Noticeboard

Noticeboard - 6 November 2025

This week's noticeboard includes a message from Dr Sue Harrison, key updates on Schools Finance, Equal Pay, and School Attendance, a request to share two new SEND lived-experience surveys, back-to-school health advice, and more.

This week’s Noticeboard includes:

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

Dear Colleagues

Welcome back! We hope you've enjoyed a restful half-term break. 

Ahead of today’s high-profile football fixture, we’d like to thank school leaders and staff for the careful planning and preparation you’ve undertaken. The proactive risk assessments and safeguarding measures reflect a strong commitment to ensuring every child feels safe and a sense of belonging in their school. In these challenging times, focusing on what brings us together – compassion, community, and care – remains as important as ever.

You’ll be aware that Martin Fitzwilliam joined Birmingham City Council at the beginning of September in an interim capacity, following the departure of Steve Kay, Director of Schools and Employability. His appointment ensured continuity during a key period for our education services.

Following a formal interview process, we’re pleased to confirm that Martin has now been appointed on a 12-month fixed-term contract as Director of Schools and Employability, while we continue the recruitment process for a permanent post. Because of the senior nature of the role, elected members need to be involved in the permanent appointment process, which will therefore take place after the local elections in Birmingham in May 2026. We expect to be in a position to confirm the permanent appointment shortly after, and certainly before the end of June.

Many of you will have already met Martin and seen the positive start he’s made, building relationships, listening to school leaders, and helping shape the conditions for lasting improvement. His experience and commitment are already making a difference, and I know he’s appreciated the warm welcome you’ve all given to him. Please do continue to offer your support as Martin settles in and works with us to ensure every child in Birmingham can thrive.

We’re aware that the firework safety message from West Midlands Police (WMP) arrived very late yesterday, and we understand that many schools may not have been able to share it with families in time. Thank you so much for doing what you could to pass it on – we really appreciate your support.

The request came through from WMP just before the end of the school day, during a particularly busy time for them. We did explain that schools might struggle to pick it up at such short notice, but agreed to share it as requested.

We’ve had some feedback from schools, and we’ll be passing this on to WMP to help improve future communications.

With my very best wishes for a peaceful and relaxing weekend.

Sue

Schools Finance 

November 2025/26 Cash Sheets

The updated cash sheets as of 01 November 2025 can be found here:

We hope you find this useful in reconciling the monthly instalment as well as 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. 

October Grant Allocations

October grant allocations will be paid shortly.

Any queries should be directed to the SchoolsFinance@Birmingham.gov.uk mailbox in the first instance. 

Q2 Financial Monitoring

We would like to inform you that the submission deadline for the Quarter 2 Financial Monitoring has now closed. Thank you to those schools who submitted. If your return is fine, you will not hear from us.

We have now reviewed the returns and will be contacting schools individually where we have any queries. For schools that did not submit, you will have received an email about an absolute deadline of 7 November 2025.

We would like to remind all schools that the quarterly financial monitoring is a statutory return and must be submitted on time with the correct supporting documentation. Delays in submission impact the local authority’s ability to carry out the necessary tasks to review the submissions and contact schools for further information.

If you have any queries, please contact SchoolsFinance@Birmingham.gov.uk.

Scheme for Financing Maintained Schools

Local authorities are required to publish their scheme for financing maintained schools which sets out the financial relationship between the local authority and the schools they maintain.

The Department for Education (DfE) issues statutory guidance for local authorities on schemes for financing schools. The DfE guidance lists the provisions which a local authority must, should or may include. Local schemes need not follow the exact format used by the DfE guidance, except for the text of directed revisions. The DfE guidance is updated annually.

Issue 16 was published on 27 March 2025 and can be found at: Schemes for financing schools - GOV.UK

The local authority has reviewed the current scheme, which was last updated in 2017/18, to ensure that all sections are still appropriate or amended where necessary.

The consultation for this took place between 18 September – 10 October 2025 and was approved by Schools Forum on 23 October 2025.

The updated scheme can be found at: Scheme for the financing of maintained schools | Birmingham City Council

Thank you for your continued engagement and support. 

