Noticeboard - 19 June 2025

Welcome to this week's noticeboard containing Sue Harrison's weekly message; updates on the Oracle Transition and Equal Pay Programmes; Schools Finance information; a reminder on the Deferred Entry Process for Reception and more.

This week's noticeboard includes: 

Message from Dr Sue Harrison, Executive Director of Children and Families

Dear colleagues

We’ve enjoyed some glorious sunny weather this past week, which certainly puts a spring in your step, even as things remain busy as ever in our schools. With exam season coming to an end, we recognise the focus and resilience being shown by pupils across the city. It’s a demanding time, and we wish all students the very best as they navigate this important part of the school year.

We’re now entering the second week of the Ofsted/CQC Local Area SEND Inspection process, and work continues to gather and share the many pieces of information required by inspectors. Your continued support remains crucial to this process, and we want to thank all schools, children, young people and families who have taken the time to share their experiences and submit responses to the survey, which closed on Tuesday. Your input is invaluable, and your ongoing commitment is truly appreciated as we work together to reflect upon the distance travelled in our Area Partnership improvement journey. Heartfelt thanks to all head teachers who have sent encouraging messages to me and Helen Ellis, we really appreciate your support.

As the School Improvement Team continues to strengthen its work with schools, I want to take a moment to share some important news about a key member of staff. Jaswinder Didially, our Head of School Improvement, will be leaving her role on 4 July. Jas has dedicated her career to improving the lives of children and young people in Birmingham, and her impact has been far-reaching. While we’re sad to see her go, we’re also incredibly proud to see Jas take the next step in her career. She will be joining  Oxfordshire County Council as Assistant Director for Schools and Settings – Sufficiency. We know she will bring the same passion and dedication to her new role as she has here in Birmingham, and I’m sure you’ll join me in congratulating Jas and wishing her all the very best for the future.

While Jas will be greatly missed, I’m pleased to confirm that David Camps will be stepping into the role of Head of Service for School Improvement on an interim basis, until a permanent appointment is made. Please join me in congratulating David on this new role and I know you’ll offer him your full support during this transition.

It’s always a pleasure to hear the good work taking place across our school communities. As part of the portfolio for their course, students from BOA (Birmingham Ormiston Academy) have recently collaborated with the Birmingham Careers Service Supported Internship Programme to create a short film that captures the impact of this work. Their creativity and professionalism are evident throughout, and I’m pleased to share the link here: https://youtu.be/4a-51Zj7sGk. A heartfelt thank you to everyone involved in producing such a fantastic video, especially to the students behind the camera. This may be the start of their journey into film and television, so we’ll be keeping an eye out for the next generation of producers, directors, and storytellers!

Amy Lassman, Head teacher at Nelson Mandela Community School also let us know that the school has been selected to take part in the prestigious Take One Picture exhibition taking place at various locations in Westminster between 11 June and 31 August 2025. This is a significant achievement, with Nelson Mandela being the only school in Birmingham to be featured in this year’s exhibition. The whole school took part in the Take One Picture project, which invites children to explore a single painting through creative work across a range of subjects. This year’s painting is Pieter de Hooch’s The Courtyard of a House in Delft (1658). Pupils responded with imagination and enthusiasm, and the Year 2 project was selected from hundreds of entries submitted by schools across the country. This recognition highlights the value of creativity in education and the positive impact it has on children’s learning and development. Congratulations to all the pupils and staff involved.

Thank you as always for everything you do and wishing you a fabulous weekend ahead!

Sue

Oracle Transition for Schools Update

The latest updates can be found at the following links: 

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. 

Equal Pay Programme for Schools Update

Job Evaluation for Schools where BCC is the Employer

School Job Information Gathering Meetings

Thank you to everyone who has responded to our request for your availability for Job Information Gathering meetings.  

We are currently scheduling meetings and will be in touch with confirmation of times and locations this week for the first set of meetings and early next week with subsequent sessions.

As ever, please raise any queries related to the Equal Pay Programme through eppschools@birmingham.gov.uk

Schools Finance

Year End Feedback - Reminder

Schools Finance is inviting you to share your thoughts on our updated year-end process. We’re keen to understand what’s working well and where there may be opportunities for improvement.

Your input is important and will help us shape future improvements. Please take a few minutes to complete the feedback form via the link below:

Thank you in advance for your time and continued support.

Schools Training for Mandatory Quarterly Returns 

Schools Finance invites all schools to attend training sessions on the mandatory quarterly financial returns process.

Two identical online sessions are available – schools only need to attend one, but are welcome to join both if they wish.

Meeting invites with links are provided below for you to save to your calendars and join the session on the day. 

The budget document will be published on the School Noticeboard on Thursday, 26 June, and will be presented during both sessions. We look forward to your participation. 

