Target Setting for Children in Care (LAC)

The DCSF recently published its guidance document on the setting of education performance targets. Within this paper was a detailed section in relation to children in care. It restates the guidance set out in the White Paper Care Matters and which is due to become statute, later this term, when the Children and Young Persons Bill completes its passage through Parliament. The key message is that schools and local authorities should have high ambitions for the attainment of children in care and put in place the necessary support to raise their attainment, improve their attendance and reduce the need for exclusions.

To achieve this, schools and Norfolk Children’s Services should work in partnership to secure the progression of all children in care. A key element in this is when SIPs discuss pupil targets with schools they will want to check the targets for children in care are not being set at a lower level, with slower progression, than expected for other pupils in the school. It is also a role of the SIPs to challenge schools that have low expectations or a slow rate of progress or outcomes for children in care.

Although it is not statutory for schools to set an overall school target for children in care, they do need to set individual pupil targets in line with the personalisation agenda. However, local authorities do need, as a statutory requirement, to set targets for the improvement of attainment for children in care. To assist us in this process, and to enable us to fulfil our role as the corporate parent, we are requesting that schools complete a 'good practice' target setting proforma for children in care.

It is recommended that the good practice proforma is completed by the designated teacher. The form would then be returned via email to Robin Biss marked for the attention of Terry Cook (Head of The Virtual School), by the end of the Autumn term 2008. The data from all schools will then be aggregated to develop an overall local authority target. The information will also enable the LA to use the individual targets as part of the tracking process, the Virtual School undertakes, in relation to individual pupils.

Copies of the proformas to be completed by the school are on the School/ SIP website. The forms have been designed in table form so that they can be expanded by the school in relation to the number of pupils they have who are looked after. Your SIP will be discussing the proforma during their annual data analysis and target setting meeting which will take place sometime this term.

If you have any enquiries or would like to discuss anything further please do not hesitate to contact Terry Cook at Children's Services, Professional Development Centre, Woodside Road, Norwich, Tel: 01603-433276 Ext 178.