Pay and Compliance

This month’s (November) Pay and Policy Compliance briefing provides important updates on:

  • Term Time Only Calculations
  • Early Payroll Deadlines - December and January
  • Teachers Pay Policy update
  • Pay and Grading queries

The full briefing can be found here: Compliance | Birmingham City Council

Please take a moment to read through these points carefully. They are essential to ensuring we remain compliant and informed.

For any questions or queries, please contact the Pay and Policy Compliance Team directly at pay.compliance@birmingham.gov.uk.

School Attendance Support Update

Webinars & Universal Support: We’re continuing our regular webinar series this half term to support all schools in improving attendance and tackling barriers. After Christmas, we’ll be in touch with schools who offered to share best practice to help shape next term’s sessions.

Upcoming Webinars (via Microsoft Teams):

Please use the links provided to join each session at the scheduled time.

You can catch up with recordings of previous webinars here:

Drop-in Clinics & District Networks: We’re working on setting up drop-in clinics and district network meetings this half term. Details on how to join will be shared soon.

Audit of processes and Practices: Our attendance self-audit was sent out before half term. If you didn’t receive it and would like a copy, please email: attendance@birmingham.gov.uk

Attendance Toolkit: Our online toolkit is nearly ready and will be live on the website shortly. We’ll let you know once it’s available and will continue to update it over time.

Named Contacts & District Model: Recruitment for attendance roles has now closed, and we’re aiming to fill remaining vacancies soon. This will ensure every school has a named contact under the district model. In the meantime, we’re allocating existing MACs and will share contact details next week via the School Noticeboard.

Targeted Support Meetings (TSMs): We’re starting our first round of TSMs this half term. Schools identified through data will receive direct invites. Meetings will be held online and scheduled to suit school staff. More details will follow shortly.

DfE Attendance HUB Events: E-ACT Heartlands Academy and E-ACT North Birmingham Academy are hosting open events as part of the Department for Education RISE Attendance & Behaviour Hubs programme:

  • Dates: 12 & 13 November, 2 & 9 December
  • Time: 08:30–13:30

These events showcase how strong relationships, consistency, and belonging can improve attendance and classroom culture.

Please note: These events are not run by BCC. For queries, please contact the schools directly. We’ll be attending and look forward to seeing many of you there!

For any queries regarding attendance support, please don’t hesitate to reach out to the team at attendance@birmingham.gov.uk.

Healthcare Leaders Issue Back-to-School Health Advice

As children across Birmingham, Black Country and Solihull head back to school, healthcare leaders are reminding parents and carers to make sure their children are protected from serious illnesses ahead of winter.

Seasonal illnesses such as flu, COVID-19 and norovirus are expected to circulate more widely during colder months leading to missed school days, and there are simple steps that young people and their families can do to increase their protection.

Parents are encouraged to make sure their children are up to date with vaccinations, including the free flu nasal spray for those aged two to 16, and both flu and COVID-19 vaccines for children in clinical risk groups. It’s also important to check that children have received both doses of the MMR vaccine, which protects against measles.

Good hygiene remains a simple and effective defence: regular handwashing with soap and warm water, using tissues to catch coughs and sneezes, and staying home when unwell all help to stop the spread of infection. Families are also encouraged to stay active, eat well, and manage minor illnesses at home with advice from the NHS website or local pharmacists.

Sally Roberts, Chief Nursing Officer and Deputy Chief Executive Officer for NHS Black Country Integrated Care Board (ICB) and Interim Cluster Quality and Safety Lead for Black Country ICB and NHS Birmingham and Solihull ICB, said:

“Vaccination remains one of the most effective ways to protect children and those around them from serious illness.

 Regular handwashing with soap and warm water, using tissues to catch coughs and sneezes, and staying home when unwell can significantly limit the spread of infections in schools and childcare settings.”

A sing-along video by local NHS workers shows children the best technique for washing their hands. For self-care advice, please visit the NHS Black Country ICB website or NHS Birmingham and Solihull.

SEND Lived Experience Surveys Now Open on Birmingham’s Local Offer

Please share with your parent carers and children and young people

We want to hear from young people and parent carers of children with SEND.

