13 November 2026 weekly update

Dear Colleagues,

Remembrance

As we entered the period for remembrance and reflection I was reminded of the sacrifice of many young scholars who entered the trenches of the Western Front, many of whom perished serving their country.

Walking along the Avenue of Remembrance in Sittingbourne this week and seeing the large poppies that adorn each tree, at whose base marks a plaque remembering a soldier who fell in of the Great War, it reminded me of my various visits to Borden Grammar school, which is situated adjacent the avenue.  Inside Borden Grammar are tangible reminders of the pupils that fell during the Great War however their memories are kept alive by Ashley Tomlin, his staff and pupils as well as through the excellent work of the Old Bordenian Association. This plaque is testament to the names of the fallen and can be found at Borden Grammar.

No less that 40 Bordenians lost their lives in the Great War, with a further 60 falling in World War II. Upon further reflection, for a school in a typical Kentish town to have lost 40 pupils indicates the scale of slaughter faced by those serving on the Western Front, however once extrapolated to the other secondary schools across Kent and indeed the country, the numbers of pupils who lost their lives is almost unimaginable seen through today's lens.

In John Lewis-Stempel's book, 'Six Weeks- The short and gallant life of the British Officer in the First World War', Lewis describes pupils, perhaps even those from Borden Grammar, just out of school, some of whom were junior officers who were plucked out of the class room and placed in the most dangerous job in the world- that of a soldier on the Western Front.

First-hand testimony from such soldiers reminds us that we may bemoan aspects of our modern lives, the cost of living and the fragility of the world we live in, however we have much to be thankful and that it is through the suffering and sacrifices of others, and in this case, young ex-pupils, just like those at Borden Grammar, that we enjoy the freedoms of today.

Perhaps the consideration of Wilfred Owen's description of the training camp at Etaples may help us draw our own comparisons just as my own son is currently doing for his GCSE English literature learning:

'It is a vast and dreadful encampment.  It seemed neither France nor England but a kind of paddock that beasts were kept a few days before the shambles.  There was a strange look on all the faces in that camp; an incomprehensible look which a man will never see in England nor can be seen in any battle, only in Etaples.'

As we exit the period for remembrance perhaps spare a thought for those pupils who paid the ultimate sacrifice, after all, despite being over a century on, those youngsters perhaps would have had much in common with those of today:  a sense optimism and fun, an excitement to enter the world of adulthood, the same cares and anxieties, the same confidence and awkwardness of youth, only to have their lives cut short.

Early Years

Following the implementation of the EY Review we received feedback that Early Years providers would value the opportunity to access general SEND advice and guidance and would benefit from regular opportunities for a professional discussion.

Following discussions and lots of hard work to get the bookings up and running Early Years SEND Surgeries were launched last term. They provide a dedicated opportunity for Early Years providers to access SEND advice and guidance and discuss concerns with Early Years SEND Professionals, further strengthening the support available to Early Years providers in Kent.

The Surgeries are facilitated by the SEND Support & Inclusion Practitioner Team and Early Years Outreach Teams.

The feedback from last term has been very encouraging and has meant that colleagues feel confident to implement advice and guidance without necessarily requesting support through the EY PRG. We aim to gain more feedback at the end of term 2 to see if there is any further support that is needed.

Zenia Ford

Good Levels of Development (GLD) in Kent

Those of you with Early Years classes will know that the DfE has set Kent a statutory target which is:

To meet the statutory target for KCC set by the DfE:

1. The proportion of children in KCC achieving GLD at the end of the 2027/28 academic year is at least 77%; and,
2. Disadvantaged children have benefitted at least equally from this improvement; that is, that the proportion of children eligible for Free School Meals (FSM) and achieving GLD at the end of the 2027/28 academic year is at least 57.7%

To meet this target, a stepped approach has been taken, so there is a clear trajectory paving the way for success.  For academic year 2025/26, Kent's aspiration for the whole Early Years cohort was to achieve at least 71.6%, with at least 53.6% of Early Years pupils eligible for Free School Meals attaining a good level of development.

I'm pleased toreport that because of collective efforts, Kent's Early Years cohort in 2025/26 attained 74% with 54.6% of pupils eligible for Free School Meals attaining a Good Level of Development.

