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Education Noticeboard

1st May 2025

A round-up of news, guidance and key updates for education settings

Contents

Directors Update

Victory in Europe Day

Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service

LSAT - SAM Portal

Supporting all readers in secondary school - DFE Guidance

SEND Local Offer

SEND & AP Change Programme School Survey

Multicultural Development Team

School Census Guidance

Thrive Together

Foundation Stage nutrition guidance

Job Box Website Update 

CPD courses for the Summer first Half Term 2025

Ironbridge Gorge Museum Travel Bursary

Deaf Awareness Week

World Asthma Day

Directors Update

Dear Colleagues I hope you all had a wonderful Easter break and found some time to relax and recharge for the summer term ahead. This edition includes the newsletter with the latest updates from LSAT, DFE and the SEND Local Offer.  The SEND Local Offer provides comprehensive information about services and support available across education, health, and social care for children and young people in Telford and Wrekin with special educational needs (SEN) or disabilities. Visit the SEND Local Offer website to explore updates and share your thoughts via the feedback form. Also, there is a SEND and AP programme school survey, which will help us better understand how different educational settings currently provide support for children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) and those in Alternative Provision (AP). Please take a few minutes to do so before the deadline on 18th April 2025. I am pleased to share NHS Shropshire, Telford and Wrekin Integrated Care Board (ICB) is redesigning and recommissioning the CAMHS service known as (BeeU). The launch, initially set for 1 October 2025, has been delayed for further review. We have also highlighted Ironbridge Gorge Museum Travel Bursary and Victory in Europe Day. This week's noticeboard is packed with useful information! Enjoy the rest of your week. Best Wishes, Simon Simon Wellman Director: Education & Skills

Victory in Europe Day

Victory in Europe Day - Thursday 8th May

Next Thursday (8 May) marks the 80^th anniversary of VE (Victory in Europe) Day, when the Second World War ended in Europe.

Events and activities are taking place across the Borough to commemorate the occasion. You can find out more about those at https://www.telford.gov.uk/info/21948/ve_day_80/6792/local_events_in_telford_and_wrekin

We’re sure many of our schools will be marking the occasion too and we’d love to feature any stories or photographs in next week’s education noticeboard.

Please share any details with us via education.noticeboard@telford.gov.uk

Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service

CAMHS Emotional Wellbeing and Mental Health Service Update

NHS Shropshire, Telford and Wrekin Integrated Care Board (ICB) currently holds a contract with the Midlands Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust (MPFT) for the delivery of local Children and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS), known as BeeU.

A comprehensive piece of work is underway to redesign and recommission a CAMHS service that will replace BeeU. The process will be conducted through a competitive procurement exercise in accordance with Health Care Services (Provider Selection Regime) Regulations 2023 (PSR). The service launch, initially set for 1 October 2025, has been delayed due to the need for additional review, and due diligence.

The BeeU contract with MPFT will be extended until 31 March 2026 to ensure service continuity, with the newly commissioned CAMHS service commencing on 1 April 2026. In parallel, efforts continue to improve in-year service delivery, particularly around access and waiting times.

In light of this revision a revised timeline of next steps has been developed. Following the engagement period, which closed on 7 March, a comprehensive engagement report has been developed. The insight from the engagement will be considered and will help shape the final service specification. The full engagement report will be published on NHS Shropshire, Telford and Wrekin’s website here.

Following the approval of the final service specification, the procurement process is expected to begin in late summer, with the contract expected to be awarded towards the end of 2025. The new CAMHS service is scheduled to go live 1 April 2026.

NHS Shropshire, Telford and Wrekin remains committed to delivering a high-quality, sustainable CAMHS service that meets the needs of children and young people. Stakeholders will be kept informed as we progress towards the new service implementation, ensuring a safe and effective transition for service users and providers alike.

We appreciate stakeholder engagement and continued support in shaping this critical service transformation. Thank you for your continued partnership. Your involvement is key to ensuring every child and young person receives the right support at the right time in the right place. If you have any questions or require further information, please contact
stw.communications@nhs.net.

Learning Support Advisory Team

Submitting information/consent on the SAM Portal for the LSAT service. 

In light of some feedback we have received regarding the new LSAT processes, following the introduction of Synergy & the SAM Portal, we have made some updates to the Consent and Background Information Form. These changes will be made from 28^th April. Any forms submitted before this date, using the current process, will be accepted. 