Two new Lived Experience Surveys are now open on Birmingham’s Local Offer, one for young people with SEND and one for parent carers of children and young people with SEND.

We’re asking you, as professionals working with families, to help us reach as many people as possible by sharing these surveys with the young people and parent carers you support.

For young people: We want to know what life is like for them in Birmingham, at school, at home, or in their community to get a sense of how they’re feeling and what matters most to them.

For parent carers: We want to hear about their experiences of support and services for their child or young person. Their insight helps us understand what families are experiencing and how things could be better.

Please share these links with the families you work with:

The surveys are multiple-choice and hopefully won't take up too much of their time, but the feedback will make a big difference to improving services for children, young people, and families across Birmingham.

If anyone has questions or needs support completing a survey, they can contact localoffer@birmingham.gov.uk. 

Thank you for your support. 

Proposals to Reduce PAN for 2026 Entry – correction on previous noticeboard item

We wrote on 9th October 2025 to advise of Proposals to Reduce PAN for 2026 Entry at two schools In order to help address the sustained impact of surplus primary places and lower intakes in schools.

We are writing to correct the wording for Thornton Primary School. We are looking to reduce the Year 3 PAN (not Reception) at this junior school for September 2026.

As with Adderley, the business case will be sent to the Schools Adjudicator in due course for consideration. We will publish the outcome of the decision.

We continue to discuss PANs for 2027 entry. Community and VC school PANs are currently being consulted on with a decision due in Spring 2026. If you are an academy and would also like to discuss proposals for Reception 2026 please also get in touch.

For further information, please contact Education Infrastructure: ediplaceplanning@birmingham.gov.uk

Apply for the Safer School Journeys Programme

Birmingham City Council is launching a new £2.7 million Safer School Journeys programme to improve road safety around schools. This initiative will deliver tailored physical improvements – such as safer crossings, junction changes, and pedestrian zones – to make school journeys safer, healthier, and more active.

Join our next Healthy Schools Lunch & Learn webinar on Thursday, 13 November 12:30-13:00 to find out:

  • What the Safer School Journeys programme involves
  • How your school can apply
  • Tips to strengthen your Expression of Interest
  • What support is available

 Speakers:

  • Sandra Green, Senior Travel Demand Officer – expert in School Streets and Modeshift STARS travel planning
  • Jennifer Coombs, Principal Travel Demand Officer – leads Birmingham’s School Streets programme with nearly 20 years’ experience in road safety and behaviour change

Register for the webinar: https://www.birmingham.gov.uk/schoolstreets

Apply for the programme: Submit your school’s Expression of Interest by Friday, 28 November 2025 to be considered for this year’s programme.

For any questions or further information regarding the programme please contact connected@birmingham.gov.uk.

Is Your School’s Display Energy Certificate Up to Date?

Did you know that every school is required to have a valid Display Energy Certificate (DEC)? It’s more than just a legal requirement – it’s a valuable tool that shows your school’s energy performance and offers practical recommendations to help reduce carbon emissions and save energy.

If your school is one of the 11% in Birmingham with an expired DEC, now’s the time to take action. You can check your school’s certificate status here: https://www.gov.uk/find-energy-certificate

If your school is part of the Acivico STARS scheme, support is available to help you renew your certificate: https://acivicogroup.co.uk/services/statutory-testing-asset-repair-scheme-stars/

For further advice or assistance, please contact Tonia Clark at Tonia.clark@birmingham.gov.uk

Join the University of Birmingham’s Education-Focused Research Seminars

The Centre for Developmental Science at the University of Birmingham hosts a series of monthly online research talks, held on the first Thursday of each month from 4–5pm. These sessions are open to anyone with an interest in finding out more about their research.

Each session features a presentation on a current research topic relevant to all levels of education, followed by an opportunity for discussion and questions. The aim is to foster dialogue between researchers and education professionals, and to share insights that can inform practice and policy.

Find out more and sign up for updates and links to upcoming talks: https://www.birmingham.ac.uk/research/centre-for-developmental-science/events-talks

For questions or further information please contact Dr Sanne van der Kleij at: s.w.vanderkleij@bham.ac.uk

 

This entry was posted by Keisha Morgan on 27/10/2025.

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