28 November 2025 weekly update

Dear colleagues,

Scrutiny Committee and other key meetings attended

This committee met on Tuesday with the main discussion item being the KCC headquarters which was called in by the Committee. The paper is available

Other agenda items included:

• The Revenue and Capital Budget Forecast Outturn Report - Quarter 2 (pages 15 to 82)
• Council Tax Collection Subsidies and Incentives
• Kent County Council Local Government Reorganisation: Strategic Business Case Submission to Government (pages 151 to 152)
• Kent Flood Risk and Water Management Committee - Annual Report (Pages 153 to 162)

The SEND Scrutiny - Education Health and Care Plans (pages 113 to 150) report was deferred to the next meeting.

This week I also attended Kent and Medway CYP Programme Board.

Improving KCC systems and processes

Officers have been piloting new approaches to use of existing technology and Synergy software and have managed to reduce staff time to complete statutory SEN processes by 52% whilst at the same time improving communications in one area. Plans are underway to roll this change out the county and will ultimately grow to replace the entire SEN process. The pilot has also increased the frequency and quality of parental communications in that area and lays the groundwork for improved information sharing across the education directorate, strengthening other related duties.

With regard to Phase transfer for pupils with SEND, work is already 65% complete, three months before statutory deadline.

Cabinet Member for Education and Skills visits

You may be aware that the Cabinet for Education and Skills, Beverley Fordham, is very enthusiastic about visiting schools and settings. This term Beverley has visited:

Folkstone Academy (Turner Trust), EKC Secondary Sheppey (EKC MAT), Leigh Academy Snowsfield (LAT), Long Mead Primary School, Wentworth Primary School, Shipbourne Primary School, Parkwood Hall School (Cooperative Academy Trust) and The Oaks Specialist College

Visits to Trinity Secondary, Weald of Kent Grammar school, Tunbridge Wells Grammar, Seal Primary School, Dartford Grammar School for Boys, West Hill Primary Oakfields Primary, Dymchurch Primary School and Lydd Primary School will take place over December and into January.

New LinkedIn pages

The independently chaired SEND Partnership Board as well as the sector chaired post 16 Pathways for All now have their own LinkedIn pages and are posting content. If you are interested in keeping up to date with what is going on and sharing with family and friends, please follow on LinkedIn through the links below:

• SEND Partnership Board LinkedIn
• Pathways for All LinkedIn

How to find the new pages on LinkedIn:

• Open LinkedIn on your mobile or laptop
• Locate the Search Bar (usually at the top of the of the screen)
• Search Kent SEND Together
• A selection of pages and groups may appear with the same name; the right page has this logo to help you find it:
  
• Select follow to keep up to date with the posts!

The Pathways For All - Kent LinkedIn page is now live to share important updates, events and information about post 16. To follow this page please follow the same steps above (searching Pathways For All - Kent). There may be multiple pages with the same name, the logo will help you find the right page:

Lunchtime leadership lounge - Professor Martin P Griffith’s CBE interview

For those of you who missed the first interview with Professor Martin P Griffiths CBE, Trauma surgeon and Clinical Director Violence Reduction, NHS England, because you had an extended half term, you can now watch our first lunchtime leadership lounge

Headteacher briefings: listen to Dame Christine Lenehan talk about the government’s SEND reform plans

We were really grateful to Dame Christine for attending the North Kent briefing in person and the South Kent briefing on Teams. The Teams presentation was recorded and you can watch it on YouTube

And finally…

I was delighted to attend the launch of a new book on school improvement yesterday evening by one of our own - Chief Executive of the Turner School Trust Seamus Murphy. Read more about ‘Why Some Schools Get Stuck and Others Don't’ in this recent article in Schools Week

With best wishes

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