Michel Laurent-Régisse, Lead Adviser, Raising Achievement NATT+ Conference Monday 16 th November 2015 Improving life chances and outcomes – Leicester’s work

ACHIEVE ………  the full participation of GRT children and young people within inclusive mainstream schools and settings  rapidly improving levels of attainment and progress to close the achievement gap PRODUCING…….  Improved life chances PROVIDED BY ………  schools and settings acknowledging their responsibilities and commitment to developing expertise, responses and accountability for raising the attainment of this vulnerable group UNDERPINNED BY……..  active support from parents, carers and the wider GRT community to secure full attendance and participation and attainments in line with local and national expectations WITHIN………  A multi-disciplinary local area GRT strategy Raising achievement team2 The core purpose of Gypsy Roma Traveller Education support in Leicester

 The Council provides 27 Residential pitches in three sites and 11 transit pitches  In Leicester, the Romany Gypsies and Irish Travellers are mainly to be found living in a variety of housing – council, private landlord, privately-owned housing, in a trailer (caravan) on a local authority permanent site or on the authorised and unauthorised encampments that appear in the city from time to time, especially in the Summer months (currently in the region of 2,250 days) Raising achievement team3 Policy and practice

 Maintain and analyse authority-level data to track patterns of achievement and underperformance of GRT children whilst in City schools  Raise capacity to improve the strategic and operational capacity of schools, settings and other agencies to meet and reflect the diverse needs of GRT pupils and families  Broker Additional Support from Multi-Agency partners to provide a joined-up ‘Think family’ approach to meeting the broader range of needs of GRT pupils Raising achievement team4 10 points of strategy Strategy and handbook

 Locate sources of best practice and disseminate to other schools across the LA  Provide some direct teaching and small group targeted interventions to support initial integration, re-focus a learning habit where mobility has broken the attendance habit, to minimise behavioural issues and the risk of permanent exclusion, to maintain engagement in education  Offer guidance and advice on expected practice where schools are inexperienced or uncertain about managing an enrolment Raising achievement team5

 Focus additional provision within the available resource to boost the quality of school’s approaches to securing improved outcomes for GRT pupils  Challenge schools to demonstrate effective and embedded inclusion practice which results in a steadily raising profile of GRT attainment in Leicester  Guide and support outreach provision aimed at engaging families  Ensure that race equality training and cultural diversity training remain a priority for professional development Raising achievement team6

 Attainment  Induction  Transition  Behaviour and Attendance Issues  Specialist Curriculum Input  Ascription  Access and Admissions  Provision of programmes of cultural awareness- raising training New Arrivals Procedures including assessment and induction processes Work packs for Distance Learning Home-school liaison Wider-community links Promotion of Early Years Education Adoption of Inclusive Practice Raising achievement team 7 Main work streams

 Current population – ascribed (400+) / non-ascribed (as many again) On roll as of today: 32 pre –school children, 178 – Primary, 152 Secondary Total  Low attainment profile (Y2, Y6, KS3 and KS4 outcomes 2012)  Transience and mobility affecting educational outcomes – prior records / admission, access / transition / New Arrivals  Inclusion challenges for receiving schools / reducing exclusions  Health issues (especially Roma)  Professional awareness and capability to manage GRT pupils’ educational needs / specialist curriculum input Raising achievement team8 How many GRT pupils in Leicester?

 Raising outcome attainment for GRT pupils  Early Years provision / Children’s Centres  Improving attendance  Improved socialisation / inclusion / home-school liaison and family support / low aspiration and poor educational levels of parents  Coping with major new waves of New Arrivals (Rumanian / Bulgarian Roma)  Challenge of White underachievement of ascribed and non- ascribed Traveller families  Ascription Raising achievement team9 Advisory teacher support

 S2S support  New schools / stable experienced group  Admissions issues  The new landscape ….. Meeting the challenges of disintegration Raising achievement team10 Navigating a new landscape

 Ascribed pupils in 15 Secondary schools; 33 Primary schools; 3 special schools  Some, in housing, no longer consider themselves to be Travellers / discarding their ethnic minority status  Intimidation issues / invoking prejudiced behaviours  Skewed figures for attendance and attainment Raising achievement team11 Ascription

 Seven children,  Originally from Norfolk – 2004 – 2007 lived on sites, then in settled social housing  Father – mental health problems; evidence of DV – no ongoing involvement by Norfolk  In 2011 parents separated and father moved with all children to Southampton where he had relatives  Some continuing concerns for general welfare and safety of the children – evidence then emerged of abuse and neglect over many years  Children initially cared for within the travelling community, but this was not successful  Children brought into care  Father admitted numerous charges of neglect. Physical and sexual abuse and received a long custodial sentence Raising achievement team12 Southampton SCR

 work is consistently directed and managed by an appropriate senior officer (professional supervision / escalation of concerns)  seeing the child(ren) involved and treating them as individuals  consulting with those who have parental responsibility  making thorough agency checks  drawing on specialist advice when necessary (seeking, receiving and sharing information)  providing formal feedback to those who have made referrals  ensuring compliance with the local authority’s “lone working” guidance  ensuring that key decisions, including a decision to take no further action, are “countersigned” by an appropriate manager  dealing with unsatisfactory relationships in and between staff Raising achievement team13 Issues from SCR – the LA should demonstrate:

 the DfE to clarify the definition of suitable education (EHE)  and to re-evaluate the evidence of safeguarding concerns for EHE children – national guidance  that local multi-agency guidance addresses the finding of this SCR  Ask all agencies to consider an increase of support for EHE children Raising achievement team14 Additionally, to ask

 How is my practice demonstrated by my LA?  To what extent do I feel that my work is consistently directed and managed by an appropriate senior officer?  What is the evidence that my LA has addressed the Southampton SCR?  What is the next key development for our work? Raising achievement team15 Thoughts for discussion time