Noticeboard

Noticeboard - 4 September 2026

Welcome to the first Noticeboard of the Autumn Term, packed with training opportunities, free resources, and useful information to support schools and settings.

This week's Noticeboard includes: 

A message from Stuart Lackenby, Interim Executive Director of Children and Families

Welcome back to the new academic year. I hope you have all had a restful summer break and are looking forward to the year ahead.

As we begin the autumn term, I would like to thank schools for your continued commitment to Birmingham's children and young people. Your work makes a difference every day, helping children to feel safe, supported and able to achieve their potential.

We would also like to wish the staff, pupils, families and governors of Bellfield Primary School, Beeches Primary School and Town House Primary School every success as they begin this new chapter for their school communities as amalgamated primary schools.

Our next Schools Webinar will take place on 17 September, providing an opportunity to share updates on a range of important developments, including recruitment to the permanent Executive Director of Children and Families role and the Director of Schools and Employability position, alongside our priorities for the year ahead, SEND reform and other key strategic developments. I hope many of you will be able to join us. Please register your attendance at this link: Schools Webinar - 17 September 2026 14:00-15:00

This September also marks the launch of Birmingham's Year of the Child, a citywide opportunity to celebrate childhood, champion children's voices and rights, and showcase the incredible achievements taking place across our schools, settings and communities every day. We know there is already excellent work happening across Birmingham, and we look forward to highlighting and celebrating that throughout the year.

One of the major milestones will be Birmingham's UNICEF World Children's Day Celebration at the Town Hall on 20 November. Thank you to the schools that have already submitted expressions of interest to take part. There is still time to get involved, but registration closes this week, so please don't miss the opportunity.

We know the months ahead will be busy, but we remain committed to working in partnership with schools and creating opportunities for meaningful discussion, collaboration and shared learning. We look forward to continuing that work with you throughout the year.

Thank you for everything you do for Birmingham's children and young people.

Stuart Lackenby
Interim Executive Director, Children and Families

Year 7 and 14-19 Admissions - September 2027

Online applications for Year 7 and 14-19 admissions in September 2027 opened on 1 September 2026. 

Parents and carers who live in Birmingham should apply via the Birmingham City Council website by the deadline of 31 October 2026. Full details, including admission arrangements and guidance to help parents and carers with making preferences, are available on our website. For additional advice and support, please contact Children's Services on 0121 303 1888.

All Birmingham maintained Primary, Junior and All-Through Schools were sent a letter in July 2026, before the end of the summer term.  This letter was for schools to send to parents/carers of children due to transfer to secondary school in 2027 who do not have an Education, Health, and Care Plan (EHCP). This letter contains key information on the process, including important guidance for parents/carers with a child born between 1 September 2015 to 31 August 2016, and who had deferred entry agreed at the point they were due to start Reception.

If you need a copy of this letter, have questions about the admissions process, or require further information, please email admissions@birmingham.gov.uk

Thank you for your continued support in raising awareness of the admissions process.

DBS Checks for Visiting Professionals

Schools are asked to note updated guidance on DBS checks and identification requirements for Birmingham City Council Education Services staff and Birmingham Children's Trust professionals visiting school sites. The guidance also confirms that schools should not request copies of DBS certificates from visiting professionals.

Read the full guidance here: DBS checks for visiting professionals | Birmingham City Council.

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

Admissions Schools Portal training sessions

Schools are reminded that they are required to submit the following information to the local authority via the Schools Portal:

  • Pupil Movement Forms (PMFs)
  • Places Available information
  • In-Year Applications

To support schools with these statutory processes, the Admissions team is offering a series of bite-size online training sessions during September. The sessions are suitable for both new and existing users and focus on key in-year admissions processes completed by schools throughout the academic year.

Pupil Movement Forms (PMFs)
Monday 14 September 2026, 10.30am to 11.30am
Join via the Pupil Movement Form Teams link

Places Available and Direct Applications
Tuesday 15 September 2026, 9.45am to 10.45am
Join via the Places Available & Direct Applications Teams link

Managing In-Year Waiting Lists
Thursday 17 September 2026, 11am to 12pm
Join via the Managing Waiting Lists Teams link

There is no need to book a place for the sessions above. Simply use the relevant Teams link to join.

Schools Portal end-to-end training

A full end-to-end Schools Portal training session will also be available for new users: Wednesday 16 September 2026, 9.30am to 1.30pm

To register, please email ADMICT@birmingham.gov.uk with:

  • Attendee name
  • Attendee email address
  • School name

For queries or further information, please contact ADMICT@birmingham.gov.uk.

