Non-Maintained Independent Special Schools - Market Engagement

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Help shape the future of placements in independent and non-maintained special schools for Kent’s children and young people with significant and/or complex needs

Kent County Council is responsible for ensuring that all children and young people of school age — including those up to age 25 with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) — receive appropriate education. As part of this duty, the Council places children and young people with Education, Health and Care Plans (EHCPs) who have significant and/or complex needs in non-maintained and independent special schools (NMISS).

To support these placements, the Council currently uses a Dynamic Purchasing System (DPS) framework contract. This contract helps monitor the quality of provision through a set of Key Performance Indicators (KPIs). The current DPS framework will expire at the end of August 2026.

We are now preparing to procure a new contract to begin in September 2026, subject to formal governance approval. The new Specification and Terms and Conditions are being developed to reflect lessons learned from the current arrangements. Our aim is to ensure that future placements in the NMISS sector deliver high-quality education, make effective and efficient use of resources especially in a challenging financial climate, and align more closely with Kent’s broader SEND strategies and system-wide reforms.

We want to hear from you

As part of this development process, we are engaging with a wide range of stakeholders — including NMISS schools, parents and carers, and the children and young people who attend Kent-funded NMISS provisions.

The survey on this webpage is specifically for schools. Your feedback is vital in helping us shape a contract that supports the best outcomes for children and young people with SEND.

Please complete the survey by Wednesday 9 July 2025.

If you have any questions, please contact inclusion@kent.gov.uk.


Help shape the future of placements in independent and non-maintained special schools for Kent’s children and young people with significant and/or complex needs

Kent County Council is responsible for ensuring that all children and young people of school age — including those up to age 25 with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) — receive appropriate education. As part of this duty, the Council places children and young people with Education, Health and Care Plans (EHCPs) who have significant and/or complex needs in non-maintained and independent special schools (NMISS).

To support these placements, the Council currently uses a Dynamic Purchasing System (DPS) framework contract. This contract helps monitor the quality of provision through a set of Key Performance Indicators (KPIs). The current DPS framework will expire at the end of August 2026.

We are now preparing to procure a new contract to begin in September 2026, subject to formal governance approval. The new Specification and Terms and Conditions are being developed to reflect lessons learned from the current arrangements. Our aim is to ensure that future placements in the NMISS sector deliver high-quality education, make effective and efficient use of resources especially in a challenging financial climate, and align more closely with Kent’s broader SEND strategies and system-wide reforms.

We want to hear from you

As part of this development process, we are engaging with a wide range of stakeholders — including NMISS schools, parents and carers, and the children and young people who attend Kent-funded NMISS provisions.

The survey on this webpage is specifically for schools. Your feedback is vital in helping us shape a contract that supports the best outcomes for children and young people with SEND.

Please complete the survey by Wednesday 9 July 2025.

If you have any questions, please contact inclusion@kent.gov.uk.


  • Have your say!

    We would like to hear your views to help us shape a contract that supports the best outcomes for children and young people with SEND, and have provided this questionnaire for you to give your feedback. Please read the short Background and Context information sheet before completing the survey.

    You can answer all or as many of the questions as you like. If you would rather not provide feedback on a section or question, just move on to the next one.

    Take Survey