Southwark schools bulletin
Welcome to the Southwark schools bulletin archive page.
July 2026
Hello everyone,
I’m really pleased to be introducing myself as the new Assistant Director for SEND. I have spent my career in education, initially as a teacher and SENCo in Brent, and for the past 22 years in the SEN Service at Harrow Council, where I started as a senior caseworker and later as Head of SEND. I’ve already had a very warm welcome in Southwark and have been struck by the strength of partnership across schools, services and families, alongside a shared commitment to improving outcomes for children and young people with SEND.
Although the SEND conference took place online this year, it was still a powerful opportunity to come together and reflect on our shared priorities. We heard from two inspiring keynote speakers: Dr Pooky Knightsmith, who spoke about behaviour as a response to threat and anxiety, reminding us of the importance of understanding and responding to underlying need; and a young person from our Youth Parliament, who shared a compelling personal perspective on navigating the education system with SEND. Both contributions reinforced the importance of the work we are doing across Southwark, particularly our shared focus on inclusion and ensuring that every child and young person feels understood, supported and able to succeed.
As we approach the end of the academic year, I wanted to highlight a small number of key developments. From September 2026, the new Southwark SEND Banding Framework will be implemented across mainstream schools. This follows extensive audit work with schools, professionals and families – thank you to everyone involved in helping to shape our new framework. We will be sharing further information directly with headteachers before the end of the term (see below).
Alongside this, we continue to make progress on our wider SEND transformation programme. This includes new specialist provision in Rotherhithe opening as a resource base for 24 young people in September, increasing by a further eight in April. This will add much needed capacity to support young people with complex learning, social communication and sensory needs. We are also delighted to be opening a provision at the Grove for 12 young people who present with social communication and sensory-seeking behaviour impacting their regulation. We’ve already let young people and their families know if they have received an offer. We plan to open a range of other provision over the next academic year. We’ll let you know when this happens.
Our SEND Local Reform Plan has been submitted to the Department for Education (DfE) but we will continue to ensure the final iteration is fully coproduced with partners and families. Over the summer term, we have hosted five roundtable sessions to support this co-design process following the closure of the Government's consultation 'Putting children and young people first'. Thank you to everyone who has taken part so far – our final roundtable of the term is on Thursday 9 July at St Francis Catholic Primary School (2.00pm to 4.00pm). If you haven’t been to a roundtable yet, please do sign up and come along.
Excitingly, our Ordinarily Available Provision has now launched supporting settings and schools, from early years to sixth form, to reflect on and strengthen their core inclusion offer. We are also consulting on Southwark’s Fair Access Protocol, with your partnership families playing a leading role through the Southwark Education Partnership Board. More on both in the bulletin below.
We held the second meeting of the Southwark Schools Partnership Board in June, now renamed the Southwark Education Partnership. During the meeting, members discussed key performance indicators and agreed the priorities for the first two taskforces: establishing a Primary Fair Access Panel and reviewing the Secondary Fair Access Panel; and developing guidance and resources to support headteachers in managing complaints.
We also agreed the themes for two Partnership Hubs. One will be a SEND Hub, supporting delivery of key elements of the SEND Local Reform Plan. The second will focus on pedagogical approaches to closing the attainment gap and overcoming barriers for vulnerable learners, including a training offer for teachers and teaching assistants. We welcome your ideas for this hub, for example, initiatives such as developing oracy or advancing anti-racist practice. Further information will be shared before the end of term for those interested in leading one of these hubs.
Thank you to everyone who attended the Headteachers’ Breakfast Forum on 17 June, where we heard from James Page, a RISE London Adviser on the DfE's perspective on changes proposed in the White Paper and the universal offer, with a focus on mainstream inclusion and school collaboration. We also heard more about the universal offer for SaLT and Occupational Therapy and facilitated a discussion on our SEND Local Reform Plan. Presentations are available on the Southwark Schools website.
Our next Headteachers’ Breakfast Briefing will take place on Wednesday 16 September from 8.30 to 10.00am (online) so please hold the date.
