Promoting the education of looked after children Lindsay

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Promoting the education of looked after children Lindsay Nelson PEP Coordinator 1

Promoting the education of looked after children Lindsay Nelson PEP Coordinator 1

By the end of the session: • A good understanding of Trafford’s Virtual School

By the end of the session: • A good understanding of Trafford’s Virtual School and our role • New changes starting in September 2020 • Pupil premium funding • PEPs – Personal Education Plans • School moves/absenses/exclusions • EHCPs/SEN process and support • The role of a foster carer within education • To think about what the barriers might be and to think about how we might work together to overcome these • Fosters carers feeling empowered and confident to advocate for Trafford’s looked after children! 2

History of the Virtual School • The Virtual School Head role was successfully piloted

History of the Virtual School • The Virtual School Head role was successfully piloted by eleven authorities for two years between 2007 and 2009. • The evaluation of the pilots found that the Virtual School Head role can make a real difference • Virtual School Head became a statutory role in 2014 • The Children and Social Work Act 2017: Educational Achievement extends the duties of Local authorities and Schools to children who have left care through adoption (or Special Guardianship/Child Arrangement Orders) • Statutory Guidance has now been published for Local Authorities and Schools which states that VSHs should ensure that “providers of fostering services and residential care have a robust evidence base that demonstrates they prioritise the educational achievement of looked after children and help them to achieve their full potential” • Statutory Guidance for Schools states that they need to work with Carers, ensuring there are procedures in place for communication and that staff are made aware of relevant school processes and policies 3

Trafford’s Virtual School As leaders responsible for ensuring that the local authority discharges its

Trafford’s Virtual School As leaders responsible for ensuring that the local authority discharges its duty to promote the educational achievement of their looked-after children, Directors of Children’s Services and Lead Members for Children’s Services should ensure that: • • top priority is given to creating a culture of high educational aspirations and that the authority strives for accelerated progress and age-related attainment or better for lookedafter children; looked-after children have access to a suitable range of high quality education placement options and that, when commissioning services for them, the authority takes account of the duty to promote their educational achievement; We have the resources, time, training and support they need to discharge the duty effectively; We have robust procedures in place to monitor the attendance and educational progress of the children their authority looks after; and the authority’s Children in Care Council (Ci. CC) regularly considers the educational experiences as reported by looked-after children and is able to respond effectively to any issues. Monitoring outcomes and prioritising interventions with students according to need. Ensuring appropriate use of pupil premium funding Support schools & social care with PEPs, including New PEP training and PEP Audits. Providing training and development for other professionals including foster carers, social workers, school staff and Governors. 4

Corporate Parenting Board Virtual School Governing Body Designated Teachers Virtual School Head Business Support

Corporate Parenting Board Virtual School Governing Body Designated Teachers Virtual School Head Business Support (Clerk to Governing Body) Carers and PEP Coordinator Residential Staff PEP Caseworker (Primary and Early Years) PEP Caseworker (Secondary and Post-16 Transition) Educational Psychologist Wellbeing Worker Speech and Language Therapist Education Welfare Officer Careers Adviser Educational Opportunities Officer Learning Mentor Social Workers 5

Meet the Virtual School Team Virtual School Head – Lynsey Burridge Lynsey. Burridge@Trafford. gov.

Meet the Virtual School Team Virtual School Head – Lynsey Burridge Lynsey. Burridge@Trafford. gov. uk PEP Coordinator – Lindsay Nelson Lindsay. Nelson@Trafford. gov. uk) 6

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Group Task: What is an acronym? CAMHS RPA KS 2 DT VSH EHCP SENCO

Group Task: What is an acronym? CAMHS RPA KS 2 DT VSH EHCP SENCO SDQ EP YOS AP PEP EYFS KS 4 PA IBP SALT 8

 • • • • RPA – Raising Participation Age KS 2 – Key

• • • • RPA – Raising Participation Age KS 2 – Key stage 2 KS 4 – Key stage 4 CAMHS – Child and adolescent mental health services YOS – Youth Offending Service PA – Personal Advisor SENCO – Special educational needs coordinator DT – Designated Teacher VSH – Virtual School Head PEP – Personal Education Plan IBP – Individual Behaviour Plan EYFS – Early Years Foundation Stage SALT – Speech and Language Therapy AP – Alternative education provision EP – Education Psychology SDQ – Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire 9

