{"id":214778,"date":"2024-09-30T06:10:00","date_gmt":"2024-09-30T05:10:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/schoolsweek.co.uk\/?p=214778"},"modified":"2024-09-27T10:07:02","modified_gmt":"2024-09-27T09:07:02","slug":"the-virtual-heads-dealing-with-a-kids-in-care-crisis","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/schoolsweek.co.uk\/the-virtual-heads-dealing-with-a-kids-in-care-crisis\/","title":{"rendered":"The (virtual) heads dealing with a kids in care crisis"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

The role of virtual heads is \u201cvital now more than ever\u201d in a post-pandemic world where vulnerable pupils have further lost out, the government has said. <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Virtual heads will from this month support the attendance, attainment and progress of children in kinship care \u2013 the latest expansion of their role since the support was made mandatory for councils in 2010.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

At that time, heads were restricted to securing and supporting the education of children in care.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The brief has since widened to include previously looked-after children and some strategic responsibilities for children with a social worker. Meanwhile, pressures on the children\u2019s social care system have become more acute than ever.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The latest change is meant to address what Matthew Cooke, a virtual head in Suffolk and the immediate past chair of the National Association of Virtual School Heads (NAVSH), calls \u201cinjustices\u201d in the system.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Some kinship arrangements have been supported more than others. In March, the government pledged \u00a33.8 million to support the new duty in 2024-25.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Conservative government described virtual school head leadership as \u201cvital now more than ever, given the impact the pandemic has had on the learning of all children \u2013 none more so than the most vulnerable\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But not all heads are yet receiving regular engagement from their local virtual schools. Two-thirds interacted with them last academic year, but 15 per cent had never connected with them before that, a recent Teacher Tapp survey shows.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Nor do they necessarily appreciate it when they do.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Realising potential<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Lack of engagement is perhaps unsurprising, as virtual heads operate somewhat behind the scenes, rarely meeting the young people they\u2019re responsible for.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And yet in some ways they treat them as though they were their own children. Sue Johnson, the virtual school head for Salford and the current chair of the NAVSH, says she always asks herself when making decisions, \u201cwould this be good enough for my child?\u201d One recent experience demonstrates why.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ali*, a \u201cbright\u201d but \u201cunsettled\u201d year 11 pupil living in a children\u2019s home, was \u201cheading towards gang culture and criminal exploitation,” says Cooke. After a period out of school, Cooke managed to get him a place.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But a dispute with a new head of school \u201cescalated\u201d, and with \u201cno climbdown on either side\u201d Ali faced permanent exclusion.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cSchools aren’t going to take on a year 11 who’s permanently excluded readily,\u201d Cooke says. \u201cWho would?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

One school did agree, and with Cooke\u2019s help \u201cwrapped support around\u201d Ali, who is now thriving. Cooke secured funding for him to attend an independent school for sixth form \u2013 an outcome that was unimaginable to Ali a year before that: the school had given him \u201ca completely new view of himself\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But not unimaginable for virtual heads, who know the challenges of getting schools to take on looked-after children \u2013 and are just as familiar with such success stories.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Which perhaps explains how Johnson and Cooke brim with so much enthusiasm.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt\u2019s amazing how successful young people can be, having gone through adverse childhood experiences that most of us would be completely floored by,\u201d Cooke says.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Exclusions<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

But Ali\u2019s case also demonstrates the tensions between virtual heads and schools. (\u201cWe try very hard not to fall out\u201d, Johnson says.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Despite guidance stating that the permanent exclusion of children in care should be avoided, there were 60 nationwide in 2021-22. Cooke \u201cavoided\u201d 13 in the 2023-24 autumn term alone.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Schools call with an \u201cexpectation that I come up with a magical package\u201d to swerve expulsion. In reality, the magical package is pupil premium plus funding<\/a>, which schools get to fund \u201cquick access\u201d to educational psychologists, for example.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But Cooke believes the funding, worth \u00a32,570 per pupil in 2024-25, is \u201cstarting to run a bit thin. It\u2019s relied on more and more so there’s less of it.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Without virtual heads\u2019 support, Cooke believes that permanent exclusions of those in care would \u201cshoot up overnight\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He\u2019s also \u201cvery worried\u201d about suspensions. In 2021-22, 13 per cent of looked-after children had one or more suspension, compared with 3 per cent of children overall. \u201cIt does nothing for their relationship with the school,\u201d Johnson says.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But the 85 per cent in \u201cstable placements\u201d attend school regularly, and are permanently excluded less (0.06 per cent compared to 0.42 per cent for those in the first year of placement)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Anecdotally, they often take on school leadership roles too, because the care process has made them \u201cfamiliar with adult meetings\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cYou can have extraordinary change when a young person feels that sense of belonging.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But not all those in education share Cooke’s views. Until recently he was on the Department for Education\u2019s Attendance Action Alliance, but disagreed with a narrative that children should get the sense of belonging they need to boost attendance by doing well at school.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt was slightly topsy turvy for me\u2026 which was my tuppence worth.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
Matthew Cooke, immediate past NAVSH chair<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Virtual reality<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Cooke was a deputy head before he became a virtual head role ten years ago. It was meant to be a year\u2019s sabbatical to \u201cgain different experience\u201d, but he never left.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Johnson was a French teacher and school leader in mainstream and special schools for 25 years.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So both can empathise with the dilemmas schools face \u2013 as can most virtual heads, once school leaders themselves.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But Johnson says she wishes she\u2019d better appreciated back then the \u201cinter-relationship between schools, the local authority and social care legislation\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Cooke says there are similarities with the role of other heads, \u201cmanaging budgets and staff\u201d and being \u201cheld to account by a governing body for the progress my children make\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But he has a \u201cbroader range of metrics\u201d with \u201cstability of home life as important as GCSEs\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Much of a virtual heads\u2019 job involves training designated safeguarding leads and designated teachers, their main links into schools. They also \u201cdemystify education\u201d for new social workers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Johnson describes the training as \u201clike painting the Forth Bridge, it never stops. But we have boundless energy, because it\u2019s what creates change in the system.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
Sue Johnson, current chair of NAVSH<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Dirty tricks<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Change is slow. Research published last November by the University of Exeter and the NAVSH found some schools \u201cactively resisting the admission of children in care or being unwilling to accommodate their needs\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Academies have powers to cap numbers in certain year groups. But Cooke believes there is \u201cgaming of the system around admissions\u201d, with schools capping their published admission numbers (PAN) so that in years 9 to 11 they’re \u201cnominally full and can\u2019t take any more children\u201d. He calls this \u201ca dirty trick\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The result? \u201cVulnerable kids who aren’t in school can’t ever get back in.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Dame Rachel de Souza, the children\u2019s commissioner, wants councils to be able to enforce admissions for children in care.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