Finally, with more hot weather likely until the end of term please take a look at the DfE’s Education Hub which has published useful guidance on what to do in schools. As this is the last bulletin before the summer break, I would like to thank you for your continued commitment and hard work over the past year. We recognise the pressures schools have been under and are grateful for everything you do for Southwark’s children and families. I hope you have a restful summer, and I look forward to working with you in the year ahead.
Cathrine Milmine
Assistant Director for SEND
Key updates
This month:
- The cost of school uniforms
- Ordinarily Available Provision launched
- School Fair Access Protocols – drafts for consultation
- Transition from Year 6 to Year 7
- New Southwark SEND Banding Framework
- Annual Southwark SEND Survey – until 31 July
- Unions reject National Employers’ NJC pay offer
- DfE’s new attendance resources for schools
- Reopening of Summerhouse Behaviour Support Service
Congratulations
At we draw towards the end the school year we wanted to congratulate a few outstanding recent achievements from Southwark’s school community.
Head Chef Tracy Nwabia from Spa School Bermondsey was named 'School Chef Champion' 2026 at the Jamie Oliver Good School Food Awards for her outstanding vegetarian meals for neurodiverse and autistic pupils. Our communications team caught up with Tracy after winning her award which you can watch on Instagram. Well done!
Evelina Hospital School has won Specialist Provision School of the Year at the TES Schools Awards. This is fantastic news and well‑deserved recognition of their achievements.
Children from Southwark Park Primary School took part as mascots in this year's Soccer Aid for UNICEF match, the world's biggest celebrity football match broadcast live on TV from the London Stadium in Stratford. An amazing opportunity for pupils from the UNICEF UK Gold Rights Respecting School.
The cost of school uniforms
From September, there are changes to the statutory guidance on school uniforms that all schools need to be aware of. Please read through the full statutory guidance if you haven’t already. The DfE has also published additional guidance to help your school implement the new requirements which were made law in April with the passing of the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Act.
To summarise, primary schools should limit the number of compulsory branded items of uniform and PE kit to three or fewer. Secondary and middle schools should limit the number of compulsory branded items of uniform and PE kit to 4 or fewer if one is a tie. The limit on branded items includes any branded bags and any items required only at particular times of year, such as summer dresses. The cost of school uniforms must be reasonable and provide the best value for money. To help you make sense of the new requirements we’ve created a briefing note which sets out what is now expected.
As we know, the cost of school uniform can place a significant financial strain on many families, even when items are not branded. To help make school uniform more affordable and accessible, we would like to highlight support for families and schools in reducing these costs:
The School Uniform Reuse Network is a digital platform designed to support schools across London in setting up and managing their own school uniform reuse schemes.
Uniformerly is an award-winning online school uniform marketplace, where parents and PTAs can buy, sell, give away and recycle outgrown school uniform.
Ordinarily Available Provision launched
Thank you to everyone who helped develop our Ordinarily Available Provision (OAP) for EYFS to Sixth Form settings which has now launched. Working together with schools, parents and carers, our SEND services and colleagues from health, plus around 150 children and young people from Southwark’s mainstream schools, the guidance aims to support schools with their inclusion offer.
Ordinarily available provision benefits all pupils, especially those with SEND or who are disadvantaged ensuring that children and young people get the right support at the right time. Next academic year we’ll also launch a post-16 OAP and a version for parents and carers.
School Fair Access Protocols – drafts for consultation
Southwark Council’s Primary and Secondary School Fair Access Protocols have been reviewed and redrafted in the light of feedback from headteachers, a review of protocols from other local authorities and research into best practice. These have been sent to all headteachers:
Our briefing sets out the main changes that have been introduced. We would really welcome your thoughts and comments on these. Please provide feedback through your family groups, the SASH meeting in July, by email or by arranging a meeting directly with suzanne.wright@southwark.gov.uk.
The deadline for feedback is the end of the summer term but if you need longer, please let us know.
In addition, through the School Partnership Board, we are setting up a working group to look at how we implement the new protocols, what would work best for schools and how we can make sure the process is as effective as possible. If you would like to be part of this working group, please email Suzanne or natalia.antoniou@southwark.gov.uk. The working group will begin in September.
