3.5.2 Education of Children Looked After

SCOPE OF THIS CHAPTER

This chapter applies to all Children Looked After.

AMENDMENTS

Section 1 & 2 were amended in August 2011 to take account of the Care Planning, Placement and Case Review Regulations (England) 2010.

The Personal Education Plan (PEP)
Avoidance of Disruption in Education
When a Child First Becomes Looked After
When a Child Moves to a New Local Authority
Change of School for Looked After Children - Advice to Schools
When a Child Needs or Joins a New School
When a Child Has No School Place
Celebrating a Child's Achievements
Reviewing and Updating PEP's
Holidays During School Term
School Attendance by Looked After Children - Advice for Schools
When a Child is Absent From School
School Exclusions
When a Young Woman Becomes Pregnant
School Transport

1. The Personal Education Plan (PEP)

The Personal Education Plan (PEP) is the central platform for the education of Children Looked After, and is incorporated within each child’s Care Plan. It is a planning tool which allows the social worker, carer and designated teacher in conjunction with the young person to set out what needs to happen to meet the educational needs of the child.

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.

All Children Looked After including those of pre-school age must have a Personal Education Plan, whether or not currently in education. It provides essential information to ensure that appropriate support is in place to enable the child to achieve the targets set. It is also a record of the child’s leisure interests and educational achievement.

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

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;
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;
Any planned changes to existing arrangements and provision to minimise disruption;
The child’s leisure interests;
Role of the appropriate person and any other person who cares for the child in promoting the child’s educational achievements and leisure interests.

2. Avoidance of Disruption in Education

The Nominated Officer 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 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 are consistent with the PEP.

3. When a Child becomes Looked After

3.1 Notification

As soon as a child becomes Looked After (if not before), the child's social worker is to notify the administrative staff to the Educational Support Team (EST) who will ensure the Knowsley Directorate for Children and Family Services and the respective education authority where the child is placed are informed.

If the child is known to have a Statement of Special Educational Needs or to be under assessment, the Educational Support Team should ensure the relevant SEN adviser is informed.

The child’s social worker must also inform the designated teacher at the child's school within 48 hours of the child becoming looked after and a Personal Education Plan meeting arranged. Regular liaison should then be maintained.

3.2 The First Personal Education Plan

The first PEP should be in place within the first 20 days of a child becoming Looked After. The Child's social worker should arrange a care planning meeting within 5 days of the child becoming looked after which should include the Designated Teacher at the school, a representative from Education Support Team, the residential staff/foster carer and other relevant professionals; and should involve the child and incorporate his or her views as far as is appropriate and possible. Where the child is excluded from school, the Head Teacher should be invited.

Where the child has no school place, Educational Support Team or the relevant Education Officer should be invited and asked to assist in the search for a school place. The SEN adviser should also be asked to assist as appropriate.

This meeting should arrange for a PEP meeting to be convened which is usually chaired by the Designated Teacher. Where the child has no school place, the meeting should be chaired by the social worker.

Its purpose is to draw up the first PEP. (The social worker and Designated Teacher should have filled in as much information as possible in advance of the meeting.)

The first PEP should:

Identify the educational and social factors that may have caused or may cause in the future a detrimental effect on the child’s educational achievement
Identify the support required to reduce the impact of these factors
Identify the child’s immediate and priority needs and targets, (e.g. to maintain the current school place, make transport arrangements, find a new school, obtain short-term interim education)
Incorporate any Individual Education Plan or other school-based plan
Identify a named PEP manager for the day to day management of the PEP and establish lines of communication between the staff/carer, school or other education staff and social worker - the basis of a working partnership
Establish boundaries of confidentiality
Agree a date for the next PEP review meeting and how and when the next (full) PEP is going to be drawn up.
Completed PEP should be distributed to those present at the meeting, the IRO and the Education Support Team

The provision of education for pupils with statements of SEN can be changed only if the child’s statement has been amended at an annual review.

3.3 Second and subsequent PEP’s

See Section 8, Reviewing and Updating PEP's.

4. When a Child Moves into a New Local Authority

If a child is placed out of the borough but continues to attend the same school as before, the procedure outlined in Section 3.2, The First Education Plan applies.

If the child is to be placed out of the borough and will need a new school, efforts to obtain a school place should (unless it is an emergency placement) begin well BEFORE s/he moves to a new placement. The relevant Education Officer and, if appropriate, the SEN adviser, should be provided with a full educational history and asked to assist in the search for a school place. The Educational Support Team must be informed by the child's social worker if they are to attend an out of borough school in order for them to inform the relevant team in the new authority.

Whenever possible a child should not be moved to a new placement until s/he also has a school place.

Where the child does not have a school place - see Section 6, When a Child has no School Place.

