Guidance on educational matters for Special Guardianship Carers
Information leaflet – Virtual School – Special Guardianship
Schools play a major role in a child’s life. They can help them deal with the difficulties they have faced and equip them with the skills and knowledge they need to thrive.
Research shows that children with early experiences of poor attachment or neglect are less likely to do well at school than their peers. The child’s school should actively support their emotional wellbeing and help them overcome past experiences.
There are a number of things to be aware of that special guardians/carers should consider when thinking about their child’s school.
What does the term “Previously Looked after” mean?
The term is applied to children who have previously been looked after by the Local Authority in England and Wales. The children need to have left care of the Local Authority through:
- an Adoption Order (AO)
- Special Guardianship Order (SGO)
- Child Arrangements Order (CAO)
- or has been adopted from ‘state care’ outside England and Wales
Guardians/carers will read this term and here it spoken by professionals/schools etc. This term is specifically used, in terms of eligibility, to access funding via Pupil Premium and advice/guidance from the Virtual School.
Choosing a school
Past loss, neglect or trauma can mean a child may be more likely to struggle to manage relationships with teachers and peers and/or find it more difficult to cope with transitions such as moving schools or class.
When choosing a school, it is useful for special guardians/carers to ask:
If staff are trained on the impact of early trauma, loss and attachment?
How are children supported during transitions i.e.: change of year group, teacher, when they move from primary to secondary school?
How does the school help children build friendships?
If there is a whole-school strategy to support children with attachment issues and is this built into the Schools Behaviour Policy?
Enquire how they spend pupil premium. Ask about the facilities the School has and look for a nurture room and group, ask if one-to one time is built into children’s timetables and how friendship-building is supported. Guardians/carers should recognise that different schools may have different approaches to spending the pupil premium, but they may be equally effective.
Once a school is found, good communication with the child’s school is vital. Guardians/carers should take an active role in meeting their child’s named teacher in person together with the Designated Teacher for Previously Looked After Children. This is to help ensure their child is getting the support they need. They should also encourage their child to talk about things that they are finding hard and where some extra help would be useful.
Schools and education settings have a statutory duty to support previously looked after children. The statutory duty applies to children from aged two, in a funded education place up to the end of Year 11, who are educated in a maintained school or academy.
Schools guide
The schools guide gives you lots of information to help you choose a school.
Guardians/carers role in supporting school
It is important for a guardian/carer to let their child’s school know about their situation and the Special Guardianship Order (SGO). Guardians/carers are not obliged to do so but without this knowledge school will be unable to claim funding to support and will lack the understanding to the child’s situation/lived experiences which may result in the correct support not being made available.
Special guardians/carers should talk to the school about the provision that they have and what may be available or useful for their child. Each school is also legally required to have a designated Teacher for Previously Looked After Children who is responsible for promoting their educational achievement (please see section Designated Teacher).
Other school staff that might be able to offer extra support will include: The Special Educational Needs Co-ordinator (SENCO) the pastoral team, emotional learning support assistants and learning mentors.
Pupil premium plus
The Pupil Premium is additional funding available for publicly funded schools in England to raise the attainment of children with disadvantaged backgrounds and help to close the gap between them and their peers.
To help overcome the impact of their early experiences, children who were previously ‘looked after’ are entitled to the highest level of the pupil premium (pupil premium plus).
Pupil Premium plus is available for children from reception age to Year 11. It entitles schools to access £2,300 per pupil per academic year and can be used for a variety of purposes but the way school utilise the funding, must benefit, previously looked after children.
Pupils must be attending either:
- An early year’s provider. This includes any organisation offering education for children aged under 5, including nurseries, school nurseries and childminders.
- A local authority-maintained school or maintained special school.
- An academy or free school.
- A non-maintained special school, an independent school and other alternative provision (e.g. home education) where the place or provision is funded by the local authority.
Children who are educated at home or attend private schools are not currently eligible.
Wales Pupil Premium:
There is no pupil premium in Wales. The Welsh Authority support children who have experienced care through the Pupil Development Grant. The grant is made payable regionally with schools making a claim for the funding. The grant can be used for to provide bespoke interventions based on the need of the learning. A small proportion of the grant can also be used to provide individual bursary’s for bespoke education needs of learners. Eligibility: learners aged 3-15 who are:
- Currently Looked After
- Formerly Looked after that includes - Adoption Order / Special Guardianship Order/Child Arrangement Order/Residence Order
Scotland Pupil Premium:
There is no Pupil Premium in Scotland. However, children may be able to benefit from support funded from the Care Experienced Children and Young People Fund. The term ‘care experienced’ is specifically used by the Scottish Government guidance rather than the statutory term ‘Previously looked after children’. Guardians/carers are encouraged to speak with school and/or local authority to find out how this funding will be used at school or authority-wide level.