Personal Education Plans The PEP is a statutory document and is the joint responsibility

Personal Education Plans The PEP is a statutory document and is the joint responsibility of the Social Worker and Designated Teacher. The PEP should be completed within 10 working days of a child being taken into care and should be reviewed on a termly basis. A review should also be initiated when a school or care placement changes. Statutory guidance describes the PEP as a ‘living document’ and the key part of the document is the targets section which should be reviewed by everyone including the child or young person on a regular basis to ensure they are on track. Apart from where a child/young person is new into care the previous PEP should be a starting point for each meeting with any updates made to Part 1 in advance. The meeting itself should focus on Part 2 – reviewing targets set, recording progress made towards identified outcomes and setting new targets if appropriate. It should feel like a worthwhile and focussed discussion of what needs to happen to support the child’s educational progress, not a form filling exercise! 10

Trafford’s Personal Education plans • At Trafford’s Virtual School we have three word document

Trafford’s Personal Education plans • At Trafford’s Virtual School we have three word document PEPs; Early Years and Reception, Year 1 to Year 11 and Post-16 – please ensure you have the updated PEP document for the current • We expect each looked after child from the term they turn 3 years old until they are 18 to have at least one PEP each term. • The PEP document should be central to every education meeting within school and updated accordingly. • It is the designated teachers responsibility to ensure the PEP document is updated on a termly basis and forwarded to relevant professionals, if you require funding please make sure the PEP is sent to the Virtual School. • Pupil premium funding is completely means led, the final decision of how it is spend it at the discretion of the Virtual School Head, all requests must be linked to a SMART and outcome focused target led. • Changes to the new 2019/20 PEP document – Bigger focus on mental health, teachers monitoring and recording SDQ on a termly basis. Questions around eating and sleeping habits. 11

Group Task: What are the barriers to achievement? 12

Group Task: What are the barriers to achievement? 12

Barriers to achievement • Impact of a fragmented educational experience • Impact of early

Barriers to achievement • Impact of a fragmented educational experience • Impact of early experiences (62% of children enter care due to abuse or neglect) • High incidence of SEN (61% of looked after children compared to 15% of all children – and far more likely to be social, emotional and mental health needs) • Disproportionate amount of fixed term and permanent exclusions – independent review of exclusions practice will include both looked-after and previously looked-after children • Looked after children are almost twice as likely to be permanently excluded as their non-looked after peers, 0. 14 per cent compared to 0. 07 per cent of non-looked after children • Looked after children are more than five times more likely to have a fixed period exclusion than all children, and more than one and a half times more likely than children in need 13

Group Task: What are the expectations of a foster carer within education? 14

Group Task: What are the expectations of a foster carer within education? 14

Being an Effective Foster Carer: Helping to Understand Education and Training from 0 to

Being an Effective Foster Carer: Helping to Understand Education and Training from 0 to 25, an Aide Memoire Understanding the CHILD/YOUNG PERSON � Child development - how a child’s brain develops and how they learn � Barriers to learning – what are they? How are they overcome? � The importance of listening to the child or young person when they talk about their education � Being involved in the care planning process � How to contribute to the child’s Personal Education Plan � Encouraging positive behaviours that will help a child access learning � Bullying: what to look out for � Tips to support reading/writing/maths � The importance of placement stability, particularly for young people on courses � The impact of transitions in the life of a child in care including the transition between school phases � The continuing importance of resilience and motivation � The importance of pathway planning � Supporting aspirations post-16 Understanding the SYSTEM � Overview of legislation on education, the education system and the importance of education in how it affects looked after children � How does the law define “Parental Responsibility”? � How to access education: Admissions in early years; the compulsory phase; post-16 � School exclusion what the law says and what you need to do � Why education and learning is integral to the care planning cycle through which Personal Education Plans and Pathway Plans are developed � What are the choices post-16: education and employment and how to help young people make Key Stage 4 choices which ensure appropriate future progression � How the welfare reforms relate to education for care leavers aged 18+ � Sources of funding post-16: The 16 -19 Bursary and the HE Bursary � What are the other choices post 16 – non-educational apprenticeships � What is a multi-agency intervention? � Staying Put and Personal Advisers to 25 Understanding the SETTING � The phases of education: pre-school; primary; secondary; post-16 – what the “key stages” mean � What the education system does: the National Curriculum � What types of school are there? Academies, community schools and special schools � Choosing a school: understanding school performance � Working effectively with schools/education professionals, including designated teachers and understanding their roles and responsibilities � How the role of Virtual School Head/CAMHS/adult mental health services can support the child/care leaver � When more support is needed: knowing the SEN framework and the Learning Disability Assessment process � Engaging with education settings to support positive behaviour strategies including good attendance � Alternatives to mainstream settings � Designated support staff in FE settings Understanding YOURSELF � The importance of carer involvement in the educational experience of looked after children � Knowing your delegated responsibilities � Building carer confidence in engaging with schools/education settings � Creating a positive home environment that is conducive to learning � Understanding the technology – the importance of ICT � How to be a reflective listener/learner/practitioner as a foster carer � Tips and techniques to support homework and course work � How your own learning style affects how you interact with the children you care for � How to be a good advocate 15