Pupils With Statements of Special Educational Needs

Government guidance on looked after children with special education needs can be located on the Department for Education website.

The local education authority where the child lives (unless in residential accommodation) is responsible for the placement and provision of education to a pupil who has a statement of special educational needs. The education authority for the area to which the child is moving should be requested to adopt the statement, which will need to be amended.

This needs to be planned as early as possible as it can cause long delays.

5. Change of School for Looked After Children - Advice to Schools

‘Providing real stability in school must be a priority if we are to offer children in care the best possible chance of achieving’ (Care Matters, 2006).

Children and young people who are looked after are more likely than their peers to change schools more than once and to join a school mid-term. 1 in 5 of children in care join a new school in years 7-9, outside the normal admissions round compared with just 6% of all children. Around 15% of children in care join schools after September in years 10-11 compared with only 3% of all children. This can add to the disruption that children and young people who are looked after may already be experiencing in their placements and has serious implications for exam success and building relationships within school.

Therefore, school moves should be avoided. However, if a school move is deemed to be in the best interest of the child;

The move should not take place in years 10 or 11, unless this is unavoidable (see Section 2, Avoiding of Disruption in Education)
The move should not take place in the middle of a term, unless unavoidable
The designated teacher in the originating school and the Education Support Team should be informed of the move
The new school must be informed that the pupil is looked after and the designated teacher provided with a copy of the most recent PEP
A meeting should be arranged with the new school to update the PEP
If the move is the result of a change of circumstance, e.g. emergency placement, full time educational provision must be made available within 20 days
If the new school is out of Borough, the EST will be informed in order to inform the relevant lead officers in the new authority
The “new” receiving school will normally request school records which the “old” school must provide within 15 school days
Knowsley Authority has an In-year form (previously known as “mid-year”) on which applications for Knowsley schools and centres for learning should be made and sent to the local authority Inclusion Team. From September 2010, all applications for Knowsley residents, even to schools outside the borough, must be sent directly to the Inclusion Team (admissions)
Where a looked after child is of age to join reception or year 7, the normal application form from the relevant admission booklet is to be completed
When an admission application is submitted - in year or to start school, there must be a decision made about who is submitting the form. There could be several people with parental responsibility. If more than one form is received, the Authority will require a decision on which form to accept

6. When a Child Needs or Joins a New School

Choosing and applying to a school place is primarily the child’s social workers responsibility but in exceptional circumstances may be delegated to or shared with others (e.g. the carer, The Education Support Team). Changes of school should be minimised to avoid disruption to the child's education and should not take place in the middle of a school year or in years 10 and 11, unless this is unavoidable.

School details will need to be amended on ICS.

6.1 Notification

At least one member of staff in the school - the Designated Teacher or the Head Teacher - must be informed by the Social Worker within 48 hours that the child is Looked After and be provided with a copy of the child's current PEP. Other members of staff who need to know should be identified at the PEP meeting, taking into account the child’s wishes concerning confidentiality.

6.2 Pupils with Statements of Special Educational Needs

A pupil who has a statement of special needs applies to schools through the special needs section of the local education authority maintaining the statement, not directly. Similarly, a change of schools at any other time needs the agreement of the relevant local education authority to approach the school and for the statement to be amended. This needs to be planned for as early as possible as it can cause long delays.

The child’s social worker should ensure that he/she is aware of the current position with regard to the statement, including any additional support provided and by whom.

6.3 The First PEP in a new school

A meeting should be held at the school as soon as practicable and will usually be chaired by the Designated Teacher.

A new or updated PEP should be in place within the first 20 days of a child joining a new school. Subsequent PEP’s should correspond with the Looked After Review cycle.

The first PEP in a new school should:

Identify the child’s immediate and priority needs (e.g. English as an additional language, literacy support, behaviour management)
Establish contact between residential carer/foster carer, school staff and social worker - the basis of a working partnership
Identify a named PEP manager for the day to day management of the PEP and agree who contacts whom about what
Establish boundaries of confidentiality
Share important information - perhaps including the Placement Plan
Ensure records are forwarded from the previous school and/or carer
Agree a date for the next PEP review meeting and how and when the next full PEP is going to be drawn up (this needs to take account of the Looked After Review cycle because the PEP has to be ready before or at the Review; but also term dates, parents’ evenings, school target setting days, IEP reviews, annual reviews of statements of SEN etc.)
Completed PEP should be distributed to those present at the meeting, the IRO and The Education Support Team

7. When a Child has No School Place

Finding a school place is primarily the social workers responsibility but may be delegated to or shared with others (e.g. ELAC, the residential staff/foster carer, the SEN adviser).

