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Education Noticeboard

5 June 2025

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

Contents

Executive Director Update

Directors Update

Woodlands Primary School and Nursery Fun Run

Flying the Flag

School Attendance Policy

Early Years Family Fun Day

Arthog Survey

Button Battery Safety

Dangers of Magnetic Toys

Healthier Together

Unlock the potential of Apprenticeships

CPD

AI in Primary Schools

Free Webinar on teaching Judaism

New Kids club

Kinship Care Survey

June is Pride Month

Information about Eid-ul-Adha

Carers Week

Learning Disabilities Week

Executive Directors Update

Good Afternoon I hope you had a chance to enjoy a well-earned break over the May half term and spend some quality time with your families and loved ones. As we enter the final stretch of the academic year, I want to thank you for the energy, passion, and commitment you continue to bring to your role—it really makes a difference to the lives of our children and young people.  I know the past few weeks have been especially busy, with SATs, VE Day celebrations, and the start of GCSEs. Your resilience and dedication have not gone unnoticed, and I want to extend my heartfelt thanks to each of you. The Department for Education has recently released an animated video introducing the Working Together to Safeguard Children 2023 statutory guidance. You can watch it here:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G4ntSqMCSUI We’re also making strong progress with our Family First Partnership Programme transformation, which is built around three key pillars—plus one: Family Help: Driving the development and delivery of effective early intervention and support. Multi-Agency Child Protection Teams: Establishing collaborative, cross-agency teams to safeguard children. Family Group Decision Making: Embedding family-led approaches in decision-making. My Life Plan for Children in Care and Care Leavers: Strengthening planning and support for those in our care. Work is currently underway on the first version of our Readiness for Reform plan, due for submission on 27 June 2025. This plan will highlight our strengths, identify areas for development, and shape the co-design of our transformation journey as a partnership. I will keep you updated on the progress made. Finally, I would like to thank you once again for all that you do. Warm regards, Jo  Jo Britton Executive Director - Children's Services Children’s Safeguarding & Family Support

Directors Update

Dear Colleagues Welcome to this week’s edition of the Education Noticeboard. I hope you had a chance to rest and recharge over the May half-term break as we head into the final stretch of the summer term. GCSE exams are now well underway. Good luck to all our children and young people as they showcase their knowledge and skills across our educational settings in the coming weeks. It’s wonderful to see Woodlands Primary School hosting a fancy dress fun run to raise funds for much-needed playground improvements. Well done to everyone who took part. In this edition, you’ll find important updates from our Health Hub team on button battery safety and the dangers of magnetic toys, and our School Attendance team has shared key updates on policies—please take a moment to review and share this information. We’re also offering a wide range of training sessions this term to support staff development. With artificial intelligence becoming an increasingly important part of education, we’re pleased to introduce AI training specifically tailored for primary schools to help you get started. A new kids club for military families will launch on 25 June at Venning Barracks in Donnington. Please help spread the word to families who may be eligible to join. As June marks Pride Month, we’re proud to be lighting up Southwater One in rainbow colours to celebrate and show our support to LGBTQ+ community. As part of Carers Week (9–16 June), we want to acknowledge and support the many children and young people in our community who take on caring responsibilities. Telford Carers Service has put together a fantastic timetable of free events and activities to celebrate and support young carers. Please can you share this information with parents and carers. This week, we also launch our Telford flag design competition. We’re asking students to design a flag that they feel represents the Borough. The winner will receive a £250 for arts and crafts materials for their school. We hope you’re able to support the competition, you can read more about this further down. Please note the eligibility criteria. Finally, as we approach the end of the academic year, don’t forget to share your good news stories and photos with us—we love celebrating the fantastic work happening across our education settings. You can send your submissions to: education.noticeboard@telford.gov.uk. Enjoy the rest of your week. Best Wishes, Simon Simon Wellman Director: Education & Skills

News

Woodlands Primary School and Nursery hosted a Fancy Dress Fun Run The Fun Run was organised to raise money for playground improvements and for Hope House, a cause close to our hearts. It was an excellent day! Well done everyone. The final amount raised is to be confirmed.

Flying the flag

Flag design competition launches today

Today, we’re excited to launch our competition to find the best flag design to represent Telford and Wrekin.

