Welcome 9th June 2014 Virtual School Annual Conference

1. Welcome9th June 2014Virtual School Annual Conference

2. Programme Welcome Domestic Keynote speakers Refreshments Workshop and seminar sessions

3. Welcome Judy SebbaProfessor of Fostering and Education and Director of the Rees Centre

4. Rees Centre for Research in Fostering and Education The Rees Centre aims to: • identify what works to improve the outcomes and life chances of children and young people in foster care We are doing this by: • reviewing existing research in order to make better use of current evidence • conducting new research to address gaps • working with service users to identify research priorities and translate research messages into practice • employing foster carers and care experienced young people as co-researchers Centre is funded by the Core Assets Group

5. Some outcomes of children in care in England • 15% achieve expected grades at 16 years compared to 58% of all children – a gap of 43%; • achievement gap is lower at KS2 (26% for Maths, 23% reading, 28% writing); • Two times as likely to be permanently excluded; • Three times as likely to have a fixed term exclusion; • Only 8% access HE compared to >50% of general population; • educational experiences and outcomes contribute to later health, employment (22% unemployment rate), involvement in crime (27% of those in prison). DfE (2013) Statistical First Release 11 Dec 2013

6. 11 The longer in care, the better the performance (source DfE, 2013)

7. 10 The fewer changes in placement, the better the performance(source DfE, 2013)

8. What does the international research evidence tell us about improving educational outcomes? • Some foster carer training in behaviour (e.g. Fostering Changes, Briskman& Scott 2012) improve education outcomes; • Flynn et al. (2012) reported enhanced sentence comprehension and reading outcomes when carers undertook 2.5 hours reading activities a week; • Alfano (2010) demonstrated improvements in reading using paired reading with foster carers and primary school children; • Points of transition e.g. school transfer, are particularly problematic for children in care (Berridge, 2012); • Mentors, maximizing placement and school stability, aggressively pursuing educational supports, and treating mental health problems that may act as barriers to classroom success (Pecora et al, 2012).

9. Review of risk and protective factors in educational outcomes: early findings - Aoife O’Higgins 42 studies from US, England & Canada: • Pre-care experiences such as maltreatment have an important role to play but children in care continue to have lower educational outcomes independently of other factors; • Early experiences of maltreatment/neglect, poverty before entering care, length of time in care, age of entry into care and school and placement stability can all have a negative effect on educational outcomes; • Caregiver characteristics were identified as protective variables, in particular aspirations, home-based involvement and support of the caregiver.

10. The Educational Progress of Looked After Children in England: funded by the Nuffield Foundation Research questions: • What are the key factors contributing to the low educational outcomes of children in care in secondary schools in England? • How does linking care and educational data contribute to our understanding of how to improve their attainment and progress?

11. The Educational Progress of Looked After Children in England How will we do this? • Linking national data sets on the education (NPD) and care experiences of these children in England (SSDA903) • to explore the relationship between educational outcomes, the children’s care histories and individual characteristics, and practice and policy in different local authorities • Interviews with 36 children in six local authorities and with their carers, teachers, social workers and Virtual School staff • to complement and expand on the statistical analyses, and to explore factors not recorded in the databases (e.g. foster carers’ attitudes to education, role of the Virtual School)

12. Listen to care-experienced young people: feedback from care leavers to the VSH conference • Get to know your Looked After Children and Care Leavers: We are not all the same; we have different needs, know your cohort to best serve them. • Minimize Disruption:How can a child concentrate when there is disruption? Help resolve the disruption and the education will fall into place. • Challenge the stereotypes:We can achieve. Our actions as children and our situations should not dictate the attitudes about our ‘achievements’  by  the  adults  around  us. • Education is the number one priority for you, but it is not always for us.

13. What can schools do to improve outcomes? • Listen to young people in care – stereotyping, support and not identifying them as in care – see http://www.incareinschool.com/sample.php • Success at school can affect placement stability, as well as vice versa (Sinclair et al, 2005). But what do schools do to reach out to foster carers? • Ofsted(2012) evaluation of the impact of virtual schools, noted that the best PEPs had a sharp focus on educational attainment taking into account behavioural, social and emotional needs. • But are the ways we work together (or don’t) more important than written plans? Improve social workers’ understanding of the child’s education needs and teachers’ understanding of safeguarding, attachment etc and both of foster carers’ role? • High quality teaching benefits everyone. Every teacher has a responsibility for closing the gap (noted in previous seminar). • The strategies with the strongest evidence base seem to be tutoring, mentoring and supporting carers to support education – the PPP enables all three to be done.

14. References • Berridge, D., 2012. Educating young people in care: What have we learned? Children and Youth Services Review, 34(6), pp.1171–1175. • Briskman, J. & Scott, S.(2012). RCT of the Fostering Changes Programme, The National Academy for Parenting Research, Report for DfE. • DfE (2011) Raising the aspirations and educational outcomes of looked after children: a data tool for local authorities. http://www.education.gov.uk/childrenandyoungpeople/families/childrenincare/a00192332/ • DfE (2012) Statistical First Release. London, DfE. https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/191969/SFR32_2012Text.pdf • Flynn, R., et al.(2012) Effects of individual direct-instruction tutoring on foster children's academic skills: A RCT. Children & Youth Services Review 34, 1183-1189 • Ofsted (2012) The impact of virtual schools on the educational progress of looked after childrenwww.ofsted.gov.uk/resources/120165 • Osborne, C., Alfano, J. and Winn, T (2010) Paired reading as a literacy intervention for foster children. Adoption and Fostering, 34, 4, 17-26 • Pecora, P. et al. (2012)Maximizing educational achievement of youth in foster care and alumni: Factors associated with success. Children and Youth Services Review, 34(6), 1121–1129. • Sinclair, I., Wilson, K. & Gibbs, I. (2005) Foster Placements: Why they succeed and why they fail. London: Jessica Kingsley Publications

15. Alison AlexanderDirector of Children’s ServicesRoyal Borough Windsor and Maidenhead

16. Vision, ambitions and expectations Children are our future, our ambitions for them are high. Investing in highly skilled professionals; teachers; foster carers; social workers to secureeconomicallyindependent adults. Measurement: • Every child grows as I/ you expect our children. • All children/young people freed from the prison of poverty. How: • Education, education, education. • Attachment. • High expectations - affect the future.

17. Challenges I set for Children in Care Expectation: AllChildren in Care achieve higher outcomes than their non care peers. Why: Our children deserve a better life and they have to be able to achieve it alone and forever. Measure myself: Every young person leaves our care as successful economically independent adults. How: Theoretically they have the might of the whole system behind them!

18. Ethnicity of Children in Care Age of Children in Care Gender of Children in Care So,who are our 107 Children In Care

19. Our children in care achievements

20. Comparisons – all children/young people achievements

21. RBWM Virtual School Register: 97 children/young people (plus 10 who are under two years). Stage and where: EYFS: 9 (7 in pre school). Reception: 3 educated in school. KS1: 6 educated in school. KS2: 18 educated in school. KS3: 20 of whom 1 is being home tutored. KS4: 21 of whom all are in education in school. KS5 (under 18): 20 of whom 4 are not in education or employment. From 2014 this register includes the 49 adopted children, (including 6 Special Guardianship Orders) in RBWM identified in January Census

22. Different needs – Children in Care 97 children with differing needs, remember: Children may come in and out of care - not static. Needs vary depending to age, stage and experience. Not a homogenous group - a nine year old in a long term foster placement versus sixteen year old who enters care after disputes at home. Additional education needs and or disabilities Lack of attachment, low resilience! Some difference in our children in care: KS1: Speech and language delay. KS1/2: Emotional needs, local difficulties accessing CAMHS. KS3: Developing positive behaviour, study habits, literacy and numeracy skills. KS4: 1:1 tuition, ICT support, behaviour, lack of time before exams.

23. Different needs – adopted children 49 children with differing needs Placement varies Length of time in care prior to adoption Age of adoption Number of school changes Need: Time to attach Recognition of needs Understand ability versus attainment

24. Predictions 2014: Primary Children in Care Children at EYFS in Reception: All match development stage expected for their age group in personal and social development, communication and language and physical development. Children at Key Stage 1 in Year 2: 100% predicted to achieve Level 2 in all areas. Children at Key Stage 2 in Year 6: 100% predicted to achieve level 4 in Reading, Writing and Maths versus 93%, 90%, 95% – general RBWM. Average in Reading - 18 months ahead of ALL children. Average in Writing - 9 months aheadof ALL children. Average in Maths 3 months ahead of ALL children. 100% KS2 indicator. Children in RBWM 79% - 2013.

25. Predictions 2014 - Year 11’s 12 young people in care:  2 in care less than12 months, only 1 will get 5 A* - C with EM. 1 UYAS - limited English - taking one GCSE - maths. 1 severely autistic working at P levels. 1 Green Room - English, Maths, Science and business studies 2 grade C. 1 learning disability - special school limited curriculum, 1 GCSE. 5 in mainstream schools - secure 5+ GCSEs, not all with English & Maths according to predicted grades. 1 emotional & behavioural issues – PRU on a limited curriculum, secure 5 GCSEs not including English or Maths. Note: Non care population predicting 70%ish including English and Maths GCSE’s. In care 40%ish! Remove life long disadvantage.

26. What works for all Teachers/school leaders: Provide early education for those under 5. Ensure school stability; enrol children quickly after a change. Promote high expectations and regular school attendance. Provide high quality special education. Reduce grade retention. Target financial support to those in poverty/risk of social exclusion. Provide professional development and training to teachers and TAs in: attachment, resilience, one-to-one and small group tutoring and evidence based classroom instructional; strategies e.g. cooperative learning. Adopted children need to form attachment and resilience. Children in care need to have high levels of resilience.

27. Why resilience? Secures long term good life outcomes. Knows how to attach, establish peer acceptance & friendship – possibly the most important. Understands conduct rule-abiding versus anti-social. Engages in age-appropriate healthy activities e.g. extracurricular activities, sports, community service. Can maintain normative mental health few symptoms of internalising or externalising behaviour. Results in achieving academic/vocational achievement

28. Resilience enables success Success possible without educationalachievement but very hard. But, catch up game. Characteristic of success – high level of personal resilience. Many successful examples: despite, not as a result of the system - Child in Care to Director of Children’s Services. Let’s stop imprisoning our children in deprivation – unlock them! Attachment and Education

29. Adopted Children Gareth Marr – Adoptive Parent

30. The Reality http://t.co/j30m9C6XaV

31. DfE report 'Beyond the Adoption Order: challenges, interventions and adoption disruption’. April 2014 • 210 adoptive parents from 13 LAs and 180 Adoption UK members asked how their adoptions were going

32. Just over one-third reported few difficulties. • 30 per cent said life was good but they were facing challenges. • About a quarter of parents described major challenges with children who had multiple and overlapping difficulties. Many were struggling to get the right support in place. Parents reported that they were physically and mentally exhausted and that there had been a negative impact on marital and family relationship

33. Between 1 April 2000 and 1 July 2012, 565 children were known to have had a post-order adoption disruption. • Nearly two-thirds occurred during the secondary school years; children were on average 12.7 years when they left their families (range 1.7 years - 17 years). • The majority (57 per cent) of the disruptions occurred five or more years after the making of the Adoption Order.   

34. Personal Education Plans for Adopted Children • 1. Parental choice • 2. All parents written to via school  • 3. EPEP meeting parent / designated teacher • 4. Pupil Premium • 5. Regular reviews • 6. VSH available to assist

35. " While those in the care system account for just one percent of children, a quarter of those in prison were in care as children" • David Cameron. Speech to the Centre for Social Justice 22nd October 2012

36. New adoptions and new school entrants • 1. VSH liaises with previous school, obtains PEP.  • 2. Helps with school selection and introductions to DT • 3. Briefs parents on EPEP process and helps set up EPEP if needed. • 4. Discuss uses of Pupil Premium. 

