Leigh Sacred Heart Catholic Primary School

Education of Children Looked After and Previously Looked After children    

Introduction

This policy is intended as a guide for schools to adapt and personalise, to meet the needs of their children looked-after (CLA) and previously looked-after children (PLAC). All information and areas of focus in this document are taken from or based upon the statutory guidance published in February 2018.

Any policy for the education of CLA and PLAC should be considered alongside this statutory guidance.

The Designated Teacher for Looked-after and Previously Looked-after Children – Statutory Guidance on their Roles and Responsibilities. DfE, February 2018.

https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/683561/The_designated_teacher_for_looked-after_and_previously_looked-after_children.pdf 

School mission statement Live and Learn with Jesus

THE ROLE OF THE GOVERNING BODY

The Governors will carry out their role in line with statutory guidance. The governing body of Sacred Heart, Leigh is committed to providing high quality education for all its pupils, based on equality of opportunity, access and outcomes.  The governing body recognises the need to champion performance, for CLA and PLAC, and is committed to improving outcomes for them.

The Designated Governor in school is …

The governing body is committed to ensuring that CLA and PLAC are supported as fully as possible and will ensure that the following are in place, and are working effectively:

• A Designated Governor for CLA and PLAC
• A Designated Teacher for CLA and PLAC
• Personal Education Plans (PEPs)
• The Designated Teacher, as a minimum, will have two days a year for training opportunities specific to factors that impact on the attainment of CLA and PLAC.
• All staff in school will have a clear understanding of the issues that affect CLA and PLAC; their learning needs; how to support them in school and issues relating to confidentiality.

The Governing body will hold the school to account on how it supports its CLA and PLAC, including:

• How the Pupil Premium Plus (PP+) is used
• The level of pupil progress

THE ROLE OF THE DESIGNATED TEACHER

The Designated Teacher will carry out their role in line with statutory guidance.

The Designated Teacher is the central point of initial contact within Sacred Heart, Leigh. They ensure that the school plays its role to the full in making sure arrangements are joined up and minimise any disruption to a child’s learning.

The Designated Teacher is Mrs H Ahmed

The Designated Teacher will take lead responsibility for ensuring school staff understand how the whole school supports the educational achievement of these pupils. Our school will make sure that all staff:

• Have high expectations of children’s learning and set targets to accelerate educational progress.
• Are aware of the emotional, psychological and social effects of loss and separation (attachment awareness and trauma informed practice).
• Understand how important it is to see children as individuals.
• Appreciate the central importance of the CLA’s PEP.
• For PLAC, understand the importance of involving the child’s parents or guardians in decisions affecting their child’s education, and be a contact for parents or guardians who want advice or have concerns about their child’s progress at school.

The Designated Teacher will have a direct and day-to-day role in promoting the educational achievement of CLA and PLAC. They will:

• Contribute to the development and review of whole school policies and procedures.
• Ensure the pupil premium plus is used effectively within school to have the greatest positive impact on children’s learning. This includes: ensuring parents and guardians of PLAC are reminded that they need to inform the school if their child is eligible to attract PP+.
• Ensure CLA and PLAC are prioritised for support; listened to; encouraged to participate; and believe they can achieve through an ethos of aspiration.
• The Designated Teacher will co-chair Personal Education Plan (PEP) meetings and make a record of discussions and decisions, so that each child has access to the support they need to achieve. These meetings will take place a minimum of three times per academic year to review support and deploy effective resources.

• The Designated Teacher will closely monitor school attendance and suspensions. When a child is at risk of either a fixed term suspension or permanent exclusion, the Designated Teacher - working with the VSH, social care and the child’s carers - will be asked to consider what additional assessment and support is needed to address the cause of the child’s behaviour and prevent the need for suspension.

Also see The Good Behaviour Policy

THE ROLE OF THE HEADTEACHER AND LEADERSHIP TEAM

• Provide an annual report on the provision for, and progress of, CLA and PLAC, to the Governing body.
• Ensure staff are aware that the provision to support CLA and PLAC is a key school priority.
• Give the Designated Teacher for CLA and PLAC, the time and facilities to carry out his / her job description and to support them at all times in their work.
• Ensure the voice of CLA and PLAC is a vital part of successfully understanding and meeting their needs.
• Ensure Pupil Premium Plus is allocated and used for the benefit of CLA and PLAC to support progress, attainment, engagement and well-being.
• Provide continuing professional development for staff on issues pertaining to CLA and PLAC, such as Attachment and Trauma.
• Work in partnership with the Virtual School, Children’s Social Care and other relevant services to share information and promote progress and achievement.

ALL SCHOOL STAFF WILL

• Have high expectations of and aspirations for CLA and PLAC’s learning and set targets to accelerate educational progress.
• Be aware of the emotional, psychological and social effects of loss and separation (attachment awareness) from birth families and that some children may find it difficult to build relationships of trust with adults because of their experiences, and how this might affect the child’s behaviour.
• Understand how important it is to see CLA and PLAC as individuals rather than as a homogeneous group, not publicly treat them differently from their peers, and show sensitivity about who else knows about their legal status.

• Appreciate the central importance of the PEP in helping to create a shared understanding between teachers, carers, social workers and, most importantly, the child’s own understanding of how they are being supported;
• Have the level of understanding they need of the role of social workers, Virtual School Heads and carers, and how the function of the PEP fits into the wider care planning duties of the authority which looks after the child;

• For PLAC, understand the importance of involving the child’s parents or guardians in decisions affecting their child’s education, and be a contact for parents or guardians who want advice or have concerns about their child’s progress at school.