• A message from James Thomas - Chief Executive Birmingham Children's Trust and Interim Executive Director of Children and Families
• Important Notice: "School Wars" Social Media Campaign
• SEND Reforms: Have Your Say
• School Attendance Updates
• Schools Finance Updates
• Pension Updates
• NHS Pharmacy First Service
• Healthy Schools Lunch & Learn: Supporting Students Around Exam Stress
• Join the Birmingham RE Teachers Network
• Birmingham Best Start in Life Strategy: Frontline Staff (Under 5s) Survey
• Have Your Say: What Makes a Modern Day Brummie? 

A message from James Thomas

Dear colleagues

Another week, another major government policy announcement! This time from Jacqui Smith, setting out a reformed 16- to 19-year-old qualification system, with the following headlines:

• Introduction of V levels – vocational qualification, same size as an A level, “will feature engaging applied teaching, learning and assessment designed to develop real world skills”
• T levels as the only substantive level 3 technical qualification – with reduced teacher assessment burden and expansion of subjects, hoped that numbers will go up
• Two new pathways for those still working at level 2 at the age of 16 – Further Study still aiming to progress to level 3; or Occupational two-year programme leading to a skilled job

The provisional timeline for introduction of new qualifications is from September 2027 and all post 16 settings are asked to submit a strategic transition planning statement (which should reflect your institution’s overall strategic plan) by mid-June 2026.

Whilst you can see the logic behind what it is they are trying to achieve, it’s hard not to sigh at the level of political involvement in curriculum and qualifications which creates an expectation for ministers that they can and should pull those levers, with little regard to the instability and additional work that this creates. I am unconvinced that this is the last we will see in the chopping and changing for post-16, and there is nothing here to convince me of any real game changers to achieve the equivalence of vocational and academic pathways so often talked about.

We are thinking through what support we can offer all those who will need to respond – but do let us know if you have specific thoughts on that.

More broadly it is exasperating to be on the receiving end of government that is not joined up, and there is little sense of a co-ordinated or systematic plan as various policy priorities, reforms and initiatives are thrown at us without any reference to each other.  I had a striking example of this when we were visited by the Minister for Children and Families this week, who was only focused upon the children’s social care reforms and never even mentioned the schools white paper or SEND reforms! There is a real risk of overload currently with so much being expected at the same time, but we can be thankful at least that Birmingham does not have local government reform at the same time as so many places do.

James

Important Notice: “School Wars” Social Media Campaign

A social media trend known as “School Wars” has been identified in South Birmingham. This online campaign lists selected “red” and “blue” schools and encourages pupils to behave as competing groups, including promoting physical assaults on pupils from other schools, as well as encouraging the filming or theft of belongings.

All affected schools have been informed so they can provide appropriate reassurance and guidance to students, parents and carers. At present, no confirmed locations have been shared online. Schools are advised to maintain close communication with neighbouring settings and liaise with the police where necessary.

If schools have any queries or would like further information, please contact Wasim Arif, Senior Education Leader at Wasim.Arif@birmingham.gov.uk

The following information may be shared directly with parents and carers:

Parent and Carer Briefing: “School Wars” Social Media Campaign

A social media trend has emerged encouraging groups of pupils from different schools to take part in unsafe and potentially criminal activities. These include encouraging physical assault, recording incidents and theft.

Schools across Birmingham are aware of the campaign and are providing guidance and reassurance to pupils. There is currently no indication that any planned activity will take place. Pupils are being reminded not to get involved and to report any concerns or information immediately.

How Parents and Carers Can Support Their Child

• Discuss the importance of staying away from any gatherings or online conversations linked to this trend.
• Monitor mobile phone use and online activity where appropriate.
• Encourage children to report any concerns through the school’s safeguarding reporting process.
• Report any worrying behaviour or online posts to the police via 101, and notify the school as soon as possible.

The safety and wellbeing of all young people remains the priority. Schools will continue to monitor the situation and work closely with partners to ensure appropriate support is in place.

SEND Reforms: Have Your Say

The Government has now published the Every Child Achieving and Thriving Schools White Paper alongside a major consultation on SEND reform, Putting Children and Young People First.

The consultation sets out proposals to improve early, fair and consistent support for children and young people with SEND across the 0–25 system, with a strong focus on earlier identification, better‑coordinated services, and clearer, more responsive pathways of support.

The Government is inviting feedback from:

• Parents and carers
• Children and young people
• School staff and leaders
• Early years and post‑16 providers
• Local authorities and wider professionals

The consultation is open until 18 May 2026 and you can respond online here: SEND reform: putting children and young people first - Department for Education - Citizen Space. 

You can also respond to this consultation via email at SENDreform.CONSULTATION@education.gov.uk, or by post to: SENDAP Reform, Sanctuary Buildings, Great Smith Street, London, SW1P 3BT

Schools are encouraged to share this information with families, staff and partners to help maximise participation and ensure a wide range of voices are heard.

