The meeting discussed several key topics, including updates on primary school placements, school attendance statistics, and the success of the SCND information roadshows. The meeting also covered the launch of the Send Inquiry Hub and developments in secondary school proposals on the Isle of Sheppy.

1. Primary School Placements: Rory provided an update on primary school placements, noting that nearly 99% of over 16,500 Kent applicants received one of their three named schools, with over 91% offered their first preference. The admissions team is reallocating places from school waiting lists and will send out a second round of offers soon.

2. School Attendance: Rory shared that school attendance levels are still below pre-COVID levels but are improving. Primary and secondary combined overall absence decreased by 1.1% year-on-year in autumn 2023, and persistent absence fell by 5.1%. Special schools saw overall absence fall by 5.4% and persistent absence by 3.8%. Rory emphasized that school attendance is a shared responsibility among academy trustees, governing bodies, schools, academies, and parents.

3. SCND Information Roadshows: Rory highlighted the success of the SCND information roadshows, which have been fully booked with 180 families attending so far. Due to their popularity, the SCND service is exploring digitizing the content to reach a wider audience. More roadshows are planned, with details to be shared in the Kent SCND newsletter.

4. Send Inquiry Hub: The Send Inquiry Hub, launched in April 2023, supported 11,554 families with their queries by the end of March 2024, with 99.8% resolved within five working days. The service is now working on enhancing database accuracy to further increase the hub's capability.

5. Secondary School Proposals on the Isle of Sheppy: Rory announced significant developments regarding secondary school proposals on the Isle of Sheppy. The DFE issued a formal closure letter for OASIS Academy Isle of Sheppy, allowing Lee Academy's Trust and EKC's Schools Trust to establish two new academies on the Isle for this September. Parents and families affected by this change were contacted to begin the process of identifying a place at one of the new academies.

6. Questions and Clarifications: Members raised questions about the number of children missing education in the Dartford area, with Rory committing to provide a response. There was also a discussion about the overview of post-16 education, including pathways for all, qualification reform, and the challenges faced by training providers.

The meeting concluded with a commitment to continue addressing these issues and improving the education system in Kent.