Looked After and Previously Looked After Children Policy

Policy details:

• Date created - 22/07/2025
• Date approved by Trust Board - 10/07/2025
• Next review date - 10/07/2027
• Policy owner - Co-op Academy Brownhill

Purpose

Many Looked After and Previously Looked After Children (CLA and PCLA) start with the disadvantage of their previous pre-care experiences often resulting in disrupted learning and missing extended periods of education. Simultaneously, many of these children have special educational needs. The gaps in their learning and, in many cases, the trauma of their experiences are likely to become significant barriers to their learning.

Within our Trust, we will address this by:

• Providing a safe environment for all CLA and PCLA, where their educational experience is valued, high aspirations are encouraged and belief in the potential of all children is held
• Identifying and responding to the individual developmental needs of children and young people as appropriate
• Ensuring that all CLA and PCLA are provided with, and have access to, support to enable them to have every opportunity to enjoy, learn and achieve in line with their peers
• Working in partnerships with parents, carers, social workers, Virtual Schools and other professionals
• Supporting transition from one class or setting to another
• Listening to the voice of the pupil and advocating for them
• Promoting attendance and reducing exclusions
• Ensuring that our policies and procedures for CLA and PCLA meet the requirements outlined within ‘The designated teacher for looked after and previously looked-after children, Statutory guidance on their roles and responsibilities, DfE February 2018.’

Definitions

Designated Teacher (DT)

The role of DT is statutory under the Children and Young Persons’ Act 2008. The functions of the role, depending on the needs of the academy, do not necessarily need to be carried out by a single individual or by a qualified teacher. However, lead responsibility for raising attainment of CLA and PCLA on roll must rest with the DT (who must be a qualified teacher and a senior member of staff who has enough status and experience to advise and provide training to academy staff on issues relating to CLA and PCLA). The DT must attend the Personal Education Plan (PEP) meetings for this purpose (see relevant section below).

Looked After Children (CLA) and Previously Looked After Children (PCLA)

The terms Looked After Children (CLA) and Previously Looked After Children (PCLA) are used throughout this policy, as these are the terms commonly recognised in statutory guidance and by professionals. However, our Trust recognises that children and young people may prefer terms such as Care Experienced or Previously Care Experienced. These terms and preferences should be discussed with the children and young people we are working with.

For the purposes of this policy, a Looked After Child is:

• A child who is in the care of their Local Authority (LA) (and has been for more than 24 hours) within the meaning of section 22 of Children Act 1989 or Part 6 of the Social Services and Well-being (Wales) Act 2014). This could include:

• A child or young person who is the subject of a Care Order or Interim Care Order under the Children Act 1989
• A child or young person who is placed in foster care, a children’s residential home, with relatives or friends, or in semi-independent or supported independent accommodation
• A child subject to a Care or Interim Care Order whilst placed with a parent, where the Local Authority (LA) has parental responsibility
• A child or young person who is not subject to an order, but is accommodated by the LA under an agreement with their parents or respite care.

A Previously Looked After Child is:

• A child or young person who is no longer looked after by an LA in England and Wales because they have either been adopted or are the subject of an Adoption, Special Guardianship or Child Arrangements Order
• A child or young person who was adopted outside England and Wales from ‘state care’ (care that is provided by a public authority, religious organisation, or other organisation whose main purpose is to benefit society).

Duties and responsibilities

Designated Teacher (DT)

Individual academies will need to decide how functions within the DT’s responsibilities, including pastoral and administrative tasks, are most appropriately delegated to suit their own circumstances.

The Designated Teacher for Co-op Academy Brownhill is Hannah Whiteing.

