Hillingdon Council Cabinet Member and Officer Decisions
ANNUAL EDUCATION STANDARDS REPORT 2024-2025
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Democratic Services
Location: Phase II
Ext: 0692
DDI: 01895 25 0692
CMD No: 2026/1693
To: COUNCILLOR SUSAN O’BRIEN
CABINET MEMBER FOR CHILDREN, FAMILIES ,
HEALTH & CARE
c.c. All Members of the Children, Families, Health &
Care Select Committee
c.c. Julie Kelly – Corporate Director of Children’s
Services
c.c. Michael Hawkins – Children’s Services
Date: 28 May 2026
Non-Key Decision request Form D
ANNUAL EDUCATION STANDARDS REPORT 2024-2025
Dear Cabinet Members,
Attached is a report requesting that a decision be made by you as an individual Cabinet
Member. Democratic Services confirm that this is not a key decision, as such, the Local
Authorities (Executive Arrangements) (Meetings and Access to Information) (England)
Regulations 2012 notice period does not apply.
You should take a decision on or after Friday 05 June 2026 in order to meet Constitutional
requirements about publication of decisions that are to be made. You may wish to discuss
the report with the Corporate Director before it is made. Please indicate your decision on the
duplicate memo supplied and return it to me when yo u have made your decision. I will then
arrange for the formal notice of decision to be published.
Ryan Dell
Democratic Services
Title of Report: ANNUAL EDUCATION STANDARDS REPORT 2024-2025
Decision made:
Reasons for your decision: (e.g. as stated in report)
Alternatives considered and rejected: (e.g. as stated in report)
Signed ……………………………………………………… Date……………………..
Cabinet Member for Children, Families, Health & Care
Cabinet Member Report – 28 May 2026 Page 1
Part I – Public
ANNUAL EDUCATION STANDARDS REPORT 2024-2025
Cabinet Member &
Portfolio
Councillor Susan O’ Brien, Cabinet Member for Children, Families,
Health & Care
Responsible Officer Julie Kelly, Corporate Director of Children’s Services
Report Author &
Directorate
Michael Hawkins, Education & SEND
Papers with report Annual Education Standards report 2024-25
HEADLINES
Summary
This report provides an analysis of the education outcomes of
Hillingdon education settings 2024-25.
Putting our Residents
First
Delivering on the
Council Strategy
2022-2026
This report supports our ambition for residents/ the Council of:
An efficient, well-run, digital-enabled council working with partners
To deliver services to improve the lives of all our residents
A Digital-Enabled, Modern, Well-Run Council
Financial Cost NIL
Select Committee Children, Families, Health & Care Select Committee
Ward(s) All wards
RECOMMENDATION
That the Cabinet Member for Children, Families, Health & Care approves this report on the
annual education standards 2024-25 for publication
Reasons for recommendation
This report provides an overview of the standards and quality of education across Hillingdon
schools and settings for Hillingdon’s children, young people and adults. The report focuses
primarily on attainment, progress and achievement for the preceding academic year along with
references to wider measures of educational success.
Cabinet Member Report – 28 May 2026 Page 2
Part I – Public
Select Committee comments
The former Children, Families & Education Select Committee considered this report on 14 April
2026. Their reflections are detailed in the minutes here: London Borough of Hillingdon - Agenda
for Children, Families and Education Select Committee on Tuesday, 14th April, 2026, 7.00 pm
SUPPORTING INFORMATION
1. Executive Summary
The Annual Standards of Education in Hillingdon Report for 2024-25 provides an overview of
the standards and quality of education across Hillingdon schools and settings for Hillingdon’s
children, young people and adults. The Education Priorities for the next five years have been
identified as follows:
2. Priority 1 – Every Young Person Benefits from a High Quality, Inclusive Education in a
Good School or Setting
• The quality of our Private, Voluntary and Independent nursery settings remains strong:
97.5% are good or better and only 2% require improvement.
• 93% of our schools are good or better. 7% are on the Council’s ‘at risk’ register, a reduction
of 1 from the previous year.
Cabinet Member Report – 28 May 2026 Page 3
Part I – Public
• Levels of inclusion are improving term on term in Hillingdon mainstream schools.
Priority 2 – Preparation for Adulthood
• Hillingdon remained the top ranked London local authority on Primary National Offer Day,
with 91.51% of children being awarded their first-choice primary school place.
• On Secondary National Offer Day, every Hillingdon child was offered a school place.
• The number of young people with an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP) who were
also Not in Education, Employment or Training (NEET) decreased by 3% from the previous
academic year.
• There was a 13% increase in the uptake of Supported Internships - 16% of the post 16
phase transfer cohort for September 2025 were in supported internships compared to 3%in
the previous academic year.
• More young people with EHCPs remain in the Hillingdon community - 87.9% of post 16
phase transfer cohort was placed in-borough compared to 21.6% in the previous academic
year.
• School attendance rates in Hillingdon rose from 93.1% to 93.2%.
• The number of permanent exclusions issued during this academic year decreased by 23%
compared to the previous year and is the lowest rate ever recorded in Hillingdon, including
during the year of the COVID-19 pandemic.
• Hillingdon continues to demonstrate strong post‑16 participation outcomes with only 2.5%
of the 16-18 cohort classed as NEET.
3. Priority 3 – Educational Outcomes
• Early Years outcomes rose in 2024-25. Children achieving a Good Level of Development
(GLD) rose to 71%. There was also an increase in disadvantaged children achieving GLD
(58.4%).
