Supporting Looked After Learners – A Practical Guide for School Governors

Supporting Looked After LearnersA practical guide for school governors

Guidance

Organisation &ManagementSchool performanceManagement

Centre for Education. It is designed to helpgovernors gain an understanding of theexperiences of looked after children in schoolsand the challenges they need to overcome ifthey are to succeed. Each section deals with akey issue, offers practical advice and poses aset of questions to help governing bodies andtheir schools develop and implement thepolicies and procedures to ensure that theirlooked after children achieve and enjoy theirtime at school.

MARIA EAGLE MPParliamentary Under Secretary of State forChildren & Families

THE RT HON JACQUI SMITH MPMinister of State for Schools & 14-19 Learners

As a governor you make a real difference inhelping your school provide the best possibleeducation for all its pupils, whatever theirbackground. That’s true for a looked after child as much as any other. Some youngpeople in care may need to be given morehelp, encouragement and support to accesseducation, to turn up to school and to stay on into the sixth form and beyond. It is theresponsibility of all of us who work with theseyoung people to do all we can to make this a reality.

There are many reasons why children may belooked after by a local authority. In some casesit will be as a result of family breakdown, inothers because of neglect and abuse. Theseexperiences – together with being separatedfrom friends and family and adapting tochanging neighbourhoods – can make it muchharder to learn. Although some do well, manylooked after children underachieve. There is aspecial responsibility on us all to change that.

The Government is committed to giving alllooked after children the same life chances asany other child – to be healthy, stay safe, enjoyand achieve, make a positive contribution tosociety and achieve economic well-being. That is why the Children Act 2004 places aduty on local authorities as corporate parentsto promote the educational achievement oflooked after children. However, localauthorities and social workers can’t do thisalone and will need to work with others.Schools in particular are at the very heart ofproviding looked after children with the goodeducation that will unlock a brighter future.

This guide has been produced in partnershipwith The Who Cares? Trust and the Advisory

EDUCATION AND SKILLS SCHOOL GOVERNOR’S GUIDANCE 1

FOREWORD

Foreword 1

Introduction 4

Planning for looked after children 8

Designated Teachers: Raising staff awareness 10

Admissions 12

Record keeping and transfer - Personal Education Plans 14

Taking part in school life: Inclusive schooling and home 16school communication

Taking part in school life: Curriculum & Options 18

Raising achievement and expectations 20

Exclusions 23

Special Educational Needs 26

Pastoral support behaviour and bullying 28

Study Support (out of school hours learning) 30

Glossary 32

Further information 34

2 EDUCATION AND SKILLS SCHOOL GOVERNOR’S GUIDANCE

Contents


Definitions of “Looked After” children

Under the Children Act 1989, a child is looked after by a local authority if he orshe is in their care or is provided with accommodation for more than 24 hours by the authority. They fall into 4 main groups:

(i) children who are accommodated under a voluntary agreement with their parents

(section 20)

(ii) children who are the subject of a care order (Section 31) or interim care order

(Section 38)

(iii) children who are the subject of emergency orders for their protection

(Section 44 and 46)

(iv) children who are compulsorily accommodated. This includes children remanded

to the local authority or subject to a criminal justice supervision order with a

residence requirement. (Section 21)


There may already be looked afterchildren on roll in your school, but even if your school includes no looked afterchildren today, it could well include themin the future. This publication is designedto help school governing bodies ensurethat their schools’ policies and practicesare fully inclusive of the needs of lookedafter children.

Under section 52 of the Children Act 2004,local authorities have a duty to promotethe educational achievement of thechildren in their care. In order for them toimplement this duty successfully, they willneed the active co-operation of schools.School governing bodies have a majorresponsibility for helping children tosucceed: they can champion their needs,raise awareness and challenge negativestereotypes.

Statutory guidance describes what localauthorities need to do to comply with the duty in relation to strategic planning and day-to-day activities.

Who is “looked after” and why?At any one time around 39,000 children ofschool age are in the care system. For mostchildren, care is intended to be time limited with the aim of returning home as soon aspossible. Although there are many reasons whychildren are looked after by local authorities,they are all likely to have undergone distressingexperiences. Some are children who enter thecountry as unaccompanied minors and who areseeking asylum. All children who are looked

Introduction

after have distinct backgrounds, identities,aspirations and particular needs. Only a verysmall percentage of children enter carebecause of their own behaviour.

What does being “in care” mean?Many looked after children are subject to careorders. This means that the local authority hasgone to court to assume parental responsibilitybecause the child has suffered or is likely tosuffer ‘significant harm’. Although children oncare orders can live with a parent, most arecared for away from their families. Even thencontact with their families can be frequent.Schools should note that contact sessionswith parents can sometimes be traumatic forchildren, and their behaviour may be adverselyaffected the next day. A child’s Care Plan willdetail the way roles and tasks concerning theireducation and other aspects of a child’s life willbe shared between carers, parents, andschool. Some children who are not subject tocare orders are accommodated by councilswith the agreement of their parents. In suchcases parents retain full parental responsibility.

Some children are placed many miles fromtheir family environment. This may be toprotect them from harm in their home area, the need for special health or educationalprovision, or because of the shortage ofappropriate local foster care placements. This can leave a child feeling vulnerable andisolated through loss of friendships andreceiving less support because ofcommunication difficulties between the placing and receiving local authorities.

“ ”There’s nothing more important than your education.

“ ”There’s a myth out there that you’re in care because you’re bad…


Why do looked after children often underachieve?Looked after children as a group are no less able than their peers, but they oftenunderachieve. Sometimes they fall behindthrough missing school. This can occur onentry into the care system, when placementsin foster care or children’s homes break down, or because of difficulties in obtaining a school place. They are also more likely to be excluded from school. Other reasons forunderachievement include the damagingexperiences they may have undergone prior to entering care, the lack of co-ordinatededucational support or inadequate facilities for study in their care placement – perhapsbecause carers and others have lowexpectations for them. Sometimes there canbe difficulties accessing Child and AdolescentMental Health Services (CAMHS) – eventhough this support can be critical in enablinglooked after children to benefit from learningopportunities.

The role of schools in promoting well-beingThe Government’s vision for children’s servicesfirst described in the 2003 Green Paper Every Child Matters recognises that schoolshave a vital role to play in promoting allchildren’s and young people’s social andemotional development – helping to developtalent and equip them with the skills they needto thrive and to achieve at school and in laterlife. This is particularly important in relation tolooked after children. Whatever the reasonsthat have brought them into care, most children

want to be with their families, and they want to be like everyone else. School is a primeplace where looked after children meet otherchildren, make friendships, and can join in andbe appreciated. Looked after children oftenreport that school is a place of consistency andcontinuity for them, providing routine in whatcan be otherwise very turbulent lives. This hasimplications for the way schools work withlooked after children. Staff will need to beaware of children’s emotional vulnerability whileat the same time working to keep them firmlyfocused on their educational progress.

