26 June 2026 weekly update

Dear Colleagues,

As we come near to the end of an eventful academic year I’m going to start with a big thank you for all your continued work and support as KCC officers focus on shaping and implementing the range of new policies and reforms focused on children, young people and families. The pressure is being felt in early years, schools and other providers, as well as right across the system. On top of this, the current heatwave has required flexibility and I know that you and your staff are responding magnificently to ensure the children and young people in your care continue to have great educational opportunities and are safe.

Friday 19 June was the deadline for the Kent SEND Reform Plan, which was submitted to the DfE together with a range of supporting documentation. The stakes are high - the promised 90% government contribution to the High Needs Funding deficit is dependent on the approval of the plan by DfE. The timeline was short, key guidance on Experts at Hand was published two weeks before the submission date and the guidance on Inclusion Bases was published yesterday so we are considering the implications currently. The reform plan had to demonstrate evidence of co-construction with all key stakeholders. Thank you to all of you that supported and contributed to this really challenging exercise which helped us develop a very strong plan for the future and we look forward to the feedback in the Autumn term. Many officers worked on this within KCC but I especially want to mention Sophie Dann, AD for SEND Strategy and QA, Lauryn Alleyne-Coore, Strategic Development Project Manager and Karen Stone, Finance Business Partner who did an outstanding job of pulling everything together.

So, that was done and dusted on the Friday and Monday 22 June we received the call which signalled the start of the SEND Area Inspection, which is now underway, culminating with a week on site from 6 to 10 July. This week, the Annex A documentation has been uploaded and the six case study pupils agreed. I know the response from the schools these children and young people attend has been exemplary, so a huge thank you for your help on this. The parental survey has also been sent to you and we would really appreciate your support in promoting this to parents. We now have over 22,000 children and young people with an EHCP and a larger number identified on SEND support, so there are many, many stories to share which are positive as well as negative. It is important that the survey captures that range of views about how the system is working and so I’d ask you to consider perhaps approaching individual parents who may not otherwise respond and encouraging them, please find Ofsted’s parent and carer survey

During the inspection, as key partners within the local area system, you may be contacted directly by inspectors and invited to participate in meetings, discussions or evidence-gathering activity, if you want to find out more there is further information about the inspection

As all our jobs are focused on continuous improvement, it can be difficult to remember what was happening four years ago when the Kent SEND system was inspected in September 2022. Previous inspection reports and other documentation can be seen on Kent.gov if you want to make a comparison. When SEND came under my leadership on 1 April 2023, I was determined to particularly act on the feedback from schools quoted in the report that the considerable expertise in the system was not being used. I am really proud of the way we now work together to co-construct solutions - be that models of delivery (Communities of Schools), guidance (SEND continuum of needs and provision), prioritising the investment of SEND capital (working with special schools grouped by type to identify highest need) and work on developing a more joined up, multi-agency response to SEMH. These are just a few examples. I remain in awe of the fantastic work of our Inclusion Champion team of PT seconded leaders in the Kent education system, from EY to post 16, whose passion for and commitment to SEND inclusion has touched every part of the SEND system and is driving change rooted in effective practice. The quality of the work is exemplary and for anyone who thinks this is some cosy LA/leader corner - do come and observe the robust conversations and challenges to the LA and to each other, which we very much welcome because we know that is the route to better practice. A big shout out to the Inclusion Champions, current and past, and to those of the future.

This time last year we were working with the newly recruited Chairs of the Communities of Schools, a bold, evidence-based model to strip out bureaucratic processes and give more autonomy to school leaders over decision-making and the use of funding. The approach was co-constructed with you over a four year process and, for me, is an example of courageous leadership in practice. We knew such a profound transformation needed to be iterative as it is impossible to pre-empt every situation and so regular, formal, formative evaluation was built into the annual cycle. Inevitably there have been different experiences but the benefits to local communities and families where leaders are determined to work in collaboration are now emerging and we will be building on this effective practice going forward as we continue to develop the model. Thank you to the Chairs who have carried out their work with integrity and commitment and focused on problem solving. This has demonstrated a profound respect for  the many hours of work that their peers, other school and trust leaders, have invested and continue to invest in developing this model of working.

I also want to mention the work of the School Funding Forum, which robustly discusses, advises and decides on use of funding. It’s a pretty thankless and hard job - but your work is invaluable.

Building a level of consensus across a system which has almost 600 schools, something like 5,000 early years providers (if you include child minders), three FE colleges and a plethora of post 16 providers is no mean feat and the reality is not everyone will agree with everything all the time. This is where having robust and transparent processes are really vital. I know we have extensive evidence of the robust professional discussions that have taken place over time and of how leaders have shaped every change that has been made in Kent- thank you to the many of you that have contributed your expertise, your passion, your commitment and your time on the journey so far and we are looking forward to working with you on further change as we go forward.

You may have seen in the recent King’s Birthday Honours that a number of Kent colleagues are included – huge congratulations to

• Thomas Attwood CBE – Services to Education
• Helen Adam OBE – Services to Families, Children and Young People
• Winston Michael MBE – Services to Inclusivity and Sport in Kent
• Stefania Passamonte MBE – Services to Music
• Jeremy Penn MBE – Services to Young People
• Pamela Rawling MBE – Services to Early Years and for Sustainable Development
• Shekeila Scarlett MBE – Services to Education
• Neerasha Singh MBE – Services to Early Years Education
• Pauline Smith MBE – Services to Education, Skills and Employability

And thank you for your contributions to Kent children, young people and families.

Finally, I want to let you know that I have recently been confirmed as substantive Corporate Director for Children’s Services. The context is difficult - Kent has its own particular challenges aside from the national challenges of policy change and public finances. Alongside this, we are awaiting the announcement from government of Local Government Reorganisation, due next month. Having been a public servant for many years now, I think the combination of pressures are unprecedented. I hope you know that I, working with my fantastic team and staff, am fully committed to delivering high quality services to the children, young people and families of Kent  in partnership with you. For those of you whom I have had the privilege and pleasure of work directly with so far, many thanks for your input and support and I look forward to extending that professional network and working with more of you directly as we go forward.

With all best wishes

Christine McInnes
Corporate Director Children’s Services