• Phonics outcomes remain strong in Hillingdon and compare favourably with national and
regional outcomes.
• Key Stage 2 combined reading, writing and maths (RWM) outcomes remain below national
and regional benchmarks. Reading and maths are comparatively strong, while writing
remains a priority for improvement.
• Key Stage 4 outcomes for Attainment 8 (47.1) were slightly above national and slightly
behind regional and statistical neighbours. English and Maths combined scores (level 4+)
were 68.7%, which was slightly behind regional outcomes, but in line or above national
and statistical neighbours.
Cabinet Member Report – 28 May 2026 Page 4
Part I – Public
• Key Stage 5 outcomes for A Levels and vocational outcomes were slightly behind national
and regional outcomes.
Financial Implications
There are no financial implications arising from this report.
RESIDENT BENEFIT & CONSULTATION
The benefit or impact upon Hillingdon residents, service users and communities
The report will inform residents on the education performance outcomes 2024-25 across all
phases of education. Residents will be able to see Hillingdon’s performance compared to national,
regional and statistical neighbour outcomes.
The Children, Families & Education Select Committee were consulted for their opinions and
feedback with comments included in this report.
CORPORATE CONSIDERATIONS
Corporate Finance
There are no other corporate finance considerations to bring to Members’ attention.
Legal
There are no legal implications arising from the recommendation set out within the report , which
is connected to the Council’s functions in its statutory role as local education authority for the
Hillingdon area.
Property
N/A.
BACKGROUND PAPERS
Children, Families & Education Select Committee – 14 April 2026: London Borough of Hillingdon
- Agenda for Children, Families and Education Select Committee on Tuesday, 14th April, 2026,
7.00 pm
APPENDIX
Appendix A – Annual education standards 2024-25
Annual Standards
of Education
in Hillingdon
Report
2024/25
Standards of Education in Hillingdon 2024-25 Report Page 2
Contents
Page
Number
Acronyms Used in Report
3
Executive Summary
4
Hillingdon Education Overview
6
Priority 1: Every Young Person Benefits from a High Quality, Inclusive
Education in a Good School or Setting
7
Priority 2: Preparation for Adulthood
13
Priority 3: Educational Outcomes
34
Standards of Education in Hillingdon 2024-25 Report Page 3
Acronyms Used in Report
AfA Achievement for All Young People in Hillingdon programme
AP Alternative Provision
CI Critical Incident
CME Children Missing Education
CYP Children or Young Person
DfE Department for Education
DU Designated Unit
ESBA Emotional Based School Avoidance
EBSNA Emotional Based School Non-Attendance
EET Education, Employment or Training
EHCP Education Health Care Plan
EHCNA Education Health Care Needs Assessment
EHE Elective Home Education
EHN Early Health Notification
ELSA Emotional Literacy Support Assistant
EPS Education Psychology Service
ESF Early Support Funding
ESOL English for Speakers of Other Languages
EYs Early Years
EYFS Early Years Foundation Stage
EYQIT Early Years Quality Improvement Team
FAP Fair Access Panel
FSM Free School Meals
GLD Good Level of Development
HLP Hillingdon Learning Partnership
IC Inclusion Commitment
IYFAP In Year Fair Access Panel
LAIT Local Authority Interactive Tool
LAC Looked After Child
MAT Multi Academy Trust
MSP My Support Plan
NASEN National Association for Special Educational Needs
NEET Not in Employment, Education or Training
OAP Ordinarily Available Provision
PAN Pupil Admission Numbers
PEP Personal Education Plan
PVI Private, Voluntary, or Independent
RI Requires Improvement
SAO School Attendance Order
SARR Schools At Risk Register
SAS SEND Advisory Service
SCERTS Social, Communication, Emotional Regulation, Transitional Support
SEF Self-Evaluation Framework
SEMH Social, Emotional & Mental Health
SEND Special Educational Needs & Disabilities
SENDIASS Special Educational Needs Disabilities Information Advice & Support Service
SN Statistical Neighbours
SRP Specialist Resource Unit
SSP School Place Planning
UASC Unaccompanied Asylum-Seeking Children
UTC University Technical College
VLC Vulnerable Learners Clinics
Standards of Education in Hillingdon 2024-25 Report Page 4
Executive Summary
The Annual Standards of Education in Hillingdon Report for 2024-25 provides an overview of the
standards and quality of education across Hillingdon schools and settings for Hillingdon’s children,
young people and adults.
The Education Priorities for the next five years have been identified as:
Priority 1 – Every Young Person Benefits from a High Quality, Inclusive Education in
a Good School or Setting
• The quality of our Private, Voluntary and Independent nursery settings remains strong: 97.5% are
good or better and only 2% require improvement.
• 93% of our schools are good or better. 7% are on the Council’s ‘at risk’ register, a reduction of 1
from the previous year.
• Levels of inclusion are improving term on term in Hillingdon mainstream schools.
Priority 2 – Preparation for Adulthood
• Hillingdon remained the top ranked London local authority on Primary National Offer Day, with
91.51% of children being awarded their first-choice primary school place.
• On Secondary National Offer Day, every Hillingdon child was offered a school place.
Standards of Education in Hillingdon 2024-25 Report Page 5
• The number of young people with an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP) who were also
Not in Education, Employment or Training (NEET) decreased by 3% from the previous academic
year.
• There was a 13% increase in the uptake of Supported Internships - 16% of the post 16 phase
transfer cohort for September 2025 were in supported internships compared to 3%in the previous
academic year.
