This week's noticeboard includes: 

• Message from Dr Sue Harrison, Strategic Director for Children and Families
• Oracle Transition for Schools Update
• Ramadan 2025
• SEND Funding Update for Mainstream Schools - Action Required
• Find Your Future Career
• DfE Conference: Breaking Down the Barriers to Opportunity – 7 March 2025
• Birmingham Community Healthcare Plus Makaton Workshops

Message from Dr Sue Harrison, Strategic Director for Children and Families

Dear colleagues

As we approach the half-term break, I want to extend my heartfelt thanks to each and every one of you for your incredible dedication and hard work. Your commitment to providing a nurturing and inspiring environment for our children and young people is truly commendable.

I’m sure this term has been filled with many achievements, and it's all thanks to your unwavering efforts. You have made a significant impact on the lives of our students, and for that, I’m deeply grateful.

I’ve had the pleasure of visiting several schools recently. Thank you to headteachers Emma Baxter at Elms Farm Community Primary School, David Aldworth at Allens Croft Nursery School and Lesley Harris at Weoley Castle Nursery School. It's been wonderful to witness your passion and dedication firsthand. I'm looking forward to visiting more schools in the coming weeks.

I would also like to extend my warm congratulations to Simon Harris, Executive Headteacher at Wilson Stuart School, for being honoured with the inaugural 'Outstanding Contribution to SEND' award from The University of Wolverhampton. This prestigious accolade celebrates individuals who have made a significant impact on special educational needs provision. Thank you, Simon, for your remarkable dedication, and congratulations once again on this well-deserved recognition.

Wishing you all a thoroughly deserved and enjoyable half-term break. I hope you take this time to relax, recharge, and spend quality moments with your loved ones.

Thank you once again for everything you do!

With my very best wishes

Sue

Oracle Transition for Schools Update

The latest updates can be found here: Oracle transition for schools, updates, questions and answers.

Archived Q&A can be found here: Archived Oracle Transition Q&A.

For any queries or further information please contact the team at oracleschoolsrelationship@birmingham.gov.uk and they will be pleased to assist.

Thank you for your ongoing support. 

Ramadan 2025 – Support for Schools

The holy month of Ramadan is expected to begin around 28 February 2025, depending on the sighting of the new moon. We have updated the guidance provided by NAHT last year to assist schools in supporting Muslim pupils who will be fasting.

During Ramadan, it is common for children, young people, and their families to follow the timetable of their local mosque. This period is marked by prayer, fasting, self-control, and goodwill towards others. Ramadan is anticipated to start on 28 February and will last for approximately 30 days, culminating in the celebration of Eid ul-Fitr.

Please find the following documentation to support schools:

• Ramadan Guidance 2025
• Ramadan model letter and request to fast form

If you require any further support and advice, please do not hesitate to contact Ayisha Ali, Senior Education Advisor at Ayisha.ali@birmingham.gov.uk

SEND Funding Update for Mainstream Schools – Action Required

We provided a SEND Funding Update for mainstream schools on 12 December 2024. This related to an across the board increase to support unit funding and a more targeted increase in funding for pupils with EHCPs where a change of placement to a special school is required. This communication was followed up with an individual email seeking a data return to those schools where we have records of pupils awaiting a change of placement in order to ensure that the increased funding for eligible pupils could be accurately applied. The email was headed: SEND Funding Update and was sent out to school enquiry email addresses.  

We have received only a partial response and would be grateful if you could check if you have received this email and submit a response. If you have not received an individual communication but consider that you have pupils with an agreed need for a change in placement type, please contact us via the mailboxes quoted.

SEND Funding Update  

We are currently working hard to increase numbers of resource base and special school places via our SEND Sufficiency Strategy 2024-2030. This strategy is designed to reduce the number of CYP in mainstream schools that are awaiting more specialist placements and require additional funding as a result. We are also considering long-term funding arrangements for all schools via our ongoing DBV programme workstreams which will review overall resource allocation mechanisms and funding levels. In the meantime, we would like to increase funding to mainstream schools on an interim basis pending the outcome of that work.

