Information about schools
There are different types of schools, however most children/young people will be registered on the roll of a state mainstream school and will be expected to access 25 hours per week of full-time education.
All children in England between the ages of five and 16 (statutory school age) are entitled to a free place at a state school.
It is useful to know what type of school your foster child is attending, as it will have implications for the curriculum that they will follow and the qualifications available.
Also, if your child requires a school place, the type of school may have implications for the application.
School term dates
Every local authority publishes school term dates on its website, however many schools determine their own term dates which differ from those identified by the local authority.
Term dates can be checked online on the school's individual website, so please do so before booking holidays so that clashes are avoided.
For every 5% of possible school sessions missed, and for every additional day missed as a result of fixed-term exclusions, there is a price to be paid in reduced GCSE grades. Even a five day absence can impact on a child's learning, particularly when coupled with other unavoidable absences (medical checks, etc.) the increased school absence will prove a significant detriment to their progress.
What should I expect from my child's school?
Whatever type of school your child attends you should expect them to have an understanding of your child's educational needs; this includes social, emotional and mental health (SEMH) needs as well as academic needs.
School staff should have an understanding of attachment issues and strategies to support children who have experienced trauma. Training for schools can be accessed through Derby City Virtual School's Attachment and Trauma Awareness programme. Ask your school if their staff have accessed this training.
You can search for and download information about schools on the Department for Education's website. You will need to use the filters to select the type of school and geographic area where you would like to find a school in.
Please remember, LAC should be placed in Ofsted rated 'good' or 'outstanding' schools. If you are a considering a 'requires improvement' school, please contact us to discuss. LAC should never be placed in an 'inadequate' school.