We have tried to simplify and shorten the form as much as we can. This is to ensure that the process is as smooth as possible for yourselves, and to try to mitigate the inability to save your progress as you are completing the form. All fields that remain on the form are a necessity for the team.  

Your LSAT will provide you with a blank version of the form which will inform you of the details you will need prior to starting the form. They can also provide an example of a good referral for your reference.  

Please disregard any previous versions of the consent form from now on, otherwise your form may be rejected. We will no longer be accepting referrals stating ‘see form attached’. 

Potential reasons for form rejections: 

Incorrect child information 

Incomplete information 

Parental consent form not attached/attached to incorrect child record 

Parental consent form not signed/dated/completed fully 

A couple of issues you may come across when using the SAM Portal:

• If you receive the timed out message, click ‘Go Back.’ This should take you to the sign in page, where you can log in again.
• Should any pupils not show up when searching, please ensure you are searching for first and last name only and are also using the wildcard to be safe. For example: J% Bl% for Joe Bloggs. If the pupil still does not show up, please email the Education System Support team (email below) with the pupil’s name, DOB, school and start date, and they can ensure the record shows for you.

If you have any further issues with access to the SAM Portal, please email educationsystemsupport@telford.gov.uk and they will get back to you. If you have any further questions regarding the LSAT process, please direct these to the LSAT team via the SEND and Inclusion inbox rather than the Education System Support Team.    

Department for Education

Supporting all readers in secondary school - DfE guidance and free training materials.

The Department for Education, in partnership with Professor Jessie Ricketts of Royal Holloway, University of London, teachers and school leaders with expertise in reading and secondary context, have released a free short course for secondary school leaders and staff to support readers at all levels.

Two training pathways have been released, one aimed at school staff and the other at school leaders. The DfE advise that the course can be completed within an hour and may be undertaken individually or in groups.

Both training pathways include a series of videos, guidance and workbooks for staff to use.

These are available via the DfE webpage and are free to access Supporting all readers in secondary school - GOV.UK

SEND Local Offer

The SEND Local Offer sets out in one place, information about the services and support expected to be available across education, health and social care for children and young people (CYP) in Telford and Wrekin who have SEN or are disabled. 

The Local Offer has two key purposes:

• To provide clear, comprehensive, accessible and up-to-date information about the available provision and how to access it.
• To make provision more responsive to local needs and aspirations by directly involving CYP with SEND, parent carers of CYP with SEND and service providers in its development and review. 

 The success of the Local Offer hinges on collaborative efforts to guarantee that information is accurate and responsive to the community's needs. We partner with key organisations to gather feedback from and support community members, fostering opportunities for collaboration.

At this stage in the review and development, the Local Offer now features brand new pages, updated information and many exciting developments on the way.

Based on feedback from parent carers, it became clear that the SEND Local Offer was difficult to navigate and felt overwhelming. To address these concerns, New to SEND was created to offer a helpful starting point, guiding parent carers to essential information and providing reassurance during this new journey. On this page there are useful links to the Glossary of Terms and SEND News which provide additional guidance and support.

The Health page has been thoroughly reviewed and updated alongside health professionals. To make it easier for parents to access information, services are now categorised into a specialist and universal offer. Additionally, ongoing work with health professionals and local health services aims to expand the page with more details about available services and reasonable adjustments.

The Preparing for Adulthood page has undergone a complete refresh in collaboration with the Preparing for Adulthood team and shared with our parent carer representatives for feedback. It now features updated content, including new pages on living independently, social activities and a redesign to enhance user experience and accessibility.

Email Address: localoffer@telford.gov.uk

Website: SEND - Local offer

Take a look at our new pages and get in touch to share your thoughts.  Feedback form - SEND - Local offer

SEND & AP Change Programme School Survey

We recently contacted you about an independent evaluation the Department for Education (DfE) has commissioned to understand the experiences and views of education settings in local areas participating in the SEND and AP Change Programme. This evaluation is being carried out by three organisations: ICF, BMG and RSM.

The evaluators want to better understand how different educational settings currently provide support for children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) and those in Alternative Provision (AP). They would like education settings to complete a short survey.

If you, or the staff member in charge of SEND support (e.g. the SENCO), have not already taken part in this survey, there is still time to participate. You can access the survey by using the website link below. 

