The Forever Home Protocol
Achieving a permanent and stable ‘forever home’ can mean that children are sometimes required to move school as well as move home at the same time. In situations like this, it is understandable that the priority is for children to feel safe and secure with their new forever families, and sometimes this may involve a brief period (of no more than 2 weeks – with the Head’s agreement) when the child does not attend school or attends part-time.
The transition to a new school will need to be carefully managed between settings and social care and should include:
- a place at an appropriate good/outstanding school being secured before the child is moved
- a full handover of the child’s education strengths and needs from the current school to the new school (this can be done at the child’s Personal Education Plan (PEP) if the new school is invited to attend this)
- consideration by the current school of how they can ensure a ‘good ending’ that can contribute positively to the child’s life story
- gradual exposure to any new setting or school that might include looking at the school/setting website together, parents/guardians introducing the new school through play with toys/siblings and familiarising them with fun topics related to the new curriculum, walk-bys of the new school, a photo book, school visits, introductions to keyworkers/teachers, rehearsals for drop off/pick-ups, building up to full-time in the school
- the new school putting in place any support agreed at the PEP/transition meeting