LEAs: Ofsted Guidance

'Framework for the Inspection of Local Education Authorities' Inspection Guidance 3.5

(effective January 2004) [1]

The guidance specifies that organisational inspections of LEAs will include attention to the following:

the LEA's definition and monitoring of pupil mobility
the LEA's analysis of the performance of pupils who join schools at non-standard times
issues arising from different contexts, such as school places, admissions, asylum seekers and refugees including unaccompanied asylum seekers

Grade criteria for the support of ethnic minority pupils includes the following, in relation to asylum seeker and refugee pupils:

Grade 2 (Good): The LEA has a comprehensive strategy for the support of asylum seekers and refugees that is co-ordinated with the work of other departments and agencies. The LEA monitors the use of grant funding and can demonstrate its effectiveness in improving the levels of attainment of these pupils. The LEA has access to up-to-date and accurate data on the numbers, locations and origins of asylum seekers in the authority.
Grade 4: The LEA has a strategy for the support of asylum seekers and refugees. The LEA monitors the use of grant funding and evaluates its effectiveness in relation to the levels of attainment of these pupils. The LEA has access to data on the numbers, locations and origins of asylum seekers in the authority.
Grade 6 (Poor): The LEA has no strategy for the support of asylum seekers and refugees, and/or it does not have access to reliable data on asylum seekers in the authority.

'The Education of Asylum-Seeker Pupils' Ofsted, Oct 2003 [2]

'Several authorities had produced clear and valuable guidelines on admission procedures for asylum seekers. This guidance often formed an important cornerstone of a school's approach. The most effective guidance included information about educational entitlements of asylum seekers, the support available for schools from the central EMAG service, background information on difficulties facing asylum seekers, key elements in the admission and induction process and strategies for support in the classroom.' (p9)

'The excellent practice in one authority demonstrated many of the characteristics of an effective framework of support and help for schools. These included:

giving priority to enabling access to education for the newly arrived pupils and young people
ensuring that staff at the centre dealing with families enquiring about enrolment offer appropriate advice, with translation and interpretation where necessary
providing training for front-line staff in schools on the information parents need, the cultural backgrounds of the local communities and the services to which parents and children are entitled
at primary level, managing a team offering support to pupils, and advice, training and resources to teachers and teaching assistants
at secondary level, supporting the schools to make the best possible use of the devolved funding, such as using a consultant to work with a group of schools to train staff and to set up systems for assessment
using school-based projects to promote understanding of the difficulties and challenges of being an asylum seeker, such as using a development worker to focus time and resources on socially excluded pupils
providing training opportunities for suitably qualified staff from refugee communities, such as Somali teachers who needed a familiarisation course to facilitate their entry to teacher training
ensuring that provision for asylum seekers and refugees is an integral part of the authority's education development plan and race equality work
having a clearly designated post which oversees support for the pupils
promoting effective inter-agency links with, for example, social services and housing for collecting and co-ordinating information about families that have arrived in the community
organising a co-ordinating group or forum in education to look at issues in providing for the pupils.' (p19)

[1] 'Framework for the Inspection of Local Education Authorities' Inspection Guidance 3.5 (effective January 2004)

[2] 'The education of asylum-seeker pupils' (2003) OFSTED