Oxfordshire’s Leading Practitioners in the Education of Looked After Children
The Role of the Leading Practitioner
- Contribute to training sessions organised by The Virtual School, for designated teachers, other school staff including SENCOs, social workers and other partners.
- Be available for telephone advice to school staff new to working with children in care.
- Be available to advise the Virtual School on policy development matters or in planning conferences or training
- Provide bespoke training, for example school visits by residential home staff to understand the school experience of a child in care
- Act as a governor for the Virtual School (two LPs only)
Criteria for selection
- Children remain in the school throughout their education unless there is a good educational or care reason for them to move
- Children are listened to and given many opportunities to participate in the planning of their education
- The leading practitioner is a member of the school leadership team (this is a recommendation to all schools)
- Good interventions are in place to make sure children achieve, attend and engage.
- Fixed term exclusions are rare
- Good use is made of the pupil premium in line with priorities identified in the PEP
- Communications with the Virtual School, foster carers and social workers are timely and effective
- Reports to governors take place at least once annually.
- The school has robust structures for the devolution of day-to-day responsibilities to ensure that children make good progress, attend regularly and engage successfully in learning
- The Virtual School’s quality assurance of Personal Education Plans generally grades these as green
Remuneration
The school is provided with the equivalent of at least one day’s cover costs. For additional specific work additional funding will be given. Some school’s have declined payment on the basis that this is part of their work as extended leaders for example in the development of a training school or success in receiving the Inclusion Mark
Priorities for the development of the role of leading practitioners to increase the impact of their work
- Leading Practitioners actively promote the availability of their advice to partnership schools in their area
- The Virtual School to ensure all designated teachers are aware of their nearest leading practitioner
- Following the successful March 2012 conference Safe and Successful, contribute to planning and delivery of the next Virtual School conference and foster carer induction events
- Support the Virtual School through additional publicity in partnerships, in year fair access panels and other groups, in championing the needs of the looked after child
- Secondary leading practitioners advise The Virtual School in the development of the 0-25 which integrates resources and practice of The Virtual School and the RAISE team
- Identify best practice in a college and appoint a leading practitioner
The leading practitioners are:
Secondary
Barbara Timms, deputy headteacher, The Cherwell School
Rachel Cosgrove, assistant headteacher, The Warriner School
Elsa Torres, deputy headteacher, Gillotts School
Caroline Duncan, assistant headteacher, Meadowbrook College
Primary
Tim Edwards-Grundy,headteacher, The Blake Primary School
Lucy Pearson, Inclusion Manager, Bloxham PrimarySchool
Julie Sellers, SENCo, Caldecott Primary School
Special
Emma Evans, SENCo, Woodeaton Manor School
Venetia Mayman
April 2013