Southwark schools bulletin
Welcome to the Southwark schools bulletin archive page.
September 2025
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Hello everyone,
Welcome back. I hope you found some time to relax and refresh over the summer holidays. The start of a new academic year is an opportunity to reset and be reminded of the positive difference we can make to children’s lives, even in the most challenging of circumstances. But I know there are many matters on the minds of school leaders. The council is committed to working with you all to continue to improve what we do together. Look at the inspiring progress made by our schools. We start the new term with all the borough’s primary schools, yes 100%, now either good or outstanding for quality of education. This is such a strong foundation for later education, which continues to be impressively strong in the borough. It gives us real cause for hope for the school year and beyond. Thank you for your continuing commitment to our children and families.
We will all be really pleased to see that GCSE provisional results in Southwark continue to get better, with an improvement of 2.9% from last year (75.8% of pupils achieving grade 9 to 4 in English and maths). Early local analysis shows particularly strong performance for the English Baccalaureate with 45.5% achieving a standard pass (an improvement of 3.2% from 2024) and 35.1% of pupils achieving a strong pass. Several schools in the borough reported robust year-on-year improvements showing good progress across multiple measures. This is a testament to the hard work and dedication of our secondary schools, building on the strong foundations built by our primary schools.
The borough’s A-level students have once again outperformed national figures across the different grade ranges and have improved across all grade boundaries compared to last year. Early analysis also shows a positive picture for children in care. Highlights include offers from top universities such as Edinburgh and Durham, outstanding BTEC Engineering results as well as strong Business and Health and Social Care grades. Well done to everyone.
We know that strong attendance at school is closely linked to better outcomes. Over the summer, the Education Secretary, Bridget Phillipson, warned that more than half of pupils who missed part of the first week of term went on to become “persistently absent” in 2024, impacting not only their academic progress but also their long-term life chances. Encouraging young people into school is driving down absence rates, but there’s more we can do. To help you tackle this issue we have developed a range of resources and support – please see below.
As part of the council’s duty to promote high educational standards, monitor pupil rolls and support good financial management, we carry out annual risk assessments of all schools. We will be sending out these risk assessments via an emailed letter in September to headteachers and where relevant, chairs of governors.
Finally, our next Headteachers' Breakfast Briefing will be on Wednesday 17 September from 8.30am to 10.30am, online (Zoom). Please register to attend. This is an opportunity to hear relevant updates on local and national issues, including an update on our partnership proposal.
Alasdair Smith
Director of Children’s Services
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SEND improvement
We are currently refreshing our SEND information for schools on our schools website. As part of this we have published the governance structure overseeing our SEND improvement programme, including membership of the different boards and operational groups. This autumn we are focussing on:
>> Testing the new SEND Banding System
We are asking all schools and settings to test the new banding system, to help us assess how well it works and whether we need to make changes during early autumn. We are sending out the new banding system, without funding attached, so that we can assess how robustly the new system works. Please respond by Monday 29 September.
>> Speech and Language Therapy and Alternative Provision survey in September
We are dedicated to commissioning quality services that are accessible to children and young people at the point of need. This academic year we are focusing on the commissioning of Speech and Language Therapy services and Alternative Provision.
To help us understand demand, outcomes and current spend we will be launching an online survey for education settings to complete this month.
>> Behaviour Strategy Toolkit for primary schools
Together with the mental health charity Anna Freud, we are producing a Primary Behaviour Strategy Toolkit for Southwark, launching this autumn. This evidenced-based toolkit aims to support teachers and school staff to better meet the needs of children with behaviours that challenge, and to implement behaviour management strategies, interventions, and techniques.
We would like to recognise the tremendous effort a group of primary schools put into developing the content over the past year, led by Lisa Noel, Beormund Primary School and Maureen Thomas, Summerhouse Behaviour Support Service.
>> Ordinarily Available Provision framework
In June, we asked schools and education setting to feedback on draft content we had produced for an Ordinarily Available Provision framework. We are now incorporated the feedback we have received and will shortly be asking education settings to feedback on an updated version of the content. This way, we hope to develop the framework in an iterative and collaborative manner with settings.