The responsibilities of the DT are:

• Knowing who all the CLA and PCLA are in the academy and ensuring effective tracking and monitoring of this group
• Championing for CLA and PCLA, including ensuring that academy policies do not unintentionally disadvantage these children
• Attending relevant training about CLA and PCLA and acting as the key liaison professional for other agencies and carers in relation to CLA and PCLA
• Promoting a culture of high expectations and aspirations for how CLA and PCLA should learn
• Helping academy staff understand the issues that affect the learning of CLA and PCLA such as differentiated teaching strategies appropriate for individual children
• Ensuring any CLA or PCLA new to the academy are welcomed positively and assessed when they start at the academy to identify strengths and development needs in their learning
• Developing personalised learning packages for CLA and PCLA in conjunction with the relevant teaching staff
• Ensuring that the CLA and PCLA in their academy have a voice in setting learning targets for themselves
• Developing and implementing all PEPs within the academy and attending PEP meetings (NB: the social worker is responsible for initiating the PEP process and completing the relevant sections)
• Monitoring progress against PEP targets and extending these targets if they have been achieved
• Liaising with the Virtual School in all aspects of progress and support for CLA
• Communicating with the Virtual School to manage allocation of PP+ for the benefit of CLA
• Managing PP+ for PCLA to support educational attainment and personal development
• Convening urgent multi-agency meetings if a CLA or PCLA is experiencing difficulties or is at risk of exclusion
• Promoting good home-academy links and the importance of education as a way of improving life chances for CLA
• Ensuring CLA and PCLA make a smooth transition to their next placement and that their records are transferred without delay.

Trustees

Trustees’ responsibilities are delegated via the Head Teacher. Headteachers will report on CLA and PCLA in the Annual Safeguarding Review and Strategic Plan. The trust Safeguarding Lead will then include this information in their annual report to trustees.

Head Teacher

The Head Teacher must:

• Ensure that the academy supports the LA in its statutory duty to promote the educational achievement of CLA and PCLA
• Ensure that the DT is given the appropriate level of support in order to fulfil their role including the opportunity to acquire and keep up-to-date the necessary skills, knowledge and training to understand and respond to the specific teaching and learning needs of CLA and PCLA
• Ensure that the DT role contributes to the deeper understanding of everyone in the school who is likely to be involved in supporting CLA and PCLA to achieve
• Monitor how well the role is working (see Monitoring & Evaluation below).

Colleagues

All colleagues will:

• Have high aspirations for educational and personal achievement of CLA and PCLA
• Have an understanding of the key issues that affect the learning of CLA and PCLA and actively promote their self-esteem
• Advocate for CLA and PCLA and ensure they are supported sensitively
• Work with the DT and any agencies who are supporting the pupil to help that pupil to achieve, following advice guidance and support set out by the DT
• Ensure, where relevant, that they are aware of all PEPs, and how best to support those children.

Parents/Carers:

Parents/Carers are expected to:

• Attend the PEP meeting
• Contribute to the writing of the PEP
• Keep the academy informed of any relevant change in circumstances
• Support the academy in implementing the PEP.

Personal Education Plans (PEPs) and Funding

PEP

Each CLA will have a PEP. PEPs are initiated by the social worker and are written in collaboration with the pupil (where appropriate), the carer, the DT and any other relevant agencies. These are reviewed each term. The PEP will contain details of attendance, academic progress, health and emotional well-being, and special educational needs and disabilities (SEND).

The PEP meeting will be attended by the child’s foster carers, their parents (if appropriate), their social worker and the DT. The child will also be invited to give their views on their education and progress either as part of the PEP meeting or at a separate time with the DT.

During the PEP meeting, the achievements, support needs of the child, and the child’s views will be discussed and taken into consideration when planning targets for the coming term. The DT must also provide an account of progress made towards the previous term’s targets, where the Pupil Premium+ funding has been spent and where/how it will next be spent.

The DT is responsible for transition planning when a CLA pupil is due to change school and will invite a representative from the new setting (ideally the DT) to a PEP meeting in order to plan for the transition.

The Virtual School will audit and quality assure subsequent PEP reviews to ensure continued allocations are supporting identified needs, targets and outcomes.