• More young people with EHCPs remain in the Hillingdon community - 87.9% of post 16 phase
transfer cohort was placed in-borough compared to 21.6% in the previous academic year.
• School attendance rates in Hillingdon rose from 93.1% to 93.2%.
• The number of permanent exclusions issued during this academic year decreased by 23%
compared to the previous year and is the lowest rate ever recorded in Hillingdon, including during
the year of the COVID-19 pandemic.
• Hillingdon continues to demonstrate strong post‑16 participation outcomes with only 2.5% of the
16-18 cohort classed as NEET.
Priority 3 – Educational Outcomes
• Early Years outcomes rose in 2024-25. Children achieving a Good Level of Development (GLD)
rose to 71%. There was also an increase in disadvantaged children achieving GLD (58.4%).
• Phonics outcomes remain strong in Hillingdon and compare favourably with national and regional
outcomes.
• Key Stage 2 combined reading, writing and maths (RWM) outcomes remain below national and
regional benchmarks. Reading and maths are comparatively strong, while writing remains a
priority for improvement.
• Key Stage 4 outcomes for Attainment 8 (47.1) were slightly above national and slightly behind
regional and statistical neighbours. English and Maths combined scores (level 4+) were 68.7%,
which was slightly behind regional outcomes, but in line or above national and statistical
neighbours.
• Key Stage 5 outcomes for A Levels and vocational outcomes were slightly behind national and
regional outcomes.
Standards of Education in Hillingdon 2024-25 Report Page 6
Hillingdon Education Overview
Standards of Education in Hillingdon 2024-25 Report Page 7
Putting Our Residents First - Raising Standards in Education
The Education & SEND Service, sits within the Children’s Services Directorate and comprises of the
following teams:
• Access to Education:
o Admissions
o Alternative Provision
o Child Employment & Licencing
o Children Missing Education
o Elective Home Education
o Exclusions & Suspensions
o NEET
o Vulnerable Learners
• Attendance
• Early Years Centres
• Education Improvement & Partnerships:
o Early Years Quality Improvement
o School Improvement
o Post 16 Partnerships
• Educational Psychology Service
• Families’ Information Service (FIS) & Portage Services
• Learn Hillingdon Adult Community Education
• Music Service
• School Place Planning & Commissioning
• SEND Advisory Service (SAS)
• SEND Statutory Functions (EHC Team)
• Virtual School
Priority 1: Every Young Person Benefits from a High Quality,
Inclusive Education in a Good School or Setting
Ofsted Outcomes of Private, Voluntary and Independent (PVI) Childcare Providers &
Childminders
We currently have 93 registered early years settings:
Not Yet
Inspected
Outstanding Good Requires
Improvement
Inadequate
13 8 70 1 1
The following table demonstrates the percentage of Hillingdon's PVI Ofsted outcomes in relation to
national Ofsted data (published in August 2025):
Standards of Education in Hillingdon 2024-25 Report Page 8
Summary of
(Good or Better)
Outstanding Good Requires
Improvement
Inadequate
National LBH National LBH National LBH National LBH National LBH
2024 -
2025
98% 97.5% 10% 10% 80% 87.5% 5% 1% 4% 1%
Main findings: childcare providers and inspections as at 31 August 2025 - GOV.UK
Settings graded as Requires Improvement or Inadequate receive a package of intensive and targeted
support from the Early Years Quality Improvement Team (EYQIT). This includes:
An action plan with clear, measurable targets to swiftly address the areas for development, with
an initial focus on safeguarding and welfare requirements. This ensures children are kept safe
and acts as an accountability measure for the leadership and management team.
Bespoke training which addresses the recommendations made by Ofsted, followed by a clear
implementation plan to embed improvements in practice.
Regular monitoring and reviews to ensure the areas for improvement are being addressed in a
timely and effective manner.
We have 169 childminders in Hillingdon, of whom 149 provide care for EYFS children. Those who do
not have EYFS children receive an outcome of either Met or Not Met at their Ofsted inspection. At
present, 24 childminders are graded Met and 1 is graded Not Met.
The data for those childminders that have EYFS children in their provision is as follows:
Not Yet
Inspected
Outstanding Good Requires
Improvement
Inadequate
16 16 112 1 0
For childminders who receive an Inadequate or Requires Improvement judgement, they receive
support from the Childcare Development Advisor to help them address the recommendations and
actions in a timely manner.
Newly registered Childminders are supported through our funded childminder buddy programme until
their first inspection.
Key Strengths & Challenges
The most significant challenge facing early years provision in Hillingdon is recruitment and retention
of qualified staff. This reflects a national crisis but is especially acute due to pay levels that cannot
compete with other sectors, and increasing workload and accountability, particularly in relation to
safeguarding, SEND, curriculum delivery and inspection readiness. We have delivered a full training
package in relation to these areas and will continue to support leaders and practitioners to access the
government funded Early Years Initial Teacher Training (EYITT) programme to strengthen leadership
and improve the quality of education in PVI settings
The Early Years Quality Improvement Team are focussed on developing a high- quality early years
workforce through the delivery of evidence based professional development opportunities. To achieve
this the team have formed a partnership with the DfE’s Stronger Practice Hub who are delivering in
Standards of Education in Hillingdon 2024-25 Report Page 9
person training events across the local authority, sharing effective practice with leaders and
practitioners in schools and settings. We are planning to develop a local Stronger Practice Hub in an
area of the borough where impact will be highest, to drive improvements in the quality of early years
provision. This will support collaborative working between key partners in early years, helping to build
a strong, resilient and reflective early years community across the borough.
