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Education Noticeboard

8th May 2025

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

Contents

Executive Director Update

Directors Update

5 by 5 is live!

Young Person Grant 2025 - One week left to apply for up to £500!

VE Day 80th Commemorations

Action for schools and further education settings: Access support available to tackle extremism through Educate Against Hate

Thrive Together SPH April – Dec 25 Training Schedule

Early Years Foundation Stage nutrition guidance

The latest News, Updates and Activities for Children with Disabilities and their Families in Telford

Let’s talk about HPV (Human Papillomavirus)

SEND Family Newsletter

Do you work in SEND? Or are you part of the SEND system in some way?

Forest School Leaders and Outdoor Learning Group

Educational Visits Network Meeting CHANGE OF DATE - Now Tuesday 20^th May   1pm to 3pm.

CPD courses for the Summer first Half Term 2025

Opening Schools Facilities Programme Impact Report

Ironbridge Gorge Museum Travel Bursary

Awareness Dates

Executive Director Update

Hi All, I would like to share with you some key updates regarding the Families First Partnership programme here in Telford and Wrekin. The guide is aimed at safeguarding partners who are implementing reforms around family help, multi-agency child protection and family group decision-making. The FFP Programme is a new national programme set up in the Department for Education (DfE) and supported by the Department of Health and Social Care and the Home Office. Through the programme, government will be working with us (local authorities, police, health, education, childcare settings and other relevant agencies) to develop our local services and systems that help and protect children and families. The reforms include the introduction of Family Help, strengthening multi-agency child protection, and improving engagement with family networks. The reforms are part of broader Children’s Social Care (CSC) reforms as shared in November 2024, within the DfE publication ‘Keeping  Children Safe, Helping Families Thrive’ – this policy statement outlines the Government vision for the future children’s social care system and the core legislative proposals. The vision set out in the policy paper is built around creating a system which: Works with the whole family so more children and young people can           thrive in their family. Prioritises kinship care for children who cannot live safely with their             parents. Supports children in care and care leavers to live healthy and happy           lives. Provides a high quality of care, which all children deserve. Takes action to end excessive profit making by care providers. Works effectively across agencies and empowers professionals                   working within it. The policy statement also builds on the National framework for Children’s Social Care, published in December 2023, which sets a clear vision for the outcomes we want the whole system to achieve. Our initial plans for implementation are well underway, with recruitment to our local transformation team; the establishment of governance and working groups; communication and engagement planning underway; alongside strategic analysis of local needs and priorities. There will be regular communications with you through forums and communications recognising just how important everyone’s role is in driving the Families First agenda. The reforms entail ambitious plans to co-design our services and reach even more families in need, with the aim of creating an even more supportive and effective system that truly makes a difference to the lives of children and families. Which is something that I am certain everyone working with children and families in Telford and Wrekin would aspire to! I appreciate you and all that you do in your roles each day! Best Wishes Jo  Jo Britton Executive Director -Children's Services Children’s Safeguarding & Family Support

Directors Update

Dear Colleagues Welcome to this weeks edition of the Education Noticeboard. Our "5 by 5" initiative launched this week which aims to inspire children under five to be happy, healthy and active as they prepare for school. The program offers resources for parents and carers to boost their child's development in various skills, aligning with the Government's early learning goals. Please do encourage parents to take a look at the new website detailed below.  There’s only one week left for young people to apply for a grant of up to £500, which can be used to support their education, employment or training. Applications close next Friday 16 May at 5pm. Today marks the 80th anniversary of VE (Victory in Europe) Day, when the Second World War ended in Europe. 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 do send them to education.noticeboard@telford.gov.uk A quick reminder that all Year 8’s are due to receive their routine HPV vaccination in the summer term too. Please ensure you review the article below in preparation for your students Next week marks SATS week in our primary schools, an important milestone for our young learners. We extend our good luck wishes to all the children involved.  Their hard work and preparation will surely pay off!  Additionally, we express our deepest gratitude to teachers and support staff for their unwavering dedication and efforts and who will support pupils over the coming week.  There is lots of other useful information detailed below so please ensure where possible you take the time to read through these.  Enjoy the rest of your week. Best Wishes, Simon Simon Wellman Director: Education & Skills

News

5 by 5 is live!

We're excited to launch our new initiative, 5 by 5, designed to inspire and encourage children under the age of five to be happy, healthy, and active as they prepare for school! We’ve launched a new website, which can be found at 5by5.telford.gov.uk, where parents and carers will find ideas of things to try with their child before the age of five to boost their confidence, imagination, independence, social and creative skills and ability to understand the world around them. The initiative has been designed to meet the Government’s 17 early learning goals and will be the perfect stepping stone for our 10 by 10 programme. Please share details of the initiative with parents and carers of children in your school. We welcome your support.

