Squiddle Platform

Squiddle Private Space for Children

Squiddle – Online chronological archive for vulnerable children.

The secure Squiddle platform provides a private space for young people to communicate with their teacher, social worker or any other professional supporting the child. The concept turns Facebook upside down allowing the child to securely record chronological events and educational achievements privately. This Private space allows the teacher to communicate directly to the young person about anything supporting the child’s educational progress.

This platform will allow the young person to upload photographs, documents and videos from any device connected to the Internet. Teachers and Social Workers can also upload supporting evidence including exam results, attainment information, attendance history, to support and in rich the child’s record of achievement.

National Education ePEP the PEP to Success

Service Overview

We are market leaders supporting local authorities with educational & attendance monitoring for looked-after children. The company has a dedicated team of developers and support specialists who passionate and highly experienced with supporting the largest to the smallest authorities in the country.Gary Daniels managing director originally developed ePEP (Electronic Personal Education Plan) platform over 18 years ago. We have continually developed and enhanced the cloud based platform to accommodate the changing environment and changes to legalisation. We are confident we offer the very best dedicated service to support Virtual Schools with disadvantaged children.

The National ePEP Single Sign-on has become the total online package to track and monitor looked after children’s educational progress and outcomes, through the online ePEP single sign-on. The service includes the collection of live attendance data daily or weekly and the collection of termly key stage attainment data. Involving social workers, designated teachers, providers, support specialists and most importantly parents and carers to work and communicate securely online with the local authority.

We are a young person focused company that is culturally aligned with many ethnicities and diverse groups. Supporting Looked After Children, Children at risk of Sexual Exploitation, Children Missing Education, Post Looked After Children, Youth Offenders, Children with Specialist Educational Needs and Children in Need. Our expertise is not limited and we are keen to support other vulnerable groups to improve outcomes.

The ePEP platform provides a holistic area to record and measure the child’s educational performance, achievements, targets, aspirations, outcomes, concerns and self well-being. Helping professionals identify and implement interventions for improving educational quality and achieving better outcomes.

We continually work with young people to ensure their voices are heard by adapting the software to meet their expectations and changing needs. This has enabled us to offer a Young Persons Portal within ePEP to securely record important events, achievements and to capture bespoke answers to questions set by the Virtual School. Young People can also connect to ePEP Portal via a secure mobile APP which is optional.

We have worked extensively to support authorities in these challenging times by developing the streamlined COVID-19 PEP in partnership with Birmingham Council. This is now included within the ePEP standard features to support all teachers and professionals with in-out of school education. Our aim is to be as flexible and responsive as possible to meet all our clients requirements.

Our ePEP Attendance Collection Service integrates directly into the PEP and provides a simple and effective solution by sending external notifications and alerts to attendance officers. Authorities using the new automatic collection service have quickly benefited from the improved percentage and quality of DFE attendance data, linking into the PEP attendance profile page.

The eGOV support team will provide extra support to ensure designated attendance officers take up the new service and the complete daily or weekly electronic register. We can guarantee a quick improvement with PEP and attendance quality, teachers have welcomed the new remote approach and provided positive results across the country.

We provide access to our Self-Report Builder for clients to use within the platform for a completely unique approach to analysing data. This powerful application allows professionals to easily produce tailored reports, configure threshold alerts, conduct data mining, analyse and drill-down on all aspects of collected PEP and attendance data. Bespoke reports can be automatically generated weekly or shared between colleagues. Individual cohorts, school data, PEP completion, key-stage results, collected attendance, attainment data plus much more can be downloaded. This feature which has proven to be invaluable for many authorities.

Customisable Dashboards are available to quickly drill-down on key areas of focus and concern with large or individual cohorts. Attainment, progress, PEP completion, targets, attendance, quality assurance ratings, Look-up tables, drop-downs menus can be edited be the client to analyse the dashboards.