There is increasing recognition, both nationally and within Hillingdon, that a significant number of
children in the early years are experiencing delays or disorders in communication and language
development. In response, the EYQIT will introduce a speech and language assessment tool across
all PVI settings to support early identification of children’s needs and enable timely, targeted and
individualised intervention for these children.
Ofsted Outcomes of Schools
Ofsted continued their full inspection programme with a change to outcome wording to move away
from the one-word overall judgement.
Section 5 inspections are full inspections that evaluate the overall effectiveness of a school. They
are full inspections that evaluate the overall effectiveness of a school and are conducted every 5
years, but schools previously rated ‘good’ or ‘outstanding’ may receive an ungraded inspection
instead.
Section 8 inspections are shorter and can be either graded or ungraded. They usually occur when
there is evidence that a school may have improved or declined since the last inspection. They do not
provide an overall effectiveness grade but evaluate specific areas of concern or improvement.
Hillingdon received 34 inspections in the academic year 2024/25:
School Inspected
(inspection date order)
Type of
Inspection
Type of
setting
Academy /
Maintained
Outcome
The Willows School Section 5 Special Academy Quality of Education - Outstanding
Leadership & Management - Outstanding
Behaviour & Attitude - Outstanding
Personal Development - Outstanding
Northwood School Section 8 Secondary Academy Standards Maintained as previous inspection
(previously Outstanding)
De Salis Studio College Section 8 Secondary Academy Standards Maintained as previous inspection
(previously Good)
Highfield Primary
School
Section 8 Primary Maintained Standards Maintained as previous inspection
(previously Good)
BWI CofE Primary
School
Section 8 Primary Maintained Standards Maintained as previous inspection
(previously Good)
Ruislip Gardens Primary
School
Section 5 Primary Maintained Quality of Education - Good
Leadership & Management - Good
Behaviour & Attitude - Good
Personal Development - Good
Moorcroft School Section 8 Secondary
Special
Academy Standards Maintained as previous inspection
(previously Outstanding)
Standards of Education in Hillingdon 2024-25 Report Page 10
Nanaksar Primary
School
Section 8 Primary Academy Standards Maintained as previous inspection
(previously Good)
Whitehall Infant School Section 8 Primary Maintained Standards Maintained as previous inspection
(previously Good)
Uxbridge High School Section 5 Secondary Academy Quality of Education - Good
Leadership & Management - Good
Behaviour & Attitude - Good
Personal Development - Outstanding
Coteford Junior School Section 8 Junior Academy Standards Maintained as previous inspection
(previously Good)
Grange Park Junior
School
Section 8 Junior Maintained Standards Maintained as previous inspection
(previously Good)
HRUC College
College - Overall - Good
Bishop Ramsey Church
of England School
Section 5 Secondary Academy Quality of Education - Good
Leadership & Management - Good
Behaviour & Attitude - Good
Personal Development - Good
Hillside Junior School Section 5 Junior Maintained Quality of Education - RI
Leadership & Management - RI
Behaviour & Attitude - Good
Personal Development - Good
Harlington School Section 5 Secondary Maintained Quality of Education - Good
Leadership & Management - Good
Behaviour & Attitude - Good
Personal Development - Good
Yeading Infant and
Nursery School
Section 8 Primary Maintained Standards Maintained as previous inspection
(previously Outstanding)
Harlyn Primary School Section 8 Primary Maintained Standards Maintained as previous inspection
(previously Good)
Minet Junior School Section 8 Primary Maintained Standards Maintained as previous inspection
(previously Good)
Laurel Lane Primary
School
Section 5 Primary Academy Quality of Education - RI
Leadership & Management - Good
Behaviour & Attitude - Good
Personal Development - Good
Vyners School Section 8 Secondary Academy Standards Maintained as previous inspection
(previously Outstanding)
Hewens Primary School Section 5 Primary Academy Quality of Education - Good
Leadership & Management - Good
Behaviour & Attitude - Good
Personal Development - Outstanding
West Drayton Academy Section 8 Primary Academy Standards Maintained as previous inspection
(previously Good)
Meadow High School Section 5 Secondary
Special
Maintained Quality of Education - Good
Leadership & Management - RI
Behaviour & Attitude - Good
Personal Development – Outstanding
Sixth Form Provision - Outstanding
The Global Academy Section 5 Secondary Academy Quality of Education - Good
Leadership & Management - Good
Behaviour & Attitude - Outstanding
Personal Development – Outstanding
Sixth Form Provision - Outstanding
Standards of Education in Hillingdon 2024-25 Report Page 11
The Skills Hub Section 5 Alternative
Provision
Academy Quality of Education - Good
Leadership & Management - Good
Behaviour & Attitude - Good
Personal Development – Good
Colham Manor Primary
School
Section 8 Primary Maintained Standards Maintained as previous inspection
(previously Good)
St Andrew's C of E
Primary School
Section 5 Primary Maintained Quality of Education - Good
Leadership & Management - Good
Behaviour & Attitude - Good
Personal Development – Good
Eary Years Provision - Good
Grangewood School Section 8 Primary
Special
Academy Standards Maintained as previous inspection
(previously Good)
Hewens College
Section 5 College
Academy
Quality of Education - RI
Leadership & Management - Good
Behaviour & Attitude - Good
Personal Development – Good
Sixth Form Provision - Good
Pride Academy
Section 5
Secondary
Special
Academy
Quality of Education - Good
Leadership & Management - Outstanding
Behaviour & Attitude - Outstanding
Personal Development – Outstanding
Sixth Form Provision - Good
Deanesfield Primary
School
Section 5
Primary
Maintained
Quality of Education - Outstanding
Leadership & Management - Outstanding
Behaviour & Attitude - Outstanding
Personal Development – Outstanding
Eary Years Provision – Outstanding
Rabbsfarm Primary
School
Section 5 Primary Maintained
Quality of Education - RI
Leadership & Management - RI
Behaviour & Attitude - RI
Personal Development – Good
Eary Years Provision – Good
Park Academy West
London
Section 8
Secondary
Academy
Leaders have made progress to improve the
school, but some aspects of the
school need further improvement (previously
RI)
The Council is working with all schools requiring improvement, including academies when requested.
