18 March 2022 weekly update

Dear Colleagues,

The war in Ukraine continues to dominate the headlines as does the fantastic response of the British public, including that of Kent schools. Remarkable acts of bravery are being seen daily and they remind us of the importance of a free press and high quality journalism. A number of journalists have already lost their lives and the full consequences of the courageous and defiant act by Marina Ovsyannikova on the Russian Channel One news remain to be seen. Both Ukranian and Russian families are beginning to arrive in the county and Craig Chapman, Head of Fair Access has provided advice on the current position regarding school admissions in this bulletin.

By contrast, Covid seems to have disappeared from the headlines but unfortunately not from Kent schools, with a few colleagues struggling to manage high rates of infection. Last week the DfE issued a reminder about routes of access to vaccinations for younger children who have clinical vulnerabilities or live with someone who does. Eligible children include those with diabetes, immunosuppression, learning disabilities, and other conditions as outlined by the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) in the Green Book

Further information is available in the guide for parents of children aged 5 to 11 years published by UKHSA and in a DfE frequently asked questions blog on the vaccination programme including information on eligibility, accessibility and advice for parents of children at high risk from Covid-19. Healthy 5 to 11 year olds will also be offered two 10 microgram doses of the vaccine. The NHS is preparing to extend this non-urgent offer to all children from April and we will provide information on local plans as it is agreed.

We are pleased to let you know food vouchers will once again be provided over the Easter holidays by KCC for families whose children are entitled to benefits-related Free School Meals, as well as a free Holiday Activities and Food programme for eligible children, funded by the Department for Education. More information will be disseminated from the KCC Reconnect programme and is available on the KCC website

Last week Baroness Diana Barran was visiting schools in Kent and Medway including Oasis Academy, Waterfront UTC and Rose Street Primary school,  which together with West Minster Primary School forms the Sheerness West Federation. Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for the School System Baroness Barran's visits are informing the government's education policy and specifically the forthcoming Schools White Paper. Cllr Shellina Prendergast, Marisa White and I joined her at Rose Street Primary school, where Anna Pattenden (Executive Head), Sam Mackay (Head of Rose Street Primary) and Hazel Brewer (Head of West Minster Primary) discussed the benefits of the Federation and showed us around the school. We saw a great range of work going on, so a huge thank you to Anna, Sam and Hazel as well as the school team for their work and hospitality.

Marisa and I then went on to visit Richmond Primary School, particularly to find out more about the positive impact on pupil engagement, teacher workload and reduction of the need for TAs of fully integrating technology across the school. Richmond is in the final stages of becoming a designated Microsoft Showcase School  and I know that Chief Executive of the Stour Trust Rachel Howell, Chief Operating Officer Tommy Cullen and Headteacher Helen Evemy are keen to share their work so please do contact them if you want to find out more.

This week I was pleased to visit Bennett Memorial Diocesan School with Michelle Stanley, Lead Officer for School Improvement, to discuss the changing school improvement landscape and the role of the Teaching School Hubs. A big thank you to Headteacher Jon Sparke and his team for a tour of the school and their time. I also visited West Borough Primary School and Astor College in Dover to attend meetings.

This week too I was delighted to watch my grandson in a Year 5 assembly at Kilmorie Primary School in Lewisham. The performance was developed by pupils as part of their work on Early Islamic Civilization and the class text of Arabian Nights by Wafa Tarnowska. It was fantastic to see my grandson’s excitement at having adults visit the school and then the whole class of children enjoying performing with such confidence.

Have a good weekend.

Best wishes

Christine McInnes
Director of Education