23 September 2025 weekly update

Dear Colleagues,

Firstly I would like to give our apologies for the delay in distribution of the Kelsi e-bulletin. You may have noticed some technical difficulties with the first e-bulletin of the school year which have now been fixed; the e-bulletin will return to its usual schedule on Friday afternoons from Friday 26 September.

Emotional health and wellbeing 

We are now well into the term and the summer is a distant memory. New starts can raise anxieties and I know a great deal of work has gone on in schools and settings to get pupils into school and off to the best start for the year.

Last year we published a well received SEMH Toolkit for schools which is available on Kelsi and today's bulletin includes two really interesting reports from the KCC i-THRIVE and Participation Team, i-THRIVE and Participation Team Overview Report (November 2024 to July 2025) (PDF, 880.3 KB) and the Kent Children and Young People Emotional Wellbeing and Mental Health Workshops and Countywide Learning Events Report Academic Year 2024/25 (PDF, 1.3 MB) which provide a great flavour of the extensive work going on across the county and support available. Please find the latest Emotional Wellbeing newsletter below and an opportunity to subscribe to keep up to date if this is of interest.

Committees and School Funding Forum

Children, Young People and Education Cabinet Committee took place on Tuesday 16 September and considered the following education related reports:

• Capital release for the second phase of works to increase the Designated Number at Nexus Foundation Special School - page 75
• Services to Schools - 2026/27 - page 91
• LADO Education Safeguarding Service (LESAS) Annual Report 2024/25 - page 193

Please find the Committee papers

Scrutiny Committee took place on Wednesday 17 September and the SEND update report that was provided for information can be viewed now

School Funding Forum took place on Friday 19 September. All information related to the Forum can be viewed on the School Funding Forum page. I'd like to draw your attention in particular to the Services to Schools report which was also considered at CYPE Cabinet Committee (see above page 91). We wanted to ensure that the sector have an opportunity to consider this issue thoroughly, so brought the report to SFF for information and discussion at this point and will be bringing again for decision. If you have views about the proposals please do ensure you feed these though to your SFF representative. If you don't know who that is please contact me and we will send that information through.

Stronger Practice Early Years Hub

Kent runs one of only two Stronger Practice Early Years Hubs in the SE Region, and your local hub at Northfleet Nursery School

Congratulations to Headteacher Neerasha Singh who took over leadership of the hub on 1 April 2025 and who has secured the first Green RAG rating for the hub. Information on the Hub's offer is included in this bulletin.

Headteacher briefings

You will be aware that the next round of headteacher briefings are coming up. Ofsted colleagues will be joining all the meetings to lead a session on the new inspection framework and we are also hoping that Dame Christine Lenehan will be able to join to give her view on the government's SEND reforms.

New - Lunchtime Leadership Lounge Monday 27 October 1:05pm to 1:55pm

These are new, informal sessions that provide an opportunity to hear from leaders mainly outside of education to inspire, promote discussion and reflection in the sector. I am delighted to let you know our first guest is consultant trauma surgeon at Barts Health NHS Trust, the NHS’s first Clinical Director for Violence Reduction in London and now the NHS National Clinical Director for Violence Reduction Martin P Griffiths CBE.

Register for the Lunchtime Leadership Lounge on Monday 27 October 2025

More information will follow nearer the date.

And finally...

Last weekend I pushed myself out of my comfort zone and made my first ever ascent of Scafell Pike, England's highest peak with a group called The Outdoor Collective. There was thick fog at the top, so we could have been anywhere actually and the photos did not necessarily provide credible evidence but my aching muscles did and I am really proud of myself.

Best wishes

Christine McInnes
Director of Education and SEN