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

Key to improve life chances  stable placement/well-being  stable education/achievement of potential

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)

Target

Will 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)

TARGET

will 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 advisers Disseminating 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 Authorities

 Key partners in ensuring challenging targets are met To 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 Strategy

 Background 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 Monitor Challenges Advocates

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 base All schools to have designated teacher Development of Personal Education Plan (Social Work key worker role)

Strategy (current)

   Keep children with own family To improve school capacity to support child in care To 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 Service BV Performance Clinic Monitoring Change in admission criteria Governing 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 Forward

 Revenue budget support for end of programme and uplift (e.g. tutors, out of school support)  Key contact in Standards Service Data Set Out of country placement Key contact in ICT service Policy commitment - plus funding for specialist placement (to prevent out of county)

Ways Forward- Some Questions

  No exclusions for CLA?

Learning Mentor linkage?

Conclusion The Challenge

Y11 2003 Children Looked After Predictions

8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 0 5A-C GNVQ 5A-G Cohort of 26 This equates to 11.5% achieving 5 A+ - C/GNVQ (Last Year 0) 1A-G Cert Series1