We say farewell to two colleagues from Learning and Skills this week, Jane Parsons and Beverley Jones who both leave at the end of this term.

I know that schools and settings have been extremely well-supported by Jane and Beverley over many years and we wish them both all the very best for the future. 

Further to the Education Update on 2nd December and the letter from David Shaw. schools should now have received an email from forms@ShropshireLA.onlineaudits.org.uk with a secure link to access the new S11 audit system.

Colleagues from the EQS team will be pleased to pick up any queries you may have about the audit process and will be running a series of webinars and how-to videos early in the New Year.

Links to these sessions and further information is here Safeguarding Audits | Shropshire Learning Gateway

This new audit process is designed to be much more user-friendly than the previous Excel spreadsheet format which should not be used.

The closing date for the audit is 27th March 2026.

Your school/college is invited to attend an online engagement session on Wednesday 7^th 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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FREE English Professional Development from St John Bosco English Hub

There is something for everyone at St John Bosco English Hub, whether you are a senior leader, English, Lead, SENCO, member of support staff or an Early Year’s practitioner or leader.

Targeted audience - Reading/Phonics Leaders Class teachers English subject leaders and SENCo Headteachers, Senior Leadership, Nursery/Preschool practitioners, special school teachers, Tas

CPD offer

Pre-phonics for pupils with SEN, with an emphasis on high expectations in Phonics outcomes, and an increasing number of pupils with significant learning challenges it’s essential to know how to support all pupils who are not yet able to access a formal phonics programme. Monday 26 January 2026

Alex Quigley Closing the Writing Gap: Raising Standards Village Hotel Dudley Castlegate Drive, Dudley, West Midlands - Thursday 22 January 2026 9.00-3.00pm

Ready for Reading? Pre-phonics training for EYFS practitioners Thursday 19th March 2026

Executive Function: The importance of developing executive function – Part 1 Thursday 5th February 2026 9am- 11am and Part 2 Thursday 19 March 2026 9am- 11am

Alex Quigley January Closing the Writing Gap.pdf

Diane Pye Executive function.pdf

Emma Spiers Ready For Reading Pre-phonics training for EYFS practitioners.pdf

Pre-phonics for pupils with SEN Emma Spiers – The Learning Lady.pdf

The Severn Valley Water Management Scheme (SVWMS) is opening public consultation on its emerging strategy to tackle flood risk and deliver wide-ranging benefits for communities and the environment across the Upper Severn. This marks a significant milestone in the ongoing effort to develop a holistic approach to water management, using both data analysis and local knowledge to inform future plans.

Recent studies have shown that, to reduce flood risk, up to 100 million cubic metres of water may need to be temporarily stored during flood events—equivalent to 40,000 Olympic swimming pools. Identifying where and how this water can be stored, and for how long, is central to the SVWMS strategy. The scheme will combine natural and engineered solutions, tailoring temporary water storage areas to the unique needs of each part of the Upper Severn catchment.

The consultation runs from 17 December 2025 to 11 March 2026, with public events held across the catchment in January and February (details on the website), and materials available online, in libraries, and leisure centres. Everyone, residents, farmers, business owners, and community groups, is encouraged to have their say. Feedback will directly inform the draft strategy, which will be consulted on further in 2026. For more information, visit www.severnvalleywatermanagementscheme.commonplace.is or email SVWMS@environment-agency.gov.uk

A factsheet for children is available here.

Sarah Dutton

River Severn Partnership Comms Lead , Shropshire Council