This improvement should be rightly applauded as it places Kent on a solid footing to reach 2026/27's aspiration to improve further, indeed if the improvements in GLD attainment seen for the last academic year continue, then Kent may reach the DfE's targets a year ahead of time.

Schools with Early Years classes today will receive their aspirations for 2026/27 and these will be broken down into 'whole cohort', 'non-FSM' pupils and 'FSM pupils' and are based on the contextual characteristics of the pupils in the whole cohort, for example, gender, term of birth, SEND status and levels of deprivation etc.

We know that a key aspect for reaching these aspirations is collaboration, networking and training. As such, The Education People (TEP) will continue to lead CPD sessions for Early Years practitioners and leaders this academic year, building on the successes of the development of early writing sessions in the summer term.

I'm pleased to announce that Kent has secured for a second year RISE funding to work with a small group of schools in Thanet and Dover with the aim of working collaboratively, through a series of face to face and asynchronous training to further improve Good Levels of Development often in areas of high levels of deprivation.  I will contact these schools with further details next week.

IAG (Information, Advice and Guidance) Roadshows

Our in person SEND Roadshows are free events designed to help families connect with local services, support teams, and other to learn more or ask for support. These events are designed and delivered in partnership with the Family Hubs . We aim to hold a roadshow in each district at least once a year. When we are planning one in your District flyers will be sent out to your school’s SENCOS and FLOS from the Family Hubs for you to share with families. We have found that when schools help us spread the word, we get a much-increased attendance

At each roadshow, families will find:

• helpful information and advice
• fun activities for children and families
• access to a range of local and national support services.

We work in partnership with a range of organisations to bring support directly to your community.

Regular attendees include:

• Information, Advice and Support Kent (IASK)
• Kent Parent and Carer Together (PACT)
• Family Hub
• Portage
• SEND Inclusion Advisors.

Upcoming roadshows

• Ashford - Wednesday 20 January, 9am to 12pm (for parents) at Stanhope Parish Hall
• Dartford - Tuesday 3 November, 10am to 12pm at Temple Hill Family Hub
• Tenterden - Wednesday 10 February, 9am to 12pm (for parents) at Tenterden Town Hall

The Folkestone roadshow will now take place in spring 2027. Further details will be published nearer the time.

Keep an eye on this webpage or check out your local Family Hub Facebook page for future dates.

Attending a roadshow

Our roadshows usually run for 2 to 3 hours. Families are welcome to drop in at any time during the event to speak with services and explore what’s on offer.

Most venues offer on-site or nearby roadside parking. We’re working closely with Family Hubs to ensure locations are accessible by car or public transport.

Children are welcome but there won’t be any supervised childcare at the event.

Roadshows this year

This year to date we have had six Roadshows with an average attendance of 50 families at each, with an average of around 20 organisations and services attending each one . Feedback at each Roadshow is very positive and families often arrive feeling anxious but leave feeling hopeful and excited by what they have learned. Thank you to our schools for helping us reach families when they most needed and please continue to share our flyers with your families when they come your way.

Key supporting links

• Special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) - Kent County Council
• Kent Family Hub - Kent County Council
• Countywide SENCO forums year 2026/2027 - KELSI

Pathways for All Sector-Wide Conversation 4 – Stronger Together

3 December 2026 – 8 for 8:30am to 1pm, The Mercure Maidstone Great Danes Hotel

Kent is making national progress in improving post-16 pathways, with NEET figures beginning to fall and growing recognition of our collective work.  As major national reforms reshape the landscape, now is the time to build on our momentum.  Join senior leaders from across the sector to help ensure no young person is left behind, with provision that is Accessible, Ambitious and Appropriate.  Last year over 140 leaders came. This year we want every post-16 provider to come together and shape the work for the next 12 months.

Your voice will help shape the next phase of Pathways for All and our shared priorities for the year ahead.

All Headteachers, Principals and CEOs from secondary schools, colleges and training providers are strongly encouraged to attend.

Please complete this short booking form to secure your place.

Headteacher Briefings

Good to see so many of you at our Headteacher Briefing last week. Please find the slides (PDF, 4.3 MB) and a recording of the briefing

Best wishes

Rob Veale
Assistant Director Education​ (East)