We want our young creative minds to come up with a design that they feel best represents their hometown – whether it’s celebrating the Borough’s industrial past and the iconic Ironbridge, the Wrekin or the many green and open spaces that make up the Borough.

We’re looking for a bold and simple flag design that could create pride in the community and become synonymous with the Borough in the months and years ahead.

The competition is open to all children of primary and secondary school age and there’s even a £250 prize up for grabs for the winner’s school. See eligibility criteria for more details.

We’re hoping all schools are able to support the competition and provide an opportunity for students to take part.

The winner will receive a £250 voucher for their school for new arts and craft materials, courtesy of the competition’s media sponsor, Telford Live.

The competition closes on Friday 11 July at 5pm and the winner will be announced during the autumn term later this year.

If your school is planning to take part, please share details, including the eligibility criteria, with parents and carers.

We’re asking schools to send a picture of each entry as individual jpegs to flagcomp@telford.gov.uk. Please include name, age, school and description of the design with each digital entry as well as confirmation that the parent/carer agrees to the eligibility criteria.

If you’re unable to send the entries through by email, please contact flagcomp@telford.gov.uk to make alternative arrangements.

Eligibility criteria

The design

• All designs should be no bigger than an A4 piece of paper
• We’re looking for bold colours and shapes that can be easily reproduced on a flag
• Designs can be created with pencils, crayons, felts and paints, but should not include anything loose or stuck on
• Designs created on a computer will also be accepted
• Entries must be original and created solely by the child

Application details

• The competition is open to all pupils on roll in reception through to year 10 at all Telford and Wrekin schools inclusive

• Schools are asked to check that each child’s parent or carer agrees with the terms set out in the eligibility criteria before submitting their entry. This must be declared for each entry

• Each entry should include the child’s name, age and school and a description of the design on the reverse along with confirmation that their parent/carer has agreed to the terms set out in the eligibility criteria
• Each child can submit one entry only
• Entries received after the closing date (11 July at 5pm) will not be considered

The judging

• A panel of judges will shortlist one entry per school. Details of how the winning entry will be selected will be confirmed in due course.
• The decision of the judges is final and there is no right of appeal against the decision

The winning and shortlisted entries

• The winner and those shortlisted are expected to participate in publicity, including photographs for the media and social media. The schools should ensure all parents/carers agree to this when submitting entries
• The winning design may be modified for practical purposes in any way

General information

• By submitting an entry, participants grant Telford & Wrekin Council the right to use, reproduce, and display the design in any format and to use it in perpetuity
• Telford & Wrekin Council is not responsible for any lost, late, or misdirected entries
• Participation in the competition constitutes acceptance of the eligibility criteria
• The information given in the eligibility criteria is correct, but Telford & Wrekin Council reserves the right to make changes without prior warning
• For more information, contact flagcomp@telford.gov.uk

School Attendance

Schools Attendance Policy & Required Content 

In response to a number of queries from schools around the content of the schools own Attendance Policy we have clarified the advice AST relay to schools with our legal department.

The Attendance Policy must contain relevant information for parents – it must be included in the policy not solely on an ‘Information for parents’ area.

If AST issue any Penalty Notice or legal notices, the legal team require a copy of the schools’ policy to exhibit as evidence.

Our legal team state:

The reason why we specifically ask for the school’s policy to be included, and not a snippet from the school website, is because the court need to know when the child should have attended school and what the school rules are to decide whether the child has regularly attended. The Platt case some years ago confirmed that regular attendance means in line with the schools’ rules, so we should be exhibiting the school’s policy for this purpose. So, the policies need to be up to date.

Schools were able to add information for parents as an interim measure at the beginning of the school year to alert parents to changes in legislation, whilst schools were completing their policies, But these should be fully in place now and AST Attendance Advisors have supported schools with this.

Sample text and quotes for schools to add to their policy has been circulated to schools and is attached– please ensure it is added to the Attendance Policy so that schools can access all legal interventions.

Early Years

Early Years Family Fun Day

Saturday 14 June at Telford Town Park

Families are invited to join us at Telford Town Park on Saturday 14 June for a free Family fun day, running from 11am to 3pm.

Organised by the Council’s early years team, the day will include creative workshops, outdoor play, face painting and a live storytelling session with the fabulous Sal Tonge.