Funding

The adverse experiences that bring children into the care of a LA can have a significant negative impact on their development and learning and so they are eligible for Pupil Premium Plus (PP+) funding to enable schools and settings to provide appropriate support and evidence-based interventions to help these young people overcome barriers to their attendance, attainment and achievement.

The LA Virtual School Head (VSH) is responsible for allocating the PP+ for CLA to schools and settings. For every eligible pupil, schools will receive the funding, distributed in termly instalments following the school’s submission of termly progress, attendance and attainment data for each child.

The spending of this funding is planned and evaluated through the PEP. Funding should be spent with the aim of improving the child’s overall educational experiences, including extra-curricular activities.

PCLA are also eligible for funding and this is allocated directly to the school. A similar level of support (as above) must be extended to PCLA, although the same aims will be achieved without the use of a PEP.

Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND)

The SEND Code of Practice states that the majority of CLA have special educational needs (up to 70%) and this can be manifested in a wide range of needs. A significant proportion may require SEN Support or have an Education, Health and Care (EHC) plan as outlined in the graduated response in the SEND Code of Practice.

All academies must recognise that some children may have undiagnosed special needs when they start to be CLA.

As part of the PEP process, there are robust arrangements in place to ensure that any diagnosed or undiagnosed special educational needs are addressed through the SEND framework as soon as possible. The DT will always liaise with the SENDCo to ensure that needs are identified accurately and in a timely manner.

A similar level of support must be extended to PCLA, although the same aims will be achieved without the use of a PEP.

Social, Emotional and Mental Health (SEMH)

All academies must recognise the impact that adverse childhood experiences can have upon the SEMH of a child. Children who are CLA and PCLA are likely to have suffered such adverse experiences.

The DT must work closely with the academy Mental Health Lead and external mental health support teams to support those CLA and PCLA pupils with low mood, poor sleep hygiene, low-level anxiety, poor self-esteem or any other potential manifestations of poor mental health. For more serious cases of childhood trauma or mental health issues, the DT should liaise (along with the SENDCo) with CAMHS, Educational Psychologists, social workers, foster carers and parents (where relevant) and class teachers in order to ensure that each CLA (or PCLA) has an appropriate level of support in school.

Transition and new pupils

There must be effective induction for CLA and PCLA pupils starting school, new to the school and new to care. This involves gathering information from relevant parties including parents/carers, social workers and key staff at previous settings. Pupils will be supported to make friends and settle into routines. Parents and guardians of previously looked-after children will be reminded that they need to inform the school if their child is eligible for PP+.

Transitions to the next phase of a child’s education must be supported effectively to avoid children losing ground. This includes CLA and PCLA pupils moving schools from primary to secondary settings or because of a change in placement or an exclusion.

Exclusion and suspension

Where the academy is considering excluding a pupil (internally, temporarily or permanently), due consideration must be made to any child protection concerns. A CLA or PCLA pupil would typically constitute a child protection concern due to the child’s potential level of vulnerability. The academy must consider any presenting risks to the safety and wellbeing of the pupil concerned. In such cases, the Head Teacher and/or the DSL should consult with relevant professionals prior to making the decision to exclude.

In the event of a one-off serious incident resulting in an immediate decision to permanently exclude, the risk assessment must be completed prior to convening a panel meeting.

Wherever possible, the academy should look for alternatives to exclusion for these groups of children and young people.

For further information, please read the linked document on the Suspension and Exclusion of Vulnerable Learners.

Monitoring & Evaluation

The Head Teacher is responsible for approving and monitoring the effectiveness of this policy. Academy Community Councils should be consulted on the support for Children Looked After and Previously Looked After.

Links with other policies

This policy is to be considered in close connection to the academy’s Safeguarding and Child Protection policy.

This policy has direct links with policies for Behaviour, Positive Handling, Attendance, Online Safety, Special Educational Needs, PSHE, Equality and Health & Safety.

Appendices

Appendix 1

Contact information: