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Contents

1. Policy Statement
2. Introduction
3. Status and Scope of the Policy
4. Legislative Framework
5. Need
6. Quality Standards
7. Core Offer of Services
8. Implementation and Review of Policy
9. Information Resources
   
   Appendix 1: Outcomes for Looked After Children
   
   Appendix 2: Maps
   
   Appendix 3: Initial Core Offer for Looked After Children
   
   Appendix 4: Key Process Areas for Ensuring Accountability of Outcomes
   
   Appendix 5: Information Collected on LAC Education
   
   Footnotes

1. Policy Statement

In Kensington and Chelsea we believe that education is a passport to adult success, achievement and well-being. We are committed to opening doors to educational opportunities for looked after children by identifying  underachievement and tackling barriers to learning. Every looked after child has the right to realise their true potential and we encourage this by promoting educational achievements, play opportunities and engagement with hobbies, sports, cultural and arts activities. We understand that our responsibilities to looked after children demand an integrated response across the Council and to be successful, require effort, commitment, creativity and determination from Elected Members and all staff and partners working with Looked After children. 

2. Introduction

The policy is intended to be ambitious and sets out the Royal Borough’s aspirations for improving looked after children’s educational outcomes. We will continue what we already do well, but new approaches and stronger collaborative arrangements are necessary to make a significant difference for Looked After children.

A good education experience is the single most important factor in improving children's’ economic life chances. Our commitment to provide the best possible education for our looked after children begins with our ‘core offer’, which across a range of services, describes how educational achievement is promoted, encouraged and sustained. 

As corporate parents we have high aspirations. Our priorities are:

• to narrow the gap in educational achievement between looked after children and their peers;
• to ensure each looked after child is supported to realise their potential, has an independence of mind and a curiosity for knowledge and learning;
• to ensure that young people who are angry or unhappy have access to independent advocacy which will ensure that high quality education and emotional support is available;
• to provide access to supplementary education, with a particular focus on those attending schools outside the Borough;
• to promote broad learning experiences that lead to adult fulfilment, free from poverty and dependence.

The policy has four principal components:

• Aspirations and statutory accountability for looked after children’s education;
• Legislative, policy and research context;
• Quality standards based on a commitment to best practice.
• Core offer of services promoting positive outcomes;

3. Status and Scope of the Policy

In Kensington and Chelsea looked after children’s education has high status and we are committed to championing their entitlement to the best educational opportunities, including negotiating on their behalf with education providers in other Boroughs. We take our duty to fulfil the statutory duty under section 22 (3) (a) of the Children Act 1989, as amended by section 52 of the Children Act 2004, seriously and ensure that staff and carers are aware of their responsibilities. 

This policy concerns all those staff, carers and Elected Members with responsibilities for Looked After children and care leavers. More detailed arrangements are set out in the Family and Children’s Services staff guidance and procedures. Children’s homes and the fostering service have their own written education policies. These documents set out the arrangements for ensuring regular school attendance, high quality homework and reading support, Personal Education Plans (PEP), robust monitoring of progress and  effective liaison between home and school.

4. Legislative Framework

The Education Act 2002 sets out schools’ duty to promote a child’s wider well-being. The section 52 implementation guidance stipulates that schools should be encouraged to have an agreed policy on: 

• educational provision and support within the school for looked after children on their roll, regardless of whether they are looked after by the authority where the school is located; and
• the school’s role in taking a proactive approach in cooperating with and supporting local authorities with regard to the education of looked after children attending the school.

Under the Children (Leaving Care) Act 2000, the Council has additional responsibilities towards looked after children to support them through transition to adulthood until the age of 21 or, in some instances, beyond.

A fuller list of relevant statutory and non-statutory guidance is provided through the Internet links in Section 9, Information Resources.

5. Need

Looked After children are individuals in their own right. They all have distinct identities, aspirations and needs that are shaped by their pre-placement experience, racial origins, religious beliefs, socio-economic status, gender, sexuality and whether they have learning difficulties or disabilities.

At any one time there are 250-270 children looked after by the Royal Borough. 140 are of statutory school age but only 35 attend maintained schools in the Borough (footnote 1). The resulting dispersion of looked after children across Greater London and beyond, presents a major challenge in seeking to improve educational achievements. A significant proportion (21%) have a Statement of Special Education Needs (SEN) and a small group (8%) are disabled.

Placements are triggered by a range of circumstances e.g. abuse, neglect, parental illness, family breakdown, offending behaviour or international conflict. Some children develop coping skills that enable them to excel in school and attract positive attention from those around them. For others, their capacity to concentrate is affected and they are unable to make the most of the learning opportunities available to them.

