2.1.3 Education of Looked After Children

SCOPE OF THIS PROCEDURE

This chapter applies to all Looked After Children.

Also see following government Guidance: Education of Young People in Public Care

Guidance on Looked After Children with Special Educational Needs Placed Out of Authority

Promoting the Educational Achievement of Looked After Children

AMENDMENTS

This chapter was updated in October 2011 to reflect the Care Planning, Placement and Case Review Regulations (England) 2010 and associated guidance, which became effective from 1 April 2011. In particular the amendments relate to the timescale for completing the first PEP (in Section 1), the contents of all PEPs (Section 3) and the requirement for the child's social worker to inform the child's [Independent Reviewing Officer] of exclusions (in Section 7).In addition Section 2, Avoidance of Disruption in Education has been added.

The Personal Education Plan (PEP)
Avoidance of Disruption in Education
Writing the PEP
PEP Reviews
Communication with the School
Change of School
School Exclusions
When a Child is Worried about School
When a Child is Absent from School
When a Young Woman becomes Pregnant

1. The Personal Education Plan (PEP)

The Personal Education Plan (PEP) is the central platform for the education of Looked After Children, and should be incorporated within each child’s Care Plan.

All Looked After Children must have a Personal Education Plan (PEP), whether or not they are currently in education, which summarises the child's developmental and educational needs, short term targets, long term plans and aspirations and which contains or refers to the child's record of achievement. It is also a record of the child's leisure interests and educational achievement.

The Personal Education Plan should be initiated as part of the Care Plan before the child becomes Looked After (or within 10 working days in the case of an emergency placement), and be available for the first Looked After Review meeting.

The PEP should identify who is responsible for ensuring the targets are met.

The PEP will build on any existing Pastoral Support Plan (PSP), Individual Education Plan (IEP) and Statement of Special Educational Needs.

2. Avoidance of Disruption in Education

The Nominated Officer - in Dudley this is the Divisional Manager, Fieldwork Services or the CDT Manager - must approve of any change of placement affecting a child in Key Stage 4, except in an emergency/where the placement is terminated because of an immediate risk of serious harm to the child or to protect others from serious injury.

In those circumstances, the Local Authority must make appropriate arrangements to promote the child's educational achievement as soon as reasonably practicable.

The Nominated Officer must be satisfied as to the following:

The child's wishes and feelings have been ascertained and given due consideration;
The wishes and feelings of the parent(s) have been ascertained where the child is accommodated (where possible) and where appropriate where the child is subject to a Care Order);
The educational provision will promote educational achievement and is consistent with the PEP;
The Independent Reviewing Officer has been consulted;
The Designated Teacher at the child's school has been consulted.

Other than in Key Stage 4, where the Local Authority proposes making any change to the child's placement that would have the effect of disrupting the arrangements made for education and training, they must ensure that other arrangements are made for education or training that meet the child's needs and are consistent with the PEP.

3. Writing the PEP

The social worker is responsible for initiating, coordinating and compiling the PEP in conjunction the child’s carers.

As soon as a child becomes looked after, the child’s social worker must notify The Education Support Team and the school the child attends. The notification will be initially by telephone and must be confirmed in writing.

Where the child does not have a school placement, the child’s social worker will notify the education authority in the area where the child is placed and request that a school be identified for the child as soon as possible but at the latest within 20 working days.

The social worker will arrange a meeting involving the child, parents, carers and Designated Teacher. Where the child has no school place, a local education authority representative will be invited to attend.

The meeting must take place within 10 working days of the child’s placement. The purpose of the meeting is to agree the child’s PEP in time for the child’s first Looked After Review.

The PEP should set clear objectives and targets for the child, covering the following

An achievement record (academic or otherwise);Chronology of education and training history which provides a record of the child's educational experience and progress in terms of National Curriculum levels of attainment, including information about educational institutions attended and the reasons for leaving, attendance and conduct record, academic and other achievements, any special educational needs, an indication of the extent to which the child's education has been disrupted before entering care or accommodation;
Developmental or educational needs; Existing arrangements for education and training, including details of any special educational provision and any other provision to meet the child's educational or training needs and promote educational achievement;
Short term targets; Any planned changes to existing arrangements and provision to minimise disruption;
The child's leisure interests;
Long term plans and aspirations. Role of the appropriate person and any other person who cares for the child in promoting the child's educational achievements and leisure interests.

