Improving the Education Outcomes of Looked After Children

Improving the Education Outcomes of Looked After Children November 2014 Slide 1

LAC Education Team Contacts • Jane Johnson - Virtual School Head Teacher for LAC j. johnson 2@manchester. gov. uk 07983991337 • Lynn Girvan – LAC Education Officer lac. education@manchester. gov. uk 0161 234 4160 • Richard Smith - PEP Coordinator lac. education@manchester. gov. uk 0161 219 6913

Aims of this session: • To have heard about the Local Authority Ofsted Inspection outcomes and the key points about the Education of LAC. • To have heard about the main responsibilities of schools in meeting the educational needs of LAC • To have heard about the Manchester process for accessing Pupil Premium for LAC.

The Inspection • • • 25 June 2014 – 16 July 2014 10 Inspectors Casework led, considered 250 -300 cases LA Self Evaluation: RI Feedback at end of inspection: RI Moderated overall judgement: Inadequate

The judgement breakdown • 1. Children who need help and protection – inadequate • 2. Children looked after and achieving permanence – requires improvement • 2. 1 Adoption performance - inadequate • 2. 2 Experiences and progress of care leavers – requires improvement • 3. Leadership, management & governance – inadequate. • Local Safeguarding Children’s Board - inadequate

The Judgement – key findings • Backlog of assessments • QA, oversight and challenge of social work practice • High social worker caseloads • Poor understanding of thresholds and Early Help by some partners • Adoption too slow • Education and progression of LAC

The Judgement – key findings for Education of LAC and care leavers. 1. More work to close the gap between LAC and all pupils especially in secondary schools 2. Improvement in PEP completion and the quality of PEPs 3. Monitoring of 25 hours education per week. 4. % of LAC in schools judged to be good or better. 5. Tracking of LAC in post 16 provision 6. Discussions during inspection about exclusion of LAC

Background information - Manchester • We have approximately 1, 400 Looked After Children (appox 900 of school age) • Some placed within Manchester some outside • Placed with own parents • In Foster Care or placed for adoption • Residential Homes • Placed with Relatives/ Friends • Rest made up of Independent Living/ Young Offenders/Unaccompanied Assylum Seekers etc.

Reasons for entering Care

Age on entering Care

Closing the Gap – Key Stage 2 Area of Learning Manchester 2013 all LAC M/cr Y 6 2014 2013 2014 provisional all M/cr Y 6 2014 provisional National Y 6 Reading L 4+ 70. 3% 71. 9% 85. 3% 85% 89% Writing L 4+ 64. 1% 57. 3% 81. 8% 83% 85% GPS L 4+ 54. 1% 48. 8% 73. 3% 75. 4% 76% Maths L 4+ 64. 1% 64. 6% 85. 2% 84% 86% RWM L 4+ 51. 3% 51. 2% 74. 7% 76% 79% Provisional KS 2 LAC outcomes 2013 -14 KS 2 – 82 Year 6 pupils – final data not yet validated

Closing the Gap Key Stage 4 Measure 5 A*-C with Eng & Maths Manchester LAC 2013 Manchester LAC 2014 8. 8% 11% 2013 all M/cr Y 11 53. 1% 2014 provisional all M/cr Y 11 2014 provisional national Y 11 50. 7% 52. 6% KS 4 – 109 Year 11 pupils – data not yet validated Provisional KS 4 LAC outcomes 2013 -14

Statutory guidance for schools and local authorities

Key school responsibilities for LAC 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. Designated Teachers (DT) Personal Education Plans (PEP) Pupil Premium Grant for LAC (PPG) Admissions Exclusions

1. The Designated Teacher (DT) for LAC • There is a legal requirement for every school, whether they currently have Looked After Children on their roll or not, to have a named, fully qualified teacher for LAC. This teacher is called the Designated Teacher (DT) for LAC. • http: //webarchive. nationalarchives. gov. uk/20130401 151715/https: //www. education. gov. uk/publications/ standard/publication. Detail/Page 1/DCSF-01046 -2009 The DT should either be on the senior management team or have ready access to it.

Governors’ responsibilities • To ensure that the designated teacher is given the appropriate level of support in order to effectively fulfil their role. • To ensure, in partnership with the head teacher, that the DT has the necessary knowledge, skills and understanding to carry out the role (access to training etc). • To ensure that the designated teacher is a member of the teaching staff with appropriate seniority, professional experience and status.

How do governors know that the DT role is being implemented efficiently and is making a real difference? • Indicators: • the school has a clear overview of the educational needs and progress of all the looked after children on roll; • the school’s policies are effective in reflecting the needs of looked after children; • resources are allocated to support the designated teacher to carry out this role effectively and to ensure each looked after child achieves best possible outcomes. • Governing bodies should, as a minimum, receive an annual report from the designated teacher

Key questions • • • Are there any workload issues for the DT related to the number of LAC on the roll of the school? Has the DT accessed appropriate training? How many levels of progress are being made by each LAC compared to their peers? How is Pupil Premium being used to support each LAC to achieve best possible educational ? Are there any concerns in attendance and/or exclusion patterns of LAC? Are there any issues relating to the process or implementation of PEPs for each LAC? How are the needs of any LAC identified as having particular gifts or SEN being met? Has any training been delivered by the DT to all staff? Are we ensuring an appropriate focus on LAC in our school policies and development plans?

