The Role of School Governors in Championing the Needs of Children Looked After (Governors)

 

Event Introduction

Nationally, educational outcomes of Children Looked After (CLA) continue to be lower than those of non-looked after children. It is a duty of the governing boards for maintained schools to delegate the responsibility of monitoring and challenging the support around CLA to a named governor. This duty is to ensure the school is supporting and promoting the educational achievement for this vulnerable group of learners. This session will provide governors with an overview of the remit placed on the Local Authority’s Virtual School and include how it can support the school and it’s CLA. Relevant information on statutory guidelines and procedures will be fully covered.

Please note: This course is fully funded for any schools that subscribes to premium SPARK package or stand-alone governor support service level agreement.

 

Event Content

It is a known fact that high quality education provides children and young people with access to greater opportunities and quality of life, whether through achieving a more fulfilling career, higher income or greater self-confidence. Education is important for all but especially for Children Looked After, considering they often have far more challenges to contend with. Historically data tells us that CLA achieve lower exam pass rates, make poorer progress between key stages and fewer go onto further or higher education.

A CLA will have many professionals attached to them. Whilst the Designated Teacher takes the lead responsibility for the CLA within the school environment, everyone involved in the child’s educational achievement should be aware of reasons which may be behind behaviour. Whilst CLA may require more support than other children, there should be high expectations in terms of what the child is capable of achieving. The Governor should ensure the school is appropriately challenged to meet the needs of CLA.

With these facts in mind it highlights the importance placed on governors to effectively monitor and challenge the school to ensure they are meeting the needs of CLA and ultimately making a positive impact on their educational outcomes. Governors therefore need to obtain an understanding around the different issues which affect how CLA learn and achieve.

This course will cover the statutory duties of governors as well as proven examples of good practice to support governors to better carry out their duties. For example:
• Outcomes for Looked after and Previously Looked After Children
• The duties and responsibilities of the Designated Teacher for Looked After and Previously Looked After Children
• Reporting to governors
• Barriers to learning including the impact of trauma
• How schools can mitigate the impact of trauma on learning both in whole school practice and in the classroom
• Admission and power of direction
• Attendance and Exclusion
• Preparation for Ofsted

This training will be informative and participatory, with governors sharing their experiences and evaluating their work.

This training session will be facilitated by the AfC Virtual School.

 

Event Learning Outcomes

By the end of the session governors will be able to:

• Effectively support the role of the designated teacher.
• Explain the role of the Virtual school in relation to their own school.
• Ensure that the Governing Board and the school is meeting its statutory responsibilities with regards to the Looked After Children in their school now and in the future.
• Cascade to their organisation the relevant national and local policies/updates.

 

Please click on the links below to book yourself onto the training.

22nd November 2023 (6pm-8pm)

The Role of School Governors in Championing the Needs of Children Looked After (Governors)

25th March 2023 (6:30pm-8:30pm)

Lead Governor Training for Children Looked After (Governors)