Southwark schools bulletin
February 2025
Hello everyone,
I hope you are all surviving the cold and are now fully immersed in what is always a short, busy, spring term.
We are extremely proud of the standards our pupils achieve in Southwark thanks to the hard work and dedication of our school leaders and teachers. In December, we were really pleased to have Ruth from Rye Oak and Delia from St Joseph’s alongside us to present our annual School Standards Report to Cabinet. The data is revised throughout the year as each key stage is updated. There are many achievements, but I really wanted to highlight the decrease in the gap between all pupils and our disadvantaged pupils at both EYFS and KS2. This is a great signal that your strategies to close the gap for these vulnerable children is having a positive impact and will make a big difference to their lives as they move through their education.
Consultations on reducing the Published Admissions Number at three local primary schools have now ended. We are working with schools and our local partners to manage surplus capacity in our borough as part of our ‘Keeping Education Strong’ strategy. The deadline for reception admissions has now passed so we will have an indication of pupil numbers coming into our primary schools for next year very soon. You can check your admissions portal to find out about applications to your school.
As mentioned previously, we have been working with education consultants Isos Partnership to improve collaboration and partnership working within and between schools and Southwark Council. Headteachers on our steering group are currently talking to other councils to hear how they have set up partnerships. We will let you know our findings at our next face-to-face Headteacher’s Breakfast Forum on the 12 March at our Tooley Street offices.
On the 1 April this year we’re celebrating the 60th anniversary of the London Borough of Southwark. Please look out for ways in which you can be involved.
Nikki Tilson
Principal Advisor, Learning and Achievement
Key updates
>> Primary school closure consultations
Southwark Council has launched consultations on the closure of two primary schools. These will continue until 31 March.
>> Moderation sessions for statutory writing teacher assessment
Our fantastic assessment champions are once again offering moderation meetings for our maintained schools. Our spring sessions enable teachers to assess writing for Year 6 accurately and consistently. Each session is led by schools and are a great way to share practice and ideas with your colleagues.
During the session, teachers will work in groups to moderate collections of children's work, allowing them to identify gaps in learning, share best practice, and discuss concerns with consultants and/or council moderators.
To book your place:
We are also running writing moderation cluster meetings for Years 2, 4 and 6 for the Bridges and Michael Faraday and Rye Oak clusters.
>> SEND guidance for school governing boards
New guidance has been released to support governors with their SEND duties. For those of you that are the SEND link governor, there is a useful checklist that can help focus your visits and support strategic challenge.
There is also very clear guidance on the documentation that schools should prepare and regularly review with governors.
>> Southwark Pride Fund applications open until 4 March
The Southwark Pride fund supports our LGBTQI+ communities to create events that celebrate lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer identity and the culture, histories and rights of these communities. To apply for funding events must take place in Southwark from Pride Month in June to the end of August.
>> Enhanced information, advice and support sessions for parents and families 0-5 years
Southwark’s Start for Life offer is helping families to give their children the best start in life, with support during pregnancy to the age of five. We have an enhanced programme of support services for parents and children on offer across the borough. Contact our Children and Family centres to find out more.
Visit Start for Life Southwark online for all the latest information on free local support, advice, where to go and who you can speak to for help and resources.
>> Support for school and college students’ mental health
Anna Freud’s Schools and Colleges Early Support Service provides students with one-to-one sessions from specialist practitioners and on-demand webinars. Staff, parents and carers can access support and resources to sustain their own and students’ wellbeing. Register now for 2025/2026.
>> UNICEF Rights Respecting Schools Award funding
UNICEF UK works with schools to create safe and inspiring places to learn, where children are respected, their talents are nurtured and they are able to thrive. Funding from London’s Violence Reduction Unit offers all state-funded London schools a chance to complete the Rights Respecting Schools Award. Training, support, and accreditation is free until March 2028.
>> Host a session on HPV vaccination
HPV (human papillomavirus) vaccination prevents multiple cancers, but uptake of the vaccine offered at school in Year 8 is falling. Parents and young people have told us they want more information offered at school. We can arrange for a health professional to visit your school for an assembly or after-school session. Contact Sarah.Robinson@southwark.gov.uk to find out more.
>> Asthma awareness sessions for children
Students from King’s College London, in collaboration with Asthma Innovation Research, are running fun and interactive sessions to teach children all about asthma and encourage a preventative approach. Please contact Rebecca.Hotchkin@southwark.gov.uk for more information.
>> Join the Southwark Schools Asthma Monitoring and Engagement Project
Improve air quality for students with asthma through a three-month programme. Schools receive air quality information to help create asthma-friendly environments. To register your interest email Anna.Czerska@southwark.gov.uk.
>> 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.