Be Part of Birmingham's Year of the Child 2026/27

Birmingham's Year of the Child 2026/27 is here, and we'd love you to be part of it. Together, we're celebrating children and young people, championing their voices and rights, and showcasing the many ways schools, settings and post-16 providers help them learn, grow and thrive.

The Year of the Child is a city-wide celebration of childhood and an opportunity to recognise achievements, amplify children's voices and highlight the positive difference being made across Birmingham every day.

Whether you're planning a special event, celebrating pupil or student voice, showcasing creative talent, promoting children's rights, supporting wellbeing, or creating opportunities for leadership and enrichment, we'd love to hear about it.

Year of the Child is not about creating something new. It's about celebrating and sharing the fantastic work already happening across Birmingham.

As the programme continues to grow, we'll be sharing updates, celebrating achievements and highlighting inspiring examples from across the city. By telling us about your activities, you'll help showcase the difference you make to children and young people's lives and inspire others to get involved.

Every child matters. Every voice counts. Every school, setting and organisation has a story worth sharing.

Please complete the relevant form below:

For any queries please contact: CandFImprovementprogramme@birmingham.gov.uk

Reminder: UNICEF World Children's Day Celebration 2026

There is still time for Birmingham schools to express an interest in performing at Birmingham's 5th UNICEF Celebration for World Children's Day 2026.

The celebration will take place at Birmingham Town Hall on 20 November 2026 and this year's theme is "Inclusion, For Every Child". Schools can respond through music, dance, drama, poetry, spoken word, film or any other creative performance.

Expressions of interest for this year's event close today (Friday 4 September) - Submit an expression of interest

A webinar to share full details with participating schools will take place at 3.30pm Monday 13 September 2026.

If you have any questions, please contact Chaperones@birmingham.gov.uk.

Education Finance

Education Finance Team

The Schools Finance team has been rebranded as Education Finance. As part of this refresh, you will notice updates to the Finance in Schools landing page and associated resources.

Schools should now contact the team via EducationFinance@Birmingham.gov.uk.

Quarter 1 Financial Monitoring Return

Thank you to all schools that submitted their Quarter 1 Financial Monitoring Return. Participation has been extremely positive, with most schools now fully engaged in the quarterly monitoring process.

If your school did not submit a return, the Education Finance team will be in touch shortly to understand any barriers and provide support where needed.

Audit Queries: 2025/26 Year-End

A number of audit queries were issued to schools over the summer holidays, with further queries expected in the coming weeks.

If your school receives an audit query, please respond as soon as possible. Prompt responses help prevent delays and support the timely completion of the audit process.

Cash Sheets

Updated cash sheets for September 2026 are now available here: Day-to-day financial operations | Day-to-day financial operations | Birmingham City Council

These support the reconciliation of monthly instalments and grant payments received throughout the financial year.

NEW: Early Years Funding Calculator

We are pleased to launch a new Early Years Funding Calculator to help schools plan and monitor their Early Years funding.

The calculator:

  • provides indicative budgets
  • allows schools to estimate expected funding
  • supports forecasting for the next two financial years
  • shows actual calculated allocations to assist with reconciling payments received

Before using the calculator, please read the Guidance tab, which contains instructions and important notes.

Spring 2027 indicative budgets have also been updated using pupil data from the Spring 2026 census.

The calculator is available here: Day-to-day financial operations | Day-to-day financial operations | Birmingham City Council

NEW: Special Schools High Needs Funding Calculator

We are also pleased to introduce a new Special Schools High Needs Funding Calculator to support special schools with planning and monitoring their High Needs funding.

The calculator is available here: Day-to-day financial operations | Day-to-day financial operations | Birmingham City Council

Finance Training for Maintained Schools

A range of finance training sessions for maintained schools is coming up.

The training timetable, together with joining information, is available here: Attend school finance training | Day-to-day financial operations | Birmingham City Council

“Can They Care for Me, Am I Safe?” Local Child Safeguarding Practice Review Webinar

Date: Thursday, 10 September 
Time: 2pm to 4pm

School staff are invited to join a webinar exploring learning from a Local Child Safeguarding Practice Review (LCSPR) that highlights the impact parental mental ill health can have on children and families.

The session will provide an overview of the case and key learning identified by the Lead Reviewer, followed by discussion on effective family assessments and interventions. It will also explore how parental mental health needs, learning disabilities, cultural background and lived experiences can influence parenting capacity and engagement with services.

