Schools and governing bodies should promote better outcomes for looked after children by:

• Ensuring a Designated Teacher for looked after children has been identified and is empowered to champion the needs of these pupils, influence policy and practice across the school and ensure early intervention for children in difficulty.
• Identifying a named designated governor to monitor the progress made by looked after children.
• Ensuring all looked after children have a Personal Education Plan (PEP) in place, with all those involved (including where appropriate, the young person, parent, carer, social worker and designated teacher) to play an active part in supporting their education.
• The Government intend to reform the guidance on personal Education Plans so that the learning and development needs of pre-school children in care are identified and planned.  Pre-school children will be expected to have a PEP.  This should focus on good quality play opportunities, early learning and access to appropriate nursery or other provision – rather than formal educational goals. 
• The Personal Education Plan is concerned with education in its broadest sense and should include appropriate curricular and extra-curricular targets for the young person.  Where the young person has additional needs, the IEP, PSP and Annual Review of Statement should be incorporated within the PEP not as an alternative to it.  The PEP should be used as a mechanism to identify individual need and plan and review progress for that looked after child.  It should also identify who holds parental responsibility for them.  (for further information see PEP page and guidance).
• Inviting their Area Looked After Children Education adviser to provide regular training and information
• Providing details of all Looked After pupils, their progress and attendance to the Area LAC Adviser, using the audit form sent to schools each term.

Children and Young Persons Act 2008;  Responsibility upon governing bodies as contained within the Act:

Designated member of staff at school for pupils looked after by a local authority

1. The governing body of a maintained school must designate a member of the staff at the school ( “the designated person”) as having responsibility for promoting the educational achievement of registered pupils at the school who—
   (a)are being looked after by a local authority; or
   (b)fall within subsection (6).
2. The governing body must ensure that the designated person undertakes appropriate training.
3. The appropriate national authority may by regulations make provision requiring the governing body of a maintained school to ensure that the designated person has qualifications or experience (or both) prescribed by the regulations.
4. In exercising its functions under this section a governing body of a maintained school must have regard to any guidance issued by the appropriate national authority.
5. For the purposes of subsection (1)(a) a person is “looked after by a local authority” if the person is—
   (a)
   looked after by a local authority for the purposes of the 1989 Act or the Children (Scotland) Act 1995 (c. 36); or
   (b)
   looked after by an authority for the purposes of the Children (Northern Ireland) Order 1995 (S.I. 1995/755 (N.I. 2)).
6. A person falls within this subsection if the person—
   (a)
   is a relevant child within the meaning of section 23A of the 1989 Act or article 34B of the Children (Northern Ireland) Order 1995;
   (b)
   is a former relevant child within the meaning of section 23C of the 1989 Act or article 34D of the Children (Northern Ireland) Order 1995; or
   (c)
   has been looked after by a local authority for the purposes of the Children (Scotland) Act 1995 at any time after attaining the age of 16.
7. In this section—
   “appropriate national authority” means—
   (a)
   in relation to a governing body of a maintained school in England, the Secretary of State;
   (b)
   in relation to a governing body of a maintained school in Wales, the Welsh Ministers;
   “maintained school” has the same meaning as in Chapter 1 of Part 3 of the Education Act 2002 (c. 32)(see section 39(1) of that Act);
   “registered pupil” has the same meaning as in the Education Act 1996 (c. 56)(see section 434(5) of that Act).

How can school governors promote the interests of looked after children?
Looked-after children as a group are no less able than their peers but they often underachieve. Their lives are often characterised by instability and many spend too much time out of school. As a result they fall behind with school work and often do not receive the help and support they need to catch up.

School governors have an important role to play in championing the needs of looked-after children on their school's roll. They can ensure that designated teachers for this vulnerable group and other relevant staff understand how they can actively support local authorities to discharge their duty under the Children Act 2004 to promote the educational achievement of looked-after children. In particular, school governors can help ensure that the needs of looked-after children are reflected in the school’s development plan and self-evaluation.