>> Get Information About Schools (GIAS) - include governance professionals
Schools and trusts can now add their governance professionals (including clerks) to the Department for Education (DfE)’s Get Information About Schools (GIAS) register. This is not a mandatory requirement, but you are strongly encouraged to add information as this will allow the DfE to communicate directly with governance professionals and share key information, rather than relying on schools or chairs to pass news along. Please note, that only individual names can be added, not service providers.
>> A reminder on the benefits of virtual governance meetings
Below are some of the key advantages of holding virtual/hybrid governance meetings:
- Improves the wellbeing of your senior leadership team and staff. No need to remain on school premises when the school is closed.
- Supports the recruitment of governors and trustees by enabling governing boards to fill vacancies with people with the right skills.
- Diversity and inclusivity can be increased by recruiting from a wider area.
- Improved attendance by mitigating issues with travel time and childcare.
- More focused meetings.
- Supports ‘greener’ governance by reducing travel carbon emissions.
- Encourages digital data use, with far fewer reports printed.
>> Become a foster carer in Southwark
Teaching is not the only way to transform a child’s life. Children in Southwark need passionate foster carers now more than ever. With part-time placements and a generous financial package, including council tax relief, clinical support, and essential training, there’s never been a better time to foster.
>> Resources
- UNICEF UK Rights Respecting Schools resources to support learning about children’s rights and global citizenship.
- Cyber Sprinters – new interactive online and AI safety resources for 7 to 11 year olds from the National Cyber Security Centre.
What's on
>> Join the Fizz Free challenge!
We challenge your school to give up fizzy drinks for February. Prizes include Decathlon vouchers. Find out more and register for free resources such as the posters, calendars and certificates on our website.
>> Up to £50,000 for green building upgrades – 13 February – 6pm
Southwark Community Energy Fund gives grants to local schools, faith groups and community groups for green energy projects. This could be through building upgrades or green technology like solar panels or heat pumps. In our first round of funding, we provided grants to 11 projects in Southwark schools. It could also be for workshops or training to help tackle fuel poverty. Applications close on 6 April.
Book your place at our online information session.
>> A good start in life: Community help and support networking sessions
As Southwark’s most trusted local leaders, you and your schools are at the heart of our ambition to modernise how children and families access community help and support. To find out more, our Children and Family Hubs are hosting open-invite breakfast sessions for colleagues and partners working across our different neighbourhoods. These sessions are an opportunity to share your experiences and ideas, whilst learning about our local family support offer. They offer a space to renew and create new relationships, and make connections, to help us all make every contact count (over coffee and pastry).
Please register to attend one of the following sessions:
- 13 February, South Bermondsey Children and Family Hub – 12 noon to 1.30pm
- 20 March, Rye Oak Children and Family Centre – 9.00am to 10.30am
- 30 May, Dulwich Wood Children and Family Hub – 9.30am to 10.30am
- 2 August, Coin Street Neighbourhood Centre – 8.45am to 10.00am
Please let us know if you would be interested in hosting a future session in school.
>> Empathy Week, 10 to 14 March
Empathy is the single most important skill for our personal and professional lives. The Empathy Programme, backed by research in partnership with Cambridge University, helps to improve the behaviour of students and results in higher levels of empathy, self-esteem, and emotional literacy. Download a free trial pack to find out more.
>> All Headteacher’s Breakfast Forum – 12 March
8:30am to 11:00am, Tooley Street. Headteachers briefing with speakers from the DfE and Isos Partnership. This is a valuable opportunity to hear from key stakeholders on issues that impact all Southwark’s young people and network with colleagues. All are welcome to attend regardless of their school’s designation.
>> Free Youth Mental Health First Aider training – 13 to 14 March and 22 to 23 May
Two-day MHFA course open to education staff in state funded Southwark schools.
>> Keeping Children in Education (KCIE) event – 17 March
Thank you to everyone who attended our KCIE event last term. Your engagement and contributions were invaluable. Our next event will focus on working collaboratively with parents. Our Eventbrite invitation will be available soon. To find out more contact Kym.Winup@southwark.gov.uk.
>> Saturday tennis for children and young people with SEND
Dulwich Lawn Tennis Club are giving SEND tennis lessons to d/Deaf, disabled and/or neurodivergent children aged 5 to 11 on Saturdays. Sessions are adapted to the needs of the group with variations to games and equipment. Burbage Road, SE24 9HB, £70 per term.
>> Saturday disability sport coaching
Club Southwark has been delivering physical activity and sport on Saturday afternoons for disabled people for more than a decade. The Castle Leisure Centre, SE1 6FG.
>> Free mental health training for school staff – 26 and 27 June
Free Mental Health First Aid and Suicide First Aid training for organisations working with children and young people, including school staff.
>> We want to help celebrate the amazing work of our schools!
Share your stories with us, tell us about the excellent work you and your pupils are doing and help us to promote awareness and share best practice across our schools and the wider borough. You can email your stories to southwarkeducationcommunications@southwark.gov.uk