Noticeboard

Noticeboard - 26 June 2026

This week’s Noticeboard brings together key updates, actions for schools, and a range of opportunities, alongside information and support available.

In this week's noticeboard: 

Key Message

Important Dates and Actions

Support and Services

Training and Development

Events and Opportunities

Key message: Martin Fitzwilliam, Interim Director of Schools and Employability

Dear colleagues

This week has brought unusually hot conditions and we know that schools have responded with considerable care, flexibility and professionalism. Thank you for this. 

Leaders and staff have been managing a complex balance. They have needed to protect the wellbeing of children and colleagues while also considering the wider impact of any disruption to the school day. Schools understand that unexpected changes can affect families, childcare arrangements, employers and other services, including hospitals. They also know that some children may face different risks when they are not in school, particularly during periods of very hot weather.

The guidance shared earlier this week confirmed that there is no single maximum temperature at which a school must close. Each school must consider its own circumstances, including the condition of its buildings, the needs of younger pupils, medical needs and the wellbeing of staff.

We recognise that these decisions are specific to each school and are made by leaders who know their communities, buildings and children well. Across Birmingham, schools have adapted routines, adjusted activities, managed buildings carefully and communicated with families, often at short notice.

Thank you to school leaders, teachers, support staff, site teams and governors for the calm and thoughtful way you have managed the heat. Your work to keep children safe, well and learning is greatly appreciated.

Kind regards

Martin 

Martin Fitzwilliam
Interim Director of Schools and Employability

Education Finance

Reminder: Sales of obsolete/scrap IT equipment

HMRC is currently reviewing Birmingham City Council’s VAT arrangements, including how VAT has been applied to income and expenditure in schools. As part of this, it has been identified that VAT has not always been charged on the sale of obsolete or scrap IT equipment. The council has therefore been asked to review all such sales made by schools between April 2022 and March 2026.

Maintained schools are asked to review their records and complete the relevant form, confirming whether any sales were made, whether VAT was charged, and, if not, providing the value of those sales by month.

Please also ensure that VAT is applied to all sales of obsolete or scrap IT equipment from 1 April 2026.

The form can be accessed here: School sales of IT equipment | Birmingham City Council

Completed forms should be returned to vat@birmingham.gov.uk by 15 July 2026.

All maintained schools are required to complete a return, including a nil return where no sales have taken place. If you have any queries or need support, please contact vat@birmingham.gov.uk.

Quarter 1 Financial Monitoring Return – training sessions

We are pleased to invite maintained schools to attend training sessions for the mandatory Quarter 1 Financial Monitoring return.

The financial monitoring template has been updated to reflect corporate reporting requirements, so it is important that schools attend one of the training sessions to understand the changes and how to complete the return.

Deadline for submission: 15 July 2026

Training sessions (online):

Two identical sessions are available – schools only need to attend one.

Schools are welcome to join both sessions if they wish.

A recording of one of the sessions will also be made available on the financial monitoring webpage for schools unable to attend.

The updated Quarter 1 guidance and template can be accessed here: Financial monitoring and management for schools | Birmingham City Council

G4S cash collection services

We are aware of current issues with G4S cash collection services, which have resulted in the temporary suspension of collections. The council’s Procurement Team is working with G4S to resolve the position and have the service reinstated.

In the meantime, all maintained schools are required to set up an individual account directly with G4S using their own billing address. This will help ensure that invoices can be processed correctly going forward.

Schools should contact the G4S Core Account Team on 0845 644 1239 to arrange the setup of their account.

We kindly ask that schools complete this process promptly to support the reinstatement of the service. Thank you for your cooperation.

Reminder: Section 175 Safeguarding Self Assessment – Deadline 10 July

Schools are reminded to complete the Section 175 Safeguarding Self Assessment by Friday 10 July 2026.

This is a statutory requirement (under Section 175 of the Education Act 2002, and Section 157 for Academy Trusts) to ensure effective safeguarding arrangements are in place. The findings also help the Education Safeguarding Service target support.

  • Responses from last year should be pre-populated
  • Revised questions have been included following school feedback

All registered DSLs will have received access details. New or unregistered DSLs should contact educationsafeguarding@birmingham.gov.uk.

Thank you for your continued work to keep children and young people safe.

Primary Curriculum Group Meeting – 3 July

Primary schools are invited to attend the next Curriculum Group Meeting on Friday 3 July, 1–3.30pm at Regents Park Community Primary School.

Led by the Local Authority Safeguarding team, these sessions provide an opportunity for schools to collaborate, share effective practice and explore key curriculum and safeguarding themes.

This term’s session will include:

  • RSHE readiness for September 2026, including an early look at new lesson materials and an opportunity to provide feedback
  • An introduction to Pol-Ed, offering free PSHE and citizenship resources for schools
  • A Q&A on vaping and its impact on primary-aged pupils

This session may be particularly useful for school leaders, PSHE/RSHE leads, pastoral leads and DSLs.

Book your place via BESS: Primary Curriculum Group Meeting

Secondary Curriculum Group Meeting (online) – 16 July

Secondary schools are invited to attend the final Curriculum Group Meeting of the year on Thursday 16 July, 2–3.30pm (Microsoft Teams).

These sessions provide an opportunity for schools to collaborate, share practice and explore key curriculum and safeguarding themes.

This session will include:

  • An introduction to trauma-informed virtual reality resources (Cornerstone VR), supporting understanding of safeguarding issues including ACEs, exploitation and online harm
  • A session on Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG), focusing on recognising harmful behaviours and promoting safer, respectful environments
  • An overview of Pol-Ed, providing free PSHE and citizenship resources for schools

This session may be particularly useful for school leaders, PSHE/RSHE leads, pastoral leads and DSLs.