Guidance on Care Experienced Children and Young People Fund can be found: www.gov.scot/policies/schools/pupil-attainment
How is Pupil Premium in England accessed?
For schools to access the funding, parents and guardians must declare their child's SGO status directly to the school before the school completes the January census.
Parents and guardians must provide evidence, for example, a copy of the legal order, or a confirmation letter from the local authority which placed their child. Parents should not need to declare their child’s status again until the child changes school.
With regards to the Early Years Pupil Premium the grant is payable at £300 per academic year. The child is eligible for the funding the term after their 3rd birthday. Again, for Nurseries etc to access the funding, guardians/carers must declare their child's SGO status directly to the provider.
Designated Teacher
Maintained schools and academies must have a Designated Teacher responsible for previously looked after children.
The designated Teacher has a responsibility to:
Promote a whole school culture where the personalised learning needs of the child are met.
Take lead responsibility for ensuring school staff understand what can affect the learning of the child owing to their lived experiences. The designated Teacher can support with the following:
- special educational needs (including speech, language and communication needs), which the SENCO can also help support;
- attendance and exclusions;
- homework;
- choosing GCSE options;
- understanding and managing any challenging behaviour;
- promoting positive educational and recreational activities, and supporting previously looked-after children to be aspirational for their future education;
- understanding the link between emotional wellbeing and being able to make educational progress; and
- training and employment and career planning.
- Direct and day-to-day work to promote the child’s educational achievement.
- Developing and reviewing whole school policies and procedures
The Designated Teacher may seek the advice of the Virtual School about meeting the needs of individual children with the agreement of the guardians/carers. It is, therefore, important that the Designated Teacher establishes a good working relationship with the Virtual School for their area.
Designated teacher for looked after and previously looked-after children on GOV.UK
Promoting the education of looked after and previously looked-after children on GOV.UK
In addition to parent’s evenings it can be helpful for special guardians to arrange half termly review meetings if their child has additional needs. These can be useful even when things are going well. The termly meetings will provide opportunity to:
- discuss the child’s educational strengths and needs
- record all agreed actions
- Understand how Pupil Premium is being spent within school to support.
Free school meals
A child might be able to get free school meals if their guardian/carer is receiving any of the following benefits:
- Income Support
- Income Based Job Seekers Allowance
- Income Related Employment and Support Allowance
- eligible for Child Tax Credit but not Working Tax Credit and the household income (as used by HMRC to assess tax credits) is not more that £16,190. Please note: anyone eligible for Working Tax Credit, or if you have a partner and they receive it, regardless of Income, you will not qualify
- The Guarantee element of State Pension Credit
- Support under part VI of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999
- In receipt of the 4 week run on of working tax credit (this is where someone becomes unemployed or reduces their hours and so is no longer entitled to working tax credit but will continue to receive it for a further 4 weeks and is entitled to free meals during that time)
- Universal credit (provided you have an annual net earned household income of no more than £7,400 as assessed by earnings from up to three of your most recent assessment periods). Your net earned income is your household income after taxes and deductions and does not include income from Universal Credit or any other benefits you may receive.
Free school meals for reception, year 1 and 2 children
From September 2014, if you have an infant age child (those in reception, year 1 or year 2) they can receive free school meals even if you don't meet the entitlement criteria and without completing an application for them. For more information contact your school.
Think2 Funding
Think2 funding is an entitlement for 15 hours nursery funding from the term date following the child's 2nd birthday. Funded places should be taken at a good or outstanding Ofsted rated setting to ensure the best care and learning opportunities for your child.
Two year olds are also eligible if they:
- Have a current statement of SEN or an Education, Health and Care plan (EHC)
- Attract Disability Living Allowance (DLA)
- They are Looked after by their Local Authority
- Have left care through special guardianship or through an adoption or residence order
When will my child be eligible?
If your child is born between:
- 1 January - 31 March, funded places can start in the summer term (from 1 April)
- 1 April - 31 August, funded places can start in the autumn term (from 1 September)
- 1 September - 31 December, funded places can start in the spring term (from 1 January)
- From September 2017 eligible 3 and 4-year-old children could receive an additional 15 hours of funded early education a week, on top of the current entitlement of 15 hours for all 3/ 4 year olds. (term following 3rd birthday) for more information and eligibility visit: www.staffordshire.gov.uk/30hour
Special Educational Needs (SEN) support in schools
A child’s school will offer a range of support for children with Special Educational Needs (SEN). A report describing the full range of their SEN services should be posted on their website. Common support includes:
SEN Support Plan or Individual Education Plan.