Every Child Matters

Every child matters, the Government’s vision for children’s services, was published in September 2003.  It proposed reshaping children’s services to help achieve the outcomes children and young people feel are key to well-being in childhood and later life.

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

Every Child Matters:  Change for Children explains how the new Children Act 2004 forms the basis of a long-term programme of change.  This document is one of a series that describe the implications for different services.  All of these documents and others referred to in the text are available at the Every Child Matters website.
Whether you are a headteacher, a teacher, a teaching assistant, a member of the support staff or a governor, everyone in a school has a role to play.

Connexions

Connexions is an advice and guidance service for all young people aged 13-19 and up to 25 for those with special needs.  Connexions aims to ensure a smooth transition into adult life for all young people.
The Connexions Card is an exciting initiative to recognise and reward learning whether at school, sixth form college or in work-based training.

Connexions Card are available online.

Statutory duties on Local Authorities

This guide describes the current developments and publications which schools and teachers can draw on for advice and information about looked after children. It also offers a growing support network which children themselves can be helped to access.

Background

It's estimated that around 60,000 young people are currently living in public care in residential and foster homes, separated from their families. These children need schools to be a channel of vital support in their lives. This guide describes some of the current developments and publications which schools and teachers can draw on for advice and information, and also the growing support network which children themselves can be helped to access.

Looked After Children do not perform as well educationally as those who grow up in their own homes or with adoptive families. Many have their education disrupted, or fall behind. Young people who have been in care are hugely over-represented among rough sleepers, prisoners and runaways. The good news is that their educational attainment has been recognised as a source of major concern and that many initiatives are in place to address the issue.  Kent County Council are working very hard to tackle the issue of educational underachievement among children in care and believes it is very important to have high expectations and aspirations of these young people.

Education Protects

The Education Protects programme was launched in June 2000 to support and further improve the educational attainment of children in public care. It is jointly funded by the Department of Health and the Department for Education and Skills (the two departments issued joint guidance in May 2000).

See the Education Protects website for more information on the programme, including details of regional contacts, network meetings, news and events. There is a discussion forum as well as good practice examples from local authorities. This site also provides links to key documents relating to children in care, and opens in a new window.

The Social Exclusion Unit and young people in care

May 2003 saw the launch of the Social Exclusion Unit (SEU) practice guide: A Better Education for Children in Care: The Issues to support local authorities as they take action to improve the education of children in care. Visitors to the SEU's website can also read about the unit's work with young people in care and find out about the new targets for children in care. There are also links to seven fact sheets published by the SEU covering the following areas:

• access to out-of-school activities
• access to school
• early years
• health
• post-16
• support in education
• support at home

Health care programme

Healthy Care is a national programme, funded by the Department for Children, Schools and Families, that aims to promote the health and well-being of 'looked after children' and young people. A Healthy Care handbook (plus other resources) is available for those who are involved in or concerned about the care of looked after children and young people. For further information visit Healthy Care: National Children's Bureau website.

National service framework (NSF) for children, young people and maternity services

The children's NSF sets standards for health and social services for children, young people and pregnant women. Visit NSF for children, young people and maternity services webpage.

National electronic library for mental health

Visit the National Electronic Library for Mental Health webpage.

Taking part project

Funded by the Department of Health and the Department for Children, Schools and Families, developed and managed by ContinYou, the Taking Part project aims to raise the achievement of 'looked after children' and of good corporate parenting. It has been used as a strong example of Every Child Matters in practice. Visit the DfES: Study Support section where you can find out about the Taking Part project.

Young minds

Support and information for professionals working with 'looked after children' and young people on issues relating to emotional well-being and mental health. Visit the Young Minds webpage.

