19 April 2016 weekly update

Dear Colleagues

More Primary Pupils Offered their First Choice of School

We have just sent out the school allocations to parents whose children are starting Primary School this September. Over 96% of children across Kent will start their education at a Primary school named by their parents on their application.

That figure - 17,400 children in all - includes 15,705 (87%) who were offered their first preference, up by 762 compared to last year. These improved outcomes have been achieved at a time when the total number of applications for school places increased for the ninth consecutive year to 18,006 - a rise of 591 from 2015.

Local authorities across England continue to face significant challenges because of a rising demand for Primary school places. In Kent, however, the combination of careful planning and close working with schools means we have been able to expand the number of places to meet demand and to sustain a high proportion of children starting at a school of their preference.

We also continue to see improvements in the quality of Kent Primary schools with 87% of schools now rated as good or outstanding by Ofsted. This has helped to increase parents’ choices and satisfaction with their local schools.

Parents can accept their school place offers or seek alternatives if they are not happy with their allocation. Despite the increase in application numbers, there are still places available at schools across Kent.

For more information please visit www.kent.gov.uk/primaryadmissions, contact kentonlineadmissions@kent.gov.uk or phone the Admissions Team on 03000 41 21 21.

Vulnerable Learners Strategy 2016-19

We have just published online our Vulnerable Learners Strategy for Kent. This brings together in one document all the actions we are taking in partnership with schools to improve outcomes for vulnerable and disadvantaged children and young people. It also sets out examples of good practice in schools and strategies that are having some impact in narrowing achievement gaps and promoting greater social mobility.

Our starting points, both nationally and in Kent, are a challenge. Some argue that social mobility is less in the UK now than it was some years ago. This means that the circumstances of a child’s birth and the family’s social and economic conditions determine more than ever the child’s success in the education system and the labour market. The fact that this relationship between poverty, home background and life chances is more pronounced in the UK than in most other European counties makes it even more critical that we make a bigger difference.

The school system cannot solve this lack of social mobility on its own, but it can contribute a great deal to improving life chances for vulnerable children and young people. We aim to make more of a difference for those at greatest risk of poor outcomes. Schools matter and make a big difference, and having access to a good school and good teaching matters even more. What matters most is that good schools are inclusive places which achieve good outcomes for all their pupils.

Education is the greatest opportunity young people have to achieve life-long benefits. At present these benefits are greater for some and far too limited for others, often through no fault of their own.

In a recent speech the Prime Minister stated that improving social mobility is a priority for the government. He said clearly that lack of social mobility is damaging for the country’s economic growth and wealth creation, and represents a waste of talent which the country cannot afford.

For individual children and young people who live in poor and disadvantaged circumstances, the lack of sufficient opportunity to make good progress in the education system, to have greater fluidity in the pathways that they can take and to have the chance to become more upwardly mobile, is a double disadvantage. One of the biggest challenges for the education system is to change this for the better.

A key policy has been the introduction of the Pupil Premium, with the expectation that this funding will be used effectively to raise attainment for pupils who are eligible for free school meals and thereby close achievement gaps between these pupils and their peers. The Pupil Premium has promised much but so far it has delivered relatively little improvement in Kent and nationally. We are continuing to focus on this challenge and to find out more about, and disseminate, what works in making a difference.

Three big priorities stand out in the Strategy: to put more resources into and do more to improve emotional wellbeing and mental health; to improve our support for parents and parenting and do more to work with families; and to better combine and target our resources for vulnerable learners including making the most effective use of the Pupil Premium, Early Help, the LIFT process and High Needs funding.

The Vulnerable Learners Strategy is our attempt to move this agenda forward in Kent in a more significant and joined up way.

Patrick Leeson, Corporate Director Education and Young People’s Services