The TREES team have received information about young people using/accessing “Penjamin Vape Pens”.

These look and operate as ballpoint pens. There are a variety brands (some are nicotine some are THC). We wish to raise this with you for awareness at this time. 

The Penjamin Cart Pen UK Vape Carts

For more information about TREES (Together Reducing and Ending Exploitation in Shropshire) visit their website Child exploitation | Shropshire Council

Spring and Summer Term (schools and colleges) training dates are now available to book via Safeguarding in Education Training | Shropshire Learning Gateway for:

• Designated Safeguarding Leads (both Newly Appointed and Update Training);
• Safeguarding Leads Networks
• Individual staff (Spring daytime dates only, more to follow)

Training for all Governors and Safeguarding Link Governor Briefing dates will be in summer term, dates and booking links will be available to book no later than the beginning of Spring Term.

If you would like to arrange a whole school/college offer (Staff, Governors/Trustees and/or DSLs). Please refer to Setting Based Safeguarding Offer and Costs 2025-2026 and contact Emma Harding to arrange.  

Shropshire Council is now one of the eight new pilot sites for the Government’s National Referral Mechanism (NRM) Devolved Decision-Making Process. Please see the update about what this means here 

Designated Safeguarding Leads have an important role in supporting the work of the devolved decision-making panel. The Panel will decide whether there are reasonable grounds to believe that a child who has been referred to the NRM is a victim of modern slavery (human trafficking or slavery, servitude, or forced or compulsory labour).

If a child at your school/college as been referred to the NRM by a first responder organisation, the Designated Safeguarding Lead will be contacted by Shropshire’s NRM Co-Ordinator (George Davies George.R.Davies@shropshire.gov.uk) and asked to complete an Education Provision Information request within 5 working days.

If you have concerns that a child is at risk of or experiencing Child Exploitation; please remember to continue to use and follow the Shropshire’s Child Exploitation Tools and Pathways (which includes a specific section on the National Referral Mechanism in the Practice Guidance and Protocol).

DSL’s should also ensure that they are signed up to the TREES newsletters | Shropshire Council and consider attending the local Children's Exploitation Pathway Training | Shropshire Council.

If you have any further questions about the pilot or school’s role within it, please contact Shropshire’s NRM Co-Ordinator (George Davies George.R.Davies@shropshire.gov.uk).

Please see the attached revised statutory guidance on the cost of school uniforms from the Department for Education

Cost of school uniforms - GOV.UK

The draft statutory guidance relates to the proposed limit on the number of branded items of school uniform and PE kit that schools can require.

The government intends to make this a legal requirement from September 2026 through the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill.

The DfE strongly advise schools to take the draft statutory guidance into account now when planning uniform requirements for September 2026. The draft statutory guidance will be updated on completion of the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill’s passage through Parliament.

Meet Lynne – Our Children and Youth Worker

Lynne offers impartial, child-centred support to children and young people who may be struggling with engagement, confidence, or feeling heard in school. Using tools like the Three Schools Model, she helps pupils explore:

• What feels safe and supportive in school
• What feels tricky or worrying
• What they hope school could be like in the future

This creative and reflective approach supports meaningful conversations around SEN support, transitions, and EHCP planning. It’s particularly effective for pupils who may find it difficult to express their views in more formal settings.

Lynne can work 1:1 or in small groups, and her sessions are designed to complement the work of school staff by offering a neutral, listening space focused solely on the child or young person’s voice.

If your school would like to arrange a visit or find out more, please contact us at lynnetaylor@cabshropshire.org.uk  

Dear Colleagues,

We are pleased to introduce you to our Children’s Community Asthma Nurse Specialist Team.

Our role is to provide dedicated support for children and young people with asthma, with a particular focus on those who may be harder to reach, more vulnerable, or living in hidden or deprived areas of our county. We work closely with families, schools, and health professionals to ensure these children receive the care, education, and guidance they need to manage their asthma safely and effectively.

By reaching out to these groups, we aim to:

• Improve asthma awareness and self-management skills.
• Reduce avoidable hospital admissions and emergency attendances.
• Promote equal access to asthma support across the community.

We are keen to build strong links with local partners and services, so if you are working with children and young people who might benefit from our input, please do get in touch.

