Looked After Children In Dudley The Challenge and Joy Pat Finegan Headteacher of the Virtual School

Secondary School PE Teacher

Primary Head Teacher

Ofsted Inspector

Local Authority Officer

School Adviser (SIP)

Lead Ofsted Inspector

Headteacher of the Virtual School

Role of the Headteacher of the Virtual School The virtual school head role should be undertaken by a person with substantial, current or previous senior level experience of supporting vulnerable children in educational settings, preferably including experience of school senior leadership. The post should be at Head of Service or Assistant Head of Service level and have direct links with the Director of Children’s Services and the Lead Member for Children’s Services. It is recommended that the virtual school head role is integrated with that of the Looked After Children Education Service to form the virtual school. This should help achieve a good balance between strategic and operational aspects of the virtual school.

The three key areas of responsibility of a virtual school head To make sure that there is a system to track and monitor the attainment and progress of looked after children To champion the educational needs of looked after children across the authority and those placed out-of-authority To ensure that all looked after children have a robust and effective personal education plan and access one-to-one support, including personal tuition where appropriate

Vulnerable children in vulnerable circumstances Children in vulnerable circumstances are those who particularly need protection against harm and/or who need welfare services. A number of situations may make children and young people particularly vulnerable, including:

Vulnerable children in vulnerable circumstances living away from home disabilities (physical or mental) abuse or bullying race and racism child abuse domestic violence drug-misusing parents/family members families living in temporary accommodation living as migrants; victims of trafficking; or unaccompanied asylum-seeking children or young people being young carers

Why promoting educational achievement is important – As a group, looked after children (LAC) achieve poorer outcomes compared to their peers and many have poor experiences of education. – 2010 outcome data for children looked after continuously for 12 months shows: 58% of LAC achieved the expected level in reading at Key Stage 1 compared to 85% for all children. 62% of LAC achieved the expected level in mathematics at Key Stage 1 compared to 89% of all children.

Why promoting educational achievement is important 45% of LAC achieved Level 4 in English at Key Stage 2 compared to 81% for all children. 44% of LAC achieved Level 4 in mathematics compared to 80% for all children. 12% of looked after children achieved 5 or more GCSEs, including English and mathematics at grades A* to C (compared to 53% of all children) 73% of looked after children have some form of special educational needs (National 20%)

Possible reasons for children’s underachievement: Pre-care experiences of looked after children. Lives characterised by instability Too much time out of school Insufficient priority given to their education and help if they fall behind Low aspirations and not enough support and encouragement by primary carers unmet emotional, mental and physical health needs that impact on their education

What needs to change? All problems require strategic leadership to ensure that front-line staff have the systems and structures to do a good job. Whatever local planning arrangements are in place, key agencies must have a mechanism for identifying and meeting the educational needs of looked after children as an integral part of their care.

Specific guidance on education – Care Planning Regulations state that every looked after child must have a personal education plan (PEP) as part of their overall care plan (Regulation 5) and sets out the information that should be included (Schedule 1). – The Care Planning Guidance describes how local authorities should produce and monitor the PEP ( ). – Promoting the Educational Achievement of Looked After Children (DCSF 2010) describes the role of local authorities in more detail. – The role and responsibilities of the designated teacher for looked after children: Statutory guidance for school governing bodies (DCSF 2009) sets out the duty to appoint designated teachers within schools. – Guidance on Looked After Children with Special Educational Needs placed out-of-authority (DCSF 2009) explains how local authority responsibilities should operate in these cases.

Education arrangements: some guiding principles – Wherever possible, disruption to the child’s education should be avoided (CPPR Regulations (Regulation 10) when identifying a care placement, especially in Key Stage 4 when a change of school should be made only in exceptional circumstances. – A decision to move a child’s school at Key Stage 4 must be approved by a nominated officer of the local authority Regulation 10(1) Before making the approval the nominated officer must be satisfied that the steps required in Regulation 10(2) have been effectively followed. – If avoiding disruption is impossible, educational provision should be made at the same time as the care placement unless a child becomes looked after in an emergency.

Education arrangements: some guiding principles – All looked after children should receive education. Letting their education drift is not an option. – Unless there are clear reasons why it is not appropriate, looked after children should be attending mainstream schools. – Every child who becomes looked after should have their educational needs assessed as part of the care planning and review process. The child’s school should be closely involved.

Education arrangements: some guiding principles – The child’s views should be taken into account when identifying their educational needs. – The local authority should also work in partnership with the child’s education setting, carers and other professionals, e.g. health. – The local authority is responsible but other agencies have a duty to assist.

The personal education plan (PEP) – Every child should have an effective and high quality PEP, which is an integral part of the overall care plan – The PEP must include information on: The child’s educational history, including attainment, attendance and progress Existing education/training arrangements

The personal education plan (PEP) Details of leisure interests Details of steps taken to minimise disruption of education if change is unavoidable A description of the carers’ roles in supporting the child’s leisure interests and educational activities Details of objectives, targets activities and support needed to promote the child’s educational achievement

Developing and implementing the PEP The development and implementation of PEPs is about creating a working partnership between local authority, education setting and carers - at which the child is at the centre – to come to a shared understanding of what needs to happen to help the child achieve his/her full potential and who does what to make that happen

Developing and implementing the PEP The plan should translate into practical actions such as: SMART education goals which the child has been involved in deciding and to which s/he can aspire A clear pathway to identify a suitable education placement, if this is not already in place Details of the support that will be provided, such as individual tuition or help with transition A clear line of accountability, showing who is responsible for each aspect of the PEP.

Admissions Everyone involved in the education of looked after children needs to understand the law about school admissions. Admission authorities, with some limited exceptions (faith schools), must prioritise looked after children over other children in offering a school place. A looked after child must be admitted – even if their year is full.

Pupil Premium All children who have been looked after for 6 months are eligible for the Pupil Premium. The local authority which looks after them has a key role in passporting that money onto the child’s school if it is a mainstream setting. Pupil Premium is currently £900 per child. Dudley gives this to the schools using the termly PEP meeting to identify future spend and impact of past spend.

Virtual Headteachers Local authorities should know the level of attainment for every one of the children they look after. Most local authorities have a senior manager, such as a Virtual School Head, who would have this role. Dudley Virtual Headteacher also manages what was called the LACES team. (Looked After Children Education Service). We know refer to VS/LACES

Partnership working – Because the PEP is part of the care plan, the social worker is responsible for making sure it meets the needs of the child BUT the school has a role in helping set education targets and in turning what’s in the plan into reality within the school setting. – School staff, foster and residential carers and all relevant professionals in the local authority should work together to make sure the agreed actions are delivered.

Partnership working – The local authority where a looked after child lives should undertake any assessment of SEN and make and maintain the statement, although the local authority which looks after the child should pay for the statement. Where a child has a statement the information it contains does not need to be repeated in the PEP; just appended to it.

Partnership working – Designated teachers lead on how the needs identified in a child’s PEP are met within the school and have an important role in feeding into the review of the PEP before the care plan review. – Social workers, virtual school heads and LA officers responsible for school exclusions should work proactively with schools to ensure that exclusion is a last rather than a first resort.

Dudley Results National average for LAC achieving 5 GCSE’s Including Maths and English = 14% Dudley 3 year average for LAC achieving 5 GCSE’s Including Maths and English = 30% National % of LAC going to university = 5% Dudley % of LAC going to university = 15% Last year the % of LAC making progress in maths at KS2 was higher than children who were not LAC!!!