The Specialist Outreach pilot is now closing to new requests as we have reached capacity for the remainder of 2025/2026 academic year. We are looking at how to continue the offer of Specialist Outreach in the future, especially in the light of the newly published White Paper "Every child achieving and thriving." 

We will share details shortly through the usual channels:

• Half-termly SEND and Inclusion newsletter (click here if you are not already subscribed)
• SEND and Inclusion Network Meetings (click here)
• Headteacher briefings (primary and secondary)

We would like to include images from Shropshire schools and education settings in our upcoming education brochures. If your school or setting is able to contribute, we would be very grateful.

We are particularly interested in high‑quality photographs of your school building(s), playgrounds, classrooms, pupils’ work, school trips, and similar activities that you are happy for the Learning and Skills Team to use for this purpose. 

If you have any images you are happy to share with us, please email them to tracy.hunt@shropshire.gov.uk

Thank you

The Disciplinary Policy has been reviewed and updated. The policy is accessible on this MS Teams channel and on the SLG under Schools HR Policies.

The updated policy takes effect as from February 2026. The overall approach and intent remain unchanged, but additional guidance and updated wording have been introduced to improve clarity and consistency

·  Clearer roles and responsibilities, including the Contact Officer, Companion and School HR Advisor

·  New definitions of misconduct to support consistent decision‑making

·  Expanded guidance on fact‑finding and investigations, including notification to staff

·  Stronger guidance on suspension, including a requirement to complete a confidential risk assessment before suspension is considered

·  Additional clarification on the role of a Companion during formal proceedings

·  New appendix providing a confidential risk assessment template for suspension decisions

It’s important that all staff have clear and easy access to up-to-date policies. We would ask Headteachers to ensure this policy and all current policies are added to their school’s stored policy section (whether these are held in hard copy or electronically) and that staff are informed of the update. We also encourage schools to remind staff where policies are stored/available and to review any changes as part of routine practice.  

The half-termly SEND and Inclusion Network meetings are being held next week in Oswestry (Alliance of Leading Learning), Shrewsbury (Shrewsbury College, London Road Campus) and Cleobury Mortimer (Lacon Child School). These free events are a vital way to hear the latest information on SEND and Inclusion (especially in the light of the newly published white paper) and provide an excellent opportunity to network with SEND and Inclusion colleagues from your local area. 

For more details and links to the booking pages, please click here. 

We are attaching a Closedown Memo for Schools which details the deadline dates and year end supporting information.  We are also attaching our Finance Review manual and would urge schools to reference the Housekeeping section on pages 17-20 which details how to close or delete any outstanding orders, please can we ask that you do this as soon as possible and before the end of March 26. 

Amanda Collett

Lead Schools Finance Officer

Telford & Wrekin Council has confirmed that the Multicultural Development Service will cease operation on 31 March 2026.

All Shropshire schools with an existing SLA have been notified directly. The service is no longer accepting new referrals or providing support to schools outside of current commitments.

Schools are advised to update any internal references to the service and remove any information directing staff.

For any queries relating to this change, please contact: Scott Thomas‑White, Interim Head of Achievement & Enrichment, Telford & Wrekin Council. Scott.thomaswhite@telford.gov.uk 

We are pleased to share the newly developed Initial Teacher Training (ITT) Toolkit, created by the Shropshire and Telford Education Partnership (STEP) to support schools in strengthening teacher recruitment and developing future talent.

This resource has been designed specifically for schools and trusts and includes:

• Take a look at our ITT Resources page and watch our ITT Explained video here: Shropshire and Telford Education Partnership - ITT Resource Hub
• Website and newsletter copy you can use immediately
• Social media templates to help promote teaching locally
• Clear explanations of the routes into teaching
• Details of local STEP ITT providers and programmes
• Testimonial content from current Associate Teachers
• Ready‑made letters for parents and the wider community
• Guidance on how schools can support ITT strategically

Please see the Toolkit attached. For further information, please contact STEP at info@stepwm2.co.uk

Please see the attached flyer for more information.

Preston Montord CPD invitation

We have been asked to share the following with schools - 

Dear colleague,

I’m getting in touch regarding an opportunity for maths support via SHaW Maths Hub.

They are reaching out with a fully funded opportunity to help your school to make sustainable improvements in maths teaching and learning through SHaW Maths Hub’s Targeted Support programme.

Why consider Targeted Support?
Targeted Support provides bespoke, practical support tailored to each school’s needs, helping leaders build capacity and embed effective maths pedagogy.
Every school has unique challenges and barriers and there are two possible levels of support on offer. Working collaboratively with an experienced maths specialist, the support uses evidence informed approaches to identify and address these effectively and support long-term impact.

There are a limited number of spaces available. 

To find out more or express interest, please visit their website
 
Once you have had an opportunity to explore further details, if you have any questions, Fiona and Gemma would be happy to arrange a conversation to discuss how this could benefit your school.

fiona.wood@shawmathshub.co.uk   gemma.cherrington@shawmathshub.co.uk         

30-minute live online Ofsted update 11:15am 13 March 2026

This session builds further on the autumn 2025 update. It is informed by learning from the first phase of renewed EIF inspections.

A high-quality writing curriculum for all

Informed by the writing framework, the curriculum and assessment review 2025, the renewed Ofsted framework and subject reviews. This professional learning day covers inclusive curriculum principles in writing, resources, lesson activities and examples from the classroom.