Once the PEP has been constructed the Social Worker must ensure that all attendees of the meeting receive a copy of the completed PEP (in terms of residential this should be placed on the child’s file), as well as the review section and the education support team.

A PEP is not recognised as being completed until the Education Support Team have acknowledged that they have received a copy.

4. PEP Reviews

The social worker will convene a meeting to review the PEP four weeks before the child’s Looked After Review. The meetings will involve the child, parents, carers and Designated Teacher.

The meeting will review the PEP and its targets and develop new targets and objectives as appropriate.

The PEP should also be reviewed and revised as necessary whenever the child has a change of placement or change of school or whenever there is a difficulty that needs resolution.

5. Communication with the School

As soon as the child is placed at a school, the child’s social worker must contact the school to arrange a visit, taking the child’s carers if possible.

The social worker and carers must liaise with the school, preferably with a Designated Teacher, in relation to any aspect of the child’s education.

This will include, where the child has special educational needs, contributing towards the review of an Individual Education Plan (IEP) or Statement of Special Education Needs (SEN).

In addition, where the child is at risk of exclusion, the social worker should contribute to the child’s Pastoral Support Plan.

The social worker is responsible for ensuring that school has the child’s up-to-date Placement Plan/Placement Information Record with details about who should attend parents’ evenings and school functions and to whom school reports should be addressed.

The social worker must also ensure that parents are involved in these events as far as is appropriate, and that copies of the child’s school reports are sent to the parents.

6. Change of School

Where the child moves school, the Designated Teacher at the previous school will send a copy of the PEP to the new school.

The child’s social worker must contact the Designated Teacher at the new school and send a copy of the child’s Placement Information Record with details of the arrangements for the child’s attendance including transport and collection.

The foster carer must contact the Designated Teacher and arrange to visit the new school as soon as possible.

The social worker must consider with the Designated Teacher whether the PEP should be revised, particularly where the child moves from primary to secondary school, or to a school outside the authority.

7. School Exclusions

Where a child is excluded from school for a fixed period, the school will provide and mark work for the child. The social worker must liaise with the carer about suitable arrangements for supervising the child’s doing the schoolwork during the day.

The reasons for the fixed term exclusion will be communicated by the school to the carer and the social worker and whoever is the most appropriate one to do so will discuss this with the child. The social worker will inform the parents.

The child's social worker must also inform the child's Independent Reviewing Officer.

When a child is permanently excluded, the social worker will liaise urgently with the Exclusions and Pupil Placement Process Manager or Exclusions Team about identifying an alternative school placement.

The Social Worker will liaise with the child, carer and parents as appropriate about the possibility of appealing against the exclusion.

8. When a Child is Worried about School

The social worker must identify someone to talk to the child and arrange for him or her to see the child - this may be the foster carer, residential social worker, the class teacher, the designated teacher (if appointed), the school nurse, the school counsellor, an outside counselling service, the social worker, the children’s advocate or independent visitor.

9. When a Child is Absent from School

The carer must notify the school and the social worker immediately if the child is too ill to attend school or for any reason does not attend school.

In addition, where the school advises the carer that the child is absent, the carer must immediately notify the social worker.

Where necessary, the Missing Children Procedures, contained in Missing Children Procedure must be followed.

In any case where the child has been absent from school for more than 10 days, the social worker should liaise with the Head Teacher, the child, parents and carers regarding any further action, which is required to address the child’s missed schooling.

10. When a Young Woman becomes Pregnant

Where a young woman becomes pregnant, the social worker must ensure that the young woman is supported to remain in education and arrange for her to receive support from the Health Project, if she so wishes.

Social Worker to Inform Attendance Support Worker (ASW) contacts who will inform Sure Start Plus.

ASW will contact the foster carer and social worker to introduce themselves. They will also liaise with named person at the young person’s school.

ASW will monitor attendance/punctuality and at 24 weeks the young person can complete their education at the Shepwell Centre.

An offsite manager will support the young person’s reintegration back into school.

The ASW will work in partnership with the offsite manager.

End