Transition from Year 6 to Year 7
The transition from primary to secondary is a key milestone for our children and young people but also for their parents. Recognising this we have brought together some of the key offers and sources of information in this handy transition information pack.
For our vulnerable cohorts we have commissioned Little Fish to run a free 10 day summer transition programme. This is a great opportunity for young people to get a taster of secondary school life and work through some common areas of worry through arts, crafts and laughter. Please share with families.
Over the next few weeks, we will be contacting parents about our Best Start Family Hub transition drop-ins during the last two weeks of August. These sessions will be a great opportunity for the whole family to access support on a range of topics.
Our Adolescent Sure Start team are also hand to attend transition days or assemblies being run in schools: AdolescentSureStartTeam@southwark.gov.uk.
SEND improvement
>> New Southwark SEND Banding Framework
The new Southwark SEND Banding Framework will be used across all mainstream schools (including those with a resource base) from September.
We have undertaken audits of over 1,000 EHCPs using the banding tool, working in partnership with professionals and families. The framework is shown to be effective and supports consistent, robust decision-making.
We will share the collated audit data with headteachers during the summer term, including all children and young people transitioning from nursery, the majority of pupils in resource bases, and a proportion of pupils in full-time mainstream placements. We remain committed to funding mainstream schools to support children and young people with SEND and are clear that no school will receive reduced funding as a result of the new framework. We have also invested an additional £1 million pounds to make sure that increased resource and capacity is added to the mainstream school system to meet complex needs.
From September, schools will be asked to review their remaining EHCPs to confirm the appropriate banding for each pupil. We will send you more information, including how to conduct a school-based audit, this month.
>> Speech and Language Therapy (SaLT) update
Southwark Council and NHS partners have completed a review of SaLT services offered to children and young people and have developed options for a future borough model. Thank you for your valuable insight in helping to shape this. As this work progresses we will continue to engage with you to better understand how SaLT is currently delivered across schools and how future arrangements can build on existing good practice. You can read more about the model and future plans in SaLT’s July newsletter.
>> Annual Southwark SEND Survey – until 31 July
The Southwark SEND and Inclusion Partnership is seeking your views on support for children and young people with SEND. Your insights will help us understand what is working well and where improvements are needed.
Please share this information with colleagues, and the children and young people, parents and carers you support.
Other updates
>> Unions reject National Employers’ NJC pay offer
The NJC 2026/27 pay award remains under national negotiation, with trade unions (Unison, Unite and GMB) rejecting the National Employers’ 3.3% pay offer.
UNISON has commenced a disaggregated ballot, meaning that only selected employers, services and schools are being balloted rather than all members nationally. Not all Southwark schools or council services are included. Where we have been notified that school-based members are likely to be balloted, guidance has been issued to support headteachers and governors in managing the process and preparing contingency arrangements should industrial action be announced. Please contact shereen.moussa@southwark.gov.uk if you have any questions.
>> DfE’s new attendance resources for schools
To help enhance attendance rates and support your students' education, the DfE has helpfully published four new attendance resources to help you understand and act on attendance patterns in your schools, including an ‘Explore your attendance’ patterns data tool. Our Schools website has also collated a number of attendance and inclusion resources to support you.
>> Reopening of Summerhouse Behaviour Support Service
Summerhouse Behaviour Support Service reopened last week, following a temporary closure to ensure safeguarding practices and procedures are fully in place during the absence of the Headteacher.
Referrals have resumed and further information will be shared directly with schools regarding referral processes and capacity. We recognise the impact the temporary closure has had on schools and families, and we thank you for your patience and understanding during this period.
>> Democratic Education Framework pilot – sign up by 10 July
Schools are invited to take part in a democratic education framework pilot starting in September, including education resources about democracy and voting, together with training opportunities for teachers.
>> London Community Energy Fund (LCEF) open for applications
A total of up to £1.3 million is available for community energy projects in London. Applications for the feasibility and delivery streams are open until 30 September. LCEF are particularly encouraging applications from schools looking to install clean energy technologies on their premises. We strongly encourage applicants to work in partnership with community energy groups to develop the strongest possible applications.