For more information visit:

https://www.digitalmarketplace.service.gov.uk/g-cloud/services/529063108447110

ePEP-Attendance-Tracker

ePEP Attendance Tracker Hits Target

We have recently added the ePEP Attendance Tracker feature allowing third party suppliers to feed weekly or live attendance figures directly into the ePEP via our new API plug-in.

The ePEP Attendance Tracker also allows teachers to manually enter attendance data before the PEP meeting takes place, including notes and explanations on why the child might have been absent. The live attendance information can be recorded weekly or monthly and is displayed through the NEW Control Panel and within the Professional section.

Attendants can now be tracked graphically on individual children, year groups or total number of children with schools by the Virtual School.

The two main suppliers for providing within and outside attendance data are Wonde and Sims.

Both organisations have full access to our ePEP API plug-in. Reports can be directly accessed from within the ePEP platform by the Virtual School, designated teacher and social worker, manual attendance data can recorded if no third-party supplier collects data for your authority.

The ePEP system will alert professionals via e-mail externally if the child’s attendance drops below 95%. 

Electronic-Personal-Education-Plan

PEP completion rates increase

PEP completion rates have significantly increased for authorities using ePEP’s new feature (Mandatory Data Fields).

System administrators can now customise the professional section within ePEP’s user matrix to ensure Social workers and Designated teachers complete important data requirements and questions.

The system alerts professionals if targets are not completed

PEP’s are not completed within  timescale, and when a PEP meeting has been organised. The ePEP alert notification is sent via external e-mail and duplicated to the internal messaging system.

The PEP meeting can be completely organised remotely allowing the administrator to set the venue and time of the meeting.

Invitations will be automatically sent to all individuals connected to the child via e-mail, saving a significant amount of time on the telephone.

The platform can link directly into databases for education social care.

Collecting vital information about the child before the meeting takes place this saves any duplication from the social worker or designated teacher.

Communication between professionals online plays a significant role with increasing the speed and efficiency of PEP completion.

The Social worker can support the Designated teacher prior to the meeting ensuring the child’s voice is heard. Teachers can also track termly attainment automatically with information gathered from the Sims database or any other supplier. Attainment data it can also be collected manually on the child by the designated teacher. Historical results for all Key stages are chronologically recorded within ePEP.

Reports can be generated into XML spreadsheets or graphically illustrated within the main ePEP dashboard.

FFT-&-The-Fischer-Family-Trust

FFT & The Fischer Family Trust

Who are FFT?

FFT is a non-profit company established in 2001 with links to the Fischer Family Trust. We are solely focussed on providing accurate and insightful information to schools which enables pupils achieve their full potential and schools to improve. We have been processing the National Pupil Database for the DFE since  2004 and providing analyses to all schools and LAs in England and Wales for over for 10 years.

What do FFT do?

FFTLive is a powerful online reporting system used by school leaders. We process data for all schools and pupils in England and Wales and provide online reports which analyse pupil results and pupils progress across all subjects and key stages, comparing performance to similar schools and the national average. FFTLive provides estimates of future pupil performance using FFT’s unique models which have been developed over 10 years. Last year FFTLive was used by over 75,000 unique school users to view 4 million reports.

FFT provides data and analyses to all schools and LAs in England and Wales. Our estimates are used by teachers to inform the setting of ambitious and aspirational targets for students. We analyse pupil results and pupil progress and provide school leaders with insightful data to support school improvement and self-evaluation.

Government Data Processing

FFT has managed the National Pupil Database for the DFE since 2004. Working in partnership with RM, our data analysts match and process pupil results and census information and calculate school performance indicators. We also match and process additional education datasets including data student outcomes from further and higher education. In Wales, FFT has contracts with the Welsh Assembly Government to process data and calculate value added progress indicators for all pupils and schools.

