Enfield Virtual School Updates September 2024

For all Phases, Schools and Headteachers

Dear all
I’m sure the summer break is now a distant memory and that you all are ploughing through the new academic year, but ‘fear not’ half term is fast approaching! Please see below useful updates from the Virtual School to help you along the way:
PEP’s
Please find attached documents outlining PEP procedures for the new academic year in addition to our PPG policy. The PEP deadline this term is Friday 6th December 2024. Please contact Enfield Virtual School VirtualSchool@enfield.gov.uk if you have any queries regarding PEPs.


PP+ Funding for Previously Looked After Children (Important funding deadline approaching)
The PP+ for Previously Looked After Children has been increased to £2570 per year which is paid directly to schools. Those PLAC who have left care with an Adoption Order (AO), Special Guardianship Order (SGO) or and Child Arrangement Order (CAO) in England or Wales should be registered as such on your schools MIS system in time for the October census (Thursday 3rd October) to enable your school to claim the funding. Please continue to encourage carers to make themselves known to you to enable you to claim the PP+. Please remember that the pupil premium plus for PLAC is only to be spent on meeting the needs of PLAC within your school and that it recommended that you consult with families regarding how it is being used. Please contact Jane Manning with any queries Jane.Manning@enfield.gov.uk or 0204 5267039.


Improving the educational outcomes of children in Kinship Care
From September 2024 the Virtual Schools’ remit has been extended further to include championing the attendance, attainment and progress of children in kinship care. This includes supporting schools with understanding kinship arrangements, the experiences of children in kinship arrangements, the needs of children in kinship care and how to improve their educational outcomes. The Virtual School will now also be providing advice and guidance to the carers and associated professionals for children who have formal child arrangement orders and Special Guardianship Orders (in addition to those children who were previously looked after), if you aware of any families or professionals who would benefit from advice and guidance please contact Jane.Manning@enfield.gov.uk or 0204 5267039. Please also see attached Kinship Leaflet and feel free to share with families.


SLCN Screening of Enfield LAC
Enfield Virtual School expects all Enfield LAC need to be screened by schools for Speech Language and Communication Needs using the Progression Tool (we have found that other screening tools frequently miss the more subtle SLCN of LAC). Many schools were contacted last academic year regarding the SLCN screening of Enfield LAC. Schools will be contacted again shortly to collect the results of those SLCN screens not already returned. New in care LAC will also need to be screened using the Progression Tools to support us with identifying any SLCN at the earliest opportunity. Please return any completed SLCN screens for Enfield LAC to Jane.Manning@enfield.gov.uk or 0204 5267039. Please see attached SLCN for LAC flowchart which outlines what schools need to do. If your school no longer have a copy of the progression tool, please contact Kate.Gill@enfield.gov.uk


Previously Looked After Education Officer
Jane Manning is Enfield’s PLAC Education Officer who provides advice and guidance to schools, families and professionals regarding the education of previously looked after children. Please feel free to contact her at Jane.Manning@enfield.gov.uk or 0204 5267039. Jane has developed some information leaflets for professionals and families regarding advice and support available for previously looked after children please feel free to share them with professionals and families (see attached). We have also attached a flowchart to help guide you towards appropriate support for PLAC.


Free training for DT’s and DSL’s
Just a quick reminder that all Virtual School Training is free of charge for Enfield Schools. Up coming training/events includes:

  • The SDQ Project – Supporting the Mental Health of Vulnerable Children in School - Wednesday 2nd October 9.30am – 10.30am (delivered virtually via Teams)

The training outlines the purpose of the strength and difficulties questionnaire, how they can be used as a supportive tool to monitor the mental health of our pupils and exploring how they can be incorporated within your school. Please contact Jane.Manning@enfield.gov.uk or 0204 5267039 to reserve your space.

  • PLAC Education Coffee morning for Adoptive parents Wednesday 23rd October 9:30 -11:30 (in person)

Please see attached poster, please feel free to put up in you schools and add to newsletters.