It is recommended that all professionals working with children and young people with asthma complete Tier 1 of this nationally recognised free training, you can register here:

https://www.e-lfh.org.uk/programmes/children-and-young-peoples-asthma/ 

Thank you for your support in helping us improve the care and outcomes for children and young people with asthma in our county. Please note our service is currently only funded until March 2026 so we are keen to engage with yourselves before this date.

Please contact us on laura.scott21@nhs.net and kate.perkins2@nhs.net

Please also find attached information regarding our upcoming CYP Asthma Engagement Events.

Kind Regards,

Laura and Kate

Community Children’s Asthma Nurse Specialist’s, Coral House, Longbow Close, Harlescott Lane, Shrewsbury, SY1 3GZ

01743 450855 option 3

The next accredited Safer Recruitment Course has been scheduled for 20^th January 2026, 9-4.30pm. £155pp. This is an excellent opportunity for anyone interested in enhancing their recruitment skills. Please click the weblink or use the QR code to access course information and to book a place on this course. This is a Face-to-Face Course (Telford Central Fire Station, Stafford Park 1, Telford TF3 3BW)

If you have multiple delegates who wish to attend the course, or you want to enquire about hosting an in-house event, please email deborah.smith@shropshire.gov.uk

Please find attached, details of bitesize Breakfast briefings that are offered FREE OF CHARGE to subscribing schools.

Sessions are aimed at school-based staff with a responsibility for the administration of HR across the setting, they have been created to provide updates on day-to-day HR policy, procedure and process, and answer FAQs.

2025_HR BB CALENDAR_Autumn 2.pdf

Please see the attached flyer for training offered by the Educational Psychology Service.

No Worries Training 2026.pdf

PEGS are offering Fully funded training, the leaflet can be downloaded as a pdf here.

Please note that the 2 day online training is held on 13th and 20th January 2026, not 28th October as on the leaflet.

Please see the latest newsletter from Compass.

Compass NL Issue 9 Q2 Jul-Sep 2025.pdf

Please share your views as part of the All-Age ADHD and Autism Services review. The practitioner survey will remain open until  Friday 21^st November. 

The survey for professionals can be found here:  All-Age ADHD and Autism Services - NHS Shropshire, Telford and Wrekin

Your views on this are really important so please share your views. 

As part of the Climate Ambassadors project, we need to collect a national picture of the impact of the project. 

What I would like at this stage, is that any settings that haven’t completed the CAT since May, complete it now either as an update or complete it for the first time.  

 We are asking all education settings (nurseries, primaries, secondary and FE settings) to complete our Climate Action Tracker form.  The link to the form can be found here: Climate Action Tracker.

The form should take no more than 20 minutes to complete and there may even be sections you aren't able to answer yet if you are at early stages of developing a climate action plan. All information helps us to gather a national picture on the progress of climate action planning.

Having finished the end of our first academic year and as we approach the end of the first phase of the Climate Ambassador project, we would very much appreciate it if you could complete the Climate Action Tracker.  This allows us to effectively support education settings in the climate action planning and implementation process.  It also helps your setting consider and monitor progress on CAP development and delivery, and to identify areas for improvement. We are asking all settings to complete this at the start of their climate action journey and once each term thereafter.

Once you have completed the form, we encourage you to save and email yourself your answers, allowing you to see your progress over time and better identify areas for improvement.

Thank you for your support.

Best wishes,

Emma

Emma Baines

West Midlands Regional Hub Manager

Climate Ambassadors Programme

School of Geography, Geology and the Environment, William Smith Building, Keele University, Staffordshire, ST5 5BG, UK

New Resource: SEN Support in Schools – Now on YouTube

We’re excited to share our latest recorded session for Parent Carers: SEN Support in Schools – now available to watch on YouTube!

This accessible video explains:

• What SEN is
• What SEN Support is
• What families can expect
• How to work in partnership

Watch now: SEN Support in Schools – Shropshire SENDIASS 

The Shrewsbury Library's Warm Spaces Newsletter is attached.

Shrewsbury Library Warm Spaces Newsletter.pdf

Further information on cost of living support can be found here: Cost of living help | Shropshire Council