2. Personal Education Plans The Person Education Plan (PEP) is the statutory tool to ensure that everyone is actively prioritising the education of the young person, supporting them to achieve and to be aspirational.

Why do we need a PEP? • It is a statutory requirement as a part of the young person’s statutory Care Plan (duty is shared by schools and LA). • It captures an overview of the young person’s views, educational experiences, attainment, progress and aspirations • It captures their strengths, areas of need any barriers to learning • It identifies intended outcomes and objectives…. it is the educational road map for the young person

Manchester PEP timescales and submission process • PEP 1 should be completed and sent to the Manchester PEP Coordinator by the end of the first half term (October). • Once completed, each PEP should be password protected with a strong password, and sent via email to the email address below. The password should be sent in a separate email, to the same email address. • PEP 2 should be completed and sent, in the same way, to the same address, by the end of the Spring term (April). • Please do not put any sensitive information which relates to the child within the body of the email or on the subject line. Thank you. Email: lac. education@manchester. gov. uk • Richard Smith is the Manchester PEP Coordinator and he can be contacted on 0161 219 6913 or 07789508695

Where do I find the PEP forms, Pupil Premium documents and other guidance? 1. Manchester City Council website. http: //www. manchester. gov. uk/info/100005/sc hools_and_education/4917/improving_the_e ducation_of_looked_after_children/2 2. MEWAN http: //www. mewan. net/lac/

2. Ofsted Inspection of PEPs • • Random sample of PEPs scrutinised by education inspector. 5 PEPs selected initially, primary and secondary, 4 from Manchester schools 1 from another LA – all judged to be inadequate: Ø Missing basic information (year group, SEN status, date of next meeting…) Ø No prior attainment included and targets not SMART or focused on raising attainment Ø Limited information about young people’s views, wishes and feelings. Ø Limited information about young people’s interests and aspirations and work being undertaken to support these. Ø Limited information given about strategies which support the young person to learn. Ø Limited information about impact of interventions or support given from PEP 1 to PEP 2 • Second sample of PEPs considered, evidence of improvement in quality acknowledged, PEPs still judged to require improvement.

3. Pupil Premium for LAC – it is different! “The grant allocation for Looked After Children must be managed by the designated Virtual School Head in the authority that looks after those children to be used for the benefit of the looked after child’s educational needs as described in their Personal Education Plan (PEP). The Virtual School Head should ensure there arrangements in place to discuss with the child’s education setting – usually with the designated teacher – how the child will benefit from any pupil premium funding. ” (Df. E Conditions of Grant 2014/15)

Manchester Process for the Distribution of Pupil Premium for LAC 2014/15 • During September 2014 schools will receive a first instalment of £ 800 for each LAC on their school roll. • PEP 1 will be completed for each Manchester Looked After Child and submitted to the LAC Education Team by the end of half term 1 (October) along with the Pupil Premium Supplementary Form. • Where a young person’s PEP 1 contains all the information a second instalment of £ 1, 100 will be paid to the school for that young person.

The LAC Education Team will quality assure each PEP • All sections of the PEP are completed including year group, date of next meeting, prior attainment… • The targets are SMART and are focussed on improvements to be made in the young person’s learning. • There is a clear record of how PP is being used to support the young person to achieve their PEP targets including clearly defined expected outcomes and an indication of how the impact of the PP is being measured. • The young person’s views, wishes and feelings about their education and aspirations are recorded, in their own words within the PEP.

What happens if information is missing? The LAC Education Team will contact the DT in the school if: • any of the required information is not recorded within the PEP • the second payment of £ 1, 100 will be paid to the school for that child once any gaps in information have been addressed. • We will also be contacting schools and social workers if we do not receive a PEP for a Manchester Looked After Child.

4. School admissions “Looked after children have been given the highest priority within school admission arrangements. The admission requirements for looked after children are set out in the School Admissions Code. This Code applies to maintained schools and academies, including free schools”. Promoting the education of looked after children Statutory guidance for local authorities

5. Discussions during inspection about exclusion of LAC • Everything possible should be done by all partners to ensure that Looked After Children are never permanently excluded and that fixed term exclusions are avoided. • Other strategies should be used to address any difficulties. Every effort should be made to enable the young person to continue to attend school and to minimise disruption to their learning. • If as a school you feel there is any risk of exclusion please contact the LAC Education Team as early as possible to explore how this can be avoided.

Aims of this session: • To have heard about the Local Authority Ofsted Inspection outcomes and the key points about the Education of LAC. • To have heard about the main responsibilities of schools in meeting the educational needs of LAC • To have heard about the process for accessing Pupil Premium for LAC.