Looked-After-Children (LAC)
What is a Looked After Child?
The term ‘looked after child’ refers to any child up to the age of 18 that has been in the care of their Local Authority for more than 24 hours. This includes children in the care system, such as those living in a children’s home, those in foster care and those living away from their parents. This can happen with agreement from the child’s parents or by court order.
The definition of a LAC under the Children Act 1989 is, any child that is provided accommodation by the Local Authority for more than 24 hours and/or is subject to a care order or a placement order from court.
Many LAC (Looked After Children) & PLAC (Previously Looked After Children) will have experienced disrupted schooling and gaps in learning.
At Gildredge House, we will support these students by:
- Providing a safe environment for all students, where their educational experience is valued and high aspirations are encouraged and supported.
- Ensuring that all LAC & PLAC are provided with, and have access to, a Designated Teacher and support to enable them to have every opportunity to enjoy, learn and achieve in the same way as their peers.
- Ensuring that our policies and procedures for LAC & PLAC meet the requirements outlined within ‘The designated teacher for looked after and previously looked-after children, statutory guidance on their roles and responsibilities, DfE February 2018.’
Documents and Links
The links below provide information around how East Sussex work with schools and other external agencies to support LAC students. The Designated Teacher guidance provides information about the role of the Designated Teacher and how they support LAC students.