>> £1bn for PE and school sport
The government is investing over £1 billion in school sport over the next three years, including funding for a new Partnerships Network, improvements to school sports facilities and support for primary schools. The Network will replace the existing PE and Sport Premium.
>> Survey of all children in England – The Big Future
The Children's Commissioner, Dame Rachel de Souza, promotes and protects the rights of children and ensures their voices are heard by those who make decisions about their lives. Her latest survey, The Big Future, asks children about childhood today. Open until 23 October.
>> Excellence in reception teaching course
Experienced Reception teachers can now register their interested in the DfE’s Excellence in Reception NPD Course. Please promote this opportunity widely and encourage participation from settings across your area.
>> Gifting free children’s books
The Children's Book Project is aiming to gift 1.4 million books to children across the UK in 2026/27. London schools with over 40% pupil premium can apply to receive free termly age-relevant, new and gently used books and gifting event resources. Apply now as places are limited.
>> Using Wansaka Heritage Learning to strengthen language learning
Growing Words Learning uses Wansaka Heritage Learning to strengthen language learning, beginning with their first language and exploring words as living archives of memory, meaning and community. If you are interested in a workshop or partnership email comforto260@gmail.com.
>> Recruiting schools for ‘Challenging Extremism, Thoughtfully’ project
Thoughtful (previously SAPERE) are recruiting London schools working with pupils aged 9 to 14 for the fully funded 2026/27 ‘Challenging Extremism, Thoughtfully’ project. The project tackles the vulnerability of young people to extremism, radicalisation, racism and misogyny. If your school is interested fill in the project’s registration form.
>> Universal literacy offer
Nessy supports schools in strengthening literacy inclusion and helping struggling readers in mainstream settings. With the Inclusive Mainstream Fund available, schools can explore evidence-informed approaches to improve literacy outcomes. To find out more read the brochure in the link and then book an online meeting.
>> Funded apprenticeship training for early years providers
The Early Years Alliance and London Anchor Institutions’ Network are helping London nurseries and pre-schools access employer-donated apprenticeship funding. This can save at least £4,000 in training costs. Contact londonapprenticeships@eyalliance.org.uk for more information.
>> Join the MindWorks research study
The MindWorks project, delivered by Anna Freud, aims to develop and evaluate a new school-based programme designed to support young people, aged 11 to 16, who may be at risk of school exclusion to better manage their emotions and behaviour. Contact MindWorks@annafreud.org.
Governors
>> Donna Muir – maternity leave from mid-September
Donna Muir, Head of Governor Development, will begin maternity leave in mid-September and expects to be away for nine months. During this time, cover arrangements will be put in place – we will share contact details in due course. Donna will continue to provide support until her leave starts and will ensure a smooth handover.
>> New Cyber Security Hub
The DfE has launched the Cyber Security Hub, offering schools practical guidance to strengthen cyber resilience, reduce risk, and respond to incidents. Developed with user input, it provides accessible, sector-specific resources in one place and will continue to evolve based on feedback, research, and schools’ needs.
What's on
>> Southwark’s summer of Food and Fun holiday programme – 20 July to 28 August
The upcoming summer programme is free for children aged 4 to 16 years who are eligible for benefits-related free school meals. The programme provides free, nutritious, and tasty food and fun physical activity sessions each day. Families can book on the link above. We have also sent information to schools that can be used to further promote the programme.
>> Summer holiday SEND short breaks
Activities for children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities, funded by Southwark Council.
>> Positive Behaviour Support summer Stay & Play sessions – 28 July, 11 and 25 August
12.30pm to 2.00pm, Ann Bernadt Family Hub, SE15 6DT. A welcoming space for parents, carers and children with additional needs experiencing challenges relating to behaviour and would like advice, support or an opportunity to connect with others. No diagnosis needed. Space is limited – please register your interest.
>> Governor’s Forum dates for 2026/2027
Please hold the dates for next year’s Governors’ Forum in your diaries. Register to attend.
- 21 September, Zoom – 6.00pm
- 19 January 2027, Zoom – 6.00pm
- 5 May 2027– 6.00pm, Tooley Street