Young Person Grant 2025 - One week left to apply for up to £500!

There’s only one week left for young people to apply for a grant of up to £500, which can be used to support their education, employment or training. Applications for the Leader and Cabinet Members’ Young Person Grant close next Friday 16 May at 5pm. Dozens of young people aged 15 to 25 have already taken the opportunity to apply and others are urged need to get their applications in soon. Terms and conditions apply. More information can be found at:

VE Day 80th Commemorations

Thursday (8 May) marks the 80th 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 via the button below. 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

Department for Education

Action for schools and further education settings: Access support available to tackle extremism through Educate Against Hate

The national debate sparked by the recent broadcast of ‘Adolescence’ has left many with worries about protecting children from the harms posed by online radicalisation. The DfE remains committed to supporting schools to challenge harmful ideologies.

We recently published a guide to support teachers in understanding the signs that a young person may be vulnerable to Incel ideologies and what they should do if they are concerned.

Educate Against Hate (EAH) now also hosts a set of teaching resources provided by the PHSE Association on misogyny and how these issues can be covered through RHSE. We encourage you to access these resources.

We want to support teachers and school leaders to feel confident to tackle these issues because schools where women and girls feel valued are schools where everyone thrives. 

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

Short Breaks Newsletter

The latest News, Updates and Activities for Children with Disabilities and their Families in Telford

This weeks addition contains information about the below topics:

• Nimbus Access Card
• Children Autism Hub—NEW Activities
• SEND Local Offer Updates

Click the below link to read the full letter.

Health Protection Hub

Let’s talk about HPV (Human Papillomavirus) A quick reminder that all Year 8’s are due to receive their routine HPV vaccination in the summer term. Please support the School Age Immunisation Service (SAIS) vaccine programme and have the vaccination conversations to keep children safe and healthy, in order to live their best lives. If you would like an educative assembly for Year 8’s before the end of June, or any lesson plan materials to support the discussion on vaccination, please contact us. You can start the conversation about HPV now! We often talk about common viruses like, colds, flu or COVID-19 but not so often about HPV - human papillomavirus, which is the virus linked to certain cancers. Cervical cancer is the type most strongly linked to HPV infection, but HPV can also cause other cancers including some types of mouth and throat cancers to both boys and girls.  Although HPV can cause cancer, having HPV doesn’t mean you have or will definitely get cancer.  It’s a really common virus – most of us will have HPV at some point in our lifetime without it causing any harm and a lot of the time without us knowing. HPV vaccination is an important part of reducing the number of people with high-risk HPV and in turn, the number of people who develop HPV-related cancers  Let’s keep the conversation going and support our young people to get their HPV vaccine.

SEND

SEND Family Newsletter

Our SEND Family Newsletter is a newsletter for the families of children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities in Telford & Wrekin. Please could you share the link, below, on your school newsletter for your SEND families to access.

The SEND Local Offer is currently being reviewed and developed in collaboration the SEND Team, our parent carer reps who attend the Working Together for Parent Participation group (WTPP) and other relevant professionals. This work is focused on ensuring information provided is accurate, up to date and reflects the current needs of our local community.

Following feedback from our parent carer groups, the Local Offer has undergone some exciting updates.

These include the addition of a “New to SEND?” section with a, ‘how to navigate the Local Offer’ video and an updated Glossary of Terms. We hope these enhancements will help users navigate the many acronyms used in SEND and guide them to discover relevant resources within the Local Offer or onwards to relevant external websites. Our "New to SEND?" page has been thoughtfully created for those who have recently discovered that they or their child has been diagnosed with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities, or for anyone who feels unsure of where to start.

Our Welcome to SEND News area gathers together our newsletters in one place and provides the most up to date information about SEND in Telford & Wrekin, including a video on how to use the accessibility tools on our web page.

With further exiting updates to come, we would appreciate if you can share the Local offer with your SENCos, TA’s and SEND Families.

National Children’s Bureau - Council for Disabled Children

Do you work in SEND? Or are you part of the SEND system in some way?

Take our short Workforce Survey and share it with your colleagues so we can design our trainings and resources to meet the SEND workforce’s learning and development needs.

The RISE Partnership (Council for Disabled Children and National Development Team for Inclusion) is designing and delivering training and resources which further develop skills and knowledge across the SEND workforce under the Research and Improvement for SEND Excellence Partnership (RISE), funded by the Department for Education (DfE).

