16 December 2022 weekly update

Dear Colleagues,

The Christmas break is imminent after a whirlwind term and it feels very well deserved.

This week I was really pleased to join the Kent Educational Psychologists to hear Rob Webster, author of The Inclusion Illusion who will also be joining us for the SENCO conference in March 2023.

I managed to squeeze in a couple of final visits for 2022, so a big thank you to headteacher Alice Edgington and CEO Dean Jones for their time and warm welcome when I visited St Stephen’s Infant School  Canterbury, part of the Inspira Trust. The children were happy, confident and chatty, only too pleased to share their work.

I was also really pleased to have the opportunity to join Dover Grammar School for Girls for their wonderful carol service at the beautiful St Peter and St Paul Church on Wednesday evening. Thank you to headteacher Bob Benson, his staff, pupils and parents. All the performances were of a stunningly high standard and the soloists and choirs were positively angelic. A great start to the Christmas period.

My congratulations to Robert, aged 12, finalist in the 2022 Kent Fostering Christmas Card design competition, for his Christmas Card design, which will be used as the Leader of Kent County Council, Roger Gough's, Christmas Card this year. Roger would like to wish you all a well-deserved break over Christmas and every success in 2023!

A big thank you to you for all your hard work over the autumn term and I look forward to working with you in 2023.

Best wishes

Christine McInnes
Director of Education