The length of our involvement in looked after children’s education varies. Approximately 30% of placements last less than six months and 13% end in less than eight weeks as the aim is, wherever possible, to return children to their parents. Children with emotional and behaviour problems can also have a succession of placement changes within a short period of time before stable living arrangements can be made. 

6. Quality Standards

The policy will only be effective if translated into actions that make a real difference to looked after children’s educational outcomes. The capacity for change lies within the services that collectively make up the core offer, as set out in section 6.  The standards, that follow, are intended to raise the bar of current good practice and reflect our commitment to tackle underachievement in order to provide children with a broad and positive educational experience.

Standard 1:  Every looked after child has at least one adult who takes a special interest in them to help identify educational needs and achieve stretching personal goals for their education.

Standard 2:  Children have the right to engage in play and enjoy access to recreational activities as well as participating freely in cultural activities and the arts.

Standard 3:  Children residing and/or attending school outside the Borough can expect the same high standard of service as in-Borough looked after children.

Standard 4:  Barriers to educational achievement will be identified and action taken to address issues that prevents the child from reaching his or her full potential.

Standard 5:  Educational providers are informed about the particular needs, education history and circumstances of looked after children.

Standard 6:  A high quality Personal Education Plan (PEP) is drawn up for every looked after child of pre-school and statutory school age and reviewed in accordance with statutory timescales. 

Standard 7:  Young people will be given a second chance to re-enter examinations and obtain qualifications wherever possible.

Standard 8: Parents and Carers are encouraged and supported to aim high for the child and help the child take full advantage of the educational opportunities available in the wider community.

Standard 9:  Staff involved in promoting the educational achievement of children looked after are offered specialist training in breaking down barriers to educational achievement.

Standard 10:  There is close tracking and monitoring of attendance and educational progress to address non-attendance and underachievement.

Standard 11:  Children’s educational achievements are promoted, acknowledged and celebrated.

Standard 12: Every child is guaranteed computer and internet access to support their education.

These standards will be used to develop and raise the core offer for looked after children.

7. Core Offer of Services

The aspirations and commitments are demonstrated in practice by the core offer of services provided to looked after children and care leavers as set out at Appendix 3. Arrangements for take up of services are made through the care planning process or directly with the social worker.

All looked after children are entitled to a professionally qualified social worker. Three key process areas drive their work and ensure accountability for educational outcomes:

1. assessment
2. planning and
3. reviewing.

Further details are set out at Appendix 4.

A set of national performance indicators provide measures for tracking and monitoring looked after children’s educational outcomes. These are set out in Appendix 5.

Resources committed to looked after children are kept under constant review to ensure that the ambition and priorities of this policy are realised.

8. Implementation and Review of Policy

The priorities for promoting educational achievement are consistent with those in the Children and Young People’s Plan, and will be reflected in Family and Children’s Services business planning over the next three years.

An Action Plan will be drawn up to ensure demonstrable improvements against agreed standards and priorities. The plan will be subject to regular monitoring by the Looked After Children’s Education Group, and actions revised to reflect progress against identified objectives.

9. Information Resources

An up to date list of statutory guidance and resources to promote educational achievement is available on the Department for Children, Schools and Families website.

Help for parents, carers and social workers on school issues is available from The Advisory Centre for Education (ACE) an independent charity providing advice, information and support about children's education in maintained schools.

Appendix 1: Outcomes for Looked After Children

The Government's aim, as set out by Every Child Matter, is for every child, whatever their background or their circumstances, to have the support they need to:

• Be healthy
• Stay safe
• Enjoy and achieve
• Make a positive contribution
• Achieve economic well-being

Every Child Matters sets out five specific aims for achieving the Enjoying and Achieving outcome:

1. Children and Young People are ready for School
2. Children and Young People attend and enjoy school
3. Children and Young People achieve stretching national educational   standards at primary school
4. Children and Young People achieve personal and social development and enjoy recreation
5. Children and Young People achieve stretching national educational standards at secondary school

The inspection judgements are:

1. Parents and carers receive support in helping their children to enjoy and achieve;
2. Early years provision promotes children's development and well-being and helps them meet early learning goals;
3. Action is taken to ensure that educational provision 5-16 is of good quality;
4. Children and young people are enabled and encouraged to attend and enjoy school and to achieve highly;
5. Educational provision is made for children who do not attend school;
6. All children and young people can access a range of recreational activities, including play and voluntary learning provision;
7. Children and young people who are looked after are helped to enjoy and achieve;
8. Children and young people with learning difficulties and/or disabilities are helped to enjoy and achieve.