Key Strengths & Challenges
There were 8 schools (5 maintained, 3 academies) on the Council’s ‘Schools At Risk Register’ (SARR)
at the end of 2024/25. This is a reduction of 1 on the previous year. The reasons schools could be at
risk cover a range from: Ofsted inspection judgement is Requires Improvement (RI) or less in Quality
of Education (or RI overall under old framework), poor pupil outcomes, leadership concerns (including
governance), finance pressures, stakeholder complaints, amongst others.
Analysis
There is regular and robust information sharing between the Council Education Improvement team
and officers from the London region of the Department for Education. Evidence based confidence
Standards of Education in Hillingdon 2024-25 Report Page 12
ratings are discussed for schools requiring improvement. The quality of information shared regarding
all aspects of maintained or academy schools is strong.
In 2024/25 a Three-Tier Support Model for categorising schools for prioritising education improvement
support continued:
• Self-Improving - schools with an Ofsted rating of ‘Good’ or ‘Outstanding’ with no key areas
of concern.
• Targeted - schools with some key focus areas of improvement required, including schools
which may be ‘Good’ but at risk.
• Intensive - schools with an Ofsted rating of Requires Improvement or Inadequate and/or
where significant support is required.
This enabled the Education Improvement and Partnerships Team to focus their time supporting
schools effectively with a package of support appropriately matched to the needs of the various
settings in Hillingdon. Each maintained school is offered a range of universal support, including an
annual education advisor visit, professional development opportunities led by the Hillingdon Learning
Partnership or by the Education teams at the Council. Targeted and Intensive support schools receive
regular, practical, school improvement visits to ensure there is swift progress on their improvement
plans. This may involve brokering support or direct education adviser support.
The support and challenge documentation used by Advisors established a clearer focus on the impact
of the support given to the schools. A Support Plan was used for settings in the Targeted or Intensive
support categories. This support plan facilitates a commitment from both the Education Advisor and
the school leaders to have a continued focus on the key individualised education improvement
priorities and actions that are planned for the year ahead. Education Advisors completed a termly
impact report to detail the impact of their support on the schools’ improvement journey.
Collectively, these documents had a greater focus on holding Education Advisors and school leaders
to account, as well as being a support mechanism for schools, enabling them to share clear evidence
of progress with relevant external agencies.
Progress Against Education Priority One:
• We believe there is a comprehensive level of support to schools to meet their needs and
priorities. This is provided by the wider Hillingdon Education Team. There is a robust
universal support offer for all schools and settings 0-18, delivered by the Council teams,
Hillingdon Learning Partnership and other providers. In addition, there is a broad offer of
support from Health, Social care, Youth Justice and other teams to meet needs in education
settings. The impact of this is seen in the very low numbers of PVIs that require additional
intervention, and in the reduction of schools causing concern over the last year.
Standards of Education in Hillingdon 2024-25 Report Page 13
Priority 2: Preparation for Adulthood
School Place Planning
School Place Planning (SPP ) is reported annually via the School Organisation Plan for Hillingdon
which presents:
• An overview of the education landscape in Hillingdon
• A summary of current pupil numbers and projected demand in primary and secondary phases,
including specialist provision
• Options in place for the Council to consider when determining the need to increase or reduce
school places
To access the School Organisation Plan 2025, please click here.
School Placements & Admissions
Primary School Places
• Hillingdon remained the top ranked London local authority on Primary National Offer Day, with
91.51 per cent of children being awarded their first-choice primary school place.
• Figures released by the PAN London Admissions Board show that the council has once again
exceeded the London average of 87.92 per cent to give 3,169 pupils their first choice of primary
school.
• Hillingdon also achieved best in West London for applicants being offered one of their top three
preference schools at 98.18 per cent, compared to PAN London at 96.6 per cent.
• The council received 3,463 primary school applications, with 98.61 per cent allocated a school of
their preference, which is also higher than the London average of 97.9 per cent.
Secondary School Places
• Hillingdon council received 3,626 applications for entry into secondary school for September 2025.
• On National Offer Day every Hillingdon child or young person was offered a secondary school
place.
• From those, 94 per cent were offered one of their top schools, with 67 per cent of pupils receiving
their first choice and 88 per cent offered one of their top three schools.
Fair Access
The In Year Fair Access Panel (IYFAP) has continued to be effective in its duty to ensure that outside
the normal admissions round - unplaced children, especially the most vulnerable, are found and
offered a place quickly, so that the amount of time any child is out of school is kept to the minimum.
We continue to see a minimal number of primary aged referrals considered by the Fair Access Panel.