Book your place via BESS: Secondary Curriculum Group Meeting

Equality Act: updated Equality and Human Rights Commission Code of Practice

The Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) has produced an updated Code of Practice explaining how services, public bodies and associations should comply with the Equality Act 2010. The draft Code was laid before Parliament on 21 May 2026 and is currently in a 40‑day scrutiny period. If approved, it will be formally issued and brought into force at a later date.

The update reflects legal changes since 2011, including the Supreme Court decision in For Women Scotland (April 2025), clarifying the definition of sex and implications for single‑sex services, gender reassignment, sport and when organisations may ask about sex. The revised Code includes clearer guidance and examples.

Schools may find the draft Code and consultation reports helpful when managing equality duties and understanding the Court’s decision regarding the legal definition of ‘sex’.

Further information can be found here:

Updated Right Help, Right Time guidance

Birmingham’s threshold guidance, Right Help, Right Time, has been refreshed and the latest version (Version 7, June 2026) is now available.

The guidance is essential for everyone working with children, young people and families in Birmingham, supporting a shared understanding of how to identify needs and provide the right help at the right time. It can be downloaded to use on phones, laptops and other devices, with interactive links included, or printed if preferred.

The updated version includes refreshed terminology, new references to the Families First approach, and updated links to supporting documents.

As with previous versions, the guidance continues to include key tools and resources such as the Family Connect and Request for Support forms, Early Help assessment materials, exploitation screening tools, information sharing guidance, and policies relating to children with disabilities and the resolution of professional disagreements.

Schools are encouraged to familiarise themselves with the updated guidance and ensure they are using the latest version in their practice.

The guidance can be accessed here: Right Help, Right Time – Version 7 June 2026

Promoting child safety over the summer period

With the recent period of hot weather and the summer holidays approaching, schools are encouraged to reinforce key messages with parents and carers about keeping children safe – particularly around water.

Schools can support families by sharing practical advice and resources that help build confidence in managing everyday risks. This includes short videos and guidance that can be easily shared with children and young people.

Schools may also wish to promote the RNLI’s Float to Live campaign, which provides clear, simple guidance on what to do if someone gets into difficulty in water. Resources from the Royal Life Saving Society UK (RLSS) are also available to support water safety education for both schools and families.

BCHC+ Occupational Therapy Service

BCHC Plus Occupational Therapists time can be purchased by schools to work with children and young people in mainstream and specialist settings to help them achieve their full potential in activities of daily living that they need, want, or are expected to participate in. These activities include washing, dressing, feeding, toileting, school-based activities such as handwriting and play based activities. We provide additional services supplementing those currently available through locally commissioned NHS provision. Therapists are able to upskill staff in the classroom and support with embedding strategies to meet the needs withing your setting.

We can provide universal support through whole school approach to training and improving occupational performance/environmental assessments; targeted support via group work/ parent workshops/classroom observations and specialist 1:1 assessments and interventions of identified priority children.

Due to current capacity, commencement dates will not be until the Autumn term.

To find out more about how BCHC Plus can benefit your setting; pupils; families and staff; please visit our website https://www.bhamcommunity.nhs.uk/bchc-plus-occupational-therapy or contact our BCHC Plus team as follows on 0121 466 6266 or e-mail bchc.bchcplus@nhs.net.

Free Early Talk Boost training and resources

For primary school nursery classes and nursery schools

Early Talk Boost is a targeted intervention for children aged 3–4 who need support with talking and understanding words. The programme aims to boost language skills and narrow the gap between children and their peers, with evidence showing an average of six months’ progress following the nine-week intervention.

Children take part in three short sessions each week, lasting 15–20 minutes and delivered during circle or story time by an early years practitioner. The sessions focus on developing key speech, language and communication skills to support learning and interaction.

The training is delivered face to face, and each setting will receive two full sets of Early Talk Boost resources to support delivery.

Settings interested in taking part should complete the Expression of Interest Form to book onto one of the available sessions.

Training will take place on:

  • Monday 6 July 2026 at Erdington Family Hub (Lakeside Children’s Centre), 22 Lakes Road, Birmingham, B23 7UH, and on
  • Friday 14 August 2026 at Edgbaston Family Hub (Doddington Children’s Centre), 28 Doddington Grove, Birmingham, B32 4EL.

Healthy Schools Lunch & Learn: Inclusive approaches to sport and physical activity – 8 July 2026

Schools are invited to join the next Healthy Schools Lunch & Learn webinar on Wednesday 8 July at 4pm, focusing on inclusive approaches to sport and physical activity.

The session will introduce Access Sport, including how they work in Birmingham, and provide a taster of their Neurodiversity training planned for Autumn 2026.

This webinar is open to all school staff and may be particularly useful for those interested in supporting SEND pupils to engage in sport and physical activity.

Register here: Inclusive approaches to sport & physical activity: An introduction to Access Sport

To receive details of future Lunch & Learn sessions, join the Healthy Schools mailing list by emailing healthyschools@birmingham.gov.uk.

Healthy Schools Celebration Day – Save the Date

We’re excited to be hosting the first Healthy Schools Celebration Day on Tuesday 10 November 2026 at the Midlands Art Centre (MAC).

The day will focus on health and wellbeing in schools, bringing colleagues together to share practice, develop skills and build valuable connections.

We’re currently shaping the programme and would welcome your input at this early stage. Tell us what would be most useful to you by completing this short form.

Please save the date – further details will be shared early in the new term.

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

 

 

This entry was posted by Dawn Evans on 23/06/2026.