It is a great chance for families to enjoy a fun day out while also learning about local support services. Friendly staff will be on hand to offer advice on childcare funding, wraparound care, happy health and active holiday club activities and family hubs.

No booking is needed, families are welcome to drop in at any time during the day.

Please help us spread the word!

Arthog Outdoor Education Centre

Arthog Survey

Arthog Outdoor Education Centre, we want your views

Arthog Outdoor Education Centre located in West Wales has been delivering a range of residential outdoor activity experiences for over 60 years. The Centre is managed by Telford and Wrekin Council who are now carrying out a study to look at opportunities to continue to improve the overall offer for school and other groups. We would be grateful if you could complete this short survey. As an existing school group organiser your input is very important. The study is at an early stage and any future improvements will depend on funding and planning approval. If you have any questions, please email andy.cooke@telford.gov.uk. This survey is live until Friday 20th June 2025.

The study is being carried out by Planning Solutions Consulting, supported by the Education and Skills Department and Prosperity Team in Telford and Wrekin Council.

Please find the survey here:

Arthog Outdoor Education Centre Survey

Health Hub

Button Battery Safety

These posters feature top tips that have been developed through collaboration with accident prevention charities, clinicians, manufacturers, online marketplaces and trade associations.

Warning about the risks of button batteries and provide 5 top tips to keep children safe:  

• Look around your home for button batteries. Think toys, lights, remote controls and more.
• Check for products with loose backs and button batteries that have dropped out.
• Store button batteries in a safe place, up high and out of your child’s reach.
• Dispose of used button batteries as soon as you can. They are still unsafe.
• Act if you think your child may have swallowed a button battery, go straight to A&E or call an ambulance.

Used button batteries should not be disposed of in the household rubbish. They should be dropped off for recycling at a collection point at a supermarket, or any other big shop that sells over 32 kg of batteries a year.

The 5 top tips are included in the updated Button Battery Publicly Available Specification (PAS) 7055:2025 developed by the British Standards Institution (BSI) with input from an expert steering group, which was published on 30 April

Dangers of Magnetic toys

The study, by the University of Southampton, is the first to investigate how many children under the age of 16 in the UK have been affected.

Lead author Professor of Paediatric Surgery Nigel Hall, who works at the University and Southampton Children’s Hospital, said retailers must do more to increase warnings on magnetic toy labels.

He added: “Our study reveals that 300 children and young people are being hospitalised each year in the UK after ingesting magnets.

“These magnets have potential to harm a large number of children and young people and increase work for the NHS.

“Yet many magnetic toys provide very little warning for parents and caregivers of the dangers they pose, particularly those purchased from online marketplaces.

“Having an unplanned emergency operation is a traumatic experience for any child and their family – and needing a surgical procedure means time in hospital for days after.

“Around one in 10 of these young patients had surgery with most ending up with serious problems, like needing part of their bowel removed or requiring a stoma.”

The new Southampton study, MAGNETIC, was published in the Archives of Diseases in Childhood journal.

More than two in every 100,000 children swallow magnets each year according to the data, which was provided by 66 UK hospitals between May 2022 and April 2023.

However, that figure is likely to be far higher, according to Prof Hall, as not all hospitals shared their data with the University team.

Magnets are found in a wide range of toys, such as magnetic ball sets as well as fridge magnets, fake piercings and other household objects.

The study also found that six per cent of swallowing cases were linked to viral social media trends, where the children – mostly girls – were trying to imitate tongue piercings by placing small magnets in their mouths.

The research has been welcomed by the Child Accident Prevention Trust, which is the only UK charity to focus on preventing death and serious injury to young people from avoidable accidents.

Its Chief Executive, Katrina Phillips OBE said: “Take great care when buying magnets. We’ve seen magnetic toys with a flux of 850, 17 times higher than the legal limit of 50.

“These super strong magnets can rip through a child’s guts and leave them with life-changing injuries. One boy has died.

“Take a moment to check who you’re buying from. Don’t assume that, just because you can buy something, it must be safe.”

Doctors from Southampton also emphasised the importance of attending emergency departments early if a child is known or suspected to have swallowed a magnet.

Prof Hall added: “Most children who have swallowed a magnet do not show any symptoms, so it is really important that all cases have an x-ray to find out for certain.”