The survey will take approximately 10 to 15 minutes to complete and will close on 18th of April 2025 so please be sure to complete your answers before then.

If you do not have responsibility for, SEND and AP related decisions, we would be grateful if you could pass this invitation on to the staff member in charge of SEND support (e.g. the SENCO) within your school.

Multicultural Development Team

The IRIS Refresher Training (The Individual and Annual Return Racist Incident Reporting and Recording System)

Telford & Wrekin ICT has recently upgraded the IRIS (Individual and Annual Return Racist Incident Reporting and Recording System) to improve accessibility and security. Schools and academies that are not on the Telford & Wrekin ICT network can now securely access the IRIS system. This means they no longer need to send incident reports via email; now, racist incidents can be securely and confidentially reported directly through the system.

The update also includes an important new security feature. To protect sensitive information, designated school staff with access to IRIS will now need to enter a security code when logging in.

To ensure that all schools can effectively use the upgraded system, FREE refresher training is available to all Telford & Wrekin schools.

This training is ideal for designated staff members or those from schools and academies that are new to IRIS.

MDT will be hosting two CPD refresher training sessions via Microsoft Teams to help staff navigate the updated system. The sessions are scheduled as follows:

• Wednesday, 7th May 2025 – 3:30 pm to 4:30 pm
• Tuesday, 24th June 2025 – 3:30 pm to 4:30 pm

If a member of school staff would like to attend, please email multicultural.development@telford.gov.uk  to register.

Preparation for Summer 2025 School Census -guidance notes - FINAL

Guidance notes for the Summer2025 (May) School Census for Headteachers/School Business Managers/School Administrators.

Early Years

Thrive Together SPH April – Dec 25 Training Schedule

We’re thrilled to share that the Stronger Practice Hubs have been extended for another year! As a result, we’ve developed even more free training opportunities, including Networks and Webinar Wednesdays, running from April to December 2025, with additional ad-hoc training to be announced soon.

If you’d like to attend any of these sessions, simply click the registration link, enter your details, and upon registering, you’ll receive a confirmation email with the joining links.

Networks & Webinar Wednesday’s

 Love and Nurture Circle with Tamsin Grimmer

8^th April 2025 4-5:30PM

29^th April 2025 4-5:30PM

13^th May 2025 4-5:30PM

25^th May 2025 4-5:30PM

3^rd June 2025 4-5:30PM

Registration link: Love and Nurture Learning Circle with Tamsin Grimmer

Supporting Self-Awareness (Parent Engagement)

23^rd April 2025 9:30-10:30AM

Registration Link: Supporting Self-Awareness - Parent Engagement Webinar

Transition Arrangement for Bilingual Children and their Parents

7^th May 2025 4-5PM

Registration Link: Transition Arrangement for Bilingual Children and their Parents Network

Phonological Awareness Webinar

7^th May 2025 9:30-10:30AM

Registration Link: Phonological Awareness Webinar

Communication & Literacy – A Book Talk & Beyond Network

8^th May 2025 4-5PM

Registration Link: Communication & Literacy - A Book Talk & Beyond Network

Early Years Mathematics – Building Firm Foundations

14^th May 2025 4-5PM

Registration Link: Early Years Mathematics - Building Firm Foundations

Using EYPP Funding Effectively – EEF Guidance Document

18^th June 2025 9:30-10:30AM

Registration Link: Using EYPP Funding Effectively - EEF Guidance Document

Beyond Serve and Return: Keeping Conversations Going

2^nd July 2025 9:30-10:30AM

Registration Link: Beyond Serve and Return; Keeping Conversations Going Webinar

Interactive Reading: An Effective Strategy to Support CL Development

20^th August 2025 9:30-10:30AM

Registration Link: Interactive Reading an Effective Strategy to Support C&L Development Webinar

EAL: Understanding EAL and SEND

16^th September 2025 6:30-7:30PM Registration Link: Seeing children through an EAL or SEN lens network

Goldilocks Effect: Getting it ‘Just Right’ for your Children 8^th October 2025 9:30-10:30AM

Registration Link: Goldilocks Effect - Getting It ‘Just Right’ For Your Children Webinar

Executive Function & Metacognition: Talking about Learning

5^th November 2025 9:30-10:30AM

Registration Link: Executive Function & Metacognition - Talking about Learning Webinar

Curating an Environment for all Children Where Learning is Inevitable

3^rd December 2025 9:30-10:30AM

Registration Link: Curating an Environment for All Children Where Learning is Inevitable

Early Years Foundation Stage nutrition guidance

The Early Years Foundation Stage nutrition guidance has been updated.

