The
Board considered the Virtual School Draft Headteacher Report
(September 2023) presented by Louise Hallas, Virtual
School Headteacher. The draft report outlined the virtual
self-evaluation for 2022-23 and the outcome data (to be validated
as of September 2024) for 2022-23 as well as the improvement
priorities for 2024. It was
highlighted that:
- Under self-evaluation, Kirklees Virtual School rated
themselves as good overall with some outstanding features and some
areas for development.
- A Personalised
Approach was taken and every young person in care was allocated to
a member of the experienced Virtual School Team.
- This ensured that their attendance, progress and attainment was reviewed to enable
challenge and support in a timely manner and for relevant
interventions can be put in place.
- The Virtual School
completed 100% of Personalised Education Plans (PEP’s) within
the termly timescale.
- This ensured that every young person’s had at least one PEP each term.
- In the previous
year, 99% of initial PEP’s were completed within
timescales.
- The electronic PEP
system enables the Virtual School to monitor the completion and
quality assurance of PEPs.
- This process is
used to challenge schools and providers to support pupils’
individual needs and is quality assured by the team managers.
- Completed PEPs are
recorded in Liquid Logic and uploaded to Wisdom.
- There were robust
systems in place to ensure the Internal and External Scrutiny of
Data and Systems,
- A monthly report
is produced, analysed and reviewed as a
leadership team and presented to Governing Body, Corporate
Parenting Board, Scrutiny, Quality Assurance Panel and shared
across service
- This allows us to
react quickly to developing patterns of need and work proactively
as a team to embed creative solutions
- or example, we can see every suspension that takes
place and ensure that we are working with professionals to prevent
any further suspensions and highlight any patterns in the
data.
- This has resulted
in a decrease in the number of suspensions this year with the
number of days lost reduced from 455.5 to 307, with pupils with
more than 1 suspension down from 37 to 29 demonstrating the
positive impact of data scrutiny.
- There is an
established Governing Body that meets regularly, with a cross
section of representation that holds the Virtual School to account
through supportive and challenging meetings.
- In early years
support, the majority of children in
care aged 2 to 4-years-old access their entitlement to funded early
education and care.
- Where they are not
accessing their entitlement, the reason is known, and the validity
checked by a lead social worker.
- The percentage of
young people achieving a Good Level of Development has been
consistently strong over the last three years
- The percentage of
KS1 pupils reaching expected or higher standard for Reading,
Writing and Maths and RWM combined is above the national average
for children and young people in care 2022
- The progress for
those that achieve at least expected at Key Stage 1 to Key Stage 2
achievement is good, positive that maintain trajectory of
achievement
- Attainment and
Progress at Key Stage 4 has been consistently strong and the latest validated results (2022) show
Kirklees Children Looked After in quartile B for attainment,
progress and 9-4 English and Maths and these were all above
regional and national data.
- Participation and
progression remain strong in Post 16 despite the remaining
challenges following the pandemic, with 99% of young people
participating in some form of learning 16-18.
- This was an area the Virtual School hoped to increase into the
19-25 cohort.
- Kirklees College
have also been successful in being shortlisted for the Alex Timpson
ARC Attachment Award for their strong commitment to attachment and
trauma informed approaches across the organisation.
- Collaborative
working was a particular strength of the virtual school,
- The Virtual School
Leadership team work strategically across service with numerous
partners including Heads of Service in Children Looked After,
Assessment and Intervention, Children With Disabilities Service, Youth Engagement Service,
Multisystemic Therapy (MST) team, Sufficiency, Careers, Health and
One Adoption
- We collaborate
well with other professionals including Social Workers (SW),
Designated Teacher’s, Carer’s, Special Educational
Needs Assessment and Commissioning Team (SENACT), Education
Psychologists (EP) to provide the best for our young people.
- There has been no
permanent exclusion of a child and young person in care since the
Virtual School established
- This was trend that had continued since the virtual school had
been established.
- In
relation to special education al needs, All staff have received SEND specific professional
development opportunities to increase knowledge and understanding
of how we better support our young people with SEND.
- We have
established links nationally with LA SEND teams to reduce drift and
delay regarding statutory assessments and EHCP linked
processes.
- We have developed
our structure to integrate the work for Children with a Social
Worker into the work of the Virtual School.
- we are developing
a joint action plan to enhance social work practice and ensure
detailed education targets are in place and reviewed in all Child
in Need and Child Protection Plans.
- Areas for improvement included;
attendance (to increase static 88% going forwards) attainment
(particular focus on Key Stage 2 and Key Stage 4), EHCP /
Access to Appropriate Provision, School Moves (minimising changes
wherever possible).
- Development work
included;
- Developing partnership working with the care
leavers team and SAPT, to work with all young people if remaining
in education / training to 25 and ensure care planning is linked as
young people approach 18.
- Enhanced the provision to support UASC young people
for the full year.
- Further develop
partnership working and support and training for Early Years
providers to maximise potential and impact of earlier
intervention.
- Embedding the work
for Children and young people with a social worker so that it
becomes system led and system wide throughout the authority and
education system.
The
Board noted the update and expressed thanks to the Virtual School
for their work. The Board particularly welcomed:
·
The news that there were no permanent
exclusions.
·
The 100% PEP completion rate.
·
static in performance in absence data (in comparison
to a national decrease).
·
Further work to close any gaps in attainment where
possible.
In
response to a question from the Ex-Offcio in relation to Ofsted inspection, Louise
Hallas advised that within the ILACS inspection there was a
school’s Ofsted inspector who reviewed the work of the
virtual school. Previous feedback from inspections had always been
very positive. Responding to a further question from the
Ex-Offcio in relation to the way in
which virtual schools operate Louise Hallas advised that all
virtual schools may work to the same performance indicators, but
the delivery and operation of Virtual schools differed across Local
authorities.
In
response to a question from the Board in relation to unauthorised
absence data, Louise Hallas confirmed that sickness absence was not
recorded in this information. However, Louise further noted that
lates had to be recorded as
unauthorised which impacted the data. The Board noted the response
and requested that a breakdown of recorded unauthorised absence be
provided to help provide clarity around the data.
RESOLVED:
The Board noted the Virtual School Draft Headteacher
Report, and it was agreed that a report
showing a breakdown of recorded unauthorised absences be provided
to the Board.