Well-being and inspection criteriaThe Children Act 2004 provides for jointinspection of all children’s services in an area.The joint area review (JAR) will report on howfar services, including education, are workingtogether effectively to secure positiveoutcomes for all children and, in particular,vulnerable groups such as looked afterchildren. Schools are inspected on theoutcomes required by the Government for all children, including being healthy, stayingsafe and enjoying and achieving. If schools can meet these outcomes successfully forvulnerable children, such as those who are in care, they will be able to meet them for all children. As part of the process of selfevaluation under the new inspectionframework, governing bodies will need to seek evidence of action taken to achieve these outcomes. They should also considerwhether school policies give sufficientemphasis to children’s well-being and

“ ”I moved placements three times but managed to stay with the same school.

“ ”They don’t understand that justbecause you are in care, it doesn’tmean that no-one loves you.

ensure that looked after children are explicitlyincluded in school policies.

The role of school governors in promotingthe interests of looked after childrenIncreasingly schools are working with otherpartners including health and social careservices to determine how best to meet theneeds of children as part of the Every ChildMatters agenda. Effective collaborationbetween schools and partners means theleadership role of governors in partnership with the head teacher and senior managementteam is vital – and especially in relation tolooked after children.

Governing bodies have a legal duty to promote high standards for all children and it is essential to cultivate an atmosphere ofhigh expectations for looked after children,rather than to assume that they are less able to succeed because of their “looked after”status. Looked after children may requiregreater support or more formal planningprocesses than their peers, but they do notwant to be treated differently – they want toappear, and to be treated, like other children,and not to be stigmatised as different.

There are many ways in which schoolgoverning bodies can champion and promote the needs of looked after children. In particular, governing bodies should beaware of the duty on local authorities, undersection 52 of the Children Act 2004, topromote the educational achievement oflooked after children. Governing bodies should ensure that designated teachers forlooked after children and other relevant staffhave access to the statutory guidance on theduty, and be aware that as part of the duty


local authorities should provide training for designated teachers and governors.

Schools and their governing bodies play a key role in supporting local authorities in discharging their duty. In some schools,governing bodies have nominated oneparticular governor or a pupil welfarecommittee to champion and promote theneeds of looked after children. It is up toindividual governing bodies to consider themost effective means to support looked after children within their school.

How to use this guideThis guidance is set out in sections. Eachsection deals with a phase or area in a child’slife where being looked after may require theschool’s governing body to consider whataction it may need to take. Each section setsout the key problems and challenges that thegoverning body may face when consideringlooked after children and offers some practicalinformation. Besides the governing body, thisinformation will be of use to the head teacher,the school’s senior management team,designated teachers, and to local authorities,in particular staff with a specific remit forlooked after children.

Terms usedIn this guide we use the term ‘carer’ to includefoster carers, social workers and residentialsocial workers. A full glossary of terms isprovided on page 32. All documents/resourcesreferred to are referenced in the FurtherInformation section.

“ ”Education matters. You learn. It’s thekey to freedom in what you want.


Supporting Looked After Learners


Planning for looked after children

School governors can make a significantdifference to how looked after childrenexperience school. They can ensure thattheir needs are considered at the planningand policy level through to monitoring andevaluation. The priorities for looked afterchildren identified in the local authority’sChildren and Young People’s Plan shouldinform the school’s development plan. Inaddition, governing bodies will need toexamine a wide range of school data tosee how looked after pupils areprogressing and identify any barriers totheir learning. This process should helpidentify issues for school improvementand feed into the self evaluation of theschool, which is a key element of the newinspection regime.

Schools have an important contribution tomake in helping all children to achieve the fiveEvery Child Matters outcomes – being healthy,staying safe, enjoying and achieving, making apositive contribution to society and achievingeconomic well-being.

In future, school inspectors will specificallyconsider and report on how far the educationprovided contributes to pupils’ well-being.Vulnerable children, including those who arelooked after, will be given specific attentionwithin inspections. Provision for these childrenwill be assessed across a wide range of criteriaincluding attainment, personal development,well-being, care and support. The inspectionwill be looking specifically for evidence that all looked after children have an effectivePersonal Education Plan; that action is taken to maximise attendance and avoid exclusions;and that the experiences of looked afterchildren are monitored on an individual basis.

In some cases, inspectors will test theeffectiveness of the school’s arrangements for looked after children using a case studyapproach – examining records and talking tostaff. Particular children may be interviewedbut, to avoid them being singled out, thiswould normally be as part of a wider groupdiscussion.

“ ”On occasions when I didn’t attendmy review, really important decisionsabout me and my future were madeand no one asked or told me.

Case study After a school inspection our school was reported as having weaknessesrelating planning to pupil outcomes. It highlighted the unsatisfactoryimprovement in attainment for looked after children. The governing bodyundertook to look at monitoring and evaluation systems to improve the way plans were revised in the light of experience.

The governing body set up a small committee that asked for a termlyprogress report for all the school’s vulnerable children, including looked after children, in order to identify whether there continued to be barriers to learning not taken into account in the school planning process.

(Head Teacher, secondary school)

The governing body should ensure that:

the school has an overview of the educational needs and progress oflooked after children;school policies are reviewed from the point of view of looked after children;resources are allocated to match priorities for looked after children.

Information you should know or your school should be able to give you quickly:

the numbers of children in the school who are in care;how looked after children are performing compared to their peers.

Questions that should be considered by the school’s senior management team:

how will the school include raising the attainment of looked after childrenin the school improvement plan?what policies have the school developed that encourage collaborationwith other agencies and services e.g. health professionals, CAMHS, schoolattendance services?what is the policy on professional development for all staff in contact withvulnerable children?how does the school assist local authorities with requests to provide dataon attendance, attainment and exclusions?



“”

As long as you’ve got one person who you can turn to to talk to…that’s all you need because then that person speaks to the otherpeople on the team and then theyhave a better understanding of what is going on…

cover all aspects of the care system and theimpact of care upon education, responsibilitiesunder the Children Act and associatedRegulations. It should also include the role ofthe school in relation to care planning andstatutory reviews.

Governors should be aware that designatedteachers should decide, in conjunction withrelevant local authority staff, their approach tosharing sensitive information about anindividual child. This is not just about recordkeeping, but about a child’s identity in theschool. Some children are happy for the factthat they are “in care” to be known by staff andother pupils, while others do not want to bestigmatised as different because they do notlive with their families. For other children therewill be official requirements that their status isnot identified.

Other key duties are listed opposite:

The joint DfES/DH guidance Education ofChildren and Young People in Public Care(May 2000) recommended that schoolsassign a senior member of staff asdesignated teacher to act as a championfor looked after children. Under the dutyto promote the educational achievementof looked after children, local authoritiesshould also keep an up to date list ofdesignated teachers to help facilitatecommunication with schools.

The role of designated teacher for looked afterchildren sits alongside that of the designatedteacher for child protection and the specialeducational needs co-ordinator (SENCO). For all these roles it is vital that sufficient time is made available in the timetable to ensurethese staff can undertake their duties properly.Note: It should not be assumed that theSENCO is the right person for the role ofdesignated teacher for looked after children.

The specific duties of the designated teacherwill vary depending on the number of lookedafter children in the school and thecircumstances and needs of each individualchild. All designated teachers for looked afterchildren are responsible for:

receiving Personal Education Plans fromsocial workers and co-ordinating thedevelopment of the plan;providing a central point of contact for allprofessionals working with each looked after child.

Governors should encourage designatedteachers to attend training, which is normallyorganised by local authorities. Training should

Designated Teachers: Raising staff awareness

Case studyOur governing body were concerned about the increasing volume of work undertaken by theschool’s designated teacher, especially after a children’s home had opened locally.

