young people aged 4 (in reception class) to 16, who are eligible for benefits-related free school meals (FSM) and for those who have been referred by a professional to access free holiday activity, during the Spring/Easter, Summer and Winter/Christmas school holidays. For more information on the programme and to find out how to book onto activity, please go to - www.shropshire.gov.uk/HAF
There is further support for families who are concerned about the cost of living via Shropshire Council website link Cost of living help | Shropshire Council
For the Summer (May) half term 2025, funding is provided for 1 week support, £15 per eligible pupil.
Schools using Edenred
The account will be open for schools to place orders between Monday 12 May and Friday 23 May, after this date the account will be locked. If a school needs to place an additional order, please contact FSM@shropshire.gov.uk in the first instance.
There is no need to advise us of your numbers as we can pick this up from the Edenred system.
Schools need to include their school name in the URN field using the following format: 1schoolname (no spaces). If you have problems with this please revert to using your URN number.
Please can all schools set the delivery date for the eCodes as Wednesday 21 May (or three days prior to your end of term). This will allow time for parents/carers to contact school if there is a problem with their eCode/email address before school closes.
Parents/carers have 2 months to redeem their eCodes into a voucher (this has been reduced from 3 months). 30 days before expiry Edenred send out a reminder once a week automatically. If a parent/carer hasn’t redeemed their eCode in that time, they can’t be re-issued. The food vouchers are provided to support eligible pupils during each specific school holiday period and should therefore be redeemed by the parent/carer as soon as possible.
Important reminders:
Schools who receive funding via the LA
For those schools who don’t use Edenred, please complete the following online form by Friday 16 May FSM funding in school holidays - Schools who receive funding via the LA | Shropshire Learning Gateway (shropshirelg.net) so that we can arrange payment to be made to your school. NB: Please ensure that the total number provided includes any eligible nursery aged children attached to your school. Once you have notified us of your numbers, please then order your vouchers via your usual method. Please note, if you don’t complete the form to advise of numbers we will be unable to process payment.
Shire Services – FREE Compliance Audit for Schools Managing In-House Catering
Ensure your school’s kitchen is in top shape before the Education Health Officer visits!
At Shire Services, we’re committed to helping schools maintain the highest standards in food hygiene and safety. Whether you're looking to improve your rating, sustain excellent practices, or enhance general food safety, our expert team is here to help.
We are offering a FREE, no-obligation, 2-hour on-site compliance audit for schools managing their own in-house catering. Our specialists will assess your operations, covering health, safety, allergen management, and food hygiene, and provide a comprehensive report with expert recommendations.
Don’t leave compliance to chance - schedule your free audit today and ensure your catering meets the highest standards.
Contact us now to book your audit by email at shire.services@shropshire.gov.uk or on 01743 250250.
Shire Services – Expert Training Courses for Your Staff
Empower your team with the latest skills and knowledge.
Shire Services offers comprehensive training courses across Shropshire, Worcestershire, and Wolverhampton, designed to keep your staff up to date with essential food safety and health regulations.
Our expert-led sessions cover:
- Level 3 Food Safety - In-depth 2-day course for advanced food hygiene knowledge
- Level 2 Food Safety - Essential 1-day course for maintaining high standards
- Level 2 Food Safety Refresher - 3-hour foundational refresher session
- Health & Safety Training - Covers Fraud & Corruption, Manual Handling, Slips, Trips & Falls, Fire Awareness, and Safeguarding (3-hour course)
- Allergen Training - 2-hour specialised course to ensure compliance and best practices
Invest in your team’s expertise today.
For more information or to book a course, please visit our website or email cathryn.onions@shropshire.gov.uk or phone 01743 250250.
Shire Services – Bespoke Hospitality Catering
Exceptional catering tailored to your event.
Shire Services specialises in bespoke catering for all occasions, offering a personalised service to suit your needs. Whether you're hosting an intimate gathering, a birthday celebration, or a conference for up to 300 delegates, our expert team will craft a menu that perfectly complements your event.
With pricing available on request, we ensure high-quality catering that meets your exact requirements.
To discuss your specific needs, contact us to discuss your specific requirements by email at shire.services@shropshire.gov.uk or on 01743 250250.
For an up to date list of CPD provided by the Education Quality and Safeguarding Team, please visit this page on the SLG.
Please also note that Schools Designated Safeguarding Lead training sessions for the summer term begins with the first session of DSL Update Training this week (Wednesday 7.5.2025) and Newly Appointed DSL Training is scheduled after half term. Please view details and book on via CPD Schedule and Booking Information 2024-2025 | Shropshire Learning Gateway.
There are places available on free Level 1 Attachment training on Monday 12th May face to face at the Lantern Centre from 9:30 until 12:30 delivered by Dr Jennifer Heseltine. This training is free for staff members who are supporting Shropshire CLA within their settings. Please see the attached flyer which has more information and details of how to book on.
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People in Shropshire have died, and it’s important that we learn from these cases and understand what we can all do to prevent further serious harm and deaths. Please join us for 60 minutes on an interactive webinar based upon learning from Shropshire Case Reviews. Book on by following this link Free Webinar - 60 minutes Understanding Intrafamilial Domestic Abuse Wednesday 7th May - 12:00pm - 1:00pm
Please share with colleagues. You can find more learning events from the SSCP on the Learning & Development page on the SSCP website and you can sign up for future updates by following this link.
SEND course: Coding and Autism
Richard Smith will be delivering a 90 minute insight which investigates how coding can really engage and support autistic children. Delivered before as a workshop for Cumbria University content will help boost confidence in developing coding and will also provide your school with lots of resources to use. Couse is on 13th May. Book 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’ on 16 th May. 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.
Making MFL outstanding in your school
The Primary Network Meeting is delivered by Joanne Eccleshare from The Primary Language Network on 20th May. The content includes ‘what does outstanding MFL look and feel like in a Primary School?’. Details and agenda are here. English: Spoken Language (speaking for different purposes)
Chris Ogden is well known from his work as an Adviser and one of the lead moderators for KS2 SATs in Shropshire. Chris is leading the Spoken Language (speaking for different purposes) course on 22nd May. This course will consider the importance of talk in the primary school from Early Years through to Year 6. Book Here
Half Day Literacy Conference: Developing a Love of Language and Literature
John Murray returns to Shropshire on 3rd June to deliver the keynote at our conference. John is an independent Literacy consultant, he works with schools throughout the UK to improve reading and writing standards, secure best practice and achieve outstanding results. John will open the session with a discussion on how becoming a lover of
language and literature is the bedrock of great learning. Hosted by Wilfred Owen School with details here.
The Summer schedule includes over 30 events. There are Primary Subject Network meetings for every subject and a range of useful courses for Primary and Secondary. For queries email Lucy Adams via lucy@amazingcpd.co.uk
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Mental Health Awareness Week takes place from 12 to 18 May 2025, and this year’s theme is 'Community'.
To help schools build stronger, safer, and more positive communities where mental health and wellbeing are truly prioritised, Education Support has pulled together a collection of top resources for Mental Health Awareness Week.
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As we approach the warmer weather, schools may be interested in accessing this Makaton signing video about the importance of water safety. The video was designed by Shropshire Fire and Rescue Service in collaboration with Severndale Specialist Academy and others.
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5th - 11th May is Deaf Awareness Week. The National Deaf Children's Society have provided a range of resources here.
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