  • Improving the education of children with a Social Worker Conference (Tuesday 26th November 9-3pm - in person)

The Designated Teacher for LAC and PLAC training takes place once every two years, as this was delivered last year it will not be taking place again until Autunm 2025. However, in place of this we will be holding an Improving the education of Children with a Social Worker Conference on Tuesday 25th November from 9-3pm). The conference will be exploring strategies to improve the educational outcomes of all children with a Social Worker (including LAC, CiN, CP, PLAC and children in Kinship Care) and will also include a slot for new DT’s (or those who want to brush up LAC procedures)! More details will be following shortly however in the meantime if you would like to attend please contact Jane.Manning@enfield.gov.uk or 0204 5267039 to reserve your space

  • PACE – Tuesday 3rd December (in person)

PACE is an effective trauma informed approach to engaging and working with some of our most dysregulated children who have experienced significant trauma. Please contact Jane.Manning@enfield.gov.uk or 0204 5267039 to reserve your space.

  • PACE for Secondary Schools (2 sessions - one in person, one follow up drop in)

The Virtual School is offering to deliver on site training/inset to whole staff or identified teams (i.e. SLT/Behaviour Teams/TA’s) to support a consistency of behaviour support across your school. Training will be tailored to meet the individual needs of your staff and to reflect the context of your individual school. Please contact Malaika.Williams@enfield.gov.uk 020 8132 1657 (Virtual School Assistant Head) if you would like discuss this further.


Suspensions & Permanent Exclusions

  • LAC - We would strongly request that schools communicate promptly with the Virtual School and professional network should the behaviours of our children present particular difficulties that put them at risk of suspension. We will discuss over the phone and/or attend meetings (even at short notice) to discuss support available to children and schools in this endeavour.

Should any Looked After Child present as at risk of suspension, please contact the Virtual School and Social worker to discuss prior to making a decision to suspend. After discussions have been had with the Virtual School and a suspension as an appropriate sanction has been agreed, please send relevant paperwork as soon as possible to: virtualschool@enfield.gov.uk cc’ing in the child’s social worker.

  • PLAC – Should you be concerned that a Previously Looked After child is at risk of suspension or permanent exclusion please engage with the child’s parents,

the Designated Teacher and
please contact the PLAC Education Officer for advice and guidance Jane.Manning@enfield.gov.uk or 0204 5267039

  • Children with a Social Worker - “Where a pupil has a social worker, e.g. because they are the subject of a Child in Need Plan or a Child Protection Plan, and they are at risk of suspension or permanent exclusion, the headteacher should inform their social worker, the Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL) and the pupil’s parents to involve them all as early as possible in relevant conversations” (Paragraph 59, Suspensions and Permanent Exclusions Guidance).

If you are concerned that child with and Enfield CP or CiN plan is at risk of Permanent Exclusions please feel free to contact Malaika Williams Virtual School Assistant Head for Vulnerable Children for advice and guidance Malaika.Williams@enfield.gov.uk 0208 132 1657


Attendance
Please see attached our attendance leaflet for families – please feel free to share with the families at your schools.


PAC UK Education Advice Line
PAC UK’s London Education Advice Line is open every Thursday during school term times between 12pm and 2pm (limited to 15 minutes per call). Staffed by PAC UK’s Education Advisers, this is an opportunity for adoptive parents, special guardians, school staff and social workers to talk through any school or educational concerns regarding adopted or special guardianship children and receive advice and support. The telephone number is 0207 284 5879. You can also access support and advice by emailing education@pac-uk.org


(If you are having difficulty accessing any of the attachments within this document please follow this link to the Hub, where this message with attachments will be uploaded Supporting Looked After Children | Enfield Council)


Kind regards
Malaika Williams
Virtual School Assistant Head for Vulnerable Children
Virtual School for LAC,HEART Team
Malaika.Williams@enfield.gov.uk
Securing tomorrow by raising aspirations today. Future Proofing for all