LAC Policy
SCHOOL POLICY FOR LOOKED AFTER CHILDREN(LAC)
This policy should be read in conjunction with the full intent of the
Safeguarding Policy. St Chad’s suite of policies is integral to the support of
the students and staff within the school community, in which child protection
is at the heart of the happiness and safety of our young people.
LAC students are integral to the Admissions policy.
St Chad’s RC Primary School aims to promote the educational achievement and welfare of pupils in public care.
Designated Teacher for LAC: Mr. D J James NPQH, Head teacher
Governor with responsibility for LAC: Dr.Paul Leigh-Baker, Chair of Governors
The governing body and staff are committed to providing quality education for all of
its pupils based on equality of access, opportunity and outcomes .
The aims of the school are to:
Ensure that LAC pupils take as full a part as possible in all school activities
Ensure that carers and social workers of LAC pupils are kept fully informed of the child’s progress and attainment
Ensure that LAC pupils are involved, where practicable, in decisions affecting their future provision.
Who are Looked After Children?
LAC children may live with foster carers, in a Children’s home, in a residential school, with relatives or with parents under supervision.
They may be accommodated under a voluntary agreement with their parents, be the subjects of a care order or an interim care order, the subject of an emergency order for their protection or compulsorily accommodated within the criminal justice
system.
Admissions Arrangements
On admission, the student's records will be requested from his/her previous school and a meeting held with the parent/carer/ social worker as appropriate. There should always be someone with parental responsibility involved in such a meeting. This will generate information to inform the PEP. In every other aspect, admission and induction should follow the school normal admission procedure and policy.
Role of the Designated Teacher for LAC:
Within the school system
To ensure that all staff, both teaching and non-teaching, are aware of the difficulties and educational disadvantage faced by children and young people who are looked after and to be aware of the need for support structures to overcome these difficulties and disadvantage.
To inform teachers of general educational needs of the children who are looked after.
To encourage teachers to promote the involvement of these children in extended curricular activities, social events and the work of the School Council
To act as an advocate for children in public care
To develop and monitor systems for liaising with carers, Social Services and the Education Service
To hold a supervisory brief for all children who are looked after by ensuring that all relevant information about their care and education is available to school staff and carers and that this information is kept up to date.
To monitor the educational progress of all children who are looked after in order to inform the school's Development/Improvement Plan.
With individual looked after children
To work with individual children, possibly through a carer, in order to arrive at a statement about their circumstances that they would be happy to share with teachers and/or students
To ensure that each child who is looked after has a Personal Education Plan (PEP) initiated in the first instance by the child's social worker.
To supervise the smooth induction of a new looked after student into the school
To ensure funding received by the school is linked to the PEP and that consultation with the parents/carers/teachers determines how funding is spent to ensure best use of funding in the interest of the child.
Responsibility for LAC in School
It is important that all teaching staff who are in contact with LAC are aware s/he is being looked after by the Local Authority. The responsibility for the transfer of information should be that of the Head teacher and designated teacher for LAC. It is appropriate for a learning support assistant to have knowledge that a young person is being looked after only when s/he is directly involved in the teaching of that young person. In the absence of the class teacher, some information regarding the child's circumstances should be shared with the teacher 'covering' the class, wherever practicable
Monitoring the progress of LAC
Each LAC will have a Care Plan, which will include a PEP. The social worker will take the lead in developing the Care Plan. It will identify specific areas of concern and define achievable targets.
Areas to be considered could include:
Attendance
Achievement record
Behaviour
Homework
Effort
Social Adjustment
Involvement in extra-curricular activity
Special Education Needs (if any)
Development needs (short or long) in terms of skills, knowledge and/or subject area expertise
Plans and targeted aspirations
The PEP will be updated at least every six months as part of the statutory reviewing process carried out by the Social Services Department.
Colleagues from the following support services may be involved with
individual LAC:
o LAC teams
o educational psychologists and others from Local Authority SEN services
o medical officers
o school nurses
o CAMHS
o Education Welfare Officers
o Social care worker/ Community care worker/ Residential child care worker
o Youth Offending Service
Good practice suggests that the Governing Body will:
ensure that the admission criteria and practice prioritises LAC according to the DfES Admissions Code of Practice
ensure all governors are fully aware of the legal requirements and guidance for LAC
ensure there is a Designated Teacher for LAC
liaise with the head teacher, Designated Teacher and all other staff to ensure the needs of LAC are met
nominate a governor with responsibility for LAC who links with the Designated
Teacher
receive regular reports from the Designated Teacher.
ensure that the school’s policies and procedures give LAC equal access in respect of:
- admission to school
- National Curriculum and examinations, both academic and vocational
- out of school learning and extra-curricular activities
- work experience and careers guidance
- annually review the effective implementation of the school policy for LAC.
- ensure that the Designated Teacher is invited to the exclusion meetings of LAC.
Dated: October 2018
REVIEW DATE: October 2019
