This week's noticeboard includes:

• A message from Dr Sue Harrison, Executive Director of Children and Families
• Join Us in Launching Birmingham-Brussels Education Partnership
• Equal Pay Programme Update
• The Pension Regulator - Action for Schools
• Education Psychology Traded Services 2026/27 - New Ways of Working
• Early Education Entitlement - Consumables Charges
• Healthy Schools Lunch & Learn: Early Help Mental Health Services
• Safe Space for Young People During Anti-Bullying Week and Beyond
• New Resource: West Midlands VAWG Hidden Harmful Practices Guide
• Solar Funding for Schools
• First Aid/Fire Marshall/MIDAS Training Courses

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

Dear Colleagues

Last week, we were delighted to welcome a team from GO! Scholengroep Brussel, one of Belgium’s largest public education networks, for a pre-meeting ahead of their planned visit in April 2026. This partnership reflects our shared ambition to deliver high-quality, inclusive education for every learner in vibrant, multicultural cities.

We extend our wholehearted thanks to the schools who kindly hosted visits with the Brussels team, alongside council colleagues Razia Butt, David Camps, and Ayisha Ali:

• Core City Academy
• Somerville Primary School
• Bordesley Green Girls’ School

Your warm welcome and willingness to share practice made a real impact.

We’re excited to be part of this international collaboration and hope schools across Birmingham will engage with the initiative, starting with British Council International Education Week which runs from 17-21 November.

Looking ahead, in April 2026, Brussels school leaders will visit Birmingham to learn from our schools. If your school is interested in participating as a host, please contact SchoolImprovement@birmingham.gov.uk and refer to the full details in the article below.

Alongside this exciting international work, we’re committed to keeping you fully informed on the latest developments across our services.

Please save the date in your calendars for our upcoming webinar on Thursday, 4 December, from 13:00 to 14:00. During this session, we’ll share key updates from across our services and outline what they mean for schools.

Although the session will be recorded, we hope as many of you as possible can join us live.

Click here to access the webinar: Webinar for Schools - Thursday, 4 December 2025 13:00-14:00

Thank you for your continued commitment to supporting Birmingham’s children and families and my best wishes for a relaxing weekend ahead.

Sue

Join Us in Launching Birmingham–Brussels Education Partnership

We’re delighted to share an exciting new partnership between Birmingham and GO! Scholengroep Brussel, one of Belgium’s largest and most diverse public education networks. This collaboration celebrates our shared ambition: delivering high-quality, inclusive education for every learner in diverse urban contexts.

Why this matters:

Brussels and Birmingham face similar challenges and opportunities – vibrant multicultural communities, complex urban realities, and a commitment to strong outcomes for all pupils. Our partnership will enable schools to exchange ideas and learn from each other’s best practices.

What’s happening next:

• British Council International Education Week 17-21 November is the perfect time to introduce this initiative. We invite Birmingham schools to showcase global learning and explore British Council resources: https://www.britishcouncil.org/school-resources/international-education-week.
• In April 2026, a delegation of around 100 Brussels school leaders will visit Birmingham to observe effective practice in diverse urban settings.
• We expect a group of 6-8 school leaders to visit your school in the morning, followed by a different group in the afternoon. Funding will be available if you choose to provide lunch.

We’re looking for schools to host visits on 23 April 2026:

• 8 Primary schools
• 4 Secondary schools
• 2 Nurseries
• 2 Art academies
• 1–2 Adult education or vocational centres

Schools should demonstrate:

• A knowledge-rich curriculum with clear progression
• Explicit, teacher-led instruction
• Consistent routines and high expectations
• Inclusive culture and strong safeguarding
• Leadership that supports staff wellbeing
• Effective behaviour systems
• Community and parental engagement
• Ability to provide a school lunch for visitors (sharing a meal is part of the experience)

This is a fantastic opportunity to showcase Birmingham’s strengths and learn from colleagues in Brussels.