After discussing the situation with the school’s senior management team, we agreed that the role of designated teacher should become a full-time dedicated post. A member of our governing bodyand the school’s designated teacher for looked after children attended a training course run by the local education authority on the needs of looked after children.

(Head Teacher, inner city secondary school)


the designated teacher for looked after children has the opportunity to attend training offered by the local authority;there is a clear policy on professional development for all staff in contact with looked after children and other vulnerable children;the designated teacher is sufficiently resourced to carry out therole effectively.


the name of the designated teacher for looked after children.


what safeguards does the school have in place for sharing sensitiveinformation about individual looked after children with relevantstaff members?what is the procedure for liaising with carers/residential children’s homesand social services to ensure that the school has relevant informationabout a child’s care history?how are the child’s achievements communicated to the carer?

Other Key Duties:acting as a champion for looked after children;informing other staff about looked afterpupils sensitively;maintaining a list of all pupils who are lookedafter;induction – settling new pupils into school;ensuring all looked after pupils have an up todate Personal Education Plan;promoting good home school links;

liaising with the SENCO if the child hasspecial educational needs;helping pupils contribute to their PersonalEducation Plan;helping looked after pupils transfer to thenext school or college;maintaining an overview of the changingneeds and progress of looked after children; contributing to school planning for lookedafter children; andensuring speedy transfer of record.



Admissions

The Government expects all schools, localauthorities and Admission Forums to haveagreed local protocols for the admission ofhard to place pupils arriving outside the normaladmission round. Among other things, theseprotocols ensure that looked after children inneed of a school place are admitted to asuitable school as quickly as possible. In somecases this might mean a school admitting overits admission number.

If your governing body is the admissionsauthority for your school you have a role of key importance for looked afterchildren when setting admission criteria.The Government has expected schoolsand LEAs to give top priority to lookedafter children in allocating places whenschools are oversubscribed since 2003,and under Section 106 of the EducationAct 2005 has made this a legal requirementfor admissions from September 2007.

As a minimum, faith schools should give priorityto looked after children of their faith over otherchildren of their faith and looked after childrenof other faiths. However, schools areencouraged to go further than this and to givelooked after children priority, regardless of faith,over all other children.

One of the reasons why looked after childrenunderachieve is that they spend too much time out of school. To comply with statutoryguidance, local authorities should ensure thatdisruption to education is minimised whenarranging a care placement and should notarrange a care placement without arrangingprovision of an appropriate level of education –unless the placement is made in an emergencyfor the child’s immediate protection. Where achild has been placed in an emergency, orwhere educational provision breaks down, aneducational placement should be securedwithin 20 school days. However, some lookedafter children, especially those who experiencemany moves, still miss a great deal of school.They also have to adjust to a lot of changes:new carers, surroundings and rules, so well-thought out and supportive induction policieswill be critical.

“ ”Looked after young people should be encouraged to come and visit the school. It’s about giving childrenand young people a choice.

Case studyAs a governing body, we were having difficulties due to the large numbers of looked after and traveller children coming into the area and being placedin our school. Consequently, we contacted the Local Admission Forum witha view to developing and agreeing a protocol to apply to all schools in thearea, to manage better the large numbers of hard to place children arriving in the area outside the normal admission round.

After discussion with a number of school admissions authorities, under the aegis of the Admission Forum, we established a placement panel,which included members of Social Services, head teachers and governors.A local protocol was set up whereby all schools agreed the procedure fortaking hard to place children arriving in the area outside the normal transfertime. In some cases it was accepted that this could involve some schoolsexceeding their admission number by one or two pupils.

(Governing body, undersubscribed school in an area of social deprivation)


over-subscription criteria meet statutory requirements, i.e. that lookedafter children are at the head of the over-subscription criteria;the protocol for hard to place pupils in their area provides for looked afterchildren, and that they admit, without delay, any child they are asked tounder the protocol.


the number of looked after children on the school roll.


how are applications handled after the normal admission round? what are the arrangements for welcoming new looked after pupils and do they take into account that looked after children (perhaps arriving mid-term) may have additional support needs? what does the school do to ensure that new admissions are well supportedby their peers?how does the school provide information to carers and social workersabout the school’s admission and appeal process?who liaises with other agencies to ensure that an educational placement works?



ensure that the PEP is passed on to the nextdesignated teacher as quickly as possible sothat support can be put in place without delay.

The wishes of the child are important whenidentifying which members of staff and otheradults should know that they are in care. This needs to be balanced with practicalconsiderations such as teaching staff beingaware of the likely effects of a child’s contacttimes with their parents or the approach of aPEP review. The Personal Education Planningprocess could provide an opportunity for achild to discuss their preference, and to havethat preference recorded.

Looked after young people aged 16+ arefrequently referred to as “care leavers” andfrom the age of 16 their Care Plan will beknown as their Pathway Plan. This plan ismaintained until the young person reaches the age of 21, or longer if they remain in aprogramme of education or training. ThePathway Plan must set out the services andsupport that the young person requires so that they can move to a more independentlifestyle. Given the importance of a soundeducational experience to achieving asuccessful adulthood; planning for education,training and employment will be an importantfeature of pathway planning. Maintaining aPEP throughout a young person’s period ineducation will be a key element of the planning process.

In addition to the usual school records forall children, every child in care must havea Personal Education Plan (PEP) whichforms part of their school record. PEPsare also part of the wider care planningfor looked after children. Care plans arereviewed at minimum statutory intervalsand progress in education is consideredat these reviews. Local authorities have aduty to promote the educationalachievement of looked after childrenunder section 52 of the Children Act 2004and must ensure that all looked afterchildren have a PEP.

The PEP sets clear objectives for a youngperson relating to academic achievement, aswell as personal and behavioural targets bothin and out of school. It identifies who will beresponsible for carrying out the actions agreedin the plan, with timescales for action andreview, covers the child’s achievement record(academic and otherwise), identifiesdevelopment needs and sets short and longterm targets. The school’s designated teachershould be involved in agreeing and reviewing aPEP along with the child (according tounderstanding and ability), the child’s parentand/or relevant family member or carer, andthe social worker. If a looked after child joinsthe school without a PEP, the designatedteacher should pursue the matter with thechild’s social worker who is responsible forinitiating it.

A child’s PEP is particularly useful at times oftransition, whether from primary to secondaryor from one educational placement to another.It enables information to move quickly with thechild, so that they can be placed appropriatelyand provided with the support and servicesthey need. The designated teacher should

Record keeping and transfer:Personal Education Plans

“ ”People are doing loads of work that all gets thrown away, good work should be kept and handed to the next school, kept on file so it can be sent on to college.


Case studyAfter receiving a complaint from a designated teacher from another schoolregarding the difficulties of obtaining a Personal Education Plan for a lookedafter child, we felt it was necessary to re-examine the school procedures for record transfer. We found that the PEP was sent to the child’s socialworker for onward transmission to the child’s new school – inevitablyincurring delays.

As part of the school’s programme to review its record keeping processeswe proposed to change the school policy so that in addition to sending thePEP to the child’s social worker, a copy would also be sent to the child’snew school with the educational record and would be marked for theattention of the designated teacher.