The evidence of services contribution to the above judgements are:

1. Training is provided for early years staff, with particular attention to the needs of vulnerable and under-achieving groups
2. There are sufficient, suitable and accessible school places
3. There are safe and accessible places where children & young people can play and socialise
4. The progress of individual children & young people in educational, personal, social and emotional outcomes is regularly reviewed and communicated between agencies, and targets revised accordingly

As a local authority judged by inspectors to be excellent we need to demonstrate that we are grade 4 for enjoying and achieving (Inspection of Children's Services: Grade Descriptors):

"Almost all vulnerable, minority ethnic and other groups of children and young people make better than expected progress given their starting points, and achieve high standards in relation to their capability".

"Effective partnership working, including links with voluntary groups and private providers, is well established and contributes strongly to outcomes which are of clear benefit to children and young people. The responses of most children and young people to the vast majority of service provision are very positive".

"Recreational, cultural and leisure facilities are wide-ranging, imaginative, and accessible. They demonstrably meet the needs, wishes and diverse interests of most children and young people and consequently are used very well".

The JAR inspection criteria (Every Child Matters: Inspection of Children's Services; Key Judgements and Illustrative Evidence) for "children and young people who are looked after are helped to enjoy and achieve" is:

• Action is taken to ensure that Looked After Children have education and training placements which reflect their particular needs
• Looked After  Children have an effective Personal Education Plan which is implemented, and support is given to carers to ensure that children participate in education and achieve to their potential
• Educational providers are informed about the particular needs and circumstances of Looked After Children
• Every school has a designated teacher for looked after children
• Looked After Children are encouraged and given practical support in participating in a range of cultural and leisure activities, and in developing their individual interests
• Supplementary educational support is provided to those  Looked After Children who need it

Appendix 2: Maps

Maps circulated separately

1. LAC School Placements in England
2. LAC School Placements in London
3. LAC School Placements in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea

Appendix 3: Initial Core Offer for Looked After Children

(To be revised and re-submitted as part of the Action Plan to implement the policy - September Cabinet)

Type of Service		Service Offer
1.	School Admission Service	All RBKC schools' admission criteria give looked after children priority in accordance with the law.
2.	Child care, play and out of school learning	A designated Play Inclusion Officer in the Play Service is available to provide advice on access to universal and specialist provision e.g. holiday play schemes, home work clubs, play therapy, play opportunities for those with learning difficulties and physical disabilities; the Royal Borough's 12 school-based play centres provide free places to Looked After Children requiring after school learning and play. the Play Inclusion Officer will meet with the Looked After Children Team to explore opportunities for joint working.  Officers will consider the potential for increased referrals to the Play Service for children in need of after school learning and play opportunities; priority access is provided to children looked after in children's centres to support their social and emotional development and ensure that they reach important developmental milestones; children's centres provide a range of family support services alongside childcare, including advisory services, health services, and supervised and non-supervised contact for the families of Looked After Children.
3.	Nursery, Primary and Secondary schools	All children have access to a designated teacher who is responsible for promoting educational achievement within the school which includes: identifying educational needs and provide teaching and additional resources as identified in the Personal Education Plan (PEP) to raise educational achievement; ensure the child's PEP is acted on and the child is supported to achieve personal goals; facilitate the smooth transition to a new school and transfer of papers if the child has to move or; prepare the child for secondary school by being sensitive to the specific circumstances of being looked after; ensure there is a policy for looked after children that all staff and Governing body are aware of and adhere to;
4.	Education Welfare Service	A designated LAC Education Welfare officer is available to ensure that co-ordinated support is provided to improve attendance and emotional and behavioural problems; All LAC attending RBKC Secondary schools and a number of Primary schools have access to resources funded by the Behaviour Improvement Programme (BIP); If a LAC is excluded from a BIP school they are eligible to attend the Golborne BIP Education base throughout the period of their exclusion. The aim of the Base is to ensure pupils do not fall behind in their schoolwork while being given expert advice and support in addressing any behavioural concerns. Permanently excluded LAC can attend the Golborne BIP base before moving to the PRU of the Borough of residence;
5.	Education Psychology Consultation Service	Pupils who are looked after are raised as a priority with the schools for consultation on a regular basis;  The EPCS works with the schools in Kensington and Chelsea over children and young people who are looked after;
6.	Special Educational and Additional Needs	LAC are prioritised for purposes of statutory assessment; Special Needs Co-ordinators (SENCOS) provide support to LAC in schools and ensures access and the full participation in education for pupils with additional needs;
7.	Language Development Service	The LDS focuses on raising the achievement of ethnic minority pupils, in particular those developing English as an Additional Language, refugees, asylum seekers and travellers.
8.	School Improvement Service	Standards and progress of looked after children is monitored by the School Improvement Adviser / School Improvement Partner annually as part of regular evaluation visits.
9.	Specialist provision (Pupil Support Service):	Those LAC who find themselves without a school place, for whatever reason, will be provided with specialist interim education by the Royal Borough's Pupil Support Service (PSS); A support package will be provided with the aim of, wherever possible, returning the pupil to a mainstream school.
10.	Locality social work team	Social workers ensure schools are informed about the particular needs and circumstances of looked after children; Social workers complete PEPs that identifies the child's educational needs and sets out goals that are challenging and appropriate for his/her age, development and circumstances; Social workers liaise with carers and schools to obtain information and implement actions from the PEP; Social workers ensure that children, parents and carers are fully involved in educational planning; Social workers promote wider learning opportunities in their work with children, parents and carers.
11.	LAC Review and Support team	The LAC review and support function provide additional services to promote education, health and emotional well-being; Independent Reviewing Officers (IRO) are responsible for monitoring the local authority's function as a corporate parenting in respect of the statutory duty to review a child's Care Plan. They have a key role in ensuring that the decisions agreed as being necessary to meet the child's needs are implemented; LAC teachers provide support as identified in the PEP and liaise with schools on issues that requires their input and ensure that additional support is provided where required e.g. tutoring, access to life chances budget; Ensures provision to computers and internet access
12.	Children with disabilities	Parents are fully involved in their children's education and able to contribute to their educational planning. Social workers ensure that children have access to play and opportunities for enjoyment Children with disabilities have access to specialist social work support that provides routes into health and specialist care resources; Respite services are provide to CWD and their families, and aims to provide a stimulating environment and a positive social experience that will help equip children to access the educational curriculum. For children with physical disabilities the OT service will work with the relevant other OT services to ensure the child can access buildings use equipment etc. The CWD team jointly funds boarding school placements for those children where there have been serious concerns about parenting. The team oversees the transitions process to plan and enable children to access further education where possible.
13.	Library Services	All services offered by the Library Services are available to Looked After Children, these include: story and craft sessions, Baby Rhyme Time, Bookstart and Surestart, The Summer Reading Challenge and events and other regular events and activities. They will provide collections of books and resources to Children's Homes and units for long or short-term loan and offer regular sessions for foster parents.
14.	Connexions/ Capital Career Service	Provide intensive support to help unaccompanied minors stay within the mainstream setting of education or other learning e.g. ESOL Support from PAs to access information, advice and guidance needed for transition alongside other support services
15.	Youth Support Development team	Provide priority access to youth service provision Looked After Children are invited to take part in the Youth Forum Arrange specific events for LAC Provide a lead Sports development officer for LAC Actions to deliver LAA targets to support educational outcomes and young people's participation
16.	Adult Education Service	Provides a community based programmes that target parents with poor language, literacy and numeracy skills in community locations.
17.	Involvement and Participation	parenting forum's role in promoting education LAC advocacy and support (Jessica's role) Access to KC Central
18.	Training and Development	Joint training with teachers and other education staff, social workers, carers, residential workers and youth workers. Induction for new staff Information and updates to Governors to remind them of their responsibilities.
19.	Independence Support Team	All young people eligible for leaving care support under the Children (Leaving Care) Act 2000 are entitled to a pathway plan that sets out: the young person's education and training needs arrangements for  ensuring young people are provided with housing, financial support and access to training and employment opportunities.
20.	Youth Offending Team	Provide social work support for children who are committed by the courts to custody and placed in specialist children's home or secure accommodation. This involves working closely with the Looked After Children's Education team to ensure educational needs are identified and met. Prioritise looked after children in work to reduce incidences that involve them in offending through restorative justice approaches
21.	Foster Carers	Provides a quiet place to work, encouragement and support with home work, books and learning resources, attends parents evenings and is keeping themselves up to date about the child's educational achievement; ensures the child has access to a PC and internet access to support their studies; undertakes work identified in the PEP to remove barriers to learning and supports the child in receiving additional support where required and reports progress to the social worker
22.	Residential workers	provides a quiet place to work, encouragement and support with home work, books and learning resources, attends parents evenings and is keeping themselves up to date about the child's educational achievement; ensures the child has access to a PC and internet access to support their studies; undertakes work identified in the PEP to remove barriers to learning and supports the child in receiving additional support where required and reports progress to the social worker

Appendix 4: Key Process Areas for Ensuring Accountability of Outcomes

All looked after children have their own allocated qualified social worker to oversee care planning and ensure personal goals for their education are reached. Integral to this is the involvement and participation of children and young people in all aspects of their care. Good recording and accurate and up-to-date information is essential for these processes to be effective.