How you can get involved:

• Share examples of international learning during British Council week.
• Express interest if your school would like to host a group of visitors in April 2026.
• Contribute ideas for promoting Birmingham’s inclusive, high-quality education.

To register interest or find out more, please contact: SchoolImprovement@birmingham.gov.uk.

Equal Pay Programme Update

Pay and Grading Implementation

An email has been sent to all schools where BCC is the employer clarifying the details of any changes to pay and grading from 1 October 2025.  Please note only a minority of staff see a change to their pay from 1 October, namely those below the lowest scale point of their new grade A-D / Grade 6.

If you have any queries or concerns, please contact eppschools@birmingham.gov.uk and we will get back to you at the earliest opportunity.

Please complete the Microsoft forms return to let us know you have issued letters to your staff and have instructed your payroll providers to implement the changes: Pay and Grading Completion Return.

If you foresee any difficulty ensuring the changes are implemented for December payroll at the latest, please contact eppschools@birmingham.gov.uk so that we can provide support as needed.

Please note, additional letters for issue to casual staff will be sent to you this week for issue at your earliest convenience. There is no requirement to issue these in advance of completing the Microsoft form above.

Batch 1 JDPS Review for Administration and Finance roles : schools where BCC is the employer

Thank you to all of the school leaders who are contributing to the Quality Improvement phase of JDPS development. We are excited to release the first set of updated JDPSs on 24 November when we launch JDPS Review for Administration and Finance roles.

In preparation, we are running briefings for non-teaching staff who work in administration and finance. Links have been sent to Heads and Business Managers for distribution to your staff, along with a prerecorded version of the briefing delivered this week for school leaders.

Please email eppschools@birmingham.gov.uk if you have a school leader / Business Manager who would like to be added to the distribution list for schools where BCC is the employer.

Thank you for your continued support.

The Pension Regulator

Birmingham City Council schools that are receiving correspondence from The Pension Regulator please forward it onto the externalpensions@birmingham.gov.uk mailbox.  Please mark the email for the attention of Vipul Mistry, thank you.  

If you have any queries in the meantime, please contact externalpensions@birmingham.gov.uk and the team will be pleased to assist. 

Educational Psychology Traded Services Delivery 2026/27 – New Ways of Working 

The Educational Psychology Service has been reviewing its traded service delivery to schools and would like to share our thoughts and proposals for new ways of working for the upcoming traded year (2026/27), starting April 2026.

We are hosting webinars to provide an overview of these changes and what they mean for you. Please do attend to find out more – simply click on the appropriate link below to join the session. We very much look forward to seeing you.

Webinar dates:

• Monday 1st December 10-10.45am 
• Tuesday 2nd December 1.30 -2.15pm 

Early Education Entitlement - Consumables Charges

The Early education and childcare statutory guidance is clear that anything provided over and above the free hours must be voluntary to parents. Providers chargeable extras need to be clear, up to date and easily accessible and from January 2026 they must be included on a Providers website where one exists. Provider invoices and receipts must be itemised and provide a clear break down of the free hours, additional paid hours, food charges, non-food charges, activity charges.

Providers can charge for:

• consumables to be used by the child, such as nappies or sun cream
• meals and snacks consumed by the child
• extra optional activities such as events, celebrations, specialist tuition (for example music classes or foreign languages) or other activities that are not directly related or necessary for the effective delivery of the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) statutory framework
• additional, private paid hours according to a Providers usual terms and conditions provided that taking up private paid hours is not a condition of accessing a free place

Providers cannot make the following charges:

• Top-up fees (any difference between a Provider’s normal charge to parents and the funding they receive from the local authority to deliver free places).
• The supply of or use of any materials, including, but not limited to, craft materials, crayons, paper, books, instruments, toys, or other equipment or learning resources that are necessary for the effective delivery of childcare.
• Business running costs, including, but not limited to, rent, staff wages, cleaning materials, insurance, or utility bills such as energy, gas or water.
• Registration fees as a condition of taking up a child’s free entitlement place.
• Non-refundable deposits as a condition of taking up a child’s entitlement place.
• General charges, including but not limited to, non-itemised enrichment charges, sustainability charges, business continuity charges, additional charges, enhanced ratios, hourly rates, or any other supplementary charges on top of the free hours.
• Any additional fees that are not specifically identified and itemised as being for chargeable extras as described in A1.33.

