Asked by: Baroness Whitaker (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government, in the light of the report by the National Federation of Gypsy Liaison Groups, <i>Civil Society Monitoring on the Implementation of the National Roma Integration Strategy in the United Kingdom in 2012 and 2013</i>, and the report <i>Overcoming barriers </i>by Ofsted<i>,</i> what plans they have to encourage local authorities to appoint leaders to drive forward strategies to improve outcomes for Roma school students.
Answered by Lord Nash
Local authorities have an important role to play in promoting better outcomes for Roma pupils. They are best placed to determine how to organise their local arrangements to support these pupils and should consider issues highlighted in the reports referred to by the noble Lady.
To support local authorities, the Department for Education funded two local authorities to trial a ‘virtual headteacher’ for Gypsy, Roma and Traveller pupils, with responsibility for supporting schools to promote better outcomes for this group. The effective practice identified has been circulated to every local authority.
The Department will work with its Gypsy, Roma and Traveller Education Stakeholder Group, chaired by the noble Lady, to discuss ways for all the parties to encourage local action to improve provision and pupils’ outcomes.
Asked by: Baroness Whitaker (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what steps those responsible for Gypsy, Traveller or Roma children in care take to keep those children in touch with their culture and their community.
Answered by Lord Nash
Local authorities must draw up a care plan for the children they look after.
The plan sets out how their needs will be met, including how they will maintain family and social relationships (where this is consistent with their welfare) and develop their sense of racial and cultural identity. Further details are set out in the Care Planning, Placement and Case Review (England) Regulations 2010 and accompanying statutory guidance.[1]
[1] www.gov.uk/government/publications/children-act-1989-care-planning-placement-and-case-review
Asked by: Baroness Whitaker (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask Her Majesty's Government when they will publish their report on pilots of a virtual head teacher system expressly aimed at redressing the inequalities in education experienced by Gypsies and Travellers.
Answered by Lord Nash
Two local authorities, Kent and Cambridgeshire, have been involved in piloting the role of a virtual head teacher who helped schools to engage with Gypsy, Roma and Traveller (GRT) pupils to improve their school attendance and attainment. These local authorities are currently finalising their summaries of the projects. The Department for Education will work with these authorities and the GRT education stakeholder group, chaired by the noble Lady, to determine the most appropriate way to disseminate the outcomes of this work.