Deputy Chief Executive Sarah Smith from the Office for Product Safety and Standards, Department for Business and Trade, said: “The Office for Product Safety and Standards continues to raise awareness of the hazards to children when swallowing small magnets.

“Our ‘Nil by Mouth’ Campaign has consistently warned of these dangers along with those from button batteries, small toy parts and imitation food.”

Two-year-old Rebecca McCarthy was left fighting for her life in 2021 after swallowing 14 brightly coloured magnetic balls.

The toddler had two hours of surgery where doctors temporarily removed her intestines to reach the magnets that had attracted together and buried deep into her tissue.

Her mother Sam, from Basildon, said the first sign Rebecca was unwell was when she vomited one lunchtime.

She added: “Rebecca’s accident devastated the whole family. She had months of ongoing health issues. I still find it incredibly painful to think about.

“The memory will never fade. I would hate for any other child to go through what Becca suffered because of buying dangerous toys from sellers on online marketplaces.”

Healthier Together

The Healthier Together website is relevant for children and young people, their families and the professionals working with them. It offers clear information and signposting on all key milestones, from birth to adulthood, with links to useful websites, information and advice.

The website covers a range of topics from common everyday concerns to details about specific health conditions. It ensures that consistent information is shared and used by all health professionals.

Apprenticeships

Unlock the Potential of Apprenticeships

We recently contacted you to ask for your apprenticeship requirements starting this September. This is a friendly reminder to respond to our email if you have not done so already as this really helps us to forecast the use of our apprenticeship levy.

Apprenticeships can offer a cost-effective way for schools to train and develop new and existing staff. They can be used to address skills gaps, improve staff retention, and foster a culture of learning and professional growth.

With opportunities from Level 2 all the way up to Level 7 (Level 7 must start before 1 January 2026), in subjects as wide-ranging as teaching, senior leadership, sports coaching, school business management, safeguarding and site management, to name just a few. There may be more available than you might think! Check out the IfATE website for details of all available apprenticeships.

If you would like a quick conversation, have any questions or would like to find out more about apprenticeships (including non-teaching roles), we are always happy to help….just drop us an email apprenticeships@telford.gov.uk

CPD

CPD courses to the end of the Summer Term 2025

Further details of these and all other courses are available in the 2024-25 CPD booklet on the Telford Education Services website and on the Ollie website

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

AI (Artificial Intelligence) in Primary Schools CPD Course AI in Primary Schools – Free CPD Course for Forward-Thinking Schools Artificial Intelligence is rapidly becoming a core part of education, but many schools are unsure where to begin. This two-part CPD course is designed to guide primary schools in understanding, implementing, and using AI safely, strategically, and impactfully Part 1: Foundations and Strategy 📍 June 12th, 1–3pm – Wrockwardine Wood Junior School This session introduces the foundations of AI in education, explains how to teach AI concepts to pupils, and explores how to develop a clear, school-wide strategy. It also covers essential guidance on data protection, ethics, and compliance with UK policy. Whether you're just starting to explore AI or already experimenting, this session will help ensure your school is building from a secure and informed foundation Part 2: Practical Tools and Curriculum Opportunities 📍 July 8th, 1–3pm – Redhill Primary Academy Part 2 moves into the practical application of AI. You’ll explore real tools that reduce teacher workload, see how AI can be embedded across subjects, and learn about digital literacy links. We’ll also introduce the AI Quality Mark and signpost key companies and platforms supporting schools in this space. Perfect for schools ready to put ideas into action. Why Attend? Schools need a clear and responsible AI strategy to stay ahead. This course is free, tailored for primary education, and designed to help you make confident decisions about AI’s role in your curriculum and classroom practice. 📢 Booking links available now – spaces are limited! Part 1: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/1372883514549?aff=oddtdtcreator Part 2: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/1372964677309?aff=oddtdtcreator We are not charging for any of this CPD to help support our local school

Free webinar on the teaching of Judaism

The Board of Deputies (BoD) of British Jews have asked us to share the following training opportunity with Telford & Wrekin schools.  This Zoom session is available free of charge via the link below.

The session will provide teachers with an opportunity to ask anything which will help them to better understand, or to teach, Judaism.

The BoD have also asked us to provide the link to the Q&A session below, so you do not need to pre-book.