25 June 2025 11:00-12:30
Join the meeting now
Meeting ID: 381 566 309 813 6
Passcode: iR2LX35Z

3 July 2025 11:00-12:30
Join the meeting now
Meeting ID: 319 349 747 641 9
Passcode: cL2Vm3iT

For any queries associated with the training and/or document please reach out to the team at schoolsfinance@birmingham.gov.uk 

2025/26 LA Statement of Academy Payment Schedule

The updated cash sheet as of June 2025 can be found here: Cash Sheets - June 25 Academy | Birmingham City Council

We hope you find this useful in reconciling the termly grant payments the authority will pay during the financial year. 

If you have trouble accessing the file, you may need to save the spreadsheet to your personal desktop, then unblock the file by right clicking, properties, and clicking unblock and applying changes. 

The sheet will have a separate link next term, and will be updated termly. 

Please direct any queries in the first instance to SchoolsFinance@Birmingham.gov.uk

2025/26 LA Statement of Funding and Provisional School Budget Payment Schedule

LA Expenditure

LA deductions - May 2025 | Birmingham City Council

The LA Expenditure file includes income and expenditure posted to the school cost centre during the May period, broken down by CFR code. To request a copy of the transaction listing to support the figure, kindly email SchoolsFinance@Birmingham.gov.uk

For financial year 2025/26, we have removed the deduction from the school’s monthly instalment on the cash sheet, however, we have shown the total figure in row 111.

Reminder: Deferred Entry Process for Reception

As we approach the end of the academic year, we wanted to remind you about the deferred entry process for Reception.

The School Admissions Code (2021) requires admission authorities to offer places to all children in the September following their fourth birthday. Most parents are happy for their child to start school at this point.

However, children born between 1 April and 31 August – known as ‘summer born’ children – are not required to start school until the September after their fifth birthday, which is a year later than they are first eligible.

Parents of summer born children may request that their child is admitted outside their normal age group, starting in Reception rather than Year 1.

Each school’s admission authority must make a decision based on the individual circumstances and what is in the child’s best interests. In line with Department for Education (DfE) guidance, “it should be rare for an authority to refuse a parent’s request.”

For more information on the deferred entry process, please visit the school admissions website: www.birmingham.gov.uk/schooladmissions, or email admissions@birmingham.gov.uk.

Have Your Say – Help Strengthen Safeguarding in Birmingham!

The Birmingham Safeguarding Children Partnership (BSCP) is inviting all frontline practitioners to complete the Resolution and Escalation Protocol Survey.

Why it matters: Your feedback will help us understand how well the Resolution and Escalation Protocol is being applied in practice. It’s a chance to highlight what’s working and where more support might be needed.

What happens next? BSCP will analyse the responses to identify key learning themes and share the findings at the Quality, Impact and Outcomes Subgroup on 24 July 2025.

Please make sure this link is shared with all frontline practitioners.

Thank you! Together, we can continue to improve outcomes for children and families across Birmingham.

Annual Health Checks Encouraged for Children and Young People with Learning Disabilities

As part of Learning Disability (LD) Week, Birmingham and Solihull Mental Health NHS Foundation Trust has launched a new animation to encourage more children and young people to get an annual health check.

The animation, which was co-produced with health professionals in the Mental Health Provider Collaborative, together with young people with a learning disability, parents, carers and supporters, answers questions about annual health checks that children and young people (and their families/carers) may have and explains what to expect before, during and after their check.

In the animation we hear the voices of two of those young people sharing their own experiences of annual health checks, as well as the collective experiences of the group.

The need to increase awareness of this yearly offer, which is available to anyone with a GP who is on the Learning Disability Register, was identified by the Mental Health Provider Collaborative's learning disability and autism team through discussions with parents and carers of children and young people with a learning disability.

Please share the video within your networks and encourage parents and carers to speak to their child’s GP to book an LD annual health check: Learning disability annual health check.

Early Education Entitlement

2 Year Funded Place

Providers should please ensure they have taken the following steps so that 2 year olds can be funded for their Autumn term place:

Working Entitlement – www.childcarechoices.gov.uk  

  • Have parents who are eligible for working entitlement applied for their codes? They must have received their eligible code on or before the 31st August at the very latest to access a place from September.
  • Have parents who are eligible for working entitlement given you their code? Encourage parents to give you their codes as soon as possible so that you confirm if they are eligible.
  • Codes will start 114 / 501 / 400
  • Providers must validate the codes on ECS - it is really important to validate  all codes as soon as possible so that you can identify any issues and confirm eligibility.