7.1 PEP’s

Children without a school place should still have an up-to-date PEP. It should address immediate educational needs and longer-term planning.

7.2 Children Placed within the Borough

Where the child does not have a school place because one cannot be found, or because mainstream school is not appropriate to their needs, the child’s social worker should notify and seek assistance from ELAC (and the SEN adviser, in appropriate cases). The local education authority should identify a school place within 20 working days at the latest; and should be asked to provide alternative education if a school place cannot be found immediately or is not appropriate.

7.3 Children Placed outside the Borough

Where the child does not have a school place because one cannot be found, or the child has been placed out of county at very short notice, the child’s social worker and The Educational Support Team should 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. The assistance of The Education Support Team (and the SEN adviser for Knowsley if appropriate) should also be sought. Unless 5.4 applies, that local education authority should identify a school place within 20 working days at the latest; and should be asked to provide alternative education if a school place cannot be found immediately or is not appropriate.

7.4 Pupils with Statements of Special Educational Needs

Applications for school places for pupils with a statement of special needs should be made through the special needs section of the local education authority maintaining the statement, not directly. It requires the agreement of the education authority to approach the school and for the statement to be amended. This needs to be planned for as early as possible as it can cause long delays.

Responsibility for updating the Statement will rest with the receiving authority where the child’s school is in the state sector. Where the child’s is placed in a school outside the state sector, the placing authority will retain responsibility for updating the statement.

8. Celebrating a Child’s Achievements

Children’s educational (and other) achievements should be acknowledged at one or more of the following times: at Looked After Reviews; in the PEP, at school-based meetings; in school reports; and after exams.

Recording A Child’s Achievements

A Looked After Child’s educational attainments at Key Stages 1-3, GCSE, A Level and GNVQ should be recorded, including on ICS and in the PEP.

9. Reviewing and Updating Pep’s

The Designated Teacher will generally chair PEP review meetings. The child’s social worker must ensure these take place on time.

Second and subsequent PEP’s should correspond with the Looked After Review cycle and PEP decisions and recommendations must be available to Independent Reviewing Officers at Looked After Reviews.

9.1 PEP Decisions

The participants should agree what action they will each undertake to achieve the improvements in the child’s education that they have identified through the consultation/preparation process.

9.2 PEP Recommendations

Proposals that would lead to significant changes in arrangements (e.g. a change of school, a request for a statutory assessment of a child’s special educational needs) and/or to increases in expenditure (private tuition, a jointly-funded placement) should be made in the form of Recommendations to the Looked After Review.

10. Holidays During School Term

Children of school age who are registered at a school must, by law, attend school regularly. Regular attendance is important, not just because the law requires it, but because it is the best way of ensuring that a child makes the most of the educational opportunities which are available to him/her. This is particularly so for children who are looked after. All parents are discouraged from taking their children on holiday during school term and the position for children looked after is they should not participate in any school term holiday unless in exceptional circumstances. These will be determined on an individual basis by the Service Manager with line management responsibility and agreed before any discussion is had with the child’s school

To assist the respective Service Manager make their decision, they should be provided with in writing;

The child’s age and circumstances, including the reason for a school term holiday
The proposed trip and its nature
Parental wishes
Child’s wishes
The child’s overall attendance pattern
The child's stage of education and progress

11. School Attendance by Looked After Children - Advice for Schools

Pupils who attend school on a regular basis are more likely to leave school with qualifications and have access to greater employment opportunities. Pupils with persistent absence (more than 20%, authorised or unauthorised for whatever reason) are often those who are unlikely to attain at school or stay in education after the age of 16.

The 2007 Youth Cohort Study shows that those who truanted in year 11 were less likely to be in education, employment or training by the age of 19;

	% NEET
Persistent/occasional truancy	16
No truancy	6

Those who are persistently absent from school are also significantly more likely to engage in anti-social behaviour and youth crime and are more at risk of other negative outcomes (including teenage pregnancy and drug and alcohol abuse). Poor attendance indicates to potential employers or further education/training providers, that the young person is unreliable and therefore this could have a serious impact on life chances. In Knowsley, the attendance of a significant number of CLA is unsatisfactory. More than 15% of those looked after for 12 months or more missed at least 25 days schooling during the school year 2006/2007.

Factors influencing absence from school for the general population:

Click here to view flowchart.

The National Audit Office has identified factors which contribute to poor school attendance across the general school population. Pupils who are looked after may be particularly vulnerable to experiencing a combination of these factors, so particular attention must be paid to ensure that appropriate monitoring and support systems are in place and communication between professionals and the home is effective. To achieve this;

If a child or young person is absent through illness the carer should inform the school immediately and this must be followed up with a note when the child or young person returns to school
If a child or young person is absent and school has not been informed, a first day response call must be made to the carer
Any attendance concerns should be raised with the carer immediately
As soon as the child’s attendance falls below 85% the Education Support Team should be informed and a decision will be made as to whether a multi agency meeting is necessary
No looked after young person should be taken on holiday during term time
The EST will reward good attendance

12. When a Child is Absent from School

The residential staff/carer must notify the school and the child’s social worker immediately if the child does not attend school for any reason.

