1. Looked After Children Monday 13 February 2017 James McNeillie
Her Majesty’s Inspector
Senior Operational Lead, West Midlands.
Looked after children
February 2017

2. Content of session Introduction Who do we inspect?
What do we know about outcomes for looked after children?
How does Ofsted evaluate provision for looked after children?
Focusing on looked after children through the inspection process
Recent research
Looked after children
February 2017

3. Children’s homes and residential schools Further Education & skills
Who do we inspect?
Children’s homes and residential schools
Further Education & skills
Schools, inc. independent schools
Local authorities
Early years
I discuss with SCRIs about concerns and positives in relation to provision for educational provision for LAC living in children’s homes.
Looked after children
February 2017

4. Ofsted’s Priorities in the West Midlands
Better inspection
Keeping children and young people safe
Improving education and care for the most disadvantaged
Raising aspirations and supporting transition
Prioritising less than good
Improving engagement
LAs have a duty to promote educational achievement of LAC and we hold them to account
Termly meeting with VSH chaired by Regional Director
Looked after children

5. Experiences and progress of LAC
Children looked after do not achieve well in education, their attainment gaps are still too wide compared with all other children in the county.
Worcestershire County Council Ofsted report, January 2017
And is the case when compared with all pupils nationally.
Looked after children

6. Outcomes for looked after children
National data on LAC takes some time to be produced.
Most recent data from DfE was published in March 2016 and takes account of test results in 2015.
At Key Stage 4, only 16% of LAC achieved five or more A*-C GCSEs including English and maths in 2015, compared with 57.3% for all pupils nationally, and 60% in Worcestershire.
At Key Stage 2, 50% of LAC achieved L4 or above in reading, writing and maths in 2015, compared with 80% of all pupils nationally, and 76% in Worcestershire.
Data for is not showing improvement on these outcomes.
Obviously, individuals are important but still need to consider as a group.
Looked after children
February 2017

7. Outcomes in reading for looked after children at the end of key stage 1.
Source: SFR 11/2016
Looked after children
February 2017

8. Proportion of pupils reaching the expected level in reading, writing and mathematics at the end of key stage 2.
-26
-18
-28
-24
-30
-30
-31
-27
-28
-36
Source: SFR 11/2016
Looked after children
February 2017

9. Proportion of pupils achieving 5+ GCSEs at grades A*-C.
-44.1
-43.5
-46.2
-45.1
-43.7
-42.9
-40.7
-40.8
-44.4
-44
Source: SFR 11/2016
Looked after children
February 2017

10. How does Ofsted evaluate provision for looked after children?
The school inspection handbook sets out the evaluation criteria that inspectors use to make their judgements.
Inspectors make key judgements on the following areas:
overall effectiveness
effectiveness of leadership and management
quality of teaching, learning and assessment
personal development, behaviour and welfare
outcomes for pupils
effectiveness of early years provision and 16 to 19 study programmes where applicable.
Looked after children
February 2017

11. What information do inspectors consider?
Before the inspection:
Inspectors review the most recent report for the relevant local authority.
Establish with the leader of the setting if any looked after children attend any off- site alternative provision.
Use the inspection dashboard to ascertain numbers of pupils currently identified as looked after.
Looked after children
February 2017

12. What information do inspectors consider?
Looked after children
February 2017

13. What information do inspectors consider?
Looked after children
February 2017

14. Inspection activities
Inspectors:
review the achievement of groups of pupils
focus on safeguarding of pupils, including vulnerable pupils
evaluate the experience of particular individuals and groups
speak to the designated teacher for looked after children.
speak to or seek the views of carers, pupils and governors
evaluate impact of pupil premium funding
May also speak to the VSH
Looked after children
February 2017

15. Possible inspection activities
There is a written plan in place that has clear and agreed procedures to protect a child. For children who are the subject of a child in need plan or child protection plan or who are looked after, the plan identifies the help that the child should receive and the action to be taken if a professional working with the child has further concerns or information to report.
Governing bodies of maintained schools and boards of trustees of academies must appoint a designated teacher to promote the educational achievement of children who are looked after and ensure that this person has appropriate training. Governing bodies, boards of trustees, registered providers, proprietors and management committees should ensure that staff have the skills, knowledge and understanding necessary to keep looked after children safe.
Looked after children
February 2017

16. Possible inspection activities.
170. Inspectors evaluate the experience of particular individuals and groups, such as pupils for whom referrals have been made to the local authority (checking how the referral was made and the thoroughness of the follow-up), pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities, children looked after, those with medical needs and those with mental health needs. Inspectors must look at a small sample of case studies about the experience of these pupils.
Looked after children
February 2017

17. The role of governors
Looked after children
February 2017

18. The report should enable the governing body to make overall judgements about the designated teacher role in the context of wider school planning in relation to:
Looked after children
February 2017

19. VSH has a number of responsibilities – the LA is the corporate parent - it’s important that VSH views are sought, considered and acted upon.
VSH have robust procedures in place to monitor the attendance and educational progress of the children their local authority looks after
However – individual schools have the responsibility for ensuring that pupils achieve and that they are responsible for ensuring that designated teachers have had the appropriate training to their role as set out in the statutory guidance.
Looked after children
February 2017