At present, disputes must go through the secretary of state, which can delay a child\u2019s care placement for months. \u201cWe haven’t got that time, placements are under extreme pressure,\u201d Cooke says.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
Children’s commissioner Rachel de Souza<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Care placement woes<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

At the other end, local authorities are crippled by the soaring cost of placements. Some, Cooke says, cost up to \u00a385,000 a week. The average is \u00a38,000.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And increasingly, these high-cost placements have no education attached to them because the provider has \u201cditched its education branch\u201d because it \u201ctended to be found inadequate by Ofsted\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So virtual heads are driven to place children into alternative provision (AP), which Johnson says has \u201cgrown so much lately, it\u2019s a sector on its own now\u201d. The number of pupils in AP <\/a>rose by 20 per cent to January 2024.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Johnson believes that AP can be \u201cabsolutely essential for a time\u201d, but has concerns about \u201cchildren in for long periods with no real endpoint\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Legislation hasn\u2019t caught up with the growth. Cooke believes the existing AP framework \u201cisn’t fit for purpose\u201d, because requirements for a broad and balanced curriculum are \u201cnot what some children need\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He recalls a \u201cwonderful\u201d therapeutic care farm that endured a \u201cbrutal\u201d Ofsted visit in which it was accused of potentially running an \u201cillegal school\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThat puts you off being that sort of organisation.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Fighting over scraps<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

For councils, it\u2019s not just cost that presents the challenge. Ambiguous rules around their financial responsibilities for the education of children in care when they move out of area cause disputes too.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Cooke says local authorities that are facing bankruptcy notices are tightening their belts when it comes to their interpretation of these rules. He feels \u201cslightly aggrieved\u201d around the \u201cperverse incentives\u201d in the local authority financial system.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Suffolk\u2019s area SEND inspection last November found \u201cwidespread and\/or systemic failings\u201d. But Cooke felt the council had been \u201cpenalised\u201d for being financially astute, and not being handed a cash bailout on the government\u2019s \u2018safety valve\u2019 scheme.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt made me think, why didn’t we just blow as much money as we can?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Johnson is concerned about recent local authority cuts to education welfare officer teams at a time when demand for their services in \u201csupporting children back into school\u201d has spiralled.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Virtual heads\u2019 work is also impeded by the \u201ccrisis in social work recruitment\u201d and lack of local foster carers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
Bridget Phillipson<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Leading the change<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Little wonder, among all of this, that attendance for children in need is in a state of \u201cnational crisis\u201d, as Cooke describes it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The persistent absentee rate for that cohort in 2022-23 was 44.4 per cent, more than double that for looked-after children (20 per cent) or the overall persistent absence rate for all pupils (21 per cent).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Undaunted and enthusiastic as always, virtual heads are undertaking \u201cchallenge\u201d work around this, including work with children who cannot attend school for mental health needs. Cooke is deeply concerned that the proliferation of online schools as a solution for these children is a \u201crace to the bottom\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Meanwhile, as NAVSH chair, Johnson has the chance to make a difference on all these pressing issues. She holds \u201cfortnightly, if not weekly\u201d meetings with the DfE and attended Bridget Phillipson\u2019s recent reception for education leaders.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

She believes that \u201crewarding\u201d schools for being inclusive would \u201cchange the system overnight\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cNobody\u2019s pretending everything’s hunky dory. We’ve got a SEND system that’s not fit for practice. It\u2019s the perfect storm, but the solutions are coming at the right time.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

She has a \u201cdefinite feeling of being listened to\u201d by those in power, with legislation catching up to the problems.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

* Ali\u2019s names has been changed<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The role of virtual heads is \u201cvital now more than ever\u201d in a post-pandemic world where vulnerable pupils have further lost out, the government has said. Virtual heads will from this month support the attendance, attainment and progress of children in kinship care \u2013 the latest expansion of their role since the support was made […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":311195,"featured_media":214676,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[5],"tags":[3498,675,2473,398],"post-theme":[],"class_list":["post-214778","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-profiles","tag-chidren-in-care","tag-children-in-need","tag-virtual-heads","tag-virtual-schools"],"acf":[],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t