Providers cannot ask parents to collect their children in the middle of a funded day to feed their children and return them back to the setting, or for example, only offer 10-midday and 1-3 entitlement hours with only private hours in between, as this is not reasonable and creates an artificial break in the day.

All Providers (schools and PVI's) will have received an email this week about consumables charges with additional information included.

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

Healthy Schools Lunch & Learn – 19 November 2025

An outline of early help mental health services for children & young people in Birmingham

Our next Healthy Schools Lunch & Learn webinar is titled An outline of early help mental health services for children and young people in Birmingham and will take place on Wednesday 19 November at 16:00. This webinar is open to all school staff.

Register for this webinar here: An outline of early help mental health services for children & young people in Birmingham

Join this session to find out more about how to access children and young people’s early help mental health services. The session will cover:

• An overview of all children and young people’s mental health provision in Birmingham (Forward Thinking Birmingham) – what is available?
• A closer look at the STICK and Mental Health Support Teams (MHST) services within the early help mental health division
• How to make referrals into all Forward Thinking Birmingham services
• Key factors to consider when making referrals.

For any queries or further information please contact the team at healthyschools@birmingham.gov.uk

Safe Space for Young People During Anti-Bullying Week – And Beyond

Text ‘Space’ to 85258 for free, confidential, 24/7 support

This Anti-Bullying Week, children and young people across Birmingham and Solihull are being reminded that help is just a text away - not only during the campaign, but every day of the year.

If you're feeling anxious, low, or alone because of bullying - or struggling with your mental health for any reason - you can text ‘Space’ to 85258 for a free, confidential conversation with a trained mental health professional. The service is available 24/7 and is designed to support anyone who finds it difficult to speak out loud about how they’re feeling.

This vital support is offered through a partnership between Birmingham and Solihull Mental Health NHS Foundation Trust and Shout, the UK’s first 24/7 text messaging support service.

In addition to providing immediate emotional support, texters can be signposted to a range of local services, including:

• Talking Therapies
• Crisis Cafés
• NHS 111 Option 2 for urgent mental health support

To learn more about how the service works, visit the Birmingham and Solihull Mental Health NHS Foundation Trust website.

New Resource: West Midlands VAWG Hidden Harmful Practices Guide

West Midlands Police and Crime Commissioner (WMPCC) are pleased to share the final West Midlands VAWG Hidden Harmful Practices Guide, developed through six months of multi-agency partnership consultation and support.

This guide aims to raise awareness of hidden harmful practices, outline steps to build regional capability, and provide recommendations for a proactive response. It acknowledges that harmful practices are often hidden and evolving, and will be refreshed every two years to reflect improvements and address gaps.

Further VAWG Partnership resources can be found at: VAWG Partnership Resources - West Midlands Police & Crime Commissioner

For queries or more details, please contact: wmpcc@westmidlands.police.uk

Solar Funding for Schools

Unlock an exclusive solar power grant today!

Solar for Schools is working with National Grid to: 

• Support schools in their operating region with grant funding of up to £25,000 per school.
• Inspire the next generation of STEM innovators and engage students on net-zero by creating young solar ambassadors.
• Save schools money from year 1, with no start-up costs.

To find out if your school is eligible for funding, simply follow this link and enter your details: https://funnel.solarforschools.co.uk/NationalGrid.  

For any queries or further information please contact Tom Darby at tomd@solarforschools.co.uk

First Aid / Fire Marshal Courses / MIDAS Training Courses