To cater to the needs of the workforce and understand the needs of practitioners and professionals, we have developed a SEND workforce survey. The analysis will inform the design of the training, and we need your input in order for it to be as relevant as possible. Please include as much detail as possible in your answers to help us understand your own or your team’s learning needs.

To access the survey, please click here. Or you can scan the attached QR code. Please find attached the flyer to share with your networks.

The survey captures the whole SEND system including Multi-Agency, Health, Education and Social Care needs. We also welcome and encourage input related to other aspects of SEND, and that there is an opportunity to do this in the survey.

The survey is anonymous and should not take more than 10-15 minutes depending on the amount of detail you share. The deadline to fill in the survey is midnight on 11 May 2025.

For any questions or queries, please contact the RISE team (RISE@ncb.org.uk).

Outdoor Education

Forest School Leaders and Outdoor Learning Group Our termly meeting is open to all to come. gain new ideas, share best practice and gain support for working in the outdoors with young people. Join likeminded people to explore new ideas, share good practice, renew skills and eat cake with a cuppa! Networking is an essential form of support in a world that can be isolating. It is a safe place to explore good ideas and ask for help for tricky situations or even ask for practical help. We are happy to venture out to your site and give you advice and help. We will be looking at different topics each time…this time it will be campfire cooking and art without paper. WE ARE MEETING AT WREKIN FOREST SCHOOL ON THIS OCCASION. Use the button below to book a place:

Educational Visits Network Meeting CHANGE OF DATE - Now Tuesday 20^th May   1pm to 3pm.

(Can be used for revalidation)

Wellington Town Council Chamber, accessed through the Library at the Leisure Centre.

EVC Network Meeting Tuesday 20^th May 2025

No booking required - please accept/decline your calendar invite, or email EdVisits@telford.gov.uk

 Wellington Town Council Chamber, accessed through the Library at the Leisure Centre

There is free parking for up to 3 hours at the front and rear of the building, but you will need a ticket. There is additional parking across the road, and on nearby side streets.

12.45pm Arrivals and refreshments

1.00pm - 3.00pm Network Meeting

All schools/establishments following TWC Educational Visits and Journeys Guidance must have a trained EVC who has either been trained by TWC or has, within 3 years, revalidated their training with an accredited OEAP Provider. 

Every EVC must attend at least one TWC EVC training course and then may maintain subsequent revalidation by attending at least 1 out of 3

Network Meetings each year.   Attendance at Network Meetings is recorded and used for revalidation of the EVC role every 3 years. 

EVCs are also welcome to attend repeat EVC training if this is deemed appropriate.  The numbers of EVCs required by the school / establishment is a decision for the Head Teacher / Senior Manager.

 Aims:

1.      A forum for local and national updates regarding the management of              Educational Visits and Journeys

2.      Share practice and experience between EVCs including ‘lessons learned’. 3.      Develop the support that is available locally through a collective approach 4.      Respond to specific queries or concerns.

If as an EVC, you cannot make the in-person meeting this alternative is offered – it is a quick go through the essential information from the full Network Meeting.  This is not available for revalidation.

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

Opening Schools Facilities Programme Impact Report We’re excited to share the impact of the Opening School Facilities (OSF) programme across Shropshire, Telford, and Wrekin. The Opening School Facilities programme was a government funded initiative aimed at increasing physical activity by enabling schools to open their facilities outside of regular school hours. It has been a 3-year investment by the Department for Education to find local solutions to identify long term changes in behaviour, leading to more people being active in the areas that need it most. Energize the Active Partnership for Shropshire, Telford and Wrekin worked with 18 schools across the county on the Opening Schools Facilities programme which ended in March 2025. Please click here to view the Impact Report which provides an overview of the programme including its impact, the learnings and challenges and various case studies. For further information about the Opening Facilities Programme please contact the team at Energize: Harry Cade harry.cade@energizestw.org.uk or Jake Jones jake.jones@energizestw.org.uk

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

Foster Care Fortnight will run from 12th– 25th of May 2025.

The UK’s biggest awareness raising campaign for fostering! This year’s theme is The Power of Relationships - because at the heart of every fostering journey are the connections that make all the difference.

Strong, trusting relationships are the golden thread that runs through every fostering story. Whether it’s the bond between a foster carer and a child, the support of social workers, the friendships built within fostering communities, or the connections with birth families, these relationships shape lives, create stability, and open up new possibilities for the future.  

Mental Health awareness week will run from 12th-18th of May 2025.

This year, the week takes place from 12 to 18 May 2025 and the theme is 'community'. We want to use this Mental Health Awareness Week to celebrate the power and importance of community. Being part of a safe, positive community is vital for our mental health and wellbeing.