• Assessment: When a child or young person becomes looked after, an up to date Core assessment is required and is used to inform his or her first Care Plan. A core assessment continues the process of collecting the information necessary to identify the child's developmental needs, including education needs, family circumstances and the child's environment. The assessment provides the baseline for subsequent monitoring of the progress of children and young people who are looked after.
• Planning:  A child can not become Looked After unless there is a plan in place to ensure that the carer is informed about the child's health, education and developmental needs and arrangements are in place for the child attending nursery or school as well as maintaining family contact.  There are four types of plans that have different but complimentary functions:
• Placement Plan: The Placement Plan sets out the arrangements, which should to be in place when a child or young person becomes looked after, including the school placement. It also provides a record for more detailed information about the child or young person's day to day routines such as arrangement for home work, additional education support, play and out of school activities.
• Care Plan: The Care Plan sets out clearly the objectives for the care of the child or young person, and the steps by which the objectives will be reached. The Care Plan for a child or young person can only be changed following a statutory childcare review. In some cases the Care Plan contains direction from the Court and must be followed accordingly.
• Personal Education Plan (PEP): the purpose of the PEP is to provide access to services and support. It also intended to contribute to stability, minimise disruption and broken schooling; signal particular and special needs; establish clear goals and acts as a record of progress and achievement. The PEP is an integral part of placement planning, see section above, and is initiated by the child's social worker in partnership with the child or young person and their designated teacher, parent and/or carer. For children with a statement of Special Education Needs (SEN) the PEP sits alongside the Individual Education Plan (IEP).
• Pathway Plan: The purpose of the Pathway Plan is to ensure that the young person is prepared for leaving care and live independently. It should set out the actions and services required to provide support to help the young person achieve independence and economic well-being. It is essential that a needs assessment is completed to inform the Pathway plan it should also take into account the existing PEP. Arrangements to complete the assessment and plan should be made at the child's Statutory Review meeting prior to their sixteenth birthday. For young people with disabilities the Pathway Plan sits alongside the transition plan.
• Reviewing: The Children Act 1989 Regulations and Guidance requires the care provided to children and young people to be reviewed at regular intervals. Volumes 3 and 4 of the Regulations and Guidance specify the frequency and content of statutory reviews and who should be involved. It considers the main areas of progress achieved since the child or young person became looked after, or since the last review, any new issues or significant changes in the child and/or family's situation, which have arisen since the last review. Areas where progress has been partly or not attained should also be covered.  The PEP should be considered within the context of the review and the discussion and decision taken should form part of the review record.

Appendix 5: Information Collected on LAC Education

General education

The No. eligible to receive full-time schooling during the 2002/2003 school year

and of these: the number who at any time during the school year: - were covered by a statement of special educational needs

received a permanent exclusion from school

missed at least 25 days of school for any reason

Key Stage information

Key Stage 1

Number in year 2 at school who were eligible for the end of Key Stage 1 and tasks and tests

Of these:     - the number who sat all these tasks and tests

Number of pupils that achieved level 3 in the reading test or, where level 3 was not achieved in the test, the number that have achieved level 2 in the reading task (i.e. levels 2C, 2B and 2A)

Number who attained at least level 2 in the following : - writing task

mathematics task / test

Key Stage 2

Number in year 6 at school who were eligible for the end of Key Stage 2 tests

Of these:    - the number who sat all of these tests

Number who attained at least level 4 in the following tests: - English

Mathematics

Science

Key Stage 3

Number in year 9 at school who were eligible for the end of Key Stage 3 tests

Of these:  - the number who sat all these tests

Number who attained at least level 5 in the following tests: - English

Mathematics

Science

GCSEs and GNVQs

Number in year 11 at school who were eligible for GCSE (or equivalent ) examinations

Of these:  - the number who sat at least 1 of these examinations

the number who obtained at least 1 GCSE (or equivalent) at grade A* to G

the number who obtained at least 5 GCSEs (or equivalent) at grade A* to G

the number who obtained at least 5 GCSEs (or equivalent) at grade A* to C

Position at age 16 and over

The number in Year 11 at school who were eligible for GCSE (or equivalent) examinations

Of these:  - the number who at 30 Sept 2003:   - were in full time education

were in full time training

were in full time employment, with planned training

were in full time employment with no planned training

were in part-time employment, education or training

were unemployed as a result of ill-health or a disability

were unemployed for any other reason

Footnotes

1. as of April 2000

End