(Governing body, inner city primary school)


procedures are in place to ensure all looked after children and care leavershave up-to-date PEPs;the school’s confidentiality policy covers the needs of looked after childrenand care leavers;procedures are in place to ensure where a child/young person in caretransfers to a new school their PEP is transferred with them. A child’s PEP ispart of their educational record which must, by law, be sent to any newschool to which they move.

Information you should know or your school should be able to give you quickly :

the number of looked after children with up to date PEPs.


who reviews and keeps the child’s PEP up-to-date?who updates school records with current addresses of carers, birth parents,social worker etc?what is the procedure to prepare information for transfer if a looked afterchild changes school?

School life is more than classroomlearning. For looked after children,school can represent normality,somewhere they can enjoy friendships,learn about themselves and take part ineveryday activities.

Governors have a vital task in making sureschools develop an inclusive ethos whichenables all children, including the vulnerable,to thrive in an atmosphere of mutual respect,in an environment where pupils feel safe andincluded, and where their individual needs areunderstood. Governors have a key role incommunicating this vision to pupils, parents,carers and staff alike. They can, for example,encourage an inclusive ethos, especially forlooked after children, through the NationalHealthy Schools Programme. All schoolsshould be working towards achieving theNational Healthy School Standard (NHSS).

Home school communicationSchool staff will need to have accurate up todate information about who should receivecommunications between school and home.Some information is legally required, forexample school reports, but there is also awhole range of day-to-day communicationabout what is happening in school such asprojects the children may be involved in andhow parents can help at home or get involvedthat will need to be communicated to a child’scarers. Schools will need to be clear who cangive permission for looked after children totake part in activities like school trips and whopays for these. It should be remembered thatmany birth parents are still in contact with their

children and will continue to have a say abouttheir education. This will vary with each childand schools will need to clarify roles with thechild’s social worker. The DfES document Who Does What: how social workers andcarers can support the education of lookedafter children gives guidance on this.

Parents and schools know that goodcommunication is essential to support children’slearning. Schools may find the home-schoolagreement is a useful mechanism forwelcoming carers and promoting partnershipswith a pupil’s children’s home. Under Section23 of the Care Standards Act (2000) children’shomes must support a child’s educationincluding facilitating their prompt arrival atschool with the necessary school equipment.The National Minimum Standards for FosteringServices (2002) also require foster carers tosupport the education of the children in theircare, in particular by attending parents’evenings, open days and discussions withteachers and providing an environment inwhich education and learning is valued. Taking a carer carefully through the home-school agreement helps ensure information is shared about the school's aims, identifieswhat parents/carers can expect from theschool and what the school expects of pupilsand parents/carers. Discussing the agreementwith a carer before they are asked to sign is a useful way of sharing these mutualexpectations. It is important that carers knowhow they can support the child’s learning; who to approach with any questions andconcerns; and what opportunities they have to discuss the child’s progress.

Taking part in school life:Inclusive schooling and homeschool communication


Case studyIt was reported to us by the designated teacher that looked after childrenwere very rarely represented at school parents’ evenings. We thereforeasked what the school policy was regarding notification of parents’ eveningsand noted letters were sent home via the pupil. We also asked the school’ssenior management team to consider ways to improve the communicationbetween school and home for looked after children.

A policy was drawn up so that where a child was identified as looked after,notification was additionally posted to the home address for the attention ofthe carers. Where there was continued non-attendance at parents’ eveningsthis was a matter that would be raised at the next PEP review meeting.

(Governing body, inner city Community Comprehensive School)


the school’s ethos, aims and policies are embedded in school life andcommunication to staff, parents, carers and pupils is regularly reviewed;the home school agreement and homework policy take into account thehome circumstances of looked after children;the school openly addresses issues of emotional health and well-being byenabling pupils, including those who are looked after, to understand whatthey are feeling and build their confidence to learn.


the take-up of out of school activities by looked after children;those looked after children that the school has difficulties obtainingrelevant information;who in the school has responsibility for the Healthy Schools Programme.


how does the school record who is entitled to a child’s report, receives aninvitation to parents’evenings and other school events?are carers given a named person such as the designated teacher to contactif they have concerns?are carers asked to sign the home school agreement even when their childmay be placed temporarily in the school?what steps have been taken to ensure that carers have understood andsigned the home school agreement?does the school charging policy need to be changed to ensure better take-up of trips among groups of children such as those who are looked after?



Governing bodies have an important rolein ensuring that all pupils enjoy a broadand balanced curriculum at school and formost looked after children this will includethe full school curriculum, comprising theNational Curriculum, religious education,sex education and careers advice.However, it may be appropriate for somechildren, including those who are lookedafter, to follow a more flexible curriculumof personalised learning in order to havethe opportunity to catch up on missedschooling.

School staff should decide this in consultationwith the pupil and his or her parent or carer.Curriculum decisions should be clearly definedin the Personal Education Plan (PEP).

All children need help in choosing their optionsfor study at Key Stage 4. Parents and familyfriends are often good sources of support forchildren making these important decisions.Looked after children who have changed careplacements or moved school placementsfrequently may have missed out on suchopportunities, and may have received little or no advice when choosing options. Mostschools will offer general advice via subjectteachers and one to one support from tutors,learning mentors, careers advisers orConnexions personal advisers and it isimportant that looked after children do notmiss out on these opportunities. Choices forKey Stage 4 should be recorded in the PEPand the young person should be supported tochoose appropriate subjects that will interestand challenge them.

Taking part in school life:Curriculum & Options

“ ”As soon as I entered school I was put in a class called ‘inclusion’ with all the bad kids so I was picked outbefore I had even done anything…

Case studyA number of our teachers noted that when looked after children arrivedmid-term they had missed a lot of school and required a great deal ofcatching up. This was brought to the attention of our governing body.

The decision was made to make extra resources available so that all pupilsarriving mid-term would be quickly assessed and appropriate “catch-up”support put in place. Mid-term arrivals were also allocated an inductionmentor to ensure that appropriate links were made with carers and anyagencies that may be associated with the pupil.

(Head Teacher, large 11-16 secondary school)


the curriculum is sufficiently flexible to increase accessibility for vulnerable pupils;students arriving part way through Key Stage 4 (KS4) can continue withexisting specification or adapt work to fit new specifications.


the name of the person whose role it is to support looked after childrenchoosing options for study at KS4.


have the needs of looked after children been considered in the context ofthe school’s curriculum policy?what is the process when making a decision to place a young person on analternative curriculum at KS4? Does the school always consult relevantprofessionals, the young person and their carers? is flexible personalised learning available to looked after children?does the school have a good baseline of information – informed bytransfer of school records and thorough assessments – so that barriers tolearning are quickly identified and pupils placed in appropriate groupsand sets?is the school timetable flexible with regard to outside fixed activities?do the citizenship and PHSE curricula take full account of including childrenwhose experiences and understanding of ‘family’may be different?



placements. There should be strong reasonsfor not entering a looked after child forqualifications. In such cases the designatedteacher should inform the carers, socialworkers and governing body, and record thereasons for non-entry on the PEP.

Further and higher educationLooked after children will need encouragementto consider opportunities for further educationand training. They are extremely under-represented in higher education. PersonalEducation Plans and Pathway Plans providepractical tools for focusing on educationaldevelopment, including the opportunity foryoung people to explore their potential forhigher education.