This describes each child’s support and specific targets. Its ‘assess, plan, do, review’ cycle means a picture is gradually built up over time about the best way to help the child progress.
Education Health and Care (EHC) Plan.
If a child needs extra help over and above what is in their SEN support plan they can be assessed for an EHC Plan which a special guardian/carer can apply for through their local authority. The process should work to a statutory timeframe, with school staff, external professionals, family and the child contributing to the assessment if it goes ahead.
Pupil Passport.
This gives a child a chance to voice what support they want. Including a photo, this acts as a summary that can be used a starting point for discussing the child’s needs. It also helps all teachers to be immediately aware of the child’s needs. Although they are recommended, not all schools have them.
Each local authority must also provide ‘The Local Offer’, a directory of education, health and social care services for children with SEN and disabilities.
Staffordshire Local Offer provides information in one place for children and young people aged 0-25. The Local Offer includes information on local services to help children, young people, parents and carers make choices about the support they receive.
SEND Support: SENDIASS in Staffordshire support parent/carers with all aspects of SEND and the process.
SENDIASS - Staffordshire Family Partnership
Phone: 01785 356 921
Email: sfps@staffordshire.gov.uk
Website: SENDIASS - Staffordshire Family Partnership
Virtual schools
The educational achievement of ‘looked after’ children is overseen by a ‘virtual’ school head teacher in all local authorities. The law changed in April 2017 so that all virtual heads must include advice and guidance for previously looked after children living within their authority.
Whilst the child is looked after to the Local Authority, prior to the SGO being granted, the Virtual School will assist new parents with the educational process and aid planning for when the SGO is granted. It is essential that a Personal Education Planning Meeting is held, where parents attend. This will allow for the Virtual School to give advice and guidance and access funding via Pupil Premium where required. The Virtual School can also put you in touch with the Virtual School in your area, should the child move out of Staffordshire.
Virtual Schools have a duty to give advice and guidance to the person with parental responsibility for the previously looked after child and the Designated Teacher when requested. In summary Staffordshire Virtual School will, provided the child is on roll to an education setting in Staffordshire:
Virtual Schools have a duty to give advice and guidance to the person with parental responsibility for the previously looked after child and the Designated Teacher when requested. In summary Staffordshire Virtual School will, provided the child is on roll to an education setting in Staffordshire:
Respond to parental requests for advice and information for example, advice on school admissions in their area. They can also signpost parents/carers to other services that can offer advice and support.
Respond to requests for advice and information from providers of early education, Designated Teachers in maintained schools and academies, and providers of alternative provision in their area in respect of individual children supported by the local authority.
Make general advice and information available to early years settings and schools to improve awareness of the vulnerability and needs of previously looked-after children. This should include promoting good practice on identifying and meeting their needs, and guidance on effective use of the Pupil Premium Plus.
Sarah Rivers: Virtual Headteacher: sarah.rivers@staffordshire.gov.uk
Julie Roper: Education Co-ordinator - Early Years & Previously Looked After Children. julie.roper@staffordshire.gov.uk Telephone Direct Line:01785 276787
Virtual School Telephone - 01785 278008
School Admissions:
Staffordshire’s local authority has a Schools Admissions department and they are responsible for ensuring a child gets a school place. Since September 2013, Looked After Children (LAC) and children who left UK care on an Adoption Order, Special Guardianship Order or Child Arrangements Order (formerly Residence Order) have the highest priority.
The admissions code states:
All schools must have oversubscription criteria for each 'relevant age group' and the highest priority must be given, unless otherwise provided in this Code, too looked after children and all previously looked after children. Previously looked after children are children who were looked after but ceased to be so because they were adopted (or became subject to a Child Arrangement Order or Special Guardianship Order) immediately following having been looked after. Oversubscription criteria must then be applied to all other applicants in the order set out in the arrangements.
For more information, you can contact the School Admissions and Transport Service by:
Email: admissions
Telephone: 0300 111 8007 (select the option for 'School Admissions & Transport')
Ofsted
Ofsted is the inspectorate for children and learners in England. It is their job to contribute to the provision of better education and care through effective inspection and regulation. This link takes you to the area of the Ofsted website where you can search for copies of school inspection reports.