Schools & Academies

You can access FFT Aspire data and support in one of the following ways:

  • Option 1: Via your Local Authority (including Academies) – please contact your LA for further details
  • Option 2: Via FFT direct through an individual School subscription
  • Option 3: Via FFT direct through a School Group subscription (discounted rate for groups of 10 or more schools)

Because we process national census and examination data on behalf of the Department for Education, your data is automatically updated online each term as new pupils enter and leave your school. So, you get the latest data for EVERY pupil in your school – plus much more!

Individual School Subscriptions Costs Direct From FFT: 

£250 plus vat for Infant Schools

£300 plus vat for Primary Schools

£1,250 plus vat for Secondary Schools

What your FFT direct school subscription includes
(options 2 & 3)

  • 1 year’s online access to FFT Aspire
  • Access to all FFT reports and data
  • Access to new Governor Dashboard and Self Evaluation reports
  • Automatic census and exam updates every term
  • Automatic access to all new FFT Aspire innovations – including new features, new reports and enhancements
  • The ability to create and manage your own FFT Aspire accounts for school staff
  • Access to FFT training and support materials
  • FFT email support
  • Free autumn update service – early estimates for new pupils entering your school in autumn

For more information on FFT direct subscriptions or to subscribe via FFT, please email subscriptions@fft.org.uk or call 01446 776262.

Local Authorities

To access the full range of FFT data for your LA and schools including FFT Aspire and your own FFT database, please email subscriptions@fft.org.uk or call 01446 776262.

Academy Chains & Sponsors

If you’d like to access FFT Aspire school and Sponsor level data, please email subscriptions@fft.org.uk or call 01446 776262.

All content provided is copyright of FFT. Please find links below to the source information and use the following useful links provided to find out more.

FFT Aspire Subscriptions >

Widgit Symbols

One of the great features of ePEP are the sections for the young people to complete using interactive avatars. The young person has numerous options to choose from, children with reading difficulties or a visual impairment significantly benefit from the spoken questions by the avatar.

This technique guarantees for whatever reason the child cannot read or has difficulty communicating by the written word to have their say.

The company has worked closely with Gloucestershire Council in developing a questionnaire for youngsters who have difficulty communicating using symbols used by Widgit Symbols software. Many local authorities already have access to Widgit software so can freely use the questionnaire in the SEN module of ePEP. This technique using symbols might look simple compared to ePEP’s under-water environment, however this could over excited SEN children. The symbols have been an overwhelming success with young people enabling them to easily participating with the familiar language.

Many SEN special schools are also very familiar with these symbols.

More Information about Widgit Symbols

The ever expanding Widgit Symbols Set has been terms of the past 30 years and now contains more than 12,000 symbols, which cover an English vocabulary of over 40,000 words. Widgit’s simply-drawn, colourful symbols each illustrate a single concept, in a clear and concise way, and cover a range of topics (including many curricular areas) wide enough to make them suitable for symbol users of all ages and abilities.

Widgit Symbols are used all over the world, supporting 17 languages, increasing the accessibility of written text, giving readers of all literacy levels greater access to information. As the Widgit Symbols Set is designed specifically for written information, Widgit Symbols users can develop a real independence in the reading and writing.

The new Widgit Symbols Set was launched in October 2002. This is a result of a two year development project involving many practitioners.

More information on the design rules and schema

More information about the development project

widgit-symbols

widgit-symbols

Information about Widgit Symbols from www.widgit.com

Pupil-Premium-Plus

Pupil Premium Plus

Additional funds for children in care become available from April 2014 through the Pupil Premium Plus (PP+). Besides increasing the amount to £1900 per child, the funds will be available from the first day a child comes in to care.

The Virtual School head in each local authority will be responsible for administrating the Pupil Premium Plus (PP+). Any spend will have to be accounted through the child’s personal education plan and will have to be targeted on the educational needs of the young person. If the local authority fails to distribute the allocated funds they will be clawed back by the government.

It is statutory that every child in care, in education, should have an up to date Personal Education Plan. The government is making it a requirement that details of the Pupil Premium will need to be recorded in the PEP and how it addresses their educational needs This will make the local authority and schools more accountable.