Disadvantaged Entitlement - Help paying for childcare: https://www.gov.uk/help-with-childcare-costs/free-childcare-2-year-olds-claim-benefits

  • Parents can apply for their code or you can apply on their behalf with permission.
  • There is no deadline to apply for the code other than parents must give you a code before they start a place with you
  • Codes will be a mixture of 5 numbers and / or letters
  • Providers must validate the codes as soon as possible on ECS  to check that the codes are eligible.
  • If the codes are not eligible you must view evidence and submit an eligibility override request form (found on EYMIS)

All children – please ensure the new parental declaration form is used for all existing and all new children.

Updated Parental Declaration form

The Parental Declaration form is currently being reviewed and updated ready for Autumn 2025.

This will be shared with providers as soon as possible so that it can be completed by any new or existing parents. All children accessing EEE funding must have a signed parental declaration form which is updated and signed by the parent and provider each term.

Thank you for your continued support. 

Summer Term WellComm Data Collection

We appreciate your continued submission of WellComm screening results. Based on the feedback collected through the data collection form, the changes that we made last term have enabled easier collation and sharing of your screening results.

The WellComm Data Spreadsheet is intended to assist in collating your WellComm screening results. The spreadsheet includes instructions for its use, a page for entering all of your children's screening results, and an automated analysis page. This analysis page offers a comprehensive summary of the data required for completing the WellComm Data Collection Form. Using the spreadsheet is optional, as you may have already developed your own, and it is for your use only and not to be returned to us. We ask that you share your screening data through the online data collection form.

The summer term WellComm data collection form is now available for you to share this term's screenings.

We kindly request that every early year’s provider returns their summer term WellComm screening results by Thursday, 31 August 2025. 

To complete the survey please follow this link.

New Online HUB of Free Resources for Childcare Providers

If you’re looking for practical guidance and expert advice to develop or expand your early years and wraparound childcare provision, then the Childcare Works online HUB is for you.  

The expansion of early years entitlements and wraparound childcare is an exciting opportunity to support more families with high-quality childcare and education. On the HUB, you’ll find a bank of good practice guidance, practical resources, business development advice, case studies, templates and training - all in one open access, free to use online HUB. Available to all providers, whether you are a childminder, nursery, play scheme, club or school, the Childcare Works online HUB is designed for you. The resources are created by experts and backed by the Department for Education. Explore the HUB today: Childcareworks.org.uk

Make sure you sign up to receive updates from Childcare Works to hear about any future events and new resources. 

For queries or further information, please contact: WAC@Birmingham.gov.uk

Healthy Schools Lunch & Learn: 23 June 2025

Digital Interventions for Self-Harm and Suicide Prevention in Young People

The Birmingham Healthy Schools Lunch & Learn series are online information/training webinars, around 20 minutes long, for school staff.

The next webinar is about Digital interventions for self-harm and suicide prevention in young people on Monday 23rd June @ 4pm. This session is available to all school staff interested in the wellbeing of their pupils - all teaching staff, safeguarding leads, pastoral teams, and educators are welcome to join and share their perspectives. 

In this session, Priyanka Bhatt from Forward Thinking Birmingham (FTB) will cover:

  • A brief overview of self-harm
  • Information about the presentation of self-harm in FTB referrals, current recommendations, and pathways for support
  • Challenges supporting young people engaging in self-harm or at-risk of suicidal behaviours
  • The results of a scoping review on digital interventions around self-harm and suicidal behaviour
  • The gaps in published literature and need for early intervention 
  • Details about a project on this topic and further research on digital interventions
  • Some useful resources
  • An opportunity for questions and feedback - you will have the chance to share your thoughts to inform the design of future digital interventions for self-harm and suicide.

To register your place please follow this link: Digital interventions for self-harm and suicide prevention in young people

For any queries or further information please contact: HealthySchools@birmingham.gov.uk

Health Related Absence Referrals for School Nursing Service

FAO: SENCO’s , Teachers and Attendance Managers

Health related Absence referrals cut-off and restart dates

As per last academic year, please note that the Birmingham School Health Support Service will not accept referrals for health-related absences for this academic year (2024-25) after 17:00 Friday, 4 July 2025.

This is because they will be unable to process the referrals before the end of the summer term. Time needs to be given to book health assessments with children and parents and an outcome to be shared with schools by the end of the academic year.

Referral for health-related absence will resume as normal from 1 September 2025.

If schools have children who have health related absences, below 85% and were planning to refer to the school health service, please complete the referral form, to meet the deadline.

Please note referrals that meet other criteria (excluding health related absences) will still be triaged and assessed as normal. Children and families for these referrals can be contacted and assessed by nurses during the summer break and an email feedback/outcome sent to the referrer.

For any queries please contact BCHNT.southcentralsnteam@nhs.net  or BCHNT.northeastsnteam@nhs.net

Birmingham Community Healthcare Plus Makaton Workshops

FAO: Headteacher and SENCO

If any of your staff would like information regarding Makaton Training, please do not hesitate to contact us. We are running several workshops throughout the year.

