An Expert's View
Nicky Sneezum is an Education Coordinator for Children Looked After (often referred to as LACE) in South Wales. This means that she is responsible for improving outcomes for learners looked after, reducing barriers that prevent learners achieving their full potential and helping young people living in care to learn and meet their educational goals. She has lots of experience of helping children and young people move between schools.
The role involves everything and anything when it comes to coordinating education for children looked after. I have to have my finger in every pie, tracking and monitoring progress…and pushing things along when they get stuck.
I started in this role 22 years ago. One of the things I have learnt is that it is vitally important for young people to make a smooth and successful transition from primary to secondary school if they are going to do their best later in school. I have also learnt that even focusing on literacy and numeracy skills isn’t always the right approach – we have to go right back to foundations, ensuring children’s wellbeing.
There’s been a lot of recent progress in raising awareness of education staff about attachment theory, and upskilling in the use of specific approaches and strategies to use in the classroom to support children feel better about themselves and to feel safe so that they are in the right place to be able to learn.
The most rewarding part of my job is watching individuals grow and achieve their goals. When children are happy and have good personal wellbeing then they can make progress.
Transition means change and change can mean loss, and young people who are looked after have often experienced more change and greater loss than others. They have had to make new friends, meet new teachers and environments more often.
They also have to deal with telling their story again, and this means planning what they’re going to share, who with and how – because once you’ve released that information you’ve lost control of it. And young people moving schools can also be moving homes and families at the same time and that can be very stressful.
Transitions can be made easier by visiting schools in advance, practising routines and travel plans. There can be really good transition plans involving both schools, including check ins by old school staff after the child has moved on. A good transition plan reflects the individual young person and that involves getting to know the young person and hearing their views. I would also suggest that foster carers help create a memory book of the young person’s time at their previous school.
I want you to feel empowered to know that you really can do it. You should make use of the people around you – foster carers, friends and so on. Voice your views and wishes – tell a trusted person and ask them to speak on your behalf if needed.
Aspire to something. Education can be your route to those goals. If your goal is simply to be happy, then ask yourself “How do I help myself feel happy today?”.
