ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING

Wednesday 29th May 2002
The Dog and Bear Hotel, Lenham Kent

This was the third Annual General Meeting of Support Kent Schools, attended by twenty-five members. Eric Hammond, Chair of the Management Committee took the chair. In opening the meeting, he welcomed those present and described the proceedings to follow.

Apologies for Absence were received from Mr and Mrs Ian Tough. A number of members had informally expressed regret at being unable to attend.

The Minutes of the Annual General Meeting of 15th March 2001 were approved as a correct record of that meeting.

Presentation of the Report of the Committee and Financial Accounts was made primarily by the Chairman. He gave a comprehensive summary of activities over the period since the last AGM. In particular he mentioned the correspondence with the DfES following STEP's request to ERBS for parental numbers to be collated, and with Revd Caperon of Bennett Memorial School, who did not agree with our views. The Chairman suggested that we could take some comfort from the wording of the Secretary of State's letters. He asked whether we should consider disbanding; he thought not. The legislation was still with us and Ministers could change together with the Regulations; besides there were two other pressing problems, i.e. Secondary Admissions process in Kent and the threat to Sixth Forms from the Learning Skills Council, to justify our continued existence. His report was well received by the audience.

Richard Avery gave a short report on administration, finance and membership.

Anthony Stanton reported on the Kent Secondary Admissions process. The current year had caused chaos and distress; he thought that next year would be "really bad". And it was felt that admissions legislation to be introduced in the forthcoming Education Act would not do Kent any favours. Fortunately, the admissions arrangements in Medway were not causing difficulty.

A general discussion followed, principally concerned with the Kent Admissions process. The suggestion from Lord Mayhew that SKS should lobby Kent LEA, particularly to challenge the stance of some Foundation and Aided schools on conditional admissions, was agreed. The officers would deal with this urgently and would also arrange to issue an appropriate press release.

The proposal "That the Report of the Committee and Financial Statements shall be accepted" was then put to the meeting by the Chairman. This was supported by Anthony Stanton and unanimously agreed by all those members present.

The proposal "That Messrs Shaikh & Co be reappointed as the company's accountants and that the Board is authorised to fix their remuneration" was then put by the Chairman and supported by Mrs Kitty Stokes. It was unanimously agreed by all those members present.

There being no other business the Chairman closed the meeting at 8.45 pm.