Educational Outcomes For Children In Care
Presentation to Children & Learning Scrutiny Panel
Dave Johnson
Jenni Cooke
Background
Green Paper - Children at Risk
Government commitment to improving
quality of services for children at risk
Aims to do more for children to support
them in their efforts “innoculation”
Background
Children Act 1989 Section 22
`Safeguard and promote the welfare of all children and young people who are looked after’
Corporate Parenting Role
Background
Nationally: (30.9.03)
35,100 children looked after - school age• 27% SEN Statements• 12% Missed at least 25 days school• 1% received permanent exclusion
• 53% (85%) achieved level 2 KSI• 42% (78%) achieved level 4 KS2• 23% (69%) achieved level 5 KS3• 53% (95%) obtained 1 GCSE• 9% (53%) obtained 5 GCSE A-C
End of Year 11 57% (72%) remained in full time education
10% CLA aged over 10 years were cautioned or convicted for offence (2002/03) - 3 times the rate for all children
Children who have been `looked after’ are over represented in :-
homeless population
prison population
unemployment
Objective and New Target
Builds on PSA target following review
New target - “to substantially narrow
the gap between education
attainment and participation of
children in care and that of their
peers”
Objective and New Target(continued)
Provide a more rounded measure of progress against the overall aim
IT WILL APPLY ONLY TO THOSE YOUNG PEOPLE WHO HAVE BEEN IN CARE FOR ONE YEAR OR MORE (to allow local authorities time to influence attainment)
TargetWill have been achieved if, by 2006
Outcomes for 11 year olds in English & Maths are at least 60% as good as their peers
The proportion who became disengaged from education is reduced (no more than 10% reach school leaving age without have as a GCSE equivalent exam)
TARGETwill have been achieved if, by 2006
(continued)
The proportion of those aged 16 who get qualifications equivalent to 5 GCSE A* - C has risen on average by 4% each year since 2002
And (in all authorities) at least 15% of young people in care achieve this level
Proposal (SEU)
Individual targets should be set for all children in care
LEA’s should monitor the appropriateness and the achievement of these targets
Government will consult on how to achieve this
Definition
‘Children in Care’ means those looked after children who were in care on 30 September and had been continuously looked after for at least a year
Children are included in count for the authority which is looking after them
Priority Action
Focus in particular on supporting 15 and 16 year olds
a ‘booklet’ (NFER) will be produced shortly to ensure all children in care are entered for GCSE or equivalent examinations and are supported to achieve at KS4
Education Protects Programme
Network of the regional advisersDisseminating good practice in
attendance, admissions and out of authority placements
Ensure key partners in education, health and social services act in a co-ordinated and coherent way
Improve educational planning for all children
Resources
Standards fund Vulnerable Children Grant - £40,000 allocated (compared with £27,000 previously)
Grant is to be used to develop a strategic approach with local education authorities
Choice Protects grant to strengthen fostering services
Role of Local AuthoritiesKey partners in ensuring challenging
targets are metTo put in place strategies to improve
education performance of children in public care
Government is keen to see strategies that include Social Services, LEA’s and schools playing a full part in supporting the education of young people in care
Middlesbrough StrategyBackground of increasing numbers of
children becoming looked after (from 180 - 226 in four years) mainly due to drug related activity of parents
Corporate Parenting Board for four years
MonitorChallengesAdvocates
Middlesbrough Strategy(Continued)
Designated responsibility (for Education of Children Looked After) through Assistant Head of Inclusion Dave Sands
Working with SSD lead to formation of discrete Children Looked After Team
Manager/Co-ordinator (SSD)1 FTE ESW (Standards Fund, now
Vulnerable Children)
Middlesbrough Strategy(Continued)
.6 FTE Teacher (.3 FTE Vulnerable Children 0.2 FTE Quality Protects)
Signed up to PSA (20% achieve 5 - A+ - C) by 2004
Priority Actions (2000)
Establishment of data baseAll schools to have designated teacherDevelopment of Personal Education
Plan (Social Work key worker role)
Strategy (current)
Keep children with own familyTo improve school capacity to support
child in careTo improve foster carers’ ability to
support children
School Strategy
Designated teacher training (rolling cycle) but few take up
Articulating and advocating for revenue strand allocation
Direct support, especially in relation to attendance, placement and core linkage between SSD key worker and CLA team manager
School Strategy (Continued)
Direct Teaching support for targeted pupils after hours
Access to revision/study support
Strategy
PEP system developed with young people.
Young people attend and contribute to Corporate Parenting Board meetings
Monitoring of PSA activity via CLA Steering Group (Jenni Cooke SSD; Dave Johnson LEA; Caroline Kendrick SSD/LEA; Dave Sands LEA)
Strategy(Continued)
Strong representation from Education Inclusion Service on Children’s Fostering Placement Panel
Sharing of data with Standards ServiceBV Performance Clinic MonitoringChange in admission criteriaGoverning Body Training/Governor
Pack
Strategy - Foster Carers
Programme of induction and support that includes input from SSD and Education (Dave Johnson, Dave Sands, Caroline Kendrick and others)
PC computer and internet in every home of every foster carer, with training and software
Regular contact with designated SSD worker
Ways ForwardRevenue budget support for end of
programme and uplift (e.g. tutors, out of school support)
Key contact in Standards ServiceData SetOut of country placement
Key contact in ICT servicePolicy commitment - plus funding for specialist placement (to prevent out of county)
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