Initiatives, priorities and next steps

In order to raise educational attainment of looked after children to a level equal or close to their peers, Kent County Council has put in place a series of county-wide initiatives outlined below:

• providing support to schools and ensuring a co-ordinated response to children's needs through a team of Looked After Children education advisors
• support to schools in localities where there is a high proportion of Looked After Children
• providing additional help at key points in children's education (e.g., Key Stage transfer and preparation for examinations)
• offering additional help to enable those who have fallen behind to catch up
• providing support to designated teachers and governors for Looked After Children in Kent schools who can influence policy/practice in their schools and who are aware of their particular children's needs
• offering multi-agency support and training for designated teachers, governors, foster carers and social workers
• organising a Children's Champion sub-committee to ensure the needs of looked after children and care leavers are championed by elected Members
• promoting joint working across the education, social care and health services and with other local authorities to ensure a co-ordinated approach to meeting the needs of looked after children
• implementing the Looking After Literacy project (in association with the National Literacy Association and the Who Cares? Trust) by providing books, notebook computers and additional support
• raising children's literacy and ICT skills by providing computers and equipment to foster placements
• setting up of a Kent Music School bursary scheme for Looked After Children
• developing Education support posts in Kent's fostering teams
• coordinating dedicated health workers, Connexions Personal Advisers and lead AEN (additional educational needs) Adviser for Looked After Children
• advising young people and parents (Partnership with Parents, Upfront Children's Rights service, independent visitors).

Priorities and next steps

We aim to:

• improve the achievement of children and young people looked after by Kent County Council at Key Stages 2, 3 and 4. A project plan is being developed in response to these targets and to ensure the Council meets the requirements arising from the Children Act 2004 duty to promote the education of looked after children

• continue to support schools to ensure an effective response to children's needs
• improve management information recording to enable informed data exchange and planning to improve the outcomes for looked after children
• establish intensive programmes for unaccompanied asylum-seeking children in six secondary schools and three FE colleges
• promote access to early years services for pre-school looked after children
• develop local library scheme to promote reading and motivation to learn
• continue to offer guidance for social workers and foster carers on matters concerning Looked After Children in school appeals
• continue to offer specialist support to schools and localities where there is a high proportion of Looked After Children.