15 November 2024 weekly update

Dear Colleagues,

Headteacher briefing meetings

It was great to see so many of you at the two briefings so far, and some new faces too!

I found the update from Ofsted was really helpful and the session on the draft education strategy generated some interesting discussion particularly about how school improvement fits into the bigger picture and what it might look like going forward.

You will know that government funding to the LA for school improvement was halved in 2022-23 and 2023-24 was the final year of the grant. Most LAs moved to a different funding model either prior to the end of the grant or to coincide with its cessation, a path that KCC is now following to bring us in line with what happens elsewhere. For those of you who read the education press, spoiler alert, apparently this is a big, shock-horror news story. Anyway, two more briefings to go, the morning of Monday 18th November at The Great Danes Hotel, Maidstone and the afternoon of Friday 22nd at The Darwin Conference Suite at the University of Kent.

Post 16 transformation – Pathways for All event
Pathways for All Shaping the Post-16 System in Kent:  No young person left behind
3 December 2024, 8 for 8.30am-1pm at the Darwin Conference Suite, Darwin College, University of Kent, Canterbury CT2 7NY.

Over the last year there have been some really exciting, sector led developments in the post 16 sector in Kent and this event is a chance to find out about these and to contribute to the next steps. The morning includes keynotes from:

• Sammy Wright, school leader and author of Exam Nation, who draws on his twenty years as a teacher, hundreds of interviews and his experience on the UK Government's Social Mobility Commission to exposes the fundamental misconception at the heart of our education system.
• Kevin Gilmartin, the post-16 and colleges guru for the Association of School and College Leaders (ASCL), who will speak about qualification reform, where it is up to and what is anticipated for the future.    
  The event builds on the momentum of last year’s event and brings together senior leaders from the post-16 sector to participate in a conversation to explore how we can collectively make the sector work for all young people, and particularly the most vulnerable who struggle to access ambitious, appropriate and accessible provision.

The focus will be on two big conversations: where are our cold spots and how do we unpick them, and what can we do, collectively, to begin to meet the needs - what is the art of the possible?  Your contributions will shape the work of Pathways for All and ensure the right areas of focus and the right next steps are taken to make Kent a better place for all young people.  Places are limited to please book your place by completing this short booking form.

And finally…
Huge congratulations to Michelle Bramble , one of the Community Learning Services workforce who recently won the Local Government Association award for being an equality, diversity and inclusion champion in KCC.  Michelle has influenced, changed and improved the way that we work, it is fantastic to see the contribution of one of our staff recognised in this way, more information can be viewed here. Well done Michelle and thank-you for the work you have done.

Best wishes

Christine McInnes
Director of Education and SEN