If a pupil within your school is using a Madita Fun chair please note the below:

Please find attached Field Safety Notice for your attention regarding the Madita-fun integrative therapy chair and the selection and use of the belts and harnesses.

The current Instructions For Use are also attached as referenced in the FSN.

Please fill the attached reply form and return to vb@schuchmann.co.uk by 8th May 2026.

With SATs taking place next week, we would like to wish all pupils, staff and school leaders the very best. We recognise that this can be a demanding time, not just for pupils but for staff too, and we want to acknowledge the care, professionalism and teamwork that goes into supporting children while also looking after one another.

Pupils’ and staff wellbeing remain a priority, and we encourage schools to continue to follow the assessment guidance carefully, ensuring that arrangements support a calm, positive and supportive environment for everyone involved.

As part of our statutory role, local authority officers will be visiting a small number of schools during the assessment window. Please ensure that all current guidance is being followed and that any required documentation and evidence has been collated and is readily available should it be requested.

Key guidance is

2026 key stage 2 test administration guidance - GOV.UK

2026 key stage 2 assessment and reporting arrangements - GOV.UK

Key stage 2 tests: modified test administration guidance (MTAG) - GOV.UK

Thank you, as ever, for your continued cooperation and for the commitment you and your teams show during this busy period – we hope the week runs as smoothly as possible, with plenty of smiles, reassurance and the odd deep breath along the way.

Andy Nicholls,

Senior EQA (School Standards and Condition)

We are pleased to be able to offer funding for 1 week for May 2026 half term from HSF7 funding received in 2025.  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).

Separate information will be communicated to schools soon regarding an update on the food voucher provision beyond half term.

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 May 2026 half term, funding is provided for 1 week support, £15 per eligible pupil.

Schools using Edenred

Edenred have advised for us to use their new portal for this school holiday period and so schools are to place orders through Login | Select 

eCodes ordered through the new portal are now 19 digits long.

The account will be open for schools to place orders between Monday 11 May and Friday 22 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 20 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:

• If a parent/carer’s email address has changed on an order you have placed, please complete the Edenred eCode Redirection Form and return to Edenred (do not cancel the order unless advised by Edenred) link to document page
• Parents/carers are directed to contact their school in the first instance for help with queries. If school is unable to assist the parent/carer, this can be escalated to Edenred customer services at freeschoolmeals@edenred.com or call 0333 400 5932.
• Edenred portal user guide for school administrators link to document page

For changes to a school account, for example a change to the school email address or the name of the person on the account who places the order, please email those changes to FSM@shropshire.gov.uk

Schools who receive funding via the LA

For those schools who don’t use Edenred, please complete the following online form by Friday 15 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.

You’re invited to attend this upcoming Domestic Abuse Surgery—an optional drop-in session hosted by a representative from Shropshire Council’s Domestic Abuse Prevention Team. This DA surgery is a chance for professionals to receive advice and guidance on domestic abuse-related cases.

If you have any cases you'd like to discuss, feel free to join the session. Please note that other professionals may also be attending.

If you need any advice or guidance in the meantime or would like to be added to the regular calendar invite for the Domestic Abuse Surgery, please contact the Shropshire Council Domestic Abuse Prevention Team Charlotte Howell, Domestic Abuse Project Officer, Email:  charlotte.howell@shropshire.gov.uk 

Here is the first edition of Bytesize News, a series of newsletters that include case studies from Cyber Choices referrals. The West Midlands Regional Cyber Crime Unit, have produced these to raise awareness around the kind of cases they encounter and would be appropriate for a Cyber Choices referral.

The average age of a cyber offender is just 16 years old. The “Cyber Choices” programme was created to help people (of any age) make informed choices and to use their cyber skills legally and ethically. This is a referral service, so we rely on our partners across the region to identify children who are at risk of cyber criminality and then make a referral to us.

If you have any questions and/or would like to make a referral, please email: cyberchoices@westmidlands.police.uk

For more information: https://www.wmcyber.org/prevent/

When you are informed as Headteacher that a family decides to electively home educate their child, the parent must inform the school in writing that they are home educating, when this notification is received the school must delete the child’s name from the admission register and must inform the local authority. This is in accordance with the School Attendance (Pupil Registration) (England) Regulations 2024, where a school must make a return to the local authority when a pupil’s name is deleted from the admission register.

When a school is informed by parents of their intention to home educate, the headteacher should invite the parents and, if appropriate, the child, to discuss their decision. They can also invite a member of the Education Access Service (EWO) to attend this meeting so that the local authority can ensure parents are fully informed of what is involved when taking the decision to home educate.

School must alert EAS to any safeguarding concerns/risks and complete the EHE Notification Form on the Shropshire Learning Gateway  Elective Home Education | Shropshire Learning Gateway additionally a copy of the parent’s deregistration letter must be sent to eas@shropshire.gov.uk

We will not be accepting any paper forms after 11^th May 2026

Safeguarding paperwork should remain with the school and must not be sent to EAS.

It is important to remember that schools cannot encourage families to electively home educate

For further guidance please visit Elective home education | Shropshire Council or reach out to your named EWO. 

Best Wishes

Jo Smith, Lead of Education Access Service 

To further strengthen the quality of Reception provision, the Department for Education has released a comprehensive package of Early Years Foundation Stage Profile (EYFSP) assessment support for school leaders and practitioners. This national offer is designed to improve the reliability of assessment, build teacher confidence and address common misconceptions.

As part of this programme, the DfE is funding local authorities to deliver EYFSP assessment support sessions for schools and pre‑reception settings. These sessions will run once each term, beginning this summer.

We are pleased to offer the following summer term EYFSP Assessment Support sessions: 

Please note that these are Face to Face events, please book your place(s) using the teams links below but the sessions are in-person in each location.

📍 North – Oswestry Marches Training Centre

Thursday 7th May, 9:00am–12:00pm  

Capacity: 40 places

Microsoft Virtual Events Powered by Teams

📍 Shrewsbury – The Guildhall

Friday 8th May, 9:00am–12:00pm  

Capacity: 56 places

Microsoft Virtual Events Powered by Teams

📍 South – Ludlow Mascall Centre

Wednesday 20th May, 9:00am–12:00pm  

Capacity: 30 places

Microsoft Virtual Events Powered by Teams

This is a valuable opportunity for Reception teachers, leaders and practitioners to deepen their understanding of EYFSP expectations and strengthen consistency across settings. 

Course: Computing Coordinator/Lead Update: Summer 2026

Ideal for: Computing Coordinators/Leads, schools with no official computing lead, those keen to develop computing as a strength of the school

Cost: £79 (online via Teams) with 7 resources to share with staff

Things are changing in the mandatory subject of Computing. Why not join Richard Smith on
Wednesday, June 24 from 1:30 PM - 3 PM for an INDEPENDENT update on what you need
to plan for September 2026.

There is no sales pitch, just 90 minutes of useful advice with
opportunities for both discussion and questions. Richard will be joined by National expert Stuart
Davison who will outline changes that link the NCCE curriculum to a DFE funded National Oak
Academy.

For more information please see the attached flyer.