Keep up to date with all the latest news happening in school at the moment.

• Headteacher Letter

  Fri 20 Dec 2024

  Dear Parents / Carers

   

  I trust this letter finds you, your family and friends in good health.

   

  We have had a very busy week at school with lots of great Christmas events taking place. Including, primary and secondary Christmas Faye’s, Santa’s wrapping room, and Fantastic Christmas Lunch for all.

   

  Great news, our Wrapping Room and Christmas Fayre’s raised £1898 for the Friends of Laleham Gap Charity.

   

  Primary Carol Concert Wednesday 18

  Thank you to all who attended and supported on the day.  The Children performed superbly, and I can assure you that the pupils and staff thoroughly enjoyed the rehearsals and shows.  It was a very Christmasy affair enjoyed by all. It was great to see so many families supporting the show and enjoying our Christmas festivities.

   

  The Secondary Talent Show took place today. As always, an amazing array of talent was on show. Many thanks for all those pupils that participated.  These events are a great chance for our children to show off their hidden talents. A great chance for pupils and staff to have festive fun.

   

  Support Services available duirng the Christmas break

   

  Re: Winter Support 2024

  We hope you are all looking forward to a wonderful Christmas with your families. However, we know that this can be a stressful time of year for some and wanted to acknowledge that this can also be an anxious time for lots of our children and young people. We are ever aware that big changes for our children can have a significant impact on their wellbeing and mental health.

   

  We know that many of our children and young people rely heavily on school support, which is naturally unavailable during the holiday periods. In preparation for the Christmas break, we have therefore reviewed our safeguarding flyers which sign post the most relevant services that you can turn to for help, should you require support during the school break.

   

  These flyers have a new look and reflect the latest advice and guidance available from the Local Authority, Education Safeguarding Service, and Education Psychology Service. Please find the flyer attached to the e-mail that accompanies this letter.

   

  Please note, as always, we will be encouraging all our staff to rest and recharge over the Christmas holiday ready for the New Year. It is therefore important to remind you that we will be unable to support with any urgent requests or concerns during the holiday period. We will still be periodically checking e-mails, but our flyers contain contact details for other agencies that are more appropriately placed to support outside of school.

   

  Our school website also has wealth of useful information, including details about the ‘Local Offer’, useful links, crisis lines and information about how to make mental health referrals via the ‘Single Point of Access’. Please visit https://www.lgs.kent.sch.uk/topic/wellbeing to find out more.

   

  The information for the Single Point of Access and the Crisis Lines can also be found on the school’s home page on the ‘Pupil Wellbeing’ tab.

   

  On behalf of all the staff at Laleham Gap, we wish all families within our school community a wonderful Christmas, and we will look forward to working with you and your children again in the New Year.

   

  Post 16 Open Evening

  On Thursday 9 January 2025 from 3.15-4.45pm,  we will be holding our annual Post 16 Open evening.  All families of year 10 pupils are welcome.  Please look out for an email from Mr Ainsworth with full details.

   

  Christmas Holiday Dates

  The last day of term is today and the first day back for pupils is Monday 6 January 2025.

   

  Best wishes

  Les Milton

• KsENT Parent Communication

  Mon 09 Dec 2024

  5th December 2024

   

  Dear Parents,

   

  As Headteachers and members of the Kent Special Educational Needs Trust (KsENT) we wanted to take the time to write to our families personally.

   

  Many of you will be aware that Kent County Council is making changes across the education system that directly affect children with Special Educational Needs (SEND).

   

  As Headteachers of Kent’s special schools we recognise the need for change and would welcome the opportunity for true collaboration to plan these changes ensuring they make the system better for all children with SEND.

   

  We feel the Special School Review has failed to evidence:

   

  - How children’s outcomes will be improved

  - How the system will be prepared for the changes proposed (changes to buildings and environments, staff training and planning for special schools and mainstreams to work together)

  - How the changes proposed are based on expert advice and an evidence base

   

  It is with heavy hearts that we as KsENT Heads took the decision last week to instruct counsel in order to bring a claim in judicial review against the decision of KCC to proceed with the redesignation of special schools.

   

  We have also instructed counsel to review the process by which this was achieved as we feel the process has been lacking in detail, evidence and true collaboration.

   

  As special school Heads every decision we have made has been based on the children and families we serve, and we hoped to reach a middle ground where some of the concerns we have raised could have been addressed through sector wide co-production.

   

  Furthermore, whilst we are supportive of the need for mainstream schools to be inclusive, these proposals come with no additional funding or resources to meet the needs of students with more complex SEND in mainstream schools.

   

  As a group, we are united in our belief that:

   

  • The Special School Review consultation was not conducted appropriately, and is lacking in detail, evidence base and financial modelling
  • There has been little, or no work done towards properly preparing both Special Schools and Mainstream Schools for the changes proposed
  • The resulting provision will be discriminatory to certain groups of children and young people with SEND

   

  We have therefore written to The Local Authority, Department for Education and Ofsted.

   

  As a group of school leaders with the best interest of our students at heart, we believe that we have no choice but to do this. At every stage of the process, we have articulated our concerns clearly and requested the education system be brought together as a whole; these concerns and requests for collaboration have simply not been listened to.

   

  We therefore view our action as not only necessary, but ultimately caused by the failure of KCC to address the issues raised.

   

  We would like you to know that our priority will always be ensuring the very best education for our children and we hope this action will allow time for true collaboration and planning in the interests of your children.

   

  Yours faithfully,

   

  KsENT Headteachers