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Dear Colleagues,
Please see this week's Education Update below.
Best wishes,
John
John Rowe
Head of Education Quality and Safeguarding
john.rowe@shropshire.gov.uk
Your school/college is invited to attend an online engagement session on Wednesday 7th January 2026 from 4pm-5pm. The purpose of the session is to provide you with the opportunity to contribute to the development of the local implementation of the Families First Partnership Programme, which will change our local safeguarding arrangements over the next 12 months and beyond.
The session will be led by Natasha Moody, Shropshire’s Families First Partnership Strategic Lead and supported by the Education Quality Safeguarding Team.
For further details and to book your place on the session please follow this link
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CLOSING DATE WEDNESDAY 17th DECEMBER
By utilising part of our Capability and Ambition Fund awarded from Active Travel for England to help schools improve their active travel initiatives, we are pleased to be able to run a second round of grants.
This year in the first round, 18 Shropshire schools were awarded a grant to help encourage children to keep active and cycle, walk or scoot to and from school. So we are opening it up to any Shropshire school that hasn’t already applied this year.
The maximum grant is £1,000 and must be to increase active travel to your school. It cannot be for staff costs. The closing date is Wednesday 17th December 2025.
So don’t miss out….. apply now! Active Travel Grants 2025 – Fill in form
Grants can be used to fund a wide range of equipment or services such as -
- scooter and bike racks.
- to purchase scooters and bikes to lend to pupils.
- to purchase helmets and safety equipment.
- to purchase hi-vis jackets.
- scooter training.
- buying maintenance kits or booking Dr Bike sessions.
If you have any questions, please contact us at sustainabletravelplanning@shropshire.gov.uk
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We would like to take this opportunity to highlight some of the resources developed by Childcare Works for local authorities, providers, schools and childminders as well as an update to the Department for Education's workforce toolkit.
UPDATED Recruiting and Retaining your Workforce
The Department for Education has developed a recruiting and retaining your workforce toolkit, designed to support those involved in delivering free breakfast clubs and wraparound childcare. This includes local authorities, schools (including EA schools offering free breakfast clubs), and private, voluntary, and independent (PVI) childcare providers.
The toolkit contains a variety of practical resources, such as tools, templates and tips to aid recruitment and retention in free breakfast clubs and wraparound childcare settings.
NEW Dingley’s Promise Inclusive Practice
Childcare Works has recently worked in collaboration with Dingley’s Promise to create a collection of resources and videos to support inclusive practice for early years providers, childminders and schools working with young children. The resources on inclusive practice are available on the HUB for providers - HUB: Inclusive Practice in the Early Years.
In addition to the provider resources, we have created a handbook to support local authorities’ work. This can be accessed on the LAB - Driving Early Years Inclusion - childcareworks.org.uk
UPDATED Childcare Works Resource directory
Created for local authorities, the resource directory is a useful short cut to finding information and support. The directory features links to resources from across the Childcare Works website. Please see link to the updated version here.
Childcare Works' Toolkits
The Childcare Works' toolkits bring together everything you need to set up, grow and sustain childcare provision. With content curated by experts, you will find a wealth of useful, relevant, information, all in one place.
The toolkits contain information specific to operating childcare provision, plus general information for businesses, childminders and charities, including expert marketing, HR and leadership and management, partnership working and more.
Access the Wraparound Toolkit
Access the Early Years Toolkit
Shropshire’s All Age Autism Strategy 2025-2030 has been approved by the cabinet, marking a significant step forward for local neurodiversity support. An action plan will be developed in January to put this strategy into practice and launch new and exciting initiatives.
The Neurodiversity Practitioners (NDPs) are now working with secondary schools in Shropshire after a strong uptake of their new project, ‘Supporting the Enhancement of Neuroinclusion in Secondary Schools (SENSES)’. The enthusiasm from schools across the region is very encouraging and we look forward to sharing the impact of this exciting project.
Helen Vincent (NDP) is hosting workshops with post-16 students and gathering Year 12 student voice about their experiences of transitioning from Year 11 to Year 12.
The Department for Education (DfE) has launched their Best Start Family Hubs nationally. Through this, Shropshire will see regional hub networks for specialist provisions, creating new opportunities for schools and hubs to collaborate and share best practice. The DfE’s press release can be seen here.
Hollie Jones (NDP) launched the attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) training offer in South Shropshire, with future sessions being held in Central and North Shropshire over the spring and summer terms. Booking details for these sessions will be announced on the Learning Gateway.
The Neuro-Affirming Language Guide has been approved for publication in Shropshire; this has been a collaborative project between Shropshire and Telford & Wrekin’s Educational Psychology Services. The document offers guidance for service providers supporting children and young people around the use of neuro-affirming language; a link will be shared when it is available to view.
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From 1 December, a new, free 24/7 mental health text support service is available for people of all ages living in Shropshire, Telford and Wrekin (STW). This briefing provides key information to support partners in sharing consistent and accurate messages across their networks.
What is launching? A free, confidential 24/7 mental health text support service for all ages in Shropshire, Telford and Wrekin, delivered by qualified mental health professionals.
The service is delivered by SHOUT on behalf of Midlands Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust (MPFT) who are commissioned by NHS Shropshire, Telford and Wrekin.