The focus for a looked after young personmoving on to further or higher educationshould begin early, in order to build up a good record of achievement. Young people in care should be encouraged to take part in taster courses offered by colleges anduniversities to provide opportunities toexperience for themselves the potential offurther and higher education.

Low expectations by adults have beenidentified as one of the key reasons thatlooked after children fail to achieve.Sometimes assumptions are made thatlimit young people’s achievement ratherthan encourage them to do well.

Governing bodies can support an ambitiousagenda for looked after children by combininghigh expectations and standards withinclusion. This will mean analysis of pupilperformance data, setting targets forachievement and promoting teachingstrategies aimed at raising attainment throughpersonalised learning and addressing barriersto learning.

Governors should expect an annual update onthe progress of looked after children in theirschools. Details of their attainment levelsincluding the results of national tests andassessments and public examinations shouldbe provided along with details of individualtargets agreed for each child.

QualificationsLooked after children, like many young people,will often need additional support during the11-16 phase in order to progress. They shouldbe given every opportunity to learn andachieve in ways best suited to their individualneeds, including being offered a flexiblecurriculum. Looked after children aresometimes not entered for qualificationsbecause they have missed too much time orchanged syllabuses between school

Raising achievement andexpectations

“ ”I’m Head Girl so I have responsibilities. I like that.

“ ”Being in care doesn’t mean that we can’t learn as much or get as many GCSEs.


the school sets challenging targets for looked after children;additional support is offered to meet the needs of looked afterchildren who are at risk of underachieving;there are established benchmarks for exam attainment of all vulnerable children.


the overall attainment levels of looked after children in the school;how your local authority is supporting the educational achievement of the children they look after as set out in their Children and Young People’sPlan (although you will need to be aware that some looked after childrenare the responsibility of a different local authority);the figures for examination entries and non-entries for looked after children.


what targets are there for looked after children in the school?does the school include ‘value-added’measures of individual children’s progress?what are the specific barriers to achievement facing looked after childrenand can the school take action to remove them?is there good liaison with foster carers and children’s homes to supportchildren’s learning?if looked after children get behind, how is this identified and help provided? how does the school celebrate the educational successes of lookedafter children?is there anything in the school’s qualifications policy that works against the achievement of looked after children?would ‘examination mentors’help vulnerable children to succeed?what revision support is available for examinations for children at risk of underachieving?do looked after children access taster activities for further andhigher education?are looked after children engaged in the gifted and talented programme?



Case studyI arrived at my school in year 11 and found out that I wasn’t going to beentered for qualifications. Apparently this was because I was takingdifferent qualifications in my old school and it was too late to change things.

I told my teacher I wasn’t happy about this and she arranged to try and sort things out with the governing body. Apparently, I wasn’t the only one unhappy.

She has told me that the senior management team have looked at thelearning options of all pupils not entered for examinations. As a result myschool decided it would be a great idea to develop vocational routes andwork related programmes to provide opportunities for people like me tocontinue courses not provided by the school but already being followedelsewhere. This is great news – now I can do what I really want to do!

(Young person, year 11, secondary school)

Case studyAs the governing body of a sixth form college we use data to identify howmany students go on to higher education and what courses are followed.Data reveals that relatively few students who have gone through the caresystem apply to university. We agreed that the college should approach the local university to identify ways of encouraging vulnerable students to apply to university.

As a result the university have agreed to encourage students undertakinga course in teacher training to offer support for young people in care andcareleavers at the college. This includes visits to university andparticipation in university events. We estimate that in the first year ofoperation the scheme will result in more pupils deciding to go to university.

(Governing body, sixth form college)


fixed period exclusions or joining the school in managed moves from other schools.Reintegration following permanent exclusion from other schools including Pupil Referral Units should be focused on the pupil. An assessment of their needs,involving discussions with carers and socialworkers, would be an early part of thereintegration process.

Following permanent exclusion, an individualreintegration plan should be drawn up by theLEA within one month of the exclusion beingconfirmed by the governing body. The planshould be agreed by all relevant parties andcover pastoral and educational objectives forreintegration, with appropriate targets.Governors should monitor the outcomes ofreintegration and whether resources areavailable to match the plans.

Continuity is vital for children alreadysuffering disruption in their family life butlooked after children are ten times morelikely to be permanently excluded thantheir peers (1% of looked after childrenbut 0.1% of entire school population).Exclusion from school can place greatstrain on care placements, sometimesresulting in more disruption in the youngpeople’s lives if these break down. Those schools that are most successful in preventing exclusion have policieswhich tackle underlying causes of poor behaviour with strategies such as pastoral support programmes,intervention from behaviour supportspecialists and purposeful help under the SEN framework.

If exclusion does happen Improving Behaviourand Attendance: Guidance on Exclusion fromSchools and Pupil Referral Units (DfES 2003)recommends that governing bodies allowexcluded young people to speak at theexclusion hearing. There is a particularemphasis on support for looked after childrenwho want to put their side of the case. Anyonewho is legally defined as a parent will have theright to make representations to the governingbody and to appeal to an independent appealpanel. The definition of “parent” for thepurposes of the Education Acts includes anyperson who has parental responsibility (whichincludes the local authority where they have acare order in respect of the child) and anyperson (e.g. a foster parent) with whom the child lives.

The governing body should ensure that theschool has effective support in place for young people returning to school following

Exclusions

“ ”They expel you too quick – I kicked off because I could not do my maths work…the teacher expelled me straight away.


there is a thorough understanding of the extra problems caused byexcluding looked after children and consider adopting a policy of notexcluding looked after children except as a last resort;governors reviewing exclusions consider the following in relation to alooked after child:– has the child recently changed home placement?– has the child recently experienced any trauma?– does the child have unmet special educational needs?– has the school provided appropriate support for the child e.g. mentors,

counselling, access to a learning support unit? exclusion hearings listen to children and young people and provide anatmosphere where they feel comfortable and able to speak openly; andafter consultation with the child’s social worker, all persons with parentalresponsibility and the child’s carers are told of their right to makerepresentations to the governing body and, where a permanent exclusionis upheld by the governing body, are informed of their right to appeal to anindependent appeal panel.


the number of looked after children who have been excluded from theschool in the previous 12 months.


when considering exclusion, does the head teacher and the governingbody have regard to the Secretary of State’s guidance on exclusion?Improving Behaviour and Attendance: Guidance on Exclusion from Schooland Pupil Referral Units (DfES 2004 paragraphs 51-53 refer specifically tochildren in public care)is there any trend in exclusion rates of looked after children?what strategies does the school use to avoid exclusion of vulnerablechildren including looked after children?is the appeal process fully explained to social workers and foster carerswhen a looked after child is excluded?are young people in care encouraged to attend governors’hearings whichare reviewing their exclusion?does the head teacher’s letter of exclusion always signpost carers to theAdvisory Centre for Education (ACE) exclusion helpline?has the appropriate person/team in the LEA with responsibility for childrenmissing education been notified of the child's exclusion?