Level 1 and 2

This workshop is suitable for Professionals who need to use Makaton in their work (as well as for others who wish a more in-depth training). Signs and symbols in Stages 1 – 4 and Additional will be taught. Current best practice around sign and symbol use. Participant manuals provided

Places available on the following workshops:

  • Level 1             10th September 2025
  • Level 2             17th September 2025

Cost

  • Level 1 only £92
  • Level 1 and 2 £168

Level 3

Level 3 training helps you to improve and develop your signing and symbol skills and how to use them effectively every day. You will revise the signs and symbols you learned in your Level 1 and 2 training and learn the signs and symbols for Stages 5 and 6 of the Core Vocabulary.

  • Course 22nd Oct 2025
  • Cost £108

Please e-mail Gareth Humpage at the following g.humpage@nhs.net to request further information and or a booking form

Bursaries Available to Train Peer Mediators in Primary Schools

Peacemakers is a small West Midlands based educational charity dedicated to sharing skills and strategies to grow peace in schools and communities.  We have nearly 40 years’ experience equipping pupils and the adults who work with them with the skills, knowledge and attitudes to build peace.  

We’re offering training with significant bursaries to help schools set up a Peer Mediation Plus scheme in Autumn 2025/Spring 2026. Peer mediation is conflict resolution for young people by young people.

  • We offer a workshop for the year group(s) mediators will be selected from, exploring what mediation is.
  • Then 3 full days of training for up to 24 children selected to become mediators. They are trained to mediate disputes that happen in the playground. This means staff spend less time responding to problems that arise and creates a more peaceful school environment. The trained mediators develop skills for life, which ripple through the school.
  • This scheme also includes training for lunchtime and classroom staff about mediation and conflict resolution, in order to ensure maximum success of your scheme.

For more details visit https://peacemakers.org.uk/primary-schools/  or contact Libbs Packer at Libbs@peacemakers.org.uk

Beans Campaign – 100 Birmingham Schools Needed!

We need to eat more beans!

Beans, pulses and lentils are little powerhouses of goodness. They’re good for our health, good for the planet, and great news for stretched family and caterers’ budgets.

Veg Power is launching a brand new campaign this November, funded by the National Lottery, to help children and families eat more beans – and Birmingham schools are invited to lead the way.

We’ve reserved places for 100 Birmingham schools as part of a national total of just 750 fully funded places. Schools need to be signed up as soon as possible to secure a place before the end of the summer term. 

The campaign includes curriculum-linked resources and activities designed especially for primary-aged children, with strong links to family engagement and support.

What’s included:

  • Lesson plans
  • Participation stickers
  • Take home reward charts and stickers
  • Posters
  • Digital resources
  • Support for families

If your school is interested, please click the link below for more info: Beans: Schools Programme Application Form

Let’s help children get to know, cook, and love beans!

For queries or further information, please contact Cathy Burn at cathy.burn@vegpower.org.uk. 

Free Webinars for Birmingham Schools: Rethinking Flexible Working

The Flexible Working Programme – fully funded by the DfE and being delivered in partnership with Capita Entrust Education was recently extended for a further 12 months.

As part of the packages of support on offer, coming up are two free, one-hour webinars packed with practical insights, case studies, and examples from schools already seeing the benefits of more flexible approaches.

Webinar 1: Flexible Working to Enhance Recruitment & Retention - 25 June 2025 at 16:30: Discover how flexible working can help tackle recruitment and retention challenges, without sacrificing standards.

Webinar 2: Full Time Flex - 26 June 2025 at 11:00: Explore how full-time staff can work flexibly without contract changes, boosting wellbeing and pupil outcomes.

Whether you're a school leader, HR/business lead, or governor/trustee, these sessions are free to access for all schools within Birmingham Local Authority and will provide thought-provoking ideas worth your time.

Please register your place at this link: https://lnkd.in/e-4uVSKH

For any queries or further information, contact Richard Sydenham at richard.sydenham@capita.com

www.flexibleworkingineducation.co.uk

Free Online Event - Staying Safe Around Dogs

Join eight of the UK’s leading animal charities in an interactive, fun event exploring staying safe around dogs – whether at home, in the park, or visiting friends.

Perfect for KS2, this event will equip your class with the knowledge and awareness to make positive choices around dogs in everyday life.

The event is repeated on two days so simply choose your preferred date:

  • Wednesday, 16 July at 13:15-14:00
  • Thursday, 17 July at 13:15-14:00

Book your class place by registering here: Keeping Children Safe Around Dogs - England/Wales Primary School Event Tickets, Multiple Dates | Eventbrite

For queries or further information please contact Anna Cowling at Anna.cowling@woodgreen.org.uk. 

www.woodgreen.org.uk

 

This entry was posted by Jaspal Shambi on 16/06/2025.