Expectations of a foster carer: • • Communication – Get to know the Virtual

Expectations of a foster carer: • • Communication – Get to know the Virtual School team! • Nurturing – Be interested in school, monitor homework, go to parent’s evening. • • • Structure and routine – bed time routine • Training and awareness – To have a good understanding of the needs of the young people within your care. • Link the targets from the PEP document to home life Relationships – Build positive relationships with teachers and pastoral care. High aspirations – Talk about the future, visit universities! Read – Reading with Primary aged children, 3 times a week for 20 minutes 16

How can Trafford’s Virtual School support you? • Attend PEP meetings • Learning mentor

How can Trafford’s Virtual School support you? • Attend PEP meetings • Learning mentor • Emotional well-being support • Tuition • Extra-curricular activities • Liaise with professionals • Support the process to gain an EHCP • Provide alternative education packages • Additional pupil premium funding in exceptional circumstances • Provide Educational Psychology and Speech and language • Career’s guidance • Advise and guidance on education 17

Pupil Premium Plus • £ 2300 per pupil per year from April 2018 (an

Pupil Premium Plus • £ 2300 per pupil per year from April 2018 (an increase from £ 1900 in previous years) • Children are eligible from the first day of being in care • Previously looked after children also attract the pupil premium plus but this is managed by their school not by the VSH. • The purpose of Pupil Premium is to narrow the attainment gap between looked after children and their peers • Pupil Premium should be linked to an outcome identified in the PEP with evidence as to how any resource will impact academic attainment 18

Appropriate use of Pupil Premium 1 : 1 Tuition in School Small Group Tuition

Appropriate use of Pupil Premium 1 : 1 Tuition in School Small Group Tuition Mentoring Tutoring at home Behaviour Management Training Laptops, devices & equipment Trips Out of school activities Additional support Every use MUST demonstrate benefit to the child’s educational outcomes

Choosing a school • Multi-agency decision in consultation with the Virtual School Head •

Choosing a school • Multi-agency decision in consultation with the Virtual School Head • Free Schools/Academies/High Schools • Ofsted Ratings – all on www. ofsted. gov. uk. Looking for good and outstanding schools • Look at the attainment data – how do their results compare to the national average • See the school, ask the difficult questions about how they would support this child • What is going to be in the best interests of the child? 20

Admissions • • Statutory Guidance for Local Authorities suggests that wherever possible when a

Admissions • • Statutory Guidance for Local Authorities suggests that wherever possible when a child moves placement their school placement should be maintained Statutory Guidance for Local Authorities suggests that, when a child moves placement in an emergency, a new school placement should be secured within 20 days Any decision about a new school placement should be made in consultation with the VSH Schools judged to be ‘good’ or ‘outstanding’ should be prioritised and unless there are exceptional evidence-based reasons looked after children should never be placed in a school judged by Ofsted to be ‘inadequate’ The School Admissions Code – Looked After Children have the highest priority within all maintained schools’ admission arrangements and are an excepted group from Infant Class Size Legislation. In-Year admissions – the VSH can direct a maintained school to admit a looked after child even if this takes them over published numbers. The VSH must refer the case to the EFA in order to pursue a ‘direction’ of an academy. Only 22 cases have been referred to the EFA. There have been no cases where the EFA has concluded that the school should not be directed to admit. Reception admissions 15 th January Secondary admissions 31 st October 21