This update is to notify you of two specific changes to funding for SEND pupils in mainstream schools. These are:

1. An across the board increase of 3.4% on all support units (currently awarded to pupils with SSPPs and EHCPs) backdated to April 2024. The new funding rates are as follows and will be consolidated in the rates payable from 2025 onwards:

	23/24	24/25
Support Unit 1	525	543
Support Unit 2	1,260	1,303
Support Unit 3	3,150	3,258
Support Unit 4	5,040	5,212
Support Unit 5	7,875	8,143
Support Unit 6	12,600	13,029
Support Unit 6+	19,600	20,267

2. An increase in funding to mainstream schools for those pupils they have on roll with EHCPs, who are currently receiving the maximum support unit funding (6+) and where the LA’s SEN Panel has determined that a change of placement to a special school is required. This increase is based on an average cost of a teaching assistant (0.8 FTE at midpoint of GR3 which equates to £32,102 including pay award and oncosts – with school contributing the first £6,000 via their notional SEN budget). The funding for these pupils will, therefore, amount to a new maximum funding figure of £26,102.    

While the 3.4% increase outlined above will be automatically applied to all eligible pupils (payment to be made in January 2025), we are also writing out individually to those schools where we have records of pupils awaiting a change of placement in order to ensure that our data is complete and accurate before applying the increased funding for these pupils. The schools concerned will be asked to complete a template spreadsheet detailing all pupils with EHCPs where the LA has agreed that a change of placement is required.

If you do not receive an individual communication but consider that you have pupils that fall into this category, please send details to candfsendqualityandimprovement@birmingham.gov.uk, and copied to SENAR.Commissioning@birmingham.gov.uk.

Thank you for your prompt response in this matter.

Find Your Future Career

A Regional Careers Programme for 14–19-year-olds, aimed at preventing NEET (Not in Employment, Education, or Training) status among young people and addressing gaps in career support.

Delivery by 31 March 2025. 

‘Find Your Future Career’ is a series of career programme interventions designed to support young people in Birmingham, aged 14 to 19, who are not receiving career advice due to their personal circumstances. This includes those associated with Birmingham’s Virtual School, such as elective home-educated students, teenage parents, those without a school place, young people in care and care leavers, young people with SEN (with and without an EHCP), those missing in education, and newly arrived individuals.

The programme aims to provide a valuable and varied service, offering support, knowledge, guidance, and skills to help young people determine their options and make informed choices at key transition points. There are currently six programmes available for young people to participate in:

• Theme One – Social Emotional Mental Health
• Theme Two – Interventions to ‘Rise Over Challenges’
• Theme Three – Find Your Future Career
• Theme Four – Focused on Care Leavers and Looked After Children
• Theme Five – Focused on Young People with SEND
• Theme Six – Focused on Elected Home Educated Young People

Full programme and booking details, together with key contacts can be found here:

• Find your future career - full programme details
• Free wellbeing sessions delivered to schools and colleges

DfE Conference: Breaking Down the Barriers to Opportunity – 7 March 2025

Transforming secondary school attendance. An event for secondary headteachers and senior attendance leads.

Hosted by the Department for Education, West Midlands Secondary Schools and Local Authorities are invited to this FREE in-person conference focused on ‘Breaking Down Barriers to Education: Transforming Attendance’.

• Date: Friday, 7 March 2025
• Time: From 09:30 to 15:30
• Venue: voco St John’s Solihull, 651 Warwick Road B91 1AT

Find out more and secure your place by following this link – bookings close soon!

For any queries or further information please contact Wasim Arif, Interim Head of Service for Attendance and Inclusive Pathways – Wasim.Arif@birmingham.gov.uk

Birmingham Community Healthcare Plus Makaton Workshops

FAO: Headteacher and SENCO

If schools would like information regarding Makaton Training, please contact Birmingham Community Healthcare Plus (BCHC).

Level 1 and 2 Workshops

These workshops are suitable for professionals who need to use Makaton in their work, as well as for others seeking more in-depth training. Participants will learn signs and symbols from Stages 1-4 and Additional, along with current best practices around sign and symbol use. Participant manuals will be provided.

Available Workshops:

• Level 1: 29th April 2025 and 10th September 2025
• Level 2: 6th May 2025 and 17th September 2025

Cost:

• Level 1 or 2 only: £86
• Level 1 and 2 combined: £162

Level 4 Workshop

Level 4 completes the Core Vocabulary and enhances your understanding and skills in using Makaton to support people with a wide range of communication difficulties. You will revise the signs and symbols learned in Levels 1, 2, and 3, and learn the signs and symbols for Stages 7 and 8 of the Core Vocabulary.

Available Workshop:

• Course: 10th June 2025
• Cost: £102

Please email Gareth Humpage at g.humpage@nhs.net to request further information or a booking form.