14 September 2026 weekly update

Dear Colleagues,

Welcome back after what has been a long, hot summer! I hope you had the opportunity for rest and recuperation and are ready for the new academic year and the term got off to a smooth start. I had some very welcome time with friends and family over the summer.

I was delighted to visit two schools during the holiday to share the celebrations on exam results day. Thank you to Executive Headteacher Simon Murphy and his team of St George's Secondary Gravesend part of the Alethia Trust, who welcomed a Kent delegation including Cllr Beverley Fordham, Cabinet Member for Education and Skills, for their A-level results day on Thursday 13 August. A big thank you too to Gurjit Kaur Shergill, Principal at Leigh Academy Ebbsfleet part of the Leigh Academy Trust, and her team, where we visited for GCSE results day.

Cllr Fordham and I, together with other KCC officers also attended the official opening of Salt College in Hearne Bay,  an impressive specialist post 16 provider. Lord Mayor of Canterbury Cllr Alistair Brady cut the ribbon and we were pleased to be shown around by Principal Kurt Salter.

Cllr Fordham has been busy visiting some of our new SRPs as they come on stream as part of our significant expansion programme. Cllr Fordham visited Richmond Primary School part of the Stour Academy Trust, for the launch of the Aviary SRP and the Lighthouse SRP and Downs Church of England Primary part of the DEALT multi academy Trust. Thanks to all colleagues who are working in partnership with KCC to extend the number of specialist places available for pupils.

You will be aware that one of the welcome changes the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Act 2026 has brought, is a greater recognition of the critical role that schools and colleges play in identifying safeguarding concerns and sharing information to help protect children. It strengthens the role of education and childcare settings within multi-agency safeguarding arrangements by ensuring the information is used effectively to inform decision-making. Officers will be talking with you over coming weeks about these changes to support implementation of the changes.

For local authorities, we continue to work with safeguarding partners to ensure that:

• perspectives from schools and other education settings are actively sought, where relevant, as part of safeguarding discussions;
• information shared by schools and colleges is properly considered alongside social care, health, policing and other partner input;
• there is strong and effective collaboration at both strategic and operational levels; and
• warnings from teachers and/or schools with particular expertise (including, but not limited to, Pupil Referral Units) are given appropriate weight, recognising the depth of their insight into a child’s behaviour and interactions.

Collaboration between agencies is important for safeguarding children but collaboration between schools is one of the most effective approaches to school improvement, so I was really pleased to see the Kent Collaboration Fortnight being planned for next term and encourage you to get involved, there is more information in the bulletin. We have some great work going on across Kent schools and this is a really exciting opportunity to share that.

I look forward to hearing from and seeing some of you as the term progresses.

With best wishes

Christine McInnes
Corporate Director Children’s Services