Case studyOur school had a particularly traumatic exclusion case where the fostercarer of a looked after child was making a representation against apermanent exclusion. The governing body decided not to uphold theexclusion after hearing of the sad series of events that caused the behaviourthat led to the exclusion. Subsequently our governing body asked the seniormanagement team to review the discipline policy particularly whetherappropriate pastoral support was being given to especially vulnerablechildren such as those who were in care.

As a matter of routine, our designated teacher now asks the social worker of existing or new looked after children about any issues which may lead toerratic or deteriorating behaviour. This new proactive policy allows forgreater awareness of the need for planning appropriate pastoral care.

Where there was an imminent risk of exclusion of a looked after child, thenan emergency review of the PEP would be initiated. High on the agendaof the review would be that the young person concerned and their fostercarer would be made fully aware of the expected standards of behaviour. If circumstances were such that a stressful situation was developing withinschool, the young person could hand a “red card” to the teacher whichallowed them to immediately go to a cooling off point, usually with thedesignated teacher or in the learning support unit.

(Head teacher – large county town secondary school)

Questions that should be considered by the school’s senior management team continued:

does the school take vulnerable children, such as looked after children,excluded from other schools?what are the reintegration arrangements for looked after children whohave been excluded?what other agencies are working with the child and have they deliveredthe necessary support e.g. clinical psychology/CAMHS?has every looked after child at risk of exclusion got a PastoralSupport Plan?



Over a quarter of looked after childrenhave a statement of special educationalneeds (SEN) and many more are likely toneed extra help at school to meet specialeducational needs and to catch up for lost school time.

Sometimes the special educational needs of alooked after child are overlooked or support isdelayed. This can be:

because learning difficulties are attributed totheir social and emotional circumstances;when frequent moves disrupt assessmentsand provision of support;if looked after children are placed in another authority.

When looked after children’s difficulties arepicked up late the problems can worsen.

An important element of the SEN framework isregular involvement with parents. Activeparents alert the school to problems, help setand review targets and back up schoolsupport at home. Carers may need extrainformation and support, especially if their ownchildren are grown up or if they have noexperience of the SEN process. Whengovernors review the school’s SEN policy theyshould ensure that carers and social workersare routinely involved and engaged with theprocess, particularly during statutoryassessment, reviews of Individual EducationPlans and annual reviews of statements.

Special Educational Needs

“ ”I don’t think I need extra helpbecause I am in care. I think I should be treated the same as other pupils in school.



the school’s SEN policy acknowledges the needs of looked after children;looked after children who have missed schooling receive support underthe SEN framework where appropriate.


number of looked after children in the school with– SEN but no statement;– a statement of SEN.


how does the school ensure prompt identification of special educationalneeds of looked after children?are carers informed that the child has special educational needs and thatthey can get help from the Parent Partnership Service?how are carers/social workers involved in assessments and reviews?how are young people involved in reviews and target setting?is the level of support given to looked after children with specialeducational needs sufficient?are there particular staff training needs in connection with meeting theneeds of looked after children?

Case studyAfter conducting a regular review of the school’s SEN policies, it was revealed that there weredifficulties in engaging some parents and carers in the SEN process. This led to problems indelivering effective SEN support for pupils. I asked the governing body to raise the matter with the LEA and examine how to improve arrangements for meeting the needs of vulnerable pupils. The aim was to raise the awareness of the importance of the SEN process with Social Servicesdepartments through training programmes for social workers and foster carers.

As a result the LEA arranged for our school to twin with a partner school with known good practicein this area, so that specialist teaching, curricular strengths and other resources could be shared. In addition an advanced skills teacher with knowledge and experience in emotional and behavioural difficulties worked with staff at the school. We also arranged to hold a regular foruminvolving the Education Welfare Service, Social Services, Pupil Support Service, Connexions andthe Youth Offending Team to encourage effective multi-agency planning for children. In addition the LEA undertook to review its programme of on going SEN training for foster carers.

(SENCO, inner city school in a disadvantaged area with a diverse pupil population)


support the child and should be included in the young person’s Personal Education Plan.Inclusion guidance (Inclusive Schooling:Children with Special Educational Needs DfES2001) gives many practical steps that teacherscould adopt to successfully include childrenwith behavioural difficulties in mainstreamclasses. Governors should look at whether theschool’s behaviour policy includes any of thestrategies suggested by the guidance andcheck if the policy has been revised to takeaccount of the guidance.

BullyingAnyone can experience bullying but there isevidence that some groups including disabledchildren and looked after children are morelikely to be bullied than others. Your school’santi-bullying policy needs to recognise theparticular vulnerability of looked after children.Monitoring this policy is an important way ofshowing that the governing body is concernedabout pupils’ health and safety and thatbullying does not prevent looked after childrenenjoying school and achieving.

As a result of their experiences prior to coming into care, looked after children canalso display bullying behaviour, as opposed to being bullied. The school’s anti-bullying and behaviour policies should recognise that support may be necessary for childrenwho show such behaviour as a result ofdifficult life experiences.

Many looked after children showremarkable resilience despiteexperiencing the trauma of loss andseparation. However some will need helpwith their emotional well-being and mayexpress their pain and anger throughdifficult behaviour at school. Behaviourpolicies need to be reviewed to takeaccount of how the school will respond to challenging behaviour in suchcircumstances, and also how the schoolcan actively promote positive behaviour in all children.

The whole-curriculum resource for primaryschools launched in June 2005 (Excellenceand Enjoyment: the Social and EmotionalAspects of Learning (SEAL)) providesguidance and curriculum materials fordeveloping children’s social, emotional andbehavioural skills.

Young people in public care usually prefer notto be treated differently from others butsensitive support, such as that recommendedas part of Pastoral Support Programmes (PSP)or Individual Education Plans (IEPs), couldprevent problems as well as deal with anyemerging or existing behaviourial problems.Pastoral support can include providing a‘buddy’ for a child new to the school or thehelp of a learning mentor or counsellor. A PSPshould involve all the agencies who can

Pastoral support, behaviour and bullying

“ ”It’s about taking an interest, if someone takes an interest it will make us more motivated…without this you have no one to prove it to…

“ ”When I got bullied I told theteachers – they said they wouldsort it out…they never did.



the school’s anti-bullying and behaviour policies are flexible in theirunderstanding of care issues and support early intervention;looked after children understand the process for making complaints.


the authorised and unauthorised absence levels of looked after pupils inthe school.


what targeted interventions can the school initiate that focus on groups of children who have known risk factors, such as being in care? how does the school behaviour policy pre-empt escalating behaviouralproblems?how does the school ensure that initiatives such as lunchtime clubs andanti-bullying work include specific vulnerable groups such as looked after children? does the school have procedures for contacting relevant professional helpfor specific problems e.g. LEA Behavioural Support Team, CAMHS,educational psychologist?are carers contacted on the first day of any unexplained absence?are carers aware of the school’s anti-bullying policies?

Case studyApparently, my school has an anti-bullying policy made up by staff andpupils and it was supposed to be working. Well – not for me. I was still being bullied ’cause of being in care and so were some of my friends,also in care. The thing was, we were scared to tell a teacher about it.

Anyway, the designated teacher has obviously noticed it because things are getting better.

I think the governing body got involved and now if anyone new comes to the school in the middle of a term, they get ‘buddied’ by a peer (someonewho can be trusted) and you get given a teacher to discuss your problemswith. For looked after children this is the designated teacher and she is reallygood. We get encouraged to take part in school activities like drama andstuff and it really helps with your confidence. The school feels a much better place and we all filled out a survey to say what we think. It’s good to know the school is doing something about the problem.

