LINK19 is a partner of KSENT, a charitable, not for profit company and meets legal and other requirements as set out by the Department for Education (DfE). The Trust carries out its duties in relation to each member school as set out by the DfE, specifically by appointing a minority (two) governors to the Governing Body of any supported school and by holding the land and assets mutually in trust for its school communities. The Trust is legally established and was incorporated as a private company limited by guarantee with Companies House on 11th December 2014.
Trustees are not able to derive an income from the Trust, but the Trust may become an employer as it develops its work and activities. Any income generated by the Trust must only be used to support its charitable aims. The Trust will not seek to alter the individual characteristics of any member schools and will not seek to change the character (religious or otherwise) of a partner school.
The Trust works with other people and organisations, as appropriate, in order to carry out its work. As the Trust develops, it may become appropriate to consider additional partners. There will be a process involving existing Trustees to ensure that any future partner will comply fully with the vision, values and aims of the Trust.
The Trust acts as the legal foundation for member schools but not for any of its partner learning providers. Member schools consulted to change their school category from Community to Foundation schools. The Trust model enables those directly involved to be engaged in its long-term strategic direction through membership of the Trust. The Governing Body of each member school now employs its staff, although existing pay and condition arrangements remain unchanged as the schools remain in the maintained sector and are still subject to national and local pay and condition agreements. Each Governing Body is also responsible for student admissions working jointly with the Local Authority’s Special Education Team to administer the provision of student places within the requirements of the National Schools Admissions Code and other relevant SEN guidance and policy. Whilst the Trust holds the land and capital assets in trust for each member school, each Governing Body retains day to day responsibility for managing these assets.
Key aims of KSENT
- Leadership by consensus and the commitment of colleagues to recognise that we are all part of an organisation working for the greater good of all students across the Trust.
- Sharing best practice and building upon the mutual support and challenge with a focus on improving outcomes.
- Developing transparency in respect of student’s performance with clear structures and protocols in sharing data.
- Ensuring all schools are supported to develop the highest standards of student learning and safeguarding, particularly those identified as vulnerable through rigorous data analysis and school improvement information.
- Increasing the focus to be on supporting improvement in the quality of learning, teaching and provision within our schools.
- Developing a clear strategy for the recruitment and retention of the highest quality staff within and across all schools.
- Strengthening the support for effective governance in all our schools.
- Building on a strong collaborative relationship with Higher Education providers to develop cutting edge evidence based research and development.
KSENT Mission Statement
“KSENT is a cooperative education partnership helping schools to deliver a world class education for all learners with special needs within Kent”
It is likely that LINK19 College will become a partner within KSENT with the collaboration, moderation, challenge and professional support this affords. Currently KSENT member and partner schools conduct peer reviews in a range of ways, such as through Challenge Partners, EDT and Mulberry Bush Reviews. LINK19 College would actively engage in these reviews.