Please see the full updated document here: Early Years Foundation Stage nutrition guidance

Email: childcarefunding@telford.gov.uk

Job Box

Job Box Website Update

We are pleased to announce that the Telford and Wrekin Job Box website has been updated with a range of new upcoming events. This includes details of drop-in sessions where advice and guidance on local courses, training, and employment support is available. These sessions are held during the first week of every month.

Events Information - Telford Job Box

Job Box Website: Telford Job Box

The latest 2025 Skills Strategy has been implemented to the Job Box Website to help you stay informed about the key initiatives and opportunities Telford and Wrekin Offer.

CPD

CPD courses for the Summer first Half Term 2025

The CPD Booklet to the end of the 2024-25 academic year can be viewed via Telford Education Services

As always, courses can be booked by completing and returning a CPD booking form to cpdschoolimprovement@telford.gov.uk (unless denoted differently).

In addition to the courses run by Telford & Wrekin Council which are advertised in our CPD booklet, you may also wish to look at the range of courses run by other local providers, whose web links are detailed below:

AmazingCPD

Severn Training Schools Alliance

Other Information and Resources

Ironbridge Gorge Museum Travel Bursary

At Ironbridge Gorge Museums we have launched a travel bursary for schools from T&W who are visiting our sites. Schools who meet our criteria (based on the number of pupils on FSM / PP) can claim up to £500 towards the cost of the coach.  Details of the bursary and how to apply are here:

Awareness Dates

Deaf Awareness Week: Monday 5th - Sunday 11th May 2025

Did you know that there are over 45,000 deaf children in the UK?  Hearing loss can be in one or both ears and can range from mild to profound. There are lots of different types of hearing devices, from conventional hearing aids to cochlear implants/processors to support children with hearing loss.

Why not take this opportunity to share the Sensory Inclusion Service’s Top Tips for deaf awareness during an assembly for Deaf Awareness Week:

Deaf awareness Top Tips:

• Make sure you are inclusive – if a deaf child hasn’t heard what you have said, don’t say it doesn’t matter, make sure you take the time to repeat clearly what has been said so that they can join in with the conversation.
• Talk at normal speed with normal lip-patterns. Did you know that lots of people with hearing loss rely on lip-reading to support their listening? Make sure that when you are talking, the person with a hearing loss can see your face clearly.
• Try not to stand in front of a light source, like a window, as this can obscure your face and mean that the deaf person cannot read your facial expressions or lip-read effectively.
• Try not to make unnecessary noise as this can be very distracting for someone who wears hearing aids. Think, are you tapping a pen? Shuffling in your chair? Talking when you shouldn’t be? This can all make it harder for the deaf person to hear.

Suggested Activities for the week:

• Why not have a bake sale to raise money during the week for the local Shropshire Deaf Children’s Society?
• Why not find a story book that includes a deaf character for a literacy focus, or research famous deaf people.
• Why not try a lip-reading challenge.
• Perhaps you could learn to finger spell the alphabet.
• You may be able to organise a visit from the Hearing Dogs for the Deaf.

Needs some inspiration - there are more ideas on the National Deaf Children’s Society (NDCS) website here:

Deaf awareness games and activities | National Deaf Children's Society

If you want more ideas or information, please contact your school’s Teacher of the Deaf or the Sensory Inclusion Service on 01952 385269 or SENDandInclusion@telford.gov.uk. We’d love to hear about your events.

World Asthma Day - Tuesday 6th May

Remember to sign up to our webinar all about inhaler techniques and treatments.

Tuesday 6th May | 9.30am -10.00am | Zoom | register here 

This session is open to all staff your school. If you're not able to make it, we can offer virtual sessions with staff and parents at a convenient time for you. Just reply to this email for more info.

Plus you can download our pre-written assembly presentation now to share on the day. 

We're also excited to share that we have another two webinars scheduled in this year's asthma series:

3rd June - recognising and managing asthma attacks

8th July - planning for the new school year, including Asthma Action Plans

You can catch up on our first webinar - here.

Don't forget to send this to your colleagues and thanks again for being a Clean Air Champion!

Kind regards,

Amy, Asthma + Lung UK

schools@asthmaandlung.org.uk