Schools can expect Ofsted to look in detail how the Pupil Premium is spent for individual children in care.

Department of Education Pupil Premium website

Ofsted School Inspection Handbook

Statutory-Guidance

Statutory Guidance ePEP

Statutory Guidance and Personal Education Plans

There are four pieces of statutory guidance that determine what a PEP contains, how it should be used, who does what and when it needs to be completed and reviewed.

For social workers,  The Children Act 1989 Guidance and RegulationsVolume 2: Care Planning, Placement and Case Review,covers the PEP and how it should be completed from a social care view point.

Being part of the care plan Independent Reviewing Officers (IROs) need to review PEPs. TheIRO Handbook says IRO’s need access to a completed PEP at least three days before the care planning meeting. Something ePEP easily accomplishes as IRO’s can have access to a young person’s EPEP at anytime.

Local authorities have a statutory duty in Promoting the Educational Achievement of Looked After Children. This guidance cover their role in supporting the PEP process.

The post of Designated Teacher, like the Special Needs Co-ordinator, is statutory in schools. The school governing body has to make sure their school is meeting all its lawful obligations regarding children in care.

These are defined in, The Role and Responsibilities of the Designated Teacher for Looked After Children: Statutory Guidance for school governing bodies. Chapter 4 of the guidance is about Designated Teacher and their role in its completion. It gives a good overview of the whole process.

There is no single clear cut guide, just for PEP’s. It is a matter of reading the four bits of guidance together about PEPs that gives an overall view of what is expected.

From time to time the DfE re writes or updates parts of guidance, such as the guidance on the Pupil Premium ,which did not exist when the above guidance was published.

The PEP is part of the care plan and school record.

Where they are used effectively, PEPs improve the educational experience of the child by helping everyone gain that clear and shared understanding about the teaching and learning provision necessary to meet the child’s education needs and how that will be provided.

For this reason the school and local authority (through strong links between the designated teacher and, for example, the local authority virtual school head) have a shared responsibility for making the PEP a living and useful document.

The role and responsibilities of the designated teacher for looked after children:  Statutory Guidance for school governing bodies, section 4.1.4.

The PEPs have come about because children in care, overall, fail in education. The PEP is a tool to help focus on a child’s progress through education.

The ePEP platform has been developed with local authorities, schools and young people to meet the government’s PEP requirements but brings greater transparency on everyone’s roll in making a child’s education a success.  EPEP is a very flexible platform, catering for children in early years, statutory school age and post -16.

Local authorities can individually program facets of the ePEP environment to respond to localised need. Thus being able to tailor how professionals and young people access and complete the PEP.

Provided an ePEP user logs on to the internet, an ePEP can be opened at any time, this allows easy on the move, office, school or home access.

The-Who-Cares-Trust

Who Cares Trust

The Who Cares Trust is a voice and a champion for children and young people in the UK living in care. The Who Cares Trust believe that every child in care should receive the support, encouragement and opportunities they need to enjoy their life and to achieve.

What does The Who Cares Trust Do?

So how exactly does The Who Cares Trust make a difference to the lives and outcomes of children in care?

Here’s how:

The Who Cares Trust support and empower children in care and young care leavers through their engagement programme, including running lifeskills workshops for young care leavers, organising work experience and providing one-to-one support and guidance to young people in the programme.

They influence legislation, policy and practice by ensuring the views and experiences of young people are heard where they need to be. This work includes running the All-Party Parliamentary Group for Looked After Children and Care Leavers, research reports, consultation responses and their young trainers scheme, where they support young people in and from care to devise and deliver training for professionals working with children in care

The Who Cares Trust publish magazines and publications for children in care that inspire, empower and inform them. They also publish books for foster carers and other professionals responsible for children in care that help them improve their practice and keep up to date with policies and legislation.

They develop collaborative projects which aim to improve life in and after care.

All content provided is copyright of The Who Cares Trust. Please find links below to the source information and use the following useful links provided to find out more.

The Who Cares Trust >