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Designated teachers for looked-after children
Schools within the Local Authority (LA) should appoint a
designated teacher for young people who are in care. The virtual
head teacher for children who are looked after maintains an up to
date register of designated teachers and shares this with social
workers and teams in the Children and Adult Services
Directorate.
All of Medway's designated teachers are offered training to
support their role in schools. They are kept up-to-date on issues
concerning children who are looked after (CLA) through a programme
of training and workshops. The LA is working with providers of
early years and post-16 education to provide designated members of
staff and support for children who are looked after in these
settings.
Standards for designated teachers for children who are looked
after
- Children and young people of statutory school age have access
to education appropriate to their age and ability. This includes
access to a broad and balanced curriculum, including the national
curriculum.
- Effective assessment, recording and reporting practices are
established in accordance with the school's policy on CLA.
- The child or young person has a personal educational plan that
is regularly reviewed twice each year within the care management
planning process.
- Any special educational needs are identified and appropriate
provision is made.
- The child or young person is included within a local school
setting.
- The child or young person has a designated teacher in school
who liaises with carers, natural parents (as appropriate) and
social workers on a wide variety of educational and care
issues.
- The designated teacher ensures that educational, care and
health information in the child or young person's school file is up
to date.
- The designated teacher ensures that positive messages about
behaviour and achievement are shared within the school and between
school and outside agencies and that high educational expectations
are maintained.
- If the child or young person has a statement of special
educational need, the annual review coincides with one of the
six-monthly care planning reviews.
- All teachers within the school are made aware of the needs
of CLA and actively promote their best interests.
- Every effort has been made to provide continuity of schooling
and educational experience.
What can teachers and school staff do?
At a multi-agency level:
- a designated teacher will need to liaise closely with carers,
natural parents and the pupil’s social worker on a variety of
issues, including homework, kit and equipment required: it is
important that positive messages about behaviour and achievement
are shared;
- adults in school will need to be sensitive to the young
person's wishes over what is known and by whom about their
looked-after status;
- there should be a well planned and co-ordinated approach to
meeting the young person’s educational and social needs, for
example, whether potentially disruptive changes in school can be
prevented;
- there needs to be clear understanding about the role and
responsibility of school staff in relation to the young person and
the roles and responsibilities of the other professionals
involved;
- school staff will need to share positive perceptions and high
expectations of the young person with other professionals but
especially with the young person.
At the school level:
- teachers should actively seek training to help them fulfil
their roles in relation to young people who are looked after;
- it should be established who on the school staff has
responsibility for the looked-after young person;
- school records need to be up to date with current names and
addresses of carers, natural parents and social workers;
- the school should be aware of and sensitive to the appropriate
role of the natural parents;
- the school should have an up to date history of educational and
residential placements for the young person, including a record of
educational performance and attainments;
- the young person will need the opportunity to participate fully
in planning and decision making;
- teachers should have high expectations of the young person,
encouraging achievement and ambition;
- the young person will need to have a special, trusted adult in
school who is able to take time to listen to them;
- where attendance is a problem, a first day of absence procedure
needs to be established;
- designated teachers should ensure that requests from the LA for
statistical information held by the school are completed and
returned on time to comply with statutory obligations.
For the individual:
- CLA often have very low self-esteem and may try to hide this:
teachers can help them develop more confidence and a sense of
belonging;
- teachers can be aware of a variety of issues that may undermine
the young person’s ability to engage in the learning process
including feelings of loss, rejection, isolation, confusion and low
self-esteem;
- teachers need to be aware of possible unresolved feelings the
young person may have about their own families and siblings, in
addition to insecurity over their current homes and carers;
- teachers can help the individual begin to feel that they are
fitting in and offer them a safe haven and a sympathetic ear in a
crisis.
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