In any case where the child has been absent from school for more than 10 days, the social worker should liaise with the school, the child, residential staff/carers and any other relevant person to address:

The reasons for the absence
How to ensure the child returns to education as soon as possible
Whether and how the child can be helped to catch up on what s/he has missed.

Where necessary, the Mersyside Protocol for Children Missing from Home and Care must be followed.

13. School Exclusions

NB Where a Looked After Child is excluded from school, the child’s social worker must inform the child’s Independent Reviewing Officer (IRO).

13.1 Exclusion of Looked After Children - Advice to Schools

Life for children and young people who are looked after is characterised by uncertainty and instability. The continuity which can be provided by school is vital, yet children who are looked after are 10 times more likely to be permanently excluded than their peers. Exclusion from school can put great strain on care placements and have implications for the young person’s life chances. Young people who are excluded from school in Year 10 or 11 are much less likely to be in full-time education by the age of 19 than those who have not been excluded and much more likely to be out of work.

Percentage of 19 year olds not in education, employment or training in 2007

	% NEET
Excluded in Yr 11 (fixed term of permanent)	18
Not excluded	8

‘(Exclusion) should always be the option of last resort and that for children in care in particular... every effort must be made to intervene early and prevent behaviour reaching the threshold for exclusion’. Care Matters (2006).

It is vital, that there is a collegial approach to supporting the pupil and managing his/her behaviour. There is an expectation that schools will work proactively with carers and the local authority to do everything possible to avoid excluding a child who is looked after. Therefore;

Any concerns about a looked after pupil’s behaviour should be reported immediately to the designated teacher who will ensure that the carer is informed
If behaviour becomes a serious concern, the social worker and carer must be informed and a PEP review convened
Underlying causes should be explored (e.g. change of placement) and appropriate support put in place, which may include referral to other agencies
A meeting should be arranged to review the targets in the PEP.
No looked after child would be excluded from a school/PRU without discussion with the local authority to ensure that there is suitable alternative provision elsewhere. (para 78 Improving behaviour and attendance: guidance on exclusion from schools and PRU's)
Schools should be aware that anyone legally defined as a parent - including the local authority and any person with whom the child lives - will have the right to make representation/appeal, as appropriate

12.2 Fixed term exclusions

Exclusion from school should be a last resort for children who are looked after, therefore it is important to work with the school and carers to intervene as soon as a child's behaviour becomes a cause for concern.

Where a child is excluded from school for a fixed period, the school will provide work for the child for the first five days of the exclusion. The social worker must liaise with the residential staff/carers about suitable arrangements for supervising the child doing the schoolwork during the day and ensuring the child does not go out during school hours. With effect from the sixth day the school should provide a place for the child to be educated.

The school will communicate the reasons for the exclusion to the residential staff/carer and the social worker. Whoever is the most appropriate one to do so will discuss this with the child. The social worker should inform the parents, if appropriate.

The social worker, in consultation with the child and parents, must seek advice as to whether to appeal against the decision to exclude the child.

If the child is in primary school and receives a fixed term exclusion or is in secondary school and is excluded for more than five days, the Social Worker and the Educational Support Team should ensure a reintegration meeting is held within the five days to discuss his/her return and how best this can be supported.

12.3 Permanent exclusions

When a child is permanently excluded but is remaining in the same foster or residential placement, the social worker will liaise urgently with the local education authority in which the child is living to find an alternative school placement. Again, for the first five days of the exclusion the school will provide work and the child must not be out in public during school hours. From the sixth day the local authority will arrange for a place for the child to be educated. In the case of permanent exclusion a meeting of a committee of governors will be held within fifteen days to review the decision. If the committee decides to uphold the decision to permanently exclude, an appeal can be made within fifteen school days. The appeals form can be completed by a foster carer or anyone who has parental responsibility for the child.

13. When a Young Woman becomes Pregnant

Becoming pregnant is not in itself a reason to stop attending school, nor to cease education.

Where a young woman becomes pregnant, the social worker must ensure that the young woman remains in education if at all possible and arrange for her to receive support from the education authority for the area in which she lives and/or the school she attends.

14. School Transport

In order to maintain continuity of school, those with responsibility for school transport should be approached to provide assistance with transport. A decision will be made taking into account the child’s age and the distance from the child’s address to the nearest suitable school.

End