Role of the Governing BodyResponsibilities of School Governors
School governors have an important role in supporting schools and in making sure that looked after children and young people are not treated differently in schools
The Who Cares? Guide for School Governors sets out questions governors should ask.
- Who knows which children in school are looked after?
- Who should know?
- What happens to the information on looked after pupils?
- How are looked after pupils consulted about what they want other pupils and staff to know about them and why they are in care?
- Who in the school has an overview of their educational needs and progress?
- Who is responsible for liaising with social services and ensuring that the school has relevant information about the child's care history?
- How do the school's policies and ways of working ensure that looked after pupils will be given the same opportunities and encouragement as other pupils?
- Does the LEA have a policy covering the needs of looked after pupils?
- Does the Authority provide some discrete service to help meet their educational needs?
- What training do the school's staff and governors need to help them understand and meet the needs of looked after pupils?
- How do the test scores, attendance, exclusion rates etc, for looked after pupils as a discrete group, compare with those of other pupils?
- Who will draw up the Personal Education Plan for the child when he or she enters the school, and monitor progress?
- How does the school communicate with foster families, social services and LEA?
School Governors should:
- Appoint a governor for looked after children and young people
- Look at all policies and procedures within the school to ensure that looked after children have equal access to all aspects of the curriculum, including: examinations and tests, careers guidance, extra- curricular activities, work experience and additional educational support
- Ensure the school liaises with Social Services on regular basis in regard to looked after children and young people within the school
- Assist the school in looking at whether policies and practice on behaviour, admissions, exclusions, attendance and special educational needs adequately address the needs of looked after children and young people
- Create an ethos of support and acceptance in the school and an environment where children who do not live with their birth families are accepted and valued equally
- Check the school has a designated teacher for looked after children
Please refer to the LACES Booklet.pdf [85k] for more information about what Governors should do.
|