Please follow this link for other DPSI professional learning programmes

DPSI 30-MINUTE OFSTED UPDATE 11.15am 13 March 2026 .pdf

DPSI ENGLISH WRITING TRAINING 2026 .pdf

UCL Institute of Education (IOE) and Chartered College of Teaching (CCT) are leading an evaluation of the impact of offsite Planning Preparation and Assessment (PPA) on teacher retention.  We are specifically looking to reach leaders from 250 state primary schools to take part in this research. 

The aim of the evaluation is to find out the impact of teachers being able to take their PPA time away from the school site on teacher retention, job satisfaction and wellbeing. The results from the trial will contribute to our understanding of how flexible working affects teachers’ experiences of work and will help us develop guidance for school leaders and policymakers.  

We are researchers from Loughborough University and the University of Edinburgh investigating how secondary schools support pupils with an eating disorder.

We are inviting secondary school staff to take part in our survey lasting 10–15 minutes which explores support for pupils specifically around eating at school and PE, aspects recognised to be particularly difficult when a young person has an eating disorder.

We have been in discussions with our local Education Effectiveness Team on how we can minimise email traffic to schools and any related stress in relation to this study and we thought contacting other School and Education Improvement Teams might be an efficient solution.

Information about the study can be found via the survey link below, or alternatively the QR code in the attached flyer. 

https://loughboroughssehs.eu.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_e39DaLc6G6eqcXY

Many thanks for your support with this research.

Best wishes,

Hannah

Dr Hannah White

We’ve just launched 14 new research projects, all of which aim to improve outcomes for children and young people. More details on these projects can be found here.

By taking part, schools and settings can access:

·       High-quality professional development for their staff

·       Support from experienced programme developers

·       Promising approaches that align with their priorities

Should you have further questions on these opportunities, please get in touch with your local research school. For queries relating to the EEF's work in your region, please contact the EEF Regional Delivery Lead for your area.

The Parenting Team will be delivering free Understanding Your Child and Understanding Your Child with SEND – from toddler to teens - groups from April 2026 (poster attached).

These 10 week groups aim to:

• Promote understanding of children’s behaviour within the context of developmental issues
• Promote the development of parent/child relationship
• Increase confidence and self-esteem in both parents and children
• Give parents a strategy for repair when things go wrong
• Promote reflective, sensitive and effective parenting

We are also offering free SLEEP TIGHT  and Sleep Tight with SEND groups from April and June 2026 (poster attached).

These 5 week workshops cover:

• Recognising the role of sleep hygiene to improve sleep
• Identifying causes of sleep issues and appropriate practical strategies to try
• Completing sleep diaries and identifying potential sleep issue

Please see the attached leaflet and websites for more details.

The Parenting Team | Shropshire Council

The Parenting Team | Shropshire Council (Local Offer/SEND)

Parenting Course leaflet

We are delighted to announce that bookings for the spring / Easter Shropshire HAF Programme are now open.

Shropshire Council is working with local schools, voluntary and community organisations, and childcare providers to run an exciting HAF holiday programme over the Easter holiday. 

During 30th March to 10th April 2026 HAF eligible children and young people are invited to take part in a range of fun activities, happening at holiday clubs from across the county.

There is something on offer for everyone including sports, arts, cooking, forest schools and other exciting opportunities. Free nutritious meals will be provided at each session, as well as information to benefit the whole family.

Find out more watch the Easter promo film https://youtu.be/aGzBAyT9n8k

“Through funding from the Department for Education, we are delighted to offer a HAF programme again this Easter, there is a huge range of activities happening, with free meals provided at each session.

HAF provides a fantastic opportunity for eligible children and young people to engage in exciting activities during the three main school holidays. The programme allows participants to socialise, learn new skills, eat delicious food, take part in physical activity, and have fun in their local community”.

Cllr Andy Hall, Portfolio Holder for Children & Education Shropshire Council. 

There are free places available on the HAF programme for:

• Children and young people aged 4 (reception class age) to 16, who are eligible for benefits-related free school meals. These children and young people will receive a HAF code to use when booking onto a club direct from their school.
• There are also a limited number of free places available for children and young people living in areas of high deprivation (top five tiers of deprivation, based on indices of deprivation/income) and/or from low-income households, who are not in receipt of benefits related free school meals. These children and young people can be referred onto the programme by a professional by completing a referral form (also attached).

For more information including online holiday club listing and how to make a referral, please visit Shropshire HAF or email HAF.programme@shropshire.gov.uk

All bookings are made directly with the organisations running the holiday clubs, using an Easter HAF code.

Holiday clubs with places available for children and young people with SEND have been highlighted in the guide. These places are at holiday clubs offering mainstream activities with a range of children and young people. For more information on SEND and 1:1, please check the guide.

Many of the HAF programmes include paid places for children and young people who don’t meet the eligibility criteria. These spaces are generally very heavily subsidised and are highlighted in the guide.

Sign up to the HAF e-news to receive updates, free resources, links to local services and opportunities.

HAF 2026 01 Spring Social FB.jpg

HAF 2026 Spring What's On-compressed.pdf

HAF 2026 01 Spring Social2 X.jpg

Press Release HAF Spring 2026 Programme Open.docx

Referral Form HAF 2026.docx