20. Pupil Premium Strategy
For the previous academic year
how the pupil premium allocation was spent; and
the impact of that expenditure on eligible and other pupils; and
A statement as to the school’s strategy in respect of the pupil premium allocation for the current academic year
the amount of the school’s pupil premium allocation;
a summary of the main barriers to educational achievement faced by eligible pupils of the school;
how the pupil premium allocation is to be spent to address those barriers and the reasons for that approach;
how the school is to measure the impact and effect of its expenditure of the pupil premium allocation; and
the date of the school’s next review of its pupil premium strategy.
Details of the pupil premium strategy from the website guidance
Looked after children

21. Focus on the evaluation schedule
Leadership & Management
How effectively leaders monitor the progress of pupils to ensure that none fall behind and underachieve, and how effectively governors hold them to account for this.
How effectively leaders engage with parents, carers and other stakeholders and agencies to support pupils.
How effectively leaders use additional funding and measure its impact on outcomes for pupils.
The effectiveness of leaders’ and governors’ work to raise awareness and keep pupils safe.
Teaching, learning & assessment
The extent to which teachers and other staff have consistently high expectations.
How assessment information is used, particularly at points of transition, to ensure teachers’ planning meets pupils’ needs.
Carers’ views about the quality of teaching and whether they feel pupils are challenged.
Scrutiny of pupils’ work to establish progress over time.
Looked after children
February 2017

22. Focus on the evaluation schedule
Personal development, behaviour and welfare
Overall absence and persistent absence.
Punctuality in arriving at school and at lessons.
The extent to which pupils are confident and self-assured.
How teachers promote clear messages about the impact of bullying and pupils’ understanding of this.
Are pupils safe and do they feel safe?
Outcomes
The extent to which pupils make consistently strong progress from their different starting points in a wide range of subjects.
Do pupils read widely and often?
Are pupils well prepared for the next stage of their education, training or employment and have they attained relevant qualifications?
Looked after children
February 2017

23. Working with others
How well do leaders make sure that teachers keep a sharp focus on the educational outcomes for looked after children?
How well do leaders work with carers, including staff from children’s homes?
How well do leaders work with and challenge other agencies?
How well do leaders help social workers understand the educational needs of looked after children?
Looked after children
February 2017

24. The Educational Progress of Looked After Children in England: Linking Care and Educational Data
Professor Judy Sebba, University of Oxford & Professor David Berridge, University of Bristol
A research project, funded by the Nuffield Foundation, and jointly undertaken by the University of Bristol and the Rees Centre, Department of Education, University of Oxford.
It is the first major study in England to explore the relationship between educational outcomes, young people’s care histories and individual characteristics. It links the National Pupil Database and the Children Looked After Database for the cohort who were eligible to take GCSEs in 2013.
The main analysis concentrated on the progress at secondary school (Key Stages 2-4) of young people who had been in care for over a year at the end of Key Stage 4. Detailed statistical analysis was complemented by interviews with 26 young people in six local authorities and with adults significant in their educational careers, including foster carers, teachers, social workers and Virtual School headteachers.
Looked after children
February 2017

25. Key Findings
What are the key factors contributing to the low educational outcomes of young people in care in secondary schools in England?
Time in care. Young people who have been in longer-term care do better than those ‘in need’ but not in care, and better than those who have only been in short term care – so it appears that care may protect them educationally.
Placement changes. Each additional change of care placement after age 11 is associated with one-third of a grade less at GCSE.
School changes. Young people in care who changed school in Years 10 or 11 scored over five grades less than those who did not.
School absence. For every 5% of possible school sessions missed due to unauthorised school absences, young people in care scored over two grades less at GCSE.
Looked after children
February 2017

26. Key Findings continued . . .
School exclusions. For every additional day of school missed due to fixed- term exclusions, young people in care scored one-sixth of a grade less at GCSE.
Placement type. Young people living in residential or another form of care at age 16 scored over six grades less than those who were in kinship or foster care.
School type. Young people who were in special schools at age 16 scored over 14 grades lower in their GCSEs compared to those with the same characteristics who were in mainstream schools. Those in pupil referral units with the same characteristics scored almost 14 grades lower.
Educational support. Young people report that teachers provide the most significant educational support for them but teachers suggest that they need more training to do this effectively.
Looked after children
February 2017

27. Policy & Practice Implications
Interventions need to be tailored to the characteristics and experiences of the individual.
Education needs to be supported at a much younger age.
Greater focus on progress over time is needed.
When placement moves are essential, school moves should be avoided especially in the final years of schooling.
Children in care should be placed in mainstream schools with appropriate support wherever possible.
We need to support young people in care to achieve high attendance at school and we need to support schools not to exclude them.
Schools that benefit all children are likely to benefit those in care so prioritizing their admission is justified.
Teachers need better understanding of children’s social, emotional and mental health problems; social workers need better understanding of the education system.
Looked after children
February 2017

28. What’s next?
Recruitment of the new virtual school headteacher in February has ensured that significant progress is being made in refocusing the priorities of the virtual school.
Worcestershire County Council Ofsted report, January 2017
Looked after children

29. Ofsted on the web and on social media.
Looked after children
February 2017