School Information
We work with all of our schools in borough, offering them training, advice and support. We also work with schools out of borough where our children are being educated.
- Designated teachers
- Personal education plans (PEP's)
- Governors
- Attendance
- Attainment
- Admissions
- Transitions
- Exclusions
Designated Teachers
Since Care Matters 2007 it is now a statutory role for each school to have a teacher in a senior role with responsibility to make sure children in care within the school are supported. The designated teacher in the school must hold a complete list of children in care, and will be able to assist and advise those who are working with the children in care in relation to who they should be speaking to etc.
Haringey Virtual School of Children in Care maintains an up to date list of designated teachers in schools across the country wherever our children and young people are educated.
|Back to topPersonal Education Plans (PEPs)
Every child in care must have a current personal education plan which states the specific educational targets for the individual. The social worker is responsible to initiate the PEP working in partnership with the designated teacher.
A PEP consultation takes place every half term with relevant professionals to support monitoring and evaluation.
|Back to topGovernors
The Government has produced guidance for Governors as each school should have a designated Governor for children in care.
|Back to topAttendance
We commission Welfare Call, a telephone attendance tracking service to contact all educational provisions every day and report back to us on our children and young people’s attendance. If a child is not at school Welfare Call contact the carer and inform them, and phone/email social workers.
There is a weekly attendance meeting where all children who have missed five or more days are discussed and specific interventions are put into place for young people who are or may become persistent non attenders. This meeting is facilitated by the Haringey Virtual School of Children in Care and has regular attendance from the Education Welfare Service (EWS) manager and the Youth Offending service manager.
We also inform our authority officers who work in schools, and attendance at this forum is part of the induction programme for new social workers in the authority.
On entry to care information is gathered to create an attendance baseline.
|Back to topAttainment
We monitor attainment and track progress of the children. Over the last four years our children in care have made year on year progress in terms of their academic attainment levels.
GCSE results for the Past three years. Select picture to view a larger version. Filesize 9K
Through careful monitoring of progress of young people in year 10 and 11, Haringey Virtual School of Children in Care have been able to make sure that they are entered for exams and complete all their coursework. Potential barriers have been identified early and overcome.
The service provides transport to get young people to school when necessary and even goes as far as contact to encourage young people to get out of bed in the morning.
Making Good Progress
All children in care should be prioritised in school for making good progress and 1:1 Tuition.
|Back to topAdmissions
Haringey admissions department prioritise the admission to school of all children in care. Haringey’s In Year Fair Access Panel facilitates the prioritisation of children in care in cases where a school needs to admit over numbers. We support the admission process through working with social workers and foster carers to secure education provision outside of Haringey.
Head of Admissions Telephone No: 020 8489 8350
|Back to topTransitions
The key transitions for our children in care are
- moving into nursery provisions
- and moving between each of the key stages.
A teacher completes educational assessments for children in year six. Transfer from primary to secondary is recognised as a high risk time for children in care as they may experience significant educational underachievement during this period.
Therefore care placement and school moves during years six and seven and during years ten and eleven are avoided.
Specific advice on how schools and carers can support their children during the primary and secondary transition and during GCSEs is provided.
In addition training on preparation and supporting children during key stage two statutory assessment tests (SATs) is available for foster carers.
All children with statements are presented to the special educational needs 14+ transition panel to ensure planning is in place for post 16 provision.
The Haringey Virtual School of Children in Care connexions personal advisor works with local authority colleagues to ensure no young person transfers from year 11 to year 12 without being engaged in education, employment or training.
|Back to topExclusions
CiCET works to raise the awareness in schools of the vulnerability of children in care in relation to school exclusions.
Children in Care
Exclusion of children in care should be an absolute last resort. It is vital that schools and social workers work together in partnership with other professionals and try every practicable means to maintain them in school and to exclude them only in the most exceptional circumstances. Before excluding, schools, in conjunction with the local authority, should first consider alternative options for supporting the child or young person in care. No child in care should be excluded from a school without discussion with the local authority to ensure that there is suitable alternative provision available elsewhere.
Extraction from “Improving behaviour and attendance: guidance on exclusion from schools and Pupil Referral Units – 2007 Guidance”.
The Haringey Virtual School of Children in Care has developed a self-reflective tool for young people to use called Get Real.
|Back to topFurther information
Haringey Virtual School of Children in Care Team
Podium South
River Park House
225 High Road
Wood Green
London
N22 8HQ.
Tel 020 8489 3767
Fax 020 8489 3792
Attached Files
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