(Young person, year 10, large secondary school)


Where activities are organised for whichpayment is required, such as residential fieldtrips or non-educational visits, the designatedteacher should be clear about the localauthority’s arrangements for funding these forlooked after children.

More information can be obtained from theTaking Part pack, produced by the nationalcharity ContinYou on behalf of the DfES.Based on the experiences of three localauthorities involved in the recent Taking Partproject, the pack is designed to assist LAs inmaking study support/out of school hourslearning an integral part of raising theachievement of looked after children.

Study support describes the wide varietyof informal learning activities that youngpeople voluntarily take part in outsidenormal school hours and/or during school holiday periods. It can also takeplace at breaks and lunchtimes andinclude breakfast and homework clubs.Participation in out of school hoursactivities is linked to building selfconfidence and self esteem, improvedrelationships and raised aspirations. Forlooked after children these benefits ofteninfluence positively their attitudes toschool and learning as a whole.

In order to meet fully the Every Child Mattersoutcome of enjoying and achieving, allchildren, including those in care, should haveopportunities to develop interests and improvetheir skills and experiences through a range ofout of school activities. For looked afterchildren, the intention to pursue theseactivities, and the support they might need todo so, such as special equipment or revisedtransport arrangements, should be identified in their PEP.

For study support policies to be inclusive, theactivities must be accessible to looked afterchildren, who often experience difficulties instaying behind after school because oftransport arrangements, or because they havecontact time with their birth families. Issuessuch as these should be addressed in thechild’s PEP; the designated teacher should beaware of them, and take whatever stepspossible to support the child in accessing theactivities.

Study Support (out of school hours learning)

“ ”I was never allowed to go onschool trips because therewas no money.


Case studyAs the designated teacher of a large primary school I became concernedthat generally there was poor uptake on school visits by looked afterchildren. I reported this to our governing body who decided that the schoolwould engage with relevant social workers and/or local authority socialservices departments on what would need to be done to ensure that lookedafter children had the same access to such activities as other children.

In the meantime the governing body approved a decision to set aside asmall amount of money whereby looked after children could be supportedto go on school trips. In order to ensure confidentiality, teachers arrangingtrips were asked to inform me so I could then check whether this wouldaffect any looked after children, and if so whether they would requiresupport from the fund.

(Designated Teacher, large primary school)


the study support policy is fully embedded in overall primary andsecondary education strategies, incorporating the aspirations of EveryChild Matters.Where appropriate, it should also be compatible with theHealthy Schools Standard.


the number of looked after children who actively participate instudy support;the number of looked after children representing the school e.g. in school sports teams, choirs etc.


could the study support programme be more flexible to cater for theneeds of looked after children?does the school regularly consult with carers and looked after childrenabout study support activities?is the school in contact with the local authority study support co-ordinatorto discuss ideas?

Individual education plan (IEP): a planningdocument for pupils with special educationalneeds. It should include three or four short-term targets for the child; teaching strategiesto be used; the help to be put in place; andhow the school will decide if the help has been successful.

Looked after children: these are children whoare the subject of an interim or full care order ora protection order and those who areaccommodated by local authorities with theagreement of their parents.

Pastoral support programme: a shortpractical intervention to provide support whena young person is at risk of disaffection orpermanent exclusion. Initiated by the schoolbut should be agreed with parents/carers andinvolve the LEA and other agencies such associal services.

Pathway plan: sets out the services andsupport that young care leavers of 16+ requireto successfully move to adulthood.

Personal Education Plan (PEP): every childand young person in care should have a PEPwhich sets out academic achievement;identifies developmental and educationalneeds; and sets out short and long-termtargets and plans. The PEP should be part ofthe child’s Care Plan. It also forms part of apupil’s curricular record which the governingbody has a duty to keep in respect of eachregistered pupil.

Admission authority: the body responsiblefor a school’s admission arrangements. Forcommunity and voluntary controlled schoolsthis is the LEA; for foundation, voluntary aidedschools, academies and city technologycolleges, it is the governing body.

Admissions forum: a local body made up ofrepresentatives of the LEA, churches and eachcategory of maintained school plusacademies. They advise admission authoritieson admission arrangements and agreearrangements between admission authoritieson issues such as applications for placesoutside the normal time of entry.

Care orders: made by the courts in respect ofa child who has suffered or is likely to suffer“significant harm”. A care order results in thelocal authority assuming parental responsibilityfor a child. A child’s Care Plan will detail theway roles and tasks concerning theireducation will be shared.

Connexions personal adviser: providesadvice and guidance for all young people aged13 – 19 especially those who may experiencedifficulty making the transition to adult life.

Designated teacher: a teacher withresponsibility for looked after children in theschool. They are expected to be an advocatefor looked after children and young people and ensure that each child has a PEP.

Every Child Matters: the Green Paper (2004)which set out the Government’s vision forchildren’s services and identifies five outcomesit wants for all children: that they should behealthy, stay safe, enjoy and achieve, make apositive contribution to society and achieveeconomic well-being.

Glossary


Pupil referral unit: a school which providesfor children who have been excluded fromschool or who are at risk of exclusion, or whocannot attend school for other reasons suchas ill health, pregnancy or school phobia.

Statement of special educational needs(SEN): a document in six parts which sets outa child’s needs, provision to meet those needsand where the child will be educated.



Every Child Matters Change for Children in Schools (DfES January 2005) sets out the implications of Every Child Matters for schools. http://www.everychildmatters.gov.uk/publications/

Safeguarding children in education (DfESSeptember 2004). This guidance relates to the statutory duty on local authorities,schools and further education institutions to have arrangements for carrying out theirfunctions with a view to safeguarding andpromoting the welfare of children. http://www.teachernet.gov.uk/wholeschool/familyandcommunity/childprotection/guidance/

Planning for looked after children

Statutory guidance on the duty on localauthorities to promote the educationalachievement of looked after children (DfES2005). Guidance describes the essentialactions which local authorities are expectedto take in order to comply with their duty.http://www.dfes.gov.uk/educationprotects/

New Relationship with Schools (NRwS)(DfES 2005). The development of a newrelationship with schools is a key part of the Government’s agenda to reform theeducation system to focus more keenly on raising standards for all throughpersonalised learning.http://www.teachernet.gov.uk/newrelationship

Introduction and background to looked after children

A Better Education for Children in Care(SEU September 2003). Social ExclusionUnit Report which examines the barriers that prevent children in care of localauthorities achieving their full potential andprovides recommendations for action. http://www.socialexclusionunit.gov.uk

Education of children and young people inpublic care (DfES/DH May 2000) Guidancefor local authorities on how to support theeducation of children in care. Some sectionsof the guidance were issued under section 7of the Local Authority Social Services Act1970 and are statutory.http://www.dfes.gov.uk/educationprotects/

The Who Cares? Trust. Educationpublications cover planning, moving school,bullying, staying in school and going touniversity. These resources offer practicaltools to improve literacy, promote theenjoyment of reading and writing, and developself-esteem and decision-making skills.

The Who Cares? TrustKemp House152-160 City Road, London EC1V 2NPTel: 020 7251 3117E-mail: [email protected]://www.thewhocarestrust.org.uk

Every Child Matters Change for Children(DfES September 2003) sets out theGovernment vision for children’s services.http://www.everychildmatters.gov.uk/publications/

Further information


Record keeping and transfer: Personal Education Plans

The personal educational plan (PEP) is a record of what needs to happen for looked after children to fulfil their potential.The Education Protects website containstutorials on what makes for an effective PEP.http://www.dfes.gov.uk/educationprotects/

Taking part in school life: Inclusive schooling and home schoolcommunication

Home-school agreements can raisestandards and contribute to schooleffectiveness by enhancing partnershipsbetween parents and teachers.http://www.standards.dfes.gov.uk/ parentalinvolvement/hsa/

The Healthy Living Blueprint website.Designed to support schools in leadinghealthy lifestyles.http://www.teachernet.gov.uk//healthyliving/

Healthy Care Programme Handbook(DfES/NCB 2005). This handbook provides a set of tools and resources to assistpartnerships carry out audits of services,devise action plans and monitor progress.http://www.ncb.org.uk/healthycare/

Who does what. How social workers andcarers can support the education of childrenin care.http://www.dfes.gov.uk/educationprotects

National Healthy Schools Standardhttp://www.teachernet.gov.uk/management

Conducting the Inspection: guidance forinspectors of schools (OfSTED July 2005 ref:HMI 2502) describes how inspectors willspecifically report on how far the educationprovided contributes to pupil well-being.http://www.ofsted.gov.uk/

Designated teachers: raising staff awareness

The Role of the School in Supporting theEducation of Children in Public Care (FelicityFletcher-Campbell, Tamsin Archer andKathryn Tomlinson, National Foundation ofEducational Research, 2003). The Role ofthe School research report and trainingmaterial for designated teachers can befound on the Education Protects websitehttp://www.dfes.gov.uk/educationprotects/

Admissions

General information for parents andgovernors may be provided by the DfESSchool Admissions Team:[email protected]

School Standards and Framework Act 1998and Education Act 2002:http://www.opsi.gov.uk/

School Admissions and School Admission Appeals Codes of Practice (DfES February 2003): http://www.dfes.gov.uk/sacode/

Hard to Place Children – Developing andAgreeing a Protocol (DfES 2004)http://www.dfes.gov.uk/sacode/


Special Educational Needs

Removing Barriers to Achievement theGovernment’s Strategy for SEN (CrownCopyright 2004) sets out the Government’svision for giving children with specialeducational needs and disabilities theopportunity to succeed.www.teachernet.gov.uk/sen

SEN Code of Practice and SEN Toolkit(Crown Copyright 2001) provides practicaladvice to Local Authorities maintainedschools, early education settings on carrying out their statutory duties to identify,assess and make provision for children’sspecial educational needs. www.teachernet.gov.uk/sen

SEN and Disability Act 2001:www.legislation.hmso.gov.uk/acts/acts2001/20010010.htm

Inclusive Schooling Governors InformationSheet (DfES November 2001) http://www.teachernet.gov.uk/docbank/index.cfm?id=4622

Pastoral support behaviour and bullying

SEAL Curriculum Resource: SEAL offers a whole-curriculum framework for teachingsocial, emotional and behavioural skills to all children.www.teachernet.gov.uk/seal

Behaviour Improvement Programme:programme aims to improve pupil behaviourand attendance, supporting practitioners

Taking part in school life: Curriculum & Options

Schools may offer to those under the age of 19 approved courses leading to anexternal qualification which is funded eitherby a Local Education Authority or LearningSkills Council.http://www.dfes.gov.uk/section96/

Raising achievement and expectations

The Role of the School in Supporting theEducation of Children in Public Care (Felicity Fletcher-Campbell, Tamsin Archerand Kathryn Tomlinson National Foundationof Educational Research 2003).http://www.dfes.gov.uk/educationprotects/

Exclusions

Advisory Centre for Education (ACE)http://www.ace-ed.org.uk/

For exclusion guidance which covers when it is appropriate to exclude a pupil fromschool, what the procedures are for dealingwith appeals, and other matters. http://www.teachernet.gov.uk/wholeschool/behaviour/exclusion/

Improving Behaviour and Attendance:Guidance on Exclusion from Schools andPupil Referral Units, (Crown CopyrightOctober 2004)http://www.teachernet.gov.uk/wholeschool/behaviour/exclusion/guidance/


through developing a consistent approachbuilding on the best current practice. www.dfes.gov.uk/behaviourimprovement

Behaviour and Attendance guidance:http://www.dfes.gov.uk/behaviourandattendance

Don’t suffer in silence – DfES anti-bullyingwebsite:http://www.dfes.gov.uk/bullying/

Managing Pupil Mobility: On the move(Crown Copyright 2003) suggestsapproaches to managing pupil mobilitywithin schools effectively. http://www.ofsted.gov.uk/publications/

Study Support (out of school hours learning)

The study support website:http://www.standards.dfes.gov.uk/studysupport/

Excellence and Enjoyment: A Strategy forPrimary Schools (DfES May 2003) http://www.dfes.gov.uk/primarydocument/

Taking Part – Making out-of-school-hourslearning happen for children in care (March2005) aims to assist local authorities andschools working in partnership with others in making study support/OSHL an integralpart of raising the achievement of lookedafter children. http://www.continyou.org.uk/

Training and Helplines

If you want to know more about supportingthe education of looked after childrencontact your education of looked afterchildren service. Details of local authoritylead officers for looked after children can befound on the Education Protects website at:www.dfes.gov.uk/educationprotects

Help on school issues, including SEN andexclusions, is available from The AdvisoryCentre for Education (ACE) an independentcharity providing advice, information andsupport about children’s education inmaintained schools.ACE’s website www.ace-ed.org.uk Exclusion information line 020 7704 9822(for a free exclusion pack and details of ACE freephone exclusion helpline) Advice on all other issues freephone 0808 800 5793

GovernorLine is a key resource for practicalhelp and advice on governance. It is atelephone and email-based advisory servicefunded by DfES and staffed by experiencedgovernors, with legal support. To contactGovernorLine call 0800 072 2181GovernorLine websitewww.governorline.info/

Your local authority Governor Services will be able to offer your governing body advice,information and training on the education of looked after children. Details from yourCoordinator of Governor Services and localauthority website, or via your head teacherand Governor Association.

You can download this publication or ordercopies online atwww.teachernet.gov.uk/publications

Search using ref: 1929-2005DOC-EN

Copies of this publication are also availableto download from the Education ProtectsWebsitewww.dfes.gov.uk/educationprotects

Copies of this publication can also beobtained from:

DfES PublicationsPO Box 5050Sherwood ParkAnnesleyNottingham NG15 0DJ

Tel: 0845 60 222 60Fax: 0845 60 333 60Textphone: 0845 60 555 60

email: [email protected]

Please quote ref: 1929-2005DOC-EN

ISBN: 1-84478-638-2

PPAUSTIN/D33/1205/64

Crown Copyright 2005

Publication date January 2006

ACE is a registered charity. Number 313124.

The Who Cares? Trust is a registered charity. Number 1010518.

Documents

Supporting Looked After Learners – A Practical Guide for School Governors