Why is it important? The service expands access to immediate mental health support, complementing existing services such as NHS 111 option 2, and supports the national transformation of NHS mental health care by improving responsiveness, inclusivity and accessibility.
How to access?
Text ‘STW’ to 85258, free of charge and at any time, to start a conversation with a trained mental health professional.
Benefits to Patients
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Easy access. No need to speak on the phone or wait for an appointment. Text at any time from anywhere.
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24/7 support. Available day and night, including weekends and holidays.
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Mental health-focused. Tailored to people experiencing mental health difficulties, delivered with compassion and understanding.
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Discreet and private. Ideal for those who prefer not to talk on the phone or need support in a public place.
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Inclusive and equitable. Helps reduce inequalities by offering support to anyone across STW.
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Integrated with local services. If needed, text responders can help you signpost to local services like NHS 111, crisis teams, or other community-based mental health support.
If someone feels unsafe or at immediate risk, they should call 999, as the text service is not intended for urgent emergencies. Individuals already receiving mental health support should contact their named worker first, in accordance with their care plan.
Communications Toolkit
Access the full communications toolkit here (and attached): Mental Health Text Service Toolkit - NHS Shropshire, Telford and Wrekin The toolkit contains a range of resources:
The Ask
To help maximise awareness and uptake of the new 24/7 mental health text support service, we are asking all partners and stakeholders to actively promote the service across your networks. You can support this by:
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Promoting the text service (‘STW’ to 85258) through all patient-facing channels, including:
- Include the text service in your answer machine messages (where appropriate)
- Waiting rooms and reception areas
- Websites
- Newsletters
- Social media channels
- Digital screens and public information points
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Using and sharing the communications toolkit with colleagues, partner organisations and wider networks to help reach people who may need support.
Your support will play a vital role in ensuring people across Shropshire, Telford and Wrekin know how to access free, immediate mental health support whenever they need it.
Thank you for your support.
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Shrewsbury College is delighted to be hosting the 2026 High Sheriff of Shropshire’s annual Outstanding Young Citizen Awards next spring, and we would like to ask for your support in getting the message out to schools and youth organisations across our county.
Please find attached the ‘invitation to nominate’ letter. We would be grateful if you could circulate this out to your networks and contact lists so we can reach as many organisations working with young people as possible.
This annual award seeks to recognise the hard work of under 18s in our county and The High Sheriff welcomes nominations for young people exhibiting the qualities mentioned in the letter. Nominations cannot be made by individuals or families but must come from an organised group - that can be based around education, sports, faith, crafts or any other activity.
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Kooth are offering support over the festive period with a webinar spotlight on navigating eating difficulties.
Other upcoming webinars for young people are From set backs to strength: Building Resilience and Feeling at home in your own skin.
For more information and to book webinars, click here.
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We are delighted to share an exciting fully funded professional development opportunity for early years settings across our region – the Maths Champions Programme, delivered by the National Day Nurseries Association (NDNA) and supported by the Department for Education (DfE) and the Education Endowment Foundation (EEF).
This 12-month online programme is designed to increase practitioner knowledge, confidence, and skills in early mathematics, leading to improved outcomes for children. Participating settings nominate a Maths Champion and a Deputy Maths Champion to lead on embedding high-quality maths experiences throughout the setting.
✨ Why sign up?
- Proven impact: Children in Maths Champions settings made on average 3 months’ additional progress in maths and language, rising to 6 months for disadvantaged children (EEF 2023).
- Boost staff confidence: 100% of settings said staff confidence in supporting early maths improved.
- Flexible and accessible: Complete the nine steps of the programme around your schedule, without the need to release staff for external training.
- Practical tools and support: Includes online training, audits, action planning templates, core activities, a large resource bank, and ongoing 1:1 support from an Early Years Adviser.
- Certificates: Champions and settings receive certificates and a Maths Champions logo upon completion.
💡 Who can apply?
- PVI nurseries, school-based nurseries, academy nurseries and nursery schools with 3 & 4 year-old provision are eligible to apply.
- Fully funded places are available to eligible settings – no NDNA membership required.
Programme starts: February – June 2026
Expressions of interest are open now!
Join many other settings who describe the Maths Champions Programme as “transformational” for staff practice and children’s mathematical learning.
Click here to express your interest in the programme
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An edtech organisation has rolled out a free AI toolkit aimed at cutting workload and improving student outcomes.
GivEducation, founded by former teacher Mogdam Osman and supported by parent company GivEnergy, was launched in 2022 with the aim of giving every teacher access to free high-quality AI tools. The platform has now been adopted by more than 85 schools and trusts in Staffordshire following its formal launch in June 2025.
The resource is free for all schools and educators across the UK.
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Trinity CE Primary School, Ford would like to share a recent visit they received from Author Michael McCarthy.
It was great to welcome Michael McCarthy, a local author, who is registered blind, is hemiplegic and has learning difficulties. It was an inspirational assembly in which Michael discussed his journey and overcoming barriers to achieve his goals, teaching us all that we can achieve anything we put our minds to and we can 'be the best we can be'. Michael kindly donated one of his novels, 'All Aboard', to every pupil in Reception - Year 3. Families can also take out Michael's novels from the Shrewsbury Library.
If your school hasn't yet had the opportunity to take part, please contact Michael at mgm@talk21.com
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