Zoom link:

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/87673118531?pwd=jbr7OdUuZJyHNVgav1kZMrIde1ozgU.1

Meeting ID: 876 7311 8531 Passcode: 409549

Please note that this information, which is shared without recommendation, has been kindly provided by the Board of Deputies of British Jews.  It is hoped that the training may be of interest to teachers of not only RE but other subjects as well.

Please contact Anna Silver, Education Officer for the BoD, if you have any questions or suggestions - anna.silver@bod.org.uk

Other Information and Resources

Kids Club for children aged 5-9 years

Open to children whose parents are in the military or have previously been in the military

I am the Community Development Worker for Venning Barracks at Donnington.  We are running a fortnightly youth club session for age 10 upwards which has a small group of young people attending.  The group is aimed at young people whose parents are either serving or who have previously served

On 25^th June we will be trialling a Kids Club session for the 5-9 age group.

Arts, Crafts, Games and so much MORE!

Booking essential, please see the attached flyer.

Kinship Care Survey

.Kinship care is when children whose parents are unable to care for them are looked after by an extended family member, friend or someone to connected to them.

We’re asking kinship carers to complete our short survey and tell us:

what support they've had

what challenges they’ve faced

how we can help them in the future

We also have a survey for young people who are being cared for by kinship carers, so we can better understand how we can help them too.

Please share details of the surveys with your school community.

Adult survey https://forms.office.com/e/fUscMzzUfh

Children and young people survey https://forms.office.com/e/XY2b4bKW4G

Awareness Dates

June is Pride Month This is a month long celebration of people coming together in love and friendship, to show how far LGBTQ+ rights have come, and how in some places there's still work to be done.  In recognition of Pride Month, Telford & Wrekin Council are lighting Southwater One in rainbow colours on the 1st, and raising the Pride flag in Southwater Square on the 2nd. If you would like to join the flag raising, you can do so by meeting at Southwater Square at 12:00 on Monday 2nd June.  Pride is all about being proud of who you are no matter who you love and we hope our community is a safe and accepting space to be part of!

Information about Eid-ul-Adha – ‘The Festival of Sacrifice’

Confirmed date 6^th June 2025

Eid-ul-Adha’, also known as the Festival of Sacrifice, is one of the most significant celebrations in the Islamic calendar. It is sometimes referred to as ‘Eid al-Kabir’, ‘Greater Eid’, or ‘Big Eid’. This festival takes place on the tenth day of the twelfth month in the Islamic Lunar Calendar, known as Dhul Hijjah, and typically lasts for three days.

Based on current forecasts, the month of Dhul Hijjah is expected to begin on either 28th or 29th May 2025. As a result, Eid-ul-Adha will likely be celebrated on 6th June 2025. The first day of Eid is typically observed as a religious holiday by many Muslims in the UK, which will fall on Friday 6th June, dependant on the moonsighting.

The English Language and Geography GCSE exams are scheduled for 6th June. Given the potential overlaps, it may be beneficial to communicate with Year 11 parents in advance. Acknowledging the importance of both the celebration and the exam could help ensure students and their families are well-informed while reinforcing the necessity of attendance during the exam period.

Schools can find more information from the Gov.UK website

Carers Week 9 June - 15 June 2025 Carers Week is an annual campaign to raise awareness of caring, highlight the challenges unpaid carers face and recognise the contribution they make to families and communities throughout the UK. It also helps people who don't think of themselves as having caring responsibilities to identify as carers and access much-needed support. he theme for Carers Week 2025 is 'Caring About Equality' highlighting the inequalities faced by unpaid carers, including a greater risk of poverty, social isolation, poor mental and physical health. Far too often, carers of all-ages miss out on opportunities in their education, careers, or personal lives, just because of their caring role. Telford Carers Service have developed a timetable offering free events to support carers across the borough.

Learning Disability Week  16 June – 22 June 2025 In 2025, Learning Disability Week will take place from the 16th-22nd June. The event is organised every year by the learning disability charity, Mencap. It aims to improve the quality of life for individuals with learning disabilities by raising awareness about important issues, fighting stigma and discrimination, and raising funds for outreach and support programs. As such, Learning Disability Week will be close to the hearts of many teachers, parents, and other educators. To learn more about Learning Disability Week, take a look at this informative blog, where you can also access some really helpful resources.