Key points
It’s important that special guardians/carers let the school know about their situation and that they are aware of the Special Guardianship Order (SGO).
The pupil premium is additional funding available for publicly funded schools in England to raise the attainment of children with disadvantaged backgrounds and help to close the gap between them and their peers. Guardian’s/carers will need to advise school that a SGO is in place in order for school to claim the funding.
Schools will offer a range of support for children with Special Educational Needs (SEN). A report describing the full range of their SEN services should be posted on their website.
The educational achievement of ‘looked after’ children is overseen by a ‘virtual’ school head teacher. There is a Virtual School in every Local Authority in England and some parts of Wales. There is one single Virtual School in Scotland although this Virtual School covers Aberdeenshire only.
Useful links
Child Legal Advice Centre childlawadvice.org.uk Tel: 03003305485
Coram Children’s Legal Centre specialises in law and policy affecting children and young people.
PAC UK: information and advice about previously looked after children for education settings
Educational Trusts Forum educational-grants.org A community of organisations which provide grants to help vulnerable children. Includes a search function to search for educational grants that meet your needs as some trusts target families in specific situations.
Independent Parental Special Education Advice www.ipsea.org.uk IPSEA offers free and independent legally based information, advice and support to help get the right education for children and young people with all kinds of special educational needs (SEN) and disabilities.
Nurture Group Network nurturegroups.org The Nurture Group Network exists to promote the development of nurture groups through accredited training programmes and research on effective practice.
Nurture groups are small classes of children or young people in early years, primary or secondary schools supported by the whole staff group and parents. Children remain an active part of their main class group but spend time within the nurture group according to their need and typically return full-time to their own class within two to four terms. Nurture groups assess learning, social and emotional needs and use whatever help is needed to remove the barriers to learning
Pupil Passports www.pupilpassport.co.uk Pupil passports help give children voice what support they need and are highly recommended.
Scope www.scope.org.uk Helpline: 0808 800 3333 Scope provides advice and services for children and adults with learning disabilities or a physical impairment
Resources
Adoption Support Fund http://www.adoptionsupportfund.co.uk/Parents
The Adoption Support Fund How it’s Working for Families (including SGO carers) - guide with info about the Fund and how it is used, including case studies – 17 pages
Adoption UK https://www.adoptionuk.org/resources/education-resources Meeting the Needs of Adopted and Permanently Placed Children Adoption UK DfE Parent/carers guide - matches PAC UK school staff guide below – 16 pages Trauma Fuelled Violence – Adoption Today Special Feature - advice from adopters and other experts - 17 pages Welcoming an adopted child to your: Nursery Primary School Secondary School - short overview documents – 2 pages each Understanding Attachment Issues - joint advice National Association of Head Teachers and Adoption UK - short summary 6 pages
Inner World Work http://www.innerworldwork.co.uk/?page_id=45
What Survival looks like in Primary school and Quick Reference Guide info and tips What Survival looks like in Secondary School – info and tips What Survival looks like for me – tool to use 1-1 exploring states and best responses Whole Class Happy Pack - regulation/transition tools to use with whole class – Primary What Survival Looks Like at Home - parallel resource for parents and carers
NOFAS http://www.nofas-uk.org/?cat=27 (Teachers Toolkit) Teaching a Student with FASD – Summary guide with info and links – 8 pages
Northstarpath http://northstarpaths.com/visuals/ Growth Mindset & Inclusion/Regulation – two resources that illustrate how we can think differently about the challenges presented by children with challenges & Permission Slips Reframe behaviour - Won’t vs Can’t – useful graphic for thinking through how behaviour can be framed differently More free downloadable graphics - such as Behaviour is Communication, 8 Magic Keys (planning for children with FASD), My Inclusion ABC’s, Self-Regulating Learning etc.
PAC UK http://www.pac-uk.org/education-resources/ Becoming an Adoption Friendly School, Gore Langton, Boy (2017) – Book 200+ pages with additional downloadable resources covering 8 key areas – Approx £23 Meeting the needs of adopted and permanently placed children: A guide for school staff - 35 pages and companion guide to the Adoption UK parents carers guide above Cards - 4 up – lists simple strategies for schools to provide support Flyer - Supporting adopted and permanently placed children in school Poster ‘We want you to know’ - children/young people’s views & PAC-UK Case Studies Key Information about Schools for parents/carers – 10 page ‘walk through’ guide to the education system for parents and carers Reducing Trip Trauma – 2 pages of suggestions for day trips and residentials
Example Transition Plan & Strategies – 4 pages support when moving schools.