Raising Achievement Partnership Programme

1. LITTLE HEATH SCHOOL An HPSS RAPP school Meeting for Designated Teachers for Looked After Children Personalising the Curriculum for Looked After Children Oxford School , Glanville Road, Oxford OX4 2AU 3 June 2009 RaisingAchievementPartnershipProgramme

2. Little Heath School • Little Heath School is a larger than average oversubscribed comprehensive school with a large sixth form. It has specialist college status in mathematics and science and in 2008 gained a second specialism as a high performing specialist school for 'raising achievement, transforming learning'. The proportion of students from minority ethnic groups or who speak English as an additional language is below average. • The proportion of students with a learning difficulty and/or disability is slightly below average and there are fewer students with statements of special educational needs than nationally.

3. OFSTED 2009 Care and Guidance This is a highly inclusive school where students confirm that they feel secure as there are always adults available to give excellent support whether their needs are academic, personal or emotional. Students who need additional help with their learning are very well supported through appropriate intervention and make good progress as a result. Vulnerable and looked after students are carefully monitored, and the school uses outside agencies, such as counselling services, very well to give these students the support that they need.

4. The Challenge “The challenge is to break the link between poverty and attainment for all pupils”

5. Our looked After Children There are currently 6 looked after children at Little Heath School

6. “Be aspirational for Looked After children, holding the same expectations good parents would have for their own children.” These Are Our Bairns (The Scottish Government, 2008)

7. If it’s hard because of family poverty how much harder if you are a looked after child unless you are really cared about?

8. “Be aspirational for Looked After children, holding the same expectations good parents would have for their own children.” (These Are Our Bairns (The Scottish Government, 2008)

9. Success+ Success+ is the inclusion unit at Little Heath School and was established in 2004. It is staffed by Di Gonzalez, Success+ leader, and a full time teaching assistant. We also have one teacher allocated to the unit per lesson. The unit is overseen by the Head of Learning Development, Simon Lovelock, and we collaborate closely with our SENCO, Ally Howes.

10. Success+ Success+ is primarily responsible for working with school-refusers, students with social, emotional or behavioural problems and students who cannot get around the school site due to injury. In the case of behaviour infringements in school, students are referred to the unit through senior staff removal.

11. Success+ We are able to offer support to students with social and emotional needs via 1-2-1 and small group work. Some of the issues we have covered include: • Body Image • Bullying • Gossip • Social Skills • SEAL • Stranger Danger • Exam Stress • Attitude to Learning • Self-esteem

12. Improving the Education of Looked After Children:A Guide for Local Authorities and Service Providers The Scottish Government, Edinburgh 2009 Tailoring support to suit an individual child or young person, being flexible, involving the young person in choosing the focus of learning, and providing a breadth of learning opportunities, appear to be effective strategies for improving the achievements of looked after children and young people.

13. Student Voice for all The HMI report, Count Us In: Improving the Education of Our Looked After Children (HMIE, 2008), says that children should begiven a voice in helping to identify and meet their needs. “Children and young people should be involved in regularly reviewing their personal goals with a member of staff that knows the child well, and can discuss the child’s or young person’s progress with parents on a regular basis” Happy, safe and achieving their potential: A standard of support for children and young people in Scottish schools (Scottish Executive, 2004)

14. Our 6 looked after children in 2008 / 2009

15. Jane Smith – Y9 Stage School Action Plus Area of concern Confidence DOB 25/07/1995 • Jane joined Little Heath at the start of Year 9 (September 2008). She is a bright pupil but was extremely nervous about joining a new school and has found it difficult to attend school in the past. Please be aware that Jane is a Looked After Child (LAC). • To help her settle in Jane initially worked on a reduced timetable in Success+. • Jane is now reintegrating back into mainstream lessons. She attends 35 lessons out of 50 per fortnight. She has recently started going to Mathematics lessons. Jane is now also going to start going to pm tutor times. • Jane has approached these new challenges with a very positive, mature attitude and we are extremely pleased with the progress she has made. • Jane’s main concern about lessons is arriving late – in the unlikely event this does happen please don’t drawn attention to her lateness in front of other pupils. • In the past there have been occasions when circumstances have meant that Jane has absconded from school. Jane has been informed that she should use Success+ as a place of safety if she feels distressed and considers absconding again. Please bear this in mind if she appears distressed in your lessons and use as appropriate.

16. Jane Smith My Individual Education Plan • I will try to follow these targets to help me to improve in my lessons: • I will aim to be back into all mainstream lessons ready for the start of Year 10. • I will choose my GCSE options sensibly, taking use of the guidance offered by the school. • I will become more independent from Success Plus. • If I need help with my targets I will talk to my form tutor or Mrs Gonzalez in the Learning Development Department. • My progress with my targets will be reviewed in October 2009. • Signed: • Comments:

17. Successes When in school Jane has achieved her IEP targets Failures Personal issues have dominated Jane’s life and caused her to abscond from her care home several times in recent months (and therefore miss school too) Successes and Failures

18. Timetabling Activity • Jane has recently come back to her care situation; • She is nervous about returning to school; • In an effort to encourage her, how adaptable should we be prepared to be with her timetable?

19. Making That Difference “I will know I’ve made a difference when the educational outcomes for looked after children and young people and care leavers, in terms of attainment and achievement, are the same as those for their peers who are not looked after.” These Are Our Bairns (The Scottish Government (2008)

20. Conclusion To weaken the link between disadvantage and achievement we must continue to raise attainment overall, and accelerate the rate of progress made by the lowest performers. We must focus resources on children from disadvantaged backgrounds because without extra help and support they may fall even further behind.