LACEAT policy statement

LAC educational achievement team (LACEAT)

Context

Lambeth’s Looked after children, regardless of their placement and whether they are educated in or out of the borough, deserve the best start in life and it is through education that their dreams and aspirations can be realised. Looked after children are a vulnerable group in our society and Lambeth Council is committed to ensuring that these children and young people have access to an excellent education provision. The Looked After Children’s Education Achievement Team will be instrumental in ensuring that this council commitment is fulfilled and will continue as outlined below

Vision

To develop high quality procedures and practice for key professionals and carers to ensure that all Lambeth looked after children have an equitable access to excellent educational provision and achieve at a similar level to all other children and young people.

Mission Statement

The LACEAT is a Children and Young People’s Service team that will work in partnership with other professionals, foster parents and LAC to improve education provision and raise standards of achievement for all LAC. The team’s main objectives will be:

• to improve information sharing about LAC and promote tracking and monitoring systems to meet the educational needs of LAC pupils.
• to provide training to key groups that will raise awareness of statutory guidance, provide clarity of roles and responsibilities for key professionals and share good practice already established in and outside the borough.
• to establish a protocol to improve communication between key agencies in the education of a LAC.

Outcomes

An increase in the number of Lambeth Looked After Children achieving 5 GCSE A* - C passes to 30% by 2007.
100% accuracy of data set for Lambeth LAC.

To achieve the above we will:

• Develop relationships between key people to focus on the educational needs of the child;
• Work with professionals to ensure that all Lambeth LAC have a high quality personal education plan (PEP) that has SMART educational targets and is closely linked to his/her individual care plan and any other plan depending on the assessment of the child (IEP, Statement of educational need)
• Encourage all key people to plan and combine any reviews or updates for a LAC (PEP, Statement, IEP) and are kept informed of changes.
• Work in partnership with schools and other local authorities to ensure PEPs and reviews are in place and that schools are given prompt notification of any changes of circumstance of a pupil from social workers.
• Protocol for passing on UPN and record of achievement between schools and setting review with school to take account of school change.
• Track and monitor the educational provision and achievement of Lambeth looked after children. Management information is shared and used to identify and develop educational needs of LAC.
• Ensure the education of LAC is given high priority in other relevant key council strategies and plans. That LAC achievement is celebrated and that the views of LAC are considered when providing education.
• Plan and offer an appropriate training programme for key professionals and carers in issues key to raising the achievement of LAC.
• Develop an expected entitlement for all Lambeth LAC educated in and outside the borough
• Embed a process and procedure for identifying and working with LAC that is routine, accessible and easy to understand.
• Raise awareness with key agencies of any other educational support that can be accessed for LAC (e.g. LAC over 16, under 5s)