18 October 2024 weekly update

Dear Colleagues,

A short introduction today, focused on one aspect of our work - school admissions.

One of the features of Kent that I found particularly fascinating when I arrived was the sheer volume of work that goes on behind the scenes that hardly gets a mention, except when things go wrong. Families are putting in their applications for secondary schools for 2025 and this week we published the outcomes of the Kent Test, I am not mentioning this because there is a problem but just to acknowledge this particular strand of work.

16,446 children sat the test circa six weeks ago. It is quite an administrative challenge to turn round all of those test papers to the point of making an offer, particularly taking into account of the extra Kent step, the work of the Headteacher Assessment panels that consider the evidence about children who didn’t meet the threshold in the test. A big thank you to all involved, both officers and school leaders and staff who contribute to this annual feat.

Publication of the results is inevitably followed by some letters from parents appealing and sometimes saying things like ‘my child’s life is over’ when they don’t get a place at a Grammar school. Personally, I find that quite disturbing as we have a selection of really good secondary schools across the county catering to all interests and abilities where we know children and young people are doing well.

There are two ways of looking at this type of function of the LA. One can take an administrative focus, ensuring everything we do is technically right and we do that. But I am keen we look at everything we do through the equalities lens too and understand the way we do this type of work must be underpinned by the commitment to getting the best possible deal for children and young people in the county. The whole of the work of the Admissions and Fair Access system is about the LA doing all we can to ensure equity and fairness across the system as a whole, it is just one way that we act as the advocate for children and families.

With all best wishes

Christine McInnes
Director of Education and SEN