Additional information

• Supporting Looked After Learners DfES guidance to school governors - pdf format
• Statutory guidance on the duty of local authorities - important information - pdf format
• Supporting People from a care background in higher education - 16+
• Supporting People from a care background in higher education - 16+: Financial Support

A brief overview for school staff

The Report from the Social Exclusion Unit examines the barriers that prevent children in care achieving their educational potential, and highlights specfic areas of action to improve their life changes. These are:

• Greater stability - so that children in care do not have to move home or school so often;
• Less time out of school - longer in education - help with school admissions, better access to education with more support to help children in care attend school regularly and stay on after 16;
• Help with schoolwork - more individual support tailored to the child backed by more training for teachers and social workers;
• More help from home to support schoolwork - by giving carers better training in children's education;
• Improved health and wellbeing - with teachers, social care staff, health workers and carers all working together in the interests of the child.

'Must read' documents for all school staff and governors

The Common Assessment Framework (CAF) for Children and Young People is a key part of the strategy to shift the focus from dealing with the consequences of difficulties in children's lives to preventing things from going wrong in the first place. It is a nationally standardised approach to conducting an assessment of the needs of a child or young person and deciding how those needs should be met.
www.everychildmatters.gov.uk

Education Protects Guidance for on the education of children in Public Care:
www.dfes.gov.uk/educationprotects/index.cfm

Raising Achivement of children in Public Care available on:
www.ofsted.gov.uk

All local authorities (LAs) have a statutory duty to promote the educational achievement of the children they look after, regardless of where they live.  This fits into their wider role as a corporate parent:  Las must strive to offer everything that a good parent would in order to make sure that the children they look after reach their full potential.  Statutory guidance on what Las need to do to discharge that duty was published in 2005;  revised guidance will be available later in the spring of 2010.

Narrowing the gap between the achievement of looked-after children and their peers.

In 2008, 14 per cent of looked-after children achieved five A*-C grades at GCSE, compared to 65.3 per cent for all children.  Because looked-after children achieve significantly poorer educational outcomes than all children it is a major priority of Government to narrow this gap.

That is why Public Service Agreement 11 (PSA 11) aims to “Narrow the gap in educational achievement between children from low income and disadvantaged backgrounds and their peers.  For looked-after children, this translates into three national targets for 2011 which are:

• For 20 per cent of all LAC who have been in care for 12 months to achieve five A*-C GCSE or equivalent grades.
• For 55 per cent of all LAC who have been in care for 12 months to reach level 4 at Key Stage 2 in mathematics.
• For 60 per cent of all LAC who have been in care for 12 months to reach level 4 at Key Stage 2 in English.

A national strategy to improve education outcomes for looked after children.

In order to drive improvements, DCSF has developed a national strategy which is made up of four main components.

1. A virtual school head in every LA who will champion the education of looked-after children, including those placed out of authority, as if they were in a single school.  Virtual school heads are a key part of how a local authority can demonstrate that it is meeting its legal duty to promote the educational achievement of the children it looks after.
2. A designated teacher for looked-after children in all maintained schools.  Designated teachers are responsible for promoting educational achievement within individual schools.  Their role is set out in Statutory guidance for school governing bodies on the role and responsibilities of designated teachers.
3. The commitment that all looked-after children at risk of not reaching expected standards of attainment are eligible for a personal education allowance.  There is Statutory guidance on personal education allowances which local authorities must act under unless there is a good reason for not doing so.
4. The offer of one-to-one tuition to all looked-after children who would benefit from this kind of additional support.  From September 2010, as part of the Pupil Guarantee, all looked-after children in Key Stage 2 and Year 7 will be entitled to one-to-one tuition.

Every LA must set statutory annual targets for the achievement of all the children they look after at Key Stage 2 and Key Stage 4.  this is done as part of the school and local authority targets (SALTs) process and make sure that there is a robust strategic plan with specific actions in place (which includes the use of personal education allowances and one-to-one tuition) which will help them meet the targets they set.

Supporting education and training beyond compulsory schooling

Local authorities have on-going responsibilities to support looked-after children as they make the transition to adulthood.  That means supporting them to continue their education and training.  This is why LAs, as part of their duties to care leavers, must pay a bursary to all former relevant children who are undertaking a recognised course of higher education.  Details about the bursary are set out in the Children Act 1989 (Higher Education Bursary) Regulations 2009 and further details about how these should be administered are included in the HE Bursary FAQs.  For further information please go to the DCSF website.