This is due to strong communication between the LA, school admissions officers and sufficient place
planning. The LA are also grateful to our schools for their support with Year 11 pupils being placed in
mainstream schools. The Panel is effective in ensuring that every child receives the best possible
education in line with statutory guidance. Below is a summary of the referrals made via the IYFAP:
● 1 primary referral to the IYFAP compared to 2 primary referrals in 2023-2024
● 42% decrease – 76 total number of placements by the IYFAP in comparison to the academic year
2023-2024 where there were 132 placements.
● 46 Year 11 aged children were referred to the panel, and this was 61% of the total placements.
● IYFAP placements in 2024-2025 - 74% of placements were for children residing in the south of
the borough
Standards of Education in Hillingdon 2024-25 Report Page 14
● 40% of the placements have been for ‘Children who have been out of education for four or more
weeks where it can be demonstrated that there are no places available at any school within a
reasonable distance of their home. This does not include circumstances where a suitable place
has been offered to a child, and this has not been accepted’.
These statistics include July’s placements (15); however, the children did not start until the following
academic year (2024/25).
Year 11
The general expectation is that mainstream education will be inclusive and that pupils with a wide
range of needs will be able to access a mainstream school place. However, in recognition of the
greater challenges for pupils in Year 11 who were seeking a new school where they are nearing post-
compulsory school age, pupils were offered a place at Hillingdon’s Interim Provision, subject to
availability. If a school place was required, the case was considered against the eligibility list for
referral as a Fair Access placement. If eligibility was met , the applicant was allocated a placement
through the Fair Access Panel.
Placements
The table below show the Fair Access placements from September 2024 - July 2025, it also indicates
where in the borough pupils were residing. For secondary schools, the north of the borough is
determined as above the A40, and south as below the A40, primary schools are determined by
planning areas. These referrals reflect all pupils that were taken to the panel, some pupils were not
placed but have been included in the referrals.
Secondary referrals
Year Group Year 7 Year 8 Year 9 Year 10 Year 11 North South
Total per
year
2 5 11 15 42 9 66
Total 75 75
Primary referrals
Year Group
Reception Year 1 Year 2 Year 3 Year 4 Year 5 Year 6 North South
Total per year 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 1
Total 1
Referral Reason
Below is a breakdown of the reasons each referral was made to the IYFAP. The additional eligible
categories have not been included as there were no referrals. The highest number of referrals in the
Secondary phase were made for children that had been out of education for 2 or more months and
children of Gypsies, Roma, Travellers, refugees and asylum seekers.
Referral Reason Total Number
of Students
Children in alternative provision who need to be reintegrated into mainstream education or
who have been permanently excluded but are deemed suitable for mainstream education.
9
Children who have been out of education for four or more weeks where it can be
demonstrated that there are no places available at any school within a reasonable
distance of their home. This does not include circumstances where a suitable place has
been offered to a child, and this has not been accepted
36
Children for whom a place has not been sought due to exceptional circumstances 3
Standards of Education in Hillingdon 2024-25 Report Page 15
Children of Gypsies, Roma, Travellers, refugees and asylum seekers 15
Children either subject to a CIN or a CP Plan or having had a CIN or a CP Plan within 12
months
9
Children from the criminal justice system 1
Children with SEN (without an EHCP) 3
Total 76
Place Planning Areas
Of the 75 secondary school placements made through Fair Access, 66 children lived in the South of
the borough and 9 children lived in the North of the borough. 92% of the children placed through
Fair Access lived in the South. The panel are mindful of the volume of pupils residing in the south of
the borough and will try to allocate a school in the north of the borough where a journey is deemed
within a reasonable distance. Alternatively, if a parent has added a school as a preference which is
within the north of the borough, the panel will look to allocate this school. This assists with equal
distribution and can justify the panel’s decision for allocating a school not within a reasonable
distance.
Comparison with Previous Academic Years
Below is a comparison of the number of In Year Fair Access Panel placements made this year in
comparison to the last three academic years.
2022-2023 2023-2024 2024-2025
Month Primary Secondary Total Primary Secondary Total Primary Secondary Total
September 0 19 19 0 21 21 0 17 17
October 0 24 24 0 14 14 0 8 8
November 0 32 32 0 14 14 0 6 6
December 0 29 29 0 10 10 0 12 12
January 0 25 25 0 18 18 0 7 7
February 0 14 14 1 12 13 0 8 8
March 0 22 22 0 7 7 0 4 4
April 0 16 16 1 13 14 0 6 6
Appeals
Our current Fair Access Policy provides schools with 5 days to contact us and supply factual evidence
that to admit additional children would prejudice the provision of efficient education or the efficient use
of resources at their school. We will also consider information that we may not be aware of at the time
of placement that may evidence the suitability of the placement and whether this would be in the best
interests of the child.
We received 9 appeals in the academic year 2024/25 from schools against placements. Of the 9
appeals that we received:
• 6 placements were pursued at the allocated school.
• 1 pupil was allocated an alternative school
• 2 placements were withdrawn
Interim Provision
• The Interim provision has 10 places available at any one time.
Standards of Education in Hillingdon 2024-25 Report Page 16
• 57 pupils were referred to the Interim Provision in 2024/25. Of this cohort, pupils have come from
15 different countries, speaking 10 different languages.
• Of the 57 pupils, 10 were Looked After Children and 5 were on Child Protection plans. This was
26% of the Interim cohort.
• All this year’s cohorts have been successfully placed at a school as an outcome of the FAP, moved
on through the NTS programme, accessing an alternative setting, left as they were no longer
statutory school age or moved out of the country/borough.
