ConsultationsSCHOOL ADMISSIONS: Consultation on the draft School Admissions Code of Practice, School Admission Appeals Code of Practice and assorted regulations.
Launch Date: Tuesday 26 July 2005 Closing Date: Tuesday 18 October 2005
www.dcsf.gov.uk/consultations.
This consultation focuses on a priority for looked after children but you may wish to ensure that it adequately deals with your concerns over mid term admissions for Gypsy and Traveller children.
Consultation Document for the Review of the School Registers Regulations.
The formal consultation will run from 1 September to 14 December 2005 copies of the document and questionnaire are available at www.dcsf.gov.uk/consultations.
You will note the following question within the consultation:
Travellers' children are currently marked as "authorised absence" even if they are present at another school or at alternative provision. We propose changing the regulations so that they are marked as "present at approved educational activity" so that their treatment is consistent with other pupils in the same circumstances. Do you agree that Travellers' children who are present at another school or alternative provision should be marked as "present at approved educational activity"?
You may also wish to consider and comment on the following:
One of our main concerns having spoken to heads and TES folk is that many schools will not embrace Gypsy and Traveller children as they feel this will have an adverse affect on their absence figures. We need to offer an incentive but also ensure schools take their responsibilities for these children seriously.
You may wish to suggest within this consultation that those schools who can prove that they are offering good quality distance learning and have signed learning agreements with parents of Gypsy and Traveller children who travel within the school year. That schools should also be allowed to mark these children as "present at approved educational activity". You will be best placed to know if that would be practical. I am particularly thinking of those schools who have taken a very keen interest in the E-Learning and Mobility Project but I'm sure you will know of many more examples.
If a child is travelling, not partaking in any distance learning or attending another school they would continue to be marked as authorised absence.
The matter of tracking pupils is one that still needs to be worked on. We are trying to get secure access to School2School software for Traveller Education Service Co-ordinators which may help with tracking. If you have any other suggestions or wish to discuss any of this please contact Andrea Smith at andrea.smith@dcsf.gsi.gov.uk
Consultation on new inclusion data including Traveller status.
This consultation was launched on 17 May 2005 and closed on 9 August 2005. Thank you to all those who took the time to respond to this consultation. We will post the outcome on this site when decisions have been reached.
The DfES consulted on draft guidance on collecting and recording proposed new inclusion data. Schools already report on the ethnic background of pupils and it is proposed to collect additional data on pupils' first language, faith, Traveller status and disability. The new guidance will also incorporate the existing guidance on collecting and recording pupils' ethnic background.
As you are aware the national ethnic background data categories include two distinct ethnic group categories, Gypsy/Roma and Travellers of Irish Heritage, which are recognised minority ethnic groups within the terms of the Race Relations Acts.
Data is already collected within the ethnic categories in PLASC on Gypsy/Roma and Travellers of Irish heritage and this additional new data collection is to collate information about those children who do actually travel within the school year including Fairground and Circus children. The capture of this data might offer an incentive to schools to provide good quality distance learning to those children who travel frequently.
The draft guidance is entitled :
Inclusion, Equality and Diversity: Data Guidance for Local Authorities on schools' collection and recording of data on pupils' ethnic background, first language, faith, Traveller status and disability (in compliance with the Data Protection Act).
Consultation for Census 2011
On 16 May 2005 the Office for National Statistics (ONS) launched a user consultation for Census 2011. The consultation provided a major opportunity for people who use Census data to set out their requirements and make suggestions for continuity or change. It will be used to help identify topics for inclusion in the Census.
The Census is the single most important source of data on ethnicity and religious identity in the UK, both nationally and locally. The classifications used in the Census tend to set the standard for data collection for the next 10 years.
This consultation closed on 5 August. Thank you to all those who took the time to comment on this data collection. We will let you know if Gypsies and Travellers will be included in Census 2011 data collection once decisions have been made.
|
