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)

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)

Ways Forward- Some Questions

No exclusions for CLA?Learning Mentor linkage?

ConclusionThe Challenge

Y11 2003 Children Looked After Predictions

0

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

5A-C GNVQ 5A-G 1A-G Cert

Series1

Cohort of 26This equates to 11.5% achieving 5 A+ - C/GNVQ(Last Year 0)