• The provision also provided extra support to pupils when a school was not allocated through the
panel, or the pupil was at a point in year 11 where it was unreasonable to place them at a school.
They supported a pupil who was going through an Education, Health and Care Plan Needs
Assessment, and Post 16 support for a pupil with Special Educational Needs.
Outcomes for Vulnerable Children and Young People
• Schools are beginning to utilise Vulnerable Learners Clinics (VLC) more effectively to prevent
escalation.
• Decrease in NEET with EHCPs by over 3% from last year (SEN2 data).
• 13% Increase in uptake of Supported Internships - 16% of post 16 phase transfer cohort for
September 25 is in supported internship compared to 3% last year
• More young people with EHCPs remain in their Hillingdon community - 87.9% of post 16 phase
transfer cohort is placed in-borough compared to 21.6% last year
• The number of ceased plans due to needs being met without the need for ongoing EHCP support,
as well as those ceased because the young person has moved into higher education or entered
paid employment, has increased by over 100% across all three categories compared with last
year’s data.
• Mainstream placement of pupils with EHCPs has risen significantly from 43% in 23/24 to 46% in
24/25 (SEN2 data) and now being at 52% as of January 2026. The OAP guidance with checklists
has been reviewed and training workshops for schools are in place.
• Increase in newly developed placements in Specialist Resource Provisions (SRPs) reflects
growing expertise and improved inclusive practice in mainstream setting.
• Young People’s Voice is at the heart of all SEND initiatives, Aim High Youth Forum is actively
engaging in many projects providing feedback and coproducing, where appropriate.
• Social care and education are working more closely on early identification of needs , early
intervention, and reducing unnecessary criminalisation.
• Schools receiving support from SEND Advisory Service (SAS) reported notable increases in staff
confidence, rising from an average of 4.2 to 4.5, with high satisfaction levels (4.6) and strong
confidence in sustaining new strategies. Universal SAS training also demonstrated significant
gains, with confidence improving by 2 points across 212 delegates.
• SEND Reviews continue to drive meaningful school development, with settings progressing from
an average baseline score of 0.16 to 1.4 within a year, highlighting strengthened inclusion practice
borough wide.
• The PINS programme further evidences substantial value-added impact, with London Borough of
Hillingdon schools reporting confidence gains of 33– 56% across key domains, and London
Borough of Harrow demonstrating similarly strong improvements, particularly within environment
and communication domains. Collectively, the data demonstrates increasing consistency,
strengthened inclusive practice, and measurable improvements in school capability and
confidence.
Standards of Education in Hillingdon 2024-25 Report Page 17
Contextual Factors Which Support Children with SEND
The Hillingdon SEND and AP Partnership has strengthened the contextual conditions needed to
support children with SEND by investing in earlier identification, creating specialist capacity, robust
statutory processes and clear financial mechanisms of support.
The continued rise in requests for EHCNAs , from 481 to 511 this year , indicates growing levels of
need and highlights that schools increasingly require additional support and expertise to meet pupils’
needs effectively. This trend reinforces the importance of strong strategic leadership and well-
designed early help pathways. Positively, 59 schools are engaging proactively with Educational
Psychology traded service which has received good feedback, and the training programme has been
reviewed and strengthened to reflect this feedback ensuring it is even more closely aligned with what
schools have asked for. This collective progress demonstrates a growing commitment across the
system to strengthening early identification, promoting inclusive practice, and building the capacity
needed to respond to rising levels of need effectively.
The launch of the Emotional School Based Non Attendance (EBSNA) Response and Outreach
Service (EROS) project introduces a more responsive structure for recognising Emotional Based
School Non-Attendance at the earliest stage, helping prevent entrenched patterns of non-attendance
and reducing the long-term risks associated with persistent absence. Targeted expertise, particularly
through the EHCP Plus T eam and the Specialist EP for SEMH/Behaviour , further builds system
capacity, ensuring that children with the most complex needs receive timely, specialist input. Despite
increasing demand, statutory performance remains strong, with 82.5% of psychological advice
delivered within the six-week timeframe.
A consistent commitment to early intervention and identification is evident across multiple Ambition
Group updates, including the ongoing implementation of the Early Intervention (EI) Toolkit and work
to coproduce Support Information Guidance for families awaiting neurodiversity assessments,
The focus is on developing an Inclusion Framework and to improve transition processes through
specialist inclusion projects (Adaptive Curriculum & Teaching, EBSNA protocol, and Accessibility
Strategy) and enhanced oversight of parttime timetables.
The Partnership for Inclusion of Neurodiversity in Schools (PINS) project has been running across
Hillingdon and Harrow, supporting over 20 mainstream schools to strengthen their graduated
response for neurodiverse pupils. The work includes coaching, envir onmental audits, adaptive
teaching training, SENCO collaboration, parent engagement, and multiagency working. The project
has been extended for another year as it demonstrated positive impact, including mindset shifts in
schools, improved universal strategies, and enhanced coproduction with parents.
The Partnership has undertaken significant strategic work to redesign both mainstream and special
school banding, ensuring funding levels more accurately reflect assessed need and the graduated
approach to provision. Through refreshed frameworks, clear descriptors, and updated band structure,
partners have established a consistent borough-wide approach. This work has been shaped through
ongoing coproduction with schools, SEND services, health partners, and parent forums to ensure the
system is fair, equitable, and transparent for families and professionals.
