LAC - Bridgend County Borough Council

Within the Bridgend authority there is a huge commitment to improving outcomes for looked after children. Core Aim 2 of the Bridgend’s Children and Young people’s Plan recognises that ‘Every child and young person should have good opportunities to learn and should be able to get the right sort of education and training and develop skills that they need to lead a fulfilling life’ and to achieve this they will ‘create better opportunities for those who may not be doing so well as they might – by working harder for looked after children and young people, giving better support for behaviour, improving attendance and helping those who might be excluded from school.

Through RAISE funding we have been able to offer additional support and resources to looked after children particularly at Key Stage 4 in the first 2 years of funding. This has proved invaluable, which has been reflected in the continual improvement in the outcomes for this cohort.

This year, the effort of the LACE team has been to improve on transition arrangements at Key Stage 3, by carefully monitoring the progress of the children in years 5 and 6. Each child at risk of not reaching their expected level has received intervention from either the LACE team or the Basic Skills team on numeracy and literacy skills. There are excellent transition arrangements in place for Key Stage 3 LAC,

Information is shared with the receiving school at an early stage. We ensure that any specific needs and barriers to learning are identified in the child’s PEP before transition.

The Letter Box Club has been well received both by the children and carers, and may well have contributed to improved outcomes.

Our Annual Achievement Awards Ceremony was a huge success this year, with over a hundred young people receiving awards. Arrangements are already underway for next year’s event.

The LACE team is well established within the Children’s Directorate and is able to offer personalised support to those looked after children with the greatest need. Within the LACE resource base we can promote personalised learning and a culture where every child matters. We believe that the key to success is a combination of stable schooling, tracking progress through PEP’s , intervention where necessary and personalised support wherever possible.