18 December 2025 weekly update

Dear Colleagues,

On behalf of all of us here at KCC, I extend you my warmest wishes for the Christmas season and sincere thanks for the work you do day in day out with families, children and young people.

This time of year is often a time for reflection and I can scarcely believe the first term of the academic year is at an end. It has been a memorable and busy term which has included:

• A change to Early Years SEND support through 12 specialist nurseries now undertaking outreach into mainstream schools, working with more children and publication of our Ordinarily Available Provision, Starting Strong (PDF, 3.1 MB)
• Kent schools trumping the national attendance data for the first time with suspensions and permanent exclusions remaining well below national averages
• The post-16 transformation programme Pathways for All going from strength to strength to the benefit of Kent post 16 young people and informing national developments following the publication of the Post 16 White Paper
• An agreed plan to invest £20m of capital in new Specialist Resource Provision alongside last week’s announcement about three new specialist provisions
• Supporting the roll out of Communities of Schools including the development of a core STLS offer including a dedicated offer for Reception and evaluation of the Professional Resource Groups
• A wonderful set of case studies of all the excellent practice which is taking place across the county for publication in 2026
• 334 parents, carers and professionals attended our SEND roadshows - more planned for next year.

Looking ahead to the new year budget is on everyone’s minds. Yesterday we were delighted that a matter we have been lobbying the DfE about has resulted in a planned change to what are commonly known as the ‘Belonging Regulations’ - The Education (Areas to which Pupils and Students Belong) Regulations 1996. Essentially this means the placing LA will be liable to pay for costs such as home to school transport and SEND-related costs for children and young people they place in care in Kent. This will make a significant difference to our budget position going forward. Work on embedding efficiencies in home to school transport has resulted in reduced costs of £ 24m over two years. Alongside this we have started an exciting project with education and children’s social care officers working collaboratively to develop new in-Kent provision for young people with complex needs currently placed elsewhere in the country to improve the quality and reduce the costs. So, despite the challenges there is some great work going on.

We are doing the very difficult work of transformation together. I have been really encouraged by the professionalism and mutual respect which have framed these challenging discussions and how this has built a level of consensus which has enabled us as a system to move forward and improve the offer for children, young people and families.

Next year we will be talking with you about how we work together to develop a sustainable education system and revisiting the High Needs Funding Block and the SEND data as we look forward to the publication of the new White Paper.

I hope you have a peaceful Christmas break and I look forward to working with you in 2026.

Best wishes

Christine McInnes
Interim Corporate Director, Children, Young People and Education