School Attendance Update

Thank you for all your continued hard work on attendance this term. We’re really pleased to share that Birmingham is moving in the right direction, with sustained reductions in both overall and persistent absence - outpacing the national trend - which means more days in school for more of our children.

AV1 Robots: Supporting Attendance & Inclusion

We’re delighted to update you on the successful rollout of AV1 Robots as an early intervention tool to support attendance, reintegration after absence and children experiencing EBSNA.

We now have 20 AV1 units in use across the city, and No Isolation has begun delivering in‑person training to schools allocated an AV1 under Section 19.

If your school is interested in training for future use, you can contact Paul Adams at: adams@noisolation.com.

Our previous webinar on AV1s is also still available to watch here: https://youtu.be/nghH_bFFr9E

No Isolation is hosting a short free webinar on Monday 16 March, 3:30–4:00pm on how AV1 robots are being used to support attendance, anxiety and inclusion. Anyone who registers will also receive the recording.

Register here: Early Intervention Approach to School Attendance with AV1 Robots.

Attendance & Inclusion Conference – 16/17 June 2026

We’re excited to share a first look at what’s planned for this year’s Attendance & Inclusion Conference. Across the day, colleagues can expect:

• A DfE presentation and engagement session
• Four practical workshops focused on improving attendance
• School‑to‑school support and best‑practice sharing
• Take‑away resources for immediate use (bring a flash drive – our full 125‑item toolkit will be downloadable)
• The launch of the Birmingham Inclusion Charter
• A marketplace of services offering attendance support
• Insight into the Inclusive Pathways Framework to help reduce suspensions and permanent exclusions
• Networking opportunities with schools and BCC teams
• An interactive “Ask the Panel” Q&A session

Booking will open soon – more details to follow.

Schools Finance Updates

Schools Closure of Accounts 2025/26

The deadline for the year end submission is 20 March 2026.

The closure of accounts guidance and year-end templates are available to view by using the following link: Year End Procedures.

A recording of the first training session, held on 25 February, is also available to view through the same link.

For any queries regarding the guidance and workbook please contact: SchoolsFinance@Birmingham.gov.uk

Schools Banking with Barclays

Barclays are holding a fraud prevention webinar on 25 March at 11:00-11:45. To register to attend, please click the link here: Barclays Fraud Prevention Webinar.

Good governance and staying up to date with fraud prevention is important, so we encourage relevant persons to attend.

For any queries, please contact schoolsfinance@birmingham.gov.uk

Submission Process for School Business Restructure Cases

Following the off‑boarding of schools, all business restructure cases must now be submitted directly to: SFS@birmingham.gov.uk

Schools must ensure that a minimum of 4 weeks is built into their timelines to allow for full review and approval processes.

Each business case will be reviewed in relation to finance, industrial relations and school improvement.

Once assessed, the business case will be submitted to the Spend Control Board, and the school will receive an email confirming the outcome.

Business Case Template: Please use the required template when submitting your restructure case: Business restructure template updated - March 2026.
Ensure that all required documentation listed within the appendices is included with your submission. Incomplete submissions may result in delays.

Where further clarity is required, schools may be invited to meet with BCC officers to discuss their case.

Pension Cost Information

School Budget Notice – 2026 Submission Requirements

All school budgets for the 2026 financial year are now live. These are available through Access Budgets: Access budget software | School budgets and financial planning | Birmingham City Council

Key Deadlines

• 31 May 2026 – All budgets must be fully submitted to Birmingham City Council. This must include the confirmed 2025 to 2026 carry forward balance. Estimated carry forwards cannot be accepted and any budgets containing estimates will be returned.
• 30 June 2026 – Final date for budgets to be fixed on the finance system.

Important Update – Audit Requirement Change

It is no longer an audit requirement for school budgets to be fixed on the finance system by 1 April 2026. Schools may operate by paying invoices against a zero budget or working from a draft budget that has not yet been fixed. This flexibility remains in place until 30 June 2026, allowing more time to finalise and update budgets before the deadline.

What Each School Must Submit

• The budget published on Access
• Evidence of Governor sign off
• The actual year end carry forward position for 2025 to 2026
• A signed three-year CFR budget forecast report for 2026 to 2027, 2027 to 2028, and 2028 to 2029
• A pupil number report – Special schools and nurseries do not need to submit this

All 2026 budget submissions should be sent to sfreturns@birmingham.gov.uk.

If Submitting a Deficit Budget

Schools submitting a deficit budget must also provide:

• A Deficit Recovery Plan: Schools in financial difficulty | Birmingham City Council
• A letter from the Chair of Governors requesting a licensed deficit, sent to schoolsfinance@birmingham.gov.uk

Schools Financial Services – SLA Documents Issued

The Schools Financial Services (SFS) Service Level Agreements (SLAs) were sent out via email on Friday of last week.

You can find a copy of the SLA file here: Schools Financial Services SLA 2026-27 | Birmingham City Council

To ensure a smooth transition and uninterrupted delivery of services, please ensure completed SLA forms are submitted no later than 27 March 2026.