Key updates
>> Attendance and inclusion support
As we all strive to enhance attendance rates and support our students' education, it is crucial that we understand and implement the DfE’s statutory guidance 'Working Together to Improve School Attendance' effectively. To support you we have collated a number of resources on our schools website.
>> Updated Guidance on Reasonable Force
The Department for Education (DfE) has updated its guidance on the use of reasonable force in schools, effective from September.
- New legal duty: Schools must record every ‘significant incident’ involving the use of force by staff on a pupil and report it to each parent/carer as soon as practicable.
- Policy requirement: Schools must have a clear policy on the use of reasonable force – either as part of the behaviour policy or a standalone document
- Focus on SEND and de-escalation: Staff should prioritise de-escalation and understand triggers for behaviour, especially for pupils with SEND.
Can Governors ensure your school is preparing to meet the new statutory requirements by scrutinising the school’s policy and incident data and supporting staff training and risk assessments.
>> School Immunisations programme
Routine vaccinations for primary and secondary school pupils will begin this month. These immunisations are vital in protecting children from serious diseases. Please remind parents and carers to check that their child has received two doses of the MMR vaccine before starting primary school to ensure protection against measles, mumps, and rubella. Your continued support in encouraging timely completion of online consent forms is greatly appreciated.
>> Phase transfer letter to parents, Year 11 and 12+
To support the phase transfer of young people with Education, Health and Care Plans (EHCPs) we are writing to parents week beginning 8 September to help with planning for September 2026. By law, EHCPs need updating with a young person's preferences by 31 March 2026.
>> New process for submitting SEND Annual Review documentation
From 1 September we will be using a new process for submitting Annual Review documentation. Education settings are expected to arrange the annual review with the young person and their family, with SEND, social care and health professionals providing advice and input.
At least two weeks prior to the Annual Review paperwork is circulated to all attendees by the school/provision. After the Annual Review is held a report will be circulated to all attendees within two weeks of the meeting and submitted to the SEND team: ehcp.annual.reviews@southwark.gov.uk
>> Drug and alcohol services for 10 to 24 year-olds survey (£50 voucher prize draw)
We want the views of young people who go to school in Southwark about our drug and alcohol services. This will help design our future services. The short survey closes at 11.59pm on 30 September 2025. We’d appreciate it if you’re able to promote the survey to your pupils.
We want the views of young people who go to school in Southwark about our drug and alcohol services. This will help design our future services. The short survey closes at 11.59pm on 30 September 2025. There’s also a £50 One4All voucher (which can be spent at shops such as Primark and Schuh) available in the prize draw. We’d appreciate your help promoting the survey to pupils.
>> Catch Your Breath – Youth Vaping Prevention programme
Southwark has high levels of youth vaping. The Catch Your Breath programme works to prevent vaping in young people, with workshops and assemblies for Year 6 to Year 9, delivered by stop smoking advisers. If your school is interested or you'd like to know more, please email eden.girma@southwark.gov.uk.
>> Cannabis harms campaign – raising awareness in young people
Southwark Council funds Change Grow Live (CGL) to raise awareness of cannabis harms in young people aged 11+. CGL have sent KS3/KS4 lesson plans about the risks of cannabis to all secondary schools. They’re also running weekly cannabis roadshows in schools (with Project Adder and St John Ambulance) on Wednesdays from 24 September into early 2026. To get resources, request a roadshow, or find out about events call 020 3404 7699 or email cgl.southwark@cgl.org.uk.
>> School Food Action – free, dedicated school food support
Need help with school food? Sign up to School Food Action and you’ll be supported by a free, dedicated school food expert to either write a school food policy or write and deliver an action plan. Staff will also get free role-specific training sessions for school food support.
>> Free recycling education sessions
Would your students like to see how their recycling is processed? Veolia, the company that does the recycling collections in the borough, offers free assemblies, workshops and school visits to Southwark’s recycling centre. Slots are available from October onwards. Please contact southwarkenquiries@veolia.co.uk to receive the welcome pack and book a session.