Exclusions • Statutory guidance on school exclusion states that “Head teachers should, as far

Exclusions • Statutory guidance on school exclusion states that “Head teachers should, as far as possible, avoid excluding permanently any pupil with a statement of SEN or a looked after child. ” • Exclusion review • No Permanent Exclusions since 2015 • Expert Group looking at fixed term exclusions in Trafford 22

Attendance • Is attendance an issue with children in your care? (Persistent absence is

Attendance • Is attendance an issue with children in your care? (Persistent absence is anything less than 90%) • Links between attendance and attainment • Looked After Call • Term time holidays not allowed and take care with medical appointments, meetings etc. 23

90% attendance But… How much have you missed? 4 weeks in one year Half

90% attendance But… How much have you missed? 4 weeks in one year Half a school year over 5 years

Homework – Tips for success • • • Show interest in homework and school

Homework – Tips for success • • • Show interest in homework and school and learning Get involved, but don’t take over Communicate – 2 way process Prioritise homework completion Get into a routine A quiet space Look for homework feedback Help develop independent learners Be clear on what the school expect – look on website

Homework – How much is enough? Primary Years 1 & 2 Years 3 &

Homework – How much is enough? Primary Years 1 & 2 Years 3 & 4 Years 5 & 6 Secondary Years 7 & 8 Year 9 Years 10 & 11 1 hour per week 1 ½ hours per week 30 mins per day 45 to 90 mins per day 1 to 2 hours per day 1 ½ to 2 ½ hours per day

How to help at each key stage KS 1/2 • Reading – Fiction, non

How to help at each key stage KS 1/2 • Reading – Fiction, non fiction, maths activity book • Extra curricular • Good habits • Playing games • Learning at home KS 3 • • Homework routine Keeping up to date Keep them reading Reports – read carefully, praise (note weaknesses) and compare KS 4 • Volunteer • Course reading – together • Exams – ease pressure, revision planning, past papers, keep healthy • Plan for transition to Post 16 (bursary £ 1200)

Tracking progress

Tracking progress

Parents’ evening Preparation § Spend time with the child before the evening discussing strengths,

Parents’ evening Preparation § Spend time with the child before the evening discussing strengths, weaknesses and any problems at school § Make a list of questions § Be prepared to listen to the good and also any criticism How to make the most of the time § Ask questions § Take away positive steps to help the child succeed § Ask for another appointment to discuss more complex problems further § Be assertive and escalate if not satisfied

Special Educational Needs • Children and Families Act 2014 • Assess, plan, do, review

Special Educational Needs • Children and Families Act 2014 • Assess, plan, do, review • Request for Education, Health and Care assessment • Education Health and Care Plan • Local offer 30

Opportunities within the Virtual School • • London Trip to visit a city university

Opportunities within the Virtual School • • London Trip to visit a city university Trip to Edge Hill University to visit a Campus setting Teens and Tots Success 4 Life Gorse Hill Studios – Arts Award Reporters’ Academy Reading projects www. traffordvirtualschool. co. uk

Useful websites http: //www. navsh. org. uk/information-for/Foster-Carers--Residential-Staff www. traffordvirtualschool. co. uk http: //media. education.

Useful websites http: //www. navsh. org. uk/information-for/Foster-Carers--Residential-Staff www. traffordvirtualschool. co. uk http: //media. education. gov. uk/assets/files/pdf/b/fostering%20 education%20 aide% 20 memoir%20 poster. pdf -links to most things you will ever need as a Foster Carer www. familylives. org. uk – support for parents/carers www. youngminds. org. uk – children’s mental health information for parents/carers www. keystageplus. co. uk – primary advice/information www. yourhomework. co. uk www. dadtalk. co. uk www. muddlepuddle. co. uk – learning resources www. primaryresources. co. uk www. bbc. co. uk/learning www. nc. uk. net – national curriculum information www. mymaths. co. uk www. gotateenager. org. uk www. careersadvice. direct. gov. uk