Submitting your forms by the deadline enables us to plan effectively and ensure your school’s financial services continue without disruption.

If you have any enquiries regarding the SLAs for Financial Services, please contact: SFS@birmingham.gov.uk. 

Pension Update – March 2026

Schools are advised to review the latest Pension Update, which outlines key end of year requirements for both the Local Government Pension Scheme (LGPS) and Teachers’ Pensions (TPS), along with important changes taking effect from 1 April 2026.

The document covers:

• Updated LGPS employer and employee contribution rates for 2026/27
• Year‑end requirements for LGPS, including the March MDC submission and final statements
• TPS MCR error correction expectations and monthly reconciliation requirements
• Revised TPS member contribution salary bands for 2026/27
• Prudential AVC actions and associated deadlines

Schools must ensure all the required documents are completed accurately and submitted by the specified deadlines to avoid delays or returns from pension administrators.

Please read the full update document here: Pension update - March 2026

For queries, please contact the BCC Pensions Team. 

NHS Pharmacy First Service

For School Staff and for Sharing with Parents/Carers

Local Community Pharmacists can offer free, confidential advice for a range of minor illnesses. If appropriate, they can also provide treatment without the need for a GP prescription* for the following seven common conditions:

• Urinary tract infection (women aged 16–64)
• Sinusitis (adults and children aged 12+)
• Sore throat (adults and children aged 5+)
• Earache (children and young adults aged 1–17)
• Infected insect bite (adults and children aged 1+)
• Impetigo (adults and children aged 1+)
• Shingles (adults aged 18+)

Using the Pharmacy First service can help parents, staff and students avoid GP wait times, get treatment sooner, and return to school more quickly.

For more information on how your Community Pharmacist can help visit Think pharmacy first :: NHS Birmingham and Solihull, or watch the Pharmacy First video for parents by clicking here: Think Pharmacy First- for parents.

*Usual prescription charge rules apply.

Healthy Schools Lunch & Learn: Supporting Students Around Exam Stress

Wednesday 18 March at 16:00

This short session will look at top tips to support students to combat exam stress. Delivered by Mike Jeffries from Birmingham Mind, it aims to be simple, clear, and relatable and comes from an awareness perspective rather than any medical or diagnostic standpoint. The session will aim to offer some tips with no claims to a golden solution, as every student is different.  

Mike will also share a training opportunity for those supporting children and young people during the session. Birmingham Mind are running three Youth Mental Health First Aid courses during 2026, in May and June. Come along to the session or get in touch with training@birminghammind.org to find out more.

Please note this session focuses on supporting pupils in mainstream schools but may still be of interest to staff working at special schools. 

Register here: Supporting students around exam stress: An awareness session offering top tips!

For any queries, please contact: healthyschools@birmingham.gov.uk.

Join the Birmingham RE Teachers Network

Be part of a collaborative professional community!

We are inviting RE teachers to express their interest in joining the newly established Birmingham RE Teachers Network. This network will provide a professional forum for colleagues across Primary, Secondary, Special and Post‑16 settings to work together on the delivery of the Birmingham Agreed Syllabus for Religious Education and wider RE programmes. Members will have opportunities to develop subject knowledge, explore emerging issues in RE, share best practice and high‑quality resources, and strengthen links with Birmingham SACRE.

The network will meet once a term and will support professional dialogue, curriculum development and reflective practice. Sessions will be facilitated by Ayisha Ali, Senior Education Adviser, with specialist input from SACRE members and invited contributors where appropriate. Meetings will take place virtually or face‑to‑face.

If you would like to be part of this professional community, please submit your expression of interest including your name, school, role and phase (one nominated representative per school is encouraged). The first meeting will be held in May.

Please send your Expression of Interest to religiouseducation@birmingham.gov.uk by 25 March 2026.

Birmingham Best Start in Life Strategy - Frontline staff (Under 5s)

As part of the Government’s Best Start in Life programme of work, Birmingham City Council is co-producing its strategy to ensure that all young children under 5, and their families, are supported to achieve their full potential. 

CREC, as research partner, have spent the last few weeks gathering views in person and online from families, frontline staff, and leaders across the city but we also want to provide everyone in the sector an opportunity to share their views.

The following form, that should not take longer than 10 minutes to complete, asks about the key lines of enquiry and can be completed anonymously: Birmingham Best Start in Life Strategy - Frontline staff (Under 5s) – Fill out form

Have Your Say: What Makes a Modern‑Day Brummie?

Can you support by sharing the ‘What Makes a Modern‑Day Brummie?’ survey through your newsletters, networks and socials?

Birmingham City Council wants to hear from children, young people and families about what Birmingham means to you.

Is it the music, the food, the people, the parks, the history – or something else that makes our city feel like home?

Your thoughts, memories and hopes for the future will help shape a clearer picture of what Birmingham means to the people who live, learn and play here.

Share your views by 19 March: What is a modern Brummie? - Birmingham City Council - Citizen Space.