Attendees will hear about resources and support available across Birmingham and will have the opportunity to ask questions during a panel Q&A with safeguarding leaders.

A briefing note summarising the review, key learning and areas for practice improvement, along with a PowerPoint presentation to support team discussions, is also available on the BSCP website.

Invitation to join the Services For Education KS2 Moderation Team 2026-27

Services For Education's School Support Service is commissioned by Birmingham Local Authority to organise, manage and deliver statutory KS2 assessment duties.

A webinar is available on the Services for Education website, providing information about the application process for becoming a Standards and Testing Agency (STA) accredited KS2 Teacher Moderator for the statutory assessment of writing in summer 2027.

The role offers an opportunity to develop professional expertise in KS2 writing assessment and moderation.

Queries and applications should be submitted to sharon.noble@servicesforeducation.co.uk.

Closing date: 29 September 2026.

Help shape the future: National survey

The Children's Commissioner for England, Dame Rachel de Souza, has launched The Big Future, a national survey giving children and young people the opportunity to share their views, experiences and aspirations directly with decision-makers. The survey is the Children's Commissioner's largest-ever consultation with children and young people.

Schools are encouraged to share the survey with parents and carers through their usual communication channels and, where appropriate, support children and young people to take part, particularly those who may face barriers to having their voices heard.

The survey explores the issues that matter most to children and young people, their concerns about growing up today and their hopes for the future. Findings will be shared with government to help inform future policy and decision-making affecting children and young people.

To help schools facilitate participation, the Children's Commissioner has produced a guide for teachers, along with a range of supporting resources, including videos, promotional materials and FAQs.

Resources:

The survey closes on 23 October 2026. 

Heart Midlands Early Years Stronger Practice Hub

Did you know Birmingham is home to the Heart Midlands Early Years Stronger Practice Hub?

Funded by the Department for Education, the Hub supports nurseries, schools, childminders and other early years providers across the West Midlands by sharing evidence-informed practice, professional development opportunities and practical resources to help improve outcomes for young children and families.

The Hub offers a range of fully funded support, including:

  • Bespoke support for early years settings
  • Professional development and training opportunities
  • Practical resources and guidance
  • Networking and collaboration opportunities
  • Access to evidence-informed approaches that strengthen practice and improve outcomes for children

Whether you're looking for training, advice, resources or opportunities to connect with other practitioners, the Hub provides free support to help you develop and enhance your early years provision.

NASA Live: Meet the engineers behind Artemis II

Date: Friday 11 September 2026
Time: 2pm to 3pm
Book a free place: NASA Live booking.

There's still time to book a free place on this exciting live online event from Big Ideas, featuring NASA engineers Howard Hu and Branelle Rodriguez.

Broadcast live from Imperial Space School, the session will explore the Artemis II mission and the team behind the Orion spacecraft as it prepares for its 10-day journey around the Moon.

Open to pupils aged 8 to 18, the event is classroom-ready and only requires paper to take part.

For queries or further information contact engineer@big-ideas.org.

Drawing Hope: Global creative project for schools

Help children and young people connect across cultures through Drawing Hope, an international self-portrait project led by Peacemakers and Quakers in Britain.

Pupils are invited to create a simple self-portrait and message of greeting to a friend they have not yet met. Artwork will be displayed locally, with a selection showcased in London and at the UN headquarters in Geneva.

Free lesson plans and resources are available for primary, secondary and other educational settings.

To find out more or register your interest, contact office@peacemakers.org.uk or complete Drawing Hope expression of interest.

Free Science Investigation Kits for Birmingham Primary Schools

The Edina Trust is offering free Science Close Up investigation kits to Birmingham primary schools.

The kits contain a range of scientific equipment for pupils to use in pairs, supporting hands-on investigation and observation activities. The accompanying activity materials can be viewed and downloaded from the https://edinatrust.org.uk/science-close-up.

The activities help pupils develop scientific enquiry skills while strengthening their understanding of measurement, reading scales and decimal numbers. They also provide opportunities to use real scientific equipment and make links with mathematics.

To receive a free science equipment kit for your school, download the registration form from the website, complete your school details and return it to michael.buckley@edinatrust.org.uk.

Picture News: Year of Reading resources

Alongside Reading Rocks and Teacher’s Pet, Picture News is hosting a series of free live sessions and has developed resources to support the 2026 Year of Reading campaign.

Resources and booking information are available via the link below. Open to all primary schools.

Get Ready to Read with Our Exciting New Reading Project! | Picture News Blog

This entry was posted by Dawn Evans on 28/07/2026.