Agenda item

(1)        Mrs Chandler (Cabinet Member for Integrated Children’s Services) gave a verbal update on the following issues:

(a)  SEND Co-production Event and ‘PACT’ Group

Mrs Chandler reported on the recent co-production event which had taken place as part of the extensive work in response to the SEND Written Statement of Action (WSoA). The event was well attended, and many positive outcomes had been received in relation to the work which had taken place regarding SEND and the WSoA. She added that the Kent Parents and Carers Together group (PACT) had been set up for parents of children and young people with disabilities and additional needs to project their views and to have a voice.

(2)        Mr Long (Cabinet Member for Education and Skills) gave a verbal update on the following issues:

(a)    1% Transfer of funding from Schools Block to High Needs Block

The Secretary of State had recently approved Kent County Council’s request to transfer 1% from the Schools block of funding to the High Needs block of funding. The transfer of funding had meant that Kent County Council would be able to support greater inclusion of children and young people with Education Health and Care Plans (EHCPs) into mainstream schools, which aligned with the government strategy and was part of the solution for national high needs challenge.

(b)    National Offer Day 2020

National Offer Day for all local authorities for children moving up to secondary school in September 2020 took place on 2 March 2020. Over 94% of pupils in Kent had received an offer from one of their four preferred schools, despite the number of families applying for places increasing by almost 1,000 over the last two years to the largest cohort ever. Kent County Council continued to work with schools to support families whose children were not offered one of their four preferences.

(c)    Secondary provision in Thanet

The Parliamentary Under Secretary of State, on behalf of the Secretary of State, had recently stated that he could not agree to the proposal to cancel the new secondary school in Thanet. The alternative proposal was to expand places within existing Thanet schools, although he now expects plans for a new school to proceed as previously planned. Kent County Council would continue to work closely with head teachers across the district and the Howard Academy Trust who would be the sponsors of the new school and the Department for Education to bring about the new secondary provision in Thanet.

(3)        Mr Dunkley (Corporate Director of Children, Young People and Education) gave a verbal update on the following issues:

(a)    Coronavirus (COVID-19)

Mr Dunkley reassured Members that business continuity plans were in place in relation to the COVID-19 crisis. The plans would provide advice and support to Kent staff, schools, vulnerable young people and their families and would cover a range of scenarios.

(4)        In response to a question regarding national offer day, Mr Dunkley and Mr Abbott stated that the reduction in school places offered when compared to previous years was mostly as a result of the challenge relating to a significantly increased cohort. Mr Long referred to Kent’s Commissioning Plan and stated that detailed work continued to be undertaken by officers to ensure that as many young people were offered a place in their preferred school as possible.

(5)        In response to a question relating to Secondary provision in Thanet, Mr Long confirmed that the originally planned expansions of the other secondary schools in Thanet would now not be going ahead.

(6)        RESOLVED that the verbal updates be noted.