Additionally, there is a strong focus on quality assurance through the development of QA framework
for EHCPs, statutory advice templates, and guidance on writing statutory advice. There are further
Local Offer improvements, and multiagency training opportunities for schools and partners which
strengthen practice consistency across the system and ensures the needs of children with SEND are
responded to promptly and equitably. Collectively, strong joint governance, effective early help
arrangements, clear and strengthened support pathways, consistent expectations for inclusive
Standards of Education in Hillingdon 2024-25 Report Page 18
practice, and ongoing workforce and quality improvement create the conditions for the Local
Partnership to deliver high quality, preventative, child centred SEND support. Shared multiagency
training further enhances consistency and collaboration across schools and partner organisations.
Priorities for Children with SEND in Hillingdon 2025/26
The Hillingdon Local Area SEND and Alternative Provision Strategy 2023- 2028 clearly defined
ambitions:
Ambition 1: The right support, at the right time, in the right place
Ambition 2: Fully inclusive education for all
Ambition 3: Provision meets the needs of Hillingdon’s children and young people
Ambition 4: Children and young people live happy and fulfilled lives where they are included in the
community
Ambition 5: There is a flexible offer and range of interventions available for children to access
Alternative Provision
The priorities for CYP with SEND in Hillingdon for 2025/26 are based on the above ambitions.
Early Intervention & Identification
• Strengthen and refine the early intervention offer, including updated EI toolkit and joint EP/SAS
support to schools.
• Improve early identification, statutory assessment processes and Annual Review quality through
new templates, QA framework and better multiagency coordination.
• Develop clear “waiting well” information and support for families awaiting neurodiversity
assessments.
• Improve data systems (EHM/EYES) to track Annual Reviews, early years notifications and
developmental concerns.
Improving the Quality of EHCPs & SEND Support
• Implement and embed the new EHCP QA Framework, updated templates, and audits.
• Strengthen Annual Review processes and expertise within the SEND and Inclusion services
through further workforce training and development.
• Improve outcome recording for EHCPs and My Support Plans, ensuring SMART outcomes and
consistent quality.
• Continue developing training for schools as per their needs and in line with upcoming SEND
reforms.
Inclusive Education & Support to Settings
• Continue improving the Local Offer (HELLO) with ongoing updates, coproduction and steering
group oversight.
• Continue developing and implement the Inclusion Consistency Framework, including protocols on
EBSNA, parttime timetables, adaptive teaching and accessibility.
• Continue offering support for SEND for schools through various projects like PINS, EROS, CAAS
Transition Project and support offer through SEND Inclusion Teams (EHCP Plus, SAS, EPS).
Provision & Sufficiency
• Expand local SEND provision, including additional secondary SRPs, DUs and post 16 pathways.
• Complete QA model for SRPs/DUs and carry out reviews across all settings.
• Continue development of secondary and FE specialist provision.
Standards of Education in Hillingdon 2024-25 Report Page 19
• Continue implementation of the updated banding models (mainstream and special schools)
through liaison meetings with schools.
• Review SEND Sufficiency Strategy and publish Admission Guidance to Specialist Provision.
Preparation for Adulthood (PfA)
• Finalise and publish the PfA Strategy, including a young people’s version.
• Embed PfA across newly reviewed Annual Review Templates, QA framework and training.
• Strengthen further multiagency transition planning through reviewed Transition Panel.
• Further expand supported internships, develop more vocational pathways where possible, and
improve Careers Education, Information, Advice and Guidance (CEIAG) support from Year 9
onwards.
SEMH & Mental Health Support
• Develop a local SEMH Inclusion Commitment with schools, health and education partners.
• Support the development and launch of the Thrive directory for SEMH support.
• Implement the new EBSNA Response and Outreach Service (EROS).
• Build E
View Decision / Minutes Text
Executive Decision Notice – 11 June 2026
This notice is a public document also available to view on the Council's website www.hillingdon.gov.uk
OFFICIAL EXECUTIVE DECISION NOTICE
PUBLISHED BY DEMOCRATIC SERVICES
Notice is hereby given that the following decision(s) have been made today by
Cabinet Members at the London Borough of Hillingdon:
Title of decision ANNUAL EDUCATION STANDARDS REPORT 2024-2025
Reference No. 2026/1693
Date of decision Thursday 11 June 2026
Call-in expiry date Thursday 18 June 2026
Relevant Select
Committee
Children, Families, Health & Care Select Committee
Relevant Wards All
Decision made
Cabinet Members making
the decision
Councillor Susan O’Brien, Cabinet Member for Children,
Families, Health & Care
Decision Agreed
That the Cabinet Member for Children, Families, Health
& Care approved this report on the annual education
standards 2024-25 for publication.
Reason for decision This report provides an overview of the standards and
quality of education across Hillingdon schools and settings
for Hillingdon’s children, young people and adults. The
report focuses primarily on attainment, progress and
achievement for the preceding academic year along with
references to wider measures of educational success.
Alternative options
considered and rejected
None.
Classification Part I – Public
Link to associated report Here
Relevant Officer contact
& Directorate
Michael Hawkins – Education & SEND
Any interest declared by
the Cabinet Member(s) /
dispensation granted
N/A
Implementation of decision & scrutiny call-in
[Internal Use only]
When can this
decision be
implemented by
officers?
Officers can implement Cabinet Member decision in this notice only
from the expiry of the scrutiny call-in period which is:
5pm on Thursday 18 June 2026
Executive Decision Notice – 11 June 2026
This notice is a public document also available to view on the Council's website www.hillingdon.gov.uk
However, this is subject to the decision not being called in by
Councillors on the relevant Select Committee. Upon receipt of a
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