38. Paired Reading Interventions

39. Why Hampshire chose Paired Reading Paired Reading was chosen as it aimed to: • Encourage a supportive home environment that encourages studying • Develop better communication between schools, carers and social workers • Promote carer interest and involvement in the education of children in their care • To encourage school staff to support carers in providing carer interest and confidence • Develop better relationships between carers and children

40. Promoting Carer Involvement The programme aimed to: • Provide carer interest and involvement for children in their care as this is a fundamental part of supporting looked after children’s academic progress. The programme was aimed at all children in care, regardless of reading age for the following reasons: • Children in care may be behind in literacy as a result of lack of adult involvement (Jackson, 1994) • Reading ability is linked to future educational success (Jackson, 1987) suggesting that the establishment of good levels of literacy may facilitate success in other areas. • Positive relationships are linked to educational success for all children regardless of ability.

41. Promoting social worker involvement The programme aimed to: • Promote understanding of carers and social workers of the wider benefits of literacy • Improve communication between schools and carers

42. Evidence base for Paired Reading • A number of studies have found paired reading improves literacy (Topping and Lindsay, 1992. Brooks, 2007) • Menmuir (1994) studied the intervention with CLA however the data collected was subjective and just focussed on foster carer view, not reading ability so we wanted to improve on this

43. Participants • The work in Hampshire has run for 5 years – 2008-2013. • This work has been replicated in Sweden (7 municipalities) results have shown to improve language (expressive) and general cognitive ability and motivation for learning.

44. Materials and evaluation/study design • Ratio gain – Ratio gain is calculated in order to assess a child’s rate of progress across time. Ratio gain is defined as the number of months progress made in literacy, divided by the number of months on an intervention. It therefore refers to the average amount of progress made for each month that the child has participated in the intervention. A ratio gain in reading age of 1.40 indicates educationally significant impact on literacy. A ratio gain of more than 2.00 indicates ‘Extra good progress’ (Brooks, 2007) • Myself as a learner scale • Reading self concept scale

45. Results Impact on literacy • Repeated 5 years in a row: • Significant improvements in reading age • A ratio gain of between 2 & 3 • This meets both Brooks’ (2007) and the DfES’ (2003) criteria for effective literacy intervention • Suggest that these interventions offer a useful way of enhancing the literacy of looked after children • Poor academic performance of these children is not inevitable – can be improved with targeted support

46. Results Impact on other areas • Qualitative comments suggest that the results extended beyond literacy per se • Confidence • One-to-one time/relationships • Attachment and the building of good relationships are linked to success in all areas in life, not just educational achievement. This programme is not just about literacy • Improvements in reading self-concept • Motivation for learning

47. Feedback from carers Although [child] still struggles with the text, his confidence with books has soared. He is no longer afraid or embarrassed to try and therefore finding a new enjoyment and respect of books. We have thoroughly enjoyed participating in the Paired Reading programme. I feel it has been very beneficial to [child’s] confidence and enjoyment of books A huge positive was being able to watch and help [child’s] enjoyment as confidence with the books grew. He now selects books that he would have not had the confidence to attempt previously. The one-to-one time that the Paired Reading scheme required has definitely been very rewarding. Knowing together we have helped improve his reading and his confidence. It has given us time together enjoying what we both like and [child] has got a lot more confident with his reading The only difficulty we experienced was within the first couple of sessions that [child] was to engage and participate willingly. However, when he realised that he had a choice and that each book was exciting and different and that there was no negativity within the sessions he then participated very willingly.

48. Feedback from carers • Carers also reported increases in their child’s confidence and interest in reading • Taking part also enabled them to share one-to-one time with their child • Child enjoys looking at books together and discussing the story and topics covered • Spending time with child seeing him enjoy books so much • Carers also reported improvements linked to the valuable one-to-one time spent with the child “Spending quality time one-to-one and getting to know more about her reading ability”

49. Final points • LAC come from backgrounds of abuse and neglect • LAC have experienced turbulence in their home and school placements • LAC often lack consistent adults support in their education • All these above points have affected their educational achievement • A small short-term intervention like paired reading can have such an impact on literacy and improvements in the bonds and attachment to their carers – which is linked to success in many areas of life, not just education

50. Final points • The past trauma and lack of placement stability can be alleviated with carer support • The programme also improved the links between carers, teachers and social workers • Social workers attended joint training with teachers and foster carers • Teachers liaised with carers on a weekly basis using the monitoring sheets • This raises the profile of looked after children in schools