>>The Southwark Music Listening Project
The Southwark Music Listening Project is a resource created for schools, teachers, children and young people in Southwark to broaden the musical horizons of young people. The resource focuses on a different style, genre and artist each week and gives a musical analysis and background, alongside a social and historical context to the piece. Please listen to the 2025/26 playlist and email hannah.hutton@southwark.gov.uk to sign up.
>> Free Trauma Informed Weapons Awareness Programme (TIWAP), Year 7+
Designed for small groups of six or seven pupils, TIWAP aims to raise awareness of knife crime with young people. The six, 1hr sessions cover knife crime’s legal consequences, recognising its impact, and strategies to keep safe and access help. There is also the option to condense the content into three longer sessions. To find out more contact dermot.kealey@southwark.gov.uk.
>> Southwark Governors' Association (SGA) – management committee members needed
We need more governors to join the SGA management committee to keep our schools thriving. The SGA is a great forum for governors from maintained and academy schools in Southwark, meeting once a term to discuss important issues. We have seven vacancies and would love for you to join us. We're excited to relaunch the SGA in Autumn 2025 and your participation is key to our success. Please self-nominate if you’re interested.
>> Academy Trust Handbook (ATH) 2025 published
The DfE has published the new Academy Trust Handbook with new guidance on financial support and oversight, setting out how the DfE will work with trusts where there are financial concerns, what support is available, and how the DfE will intervene via its Regions Group. Other changes to the academy trust handbook are minor, such as educational performance no longer being grounds for a Notice to Improve; due diligence must be in place around procurement; and trusts must not pay cyber ransom demands.
>> Promoting re-launched OneHub – poster
Young people tell us that one of the reasons they don’t attend activities in their community is a lack of knowledge about where they are and what they offer. To help fill this gap we have re-launched the One Hub as the place for young people, parents/carers and professionals find to out the great opportunities available in Southwark. Please help us promote OneHub to your secondary school students – download our poster. We will also be sending copies to schools this term.
>> Southwark Youth Parliament elections 2026
Elections for the next Southwark Youth Parliament will take place in March 2026, and offer young people the chance to step up and represent their areas on important local and national issues. Over the last two years our diligent cohort of elected members have worked with the council, the police, NHS and even our elected MPs to raise the voice of young people. To help prospective candidates prepare we are holding a launch event during October. We will be sending out a lesson presentation and posters later this month and would ask all senior schools and colleges to provide a single point of contact. For more information contact youth.parliament@southwark.gov.uk or follow us on Instagram @southwarkyouthparliament.
What's on
>> Children’s flu vaccine webinars for parents
The South London Children and Young People’s Community Immunisation Service are hosting two webinars for parents to discuss the importance of vaccinating your child, the difference between the nasal and injectable flu vaccine, the MMR vaccine, how to complete the e-consent form and Q&A.
>> Celebrate Wonder Day – 13 September
Please share with your parents: 10.00am to 4.00pm, Devon Street, SE15. A day full of fun and exploration at the Southwark Integrated Waste Management Facility as part of Open House London. Explore the wonders of waste with guided tours, peer through their self-made sustainable kaleidoscopes, bring your bikes to the Cycle Fix-It Stop and refuel at delicious food stalls.
>> Governors’ Forum dates 2025/26
Please hold the dates for this year’s Governors’ Forum in your diaries. Please register your interest.
>> DfE Prevent in education: Training for governors and trustees in schools
The Prevent duty requires schools to ‘have due regard to the need to prevent people being drawn into terrorism’. As a governor, your role is one of oversight.
>> London Philharmonic Orchestra – BrightSparks
The London Philharmonic Orchestra's BrightSparks concerts are inspiring live performances for school audiences at the Royal Festival Hall, including a presenter breaking down the music in a fun and engaging way, and a big screen behind the Orchestra picking out key elements. Join their mailing list find out when bookings for each concert open: education@lpo.org.uk.
- GCSE BrightSparks concert – 6 November
- Key Stage 1 BrightSparks concerts – 11 March
- Key Stage 2 BrightSparks concerts – 24 June