Warwickshire's Looked After Children in the Spotlight
An award ceremony has recognised the academic achievements of over 100 of the county’s looked after children.
Warwickshire County Council’s Virtual School for Children in Care hosted a presentation ceremony to celebrate the academic and personal achievements of children living in care.
The Virtual School for Children in Care has direct contact with children and young people in care as well as the various carers, social workers and education professionals who support their learning and development. It can also commission additional tutoring or any other service depending on budget and the child’s needs to support learning or social development.
Among those present was 16 year old Ali Safi, an unaccompanied minor who arrived in the country 14 months ago. He was referred following an emergency placement by the Police to Warwickshire County Council’s fostering service and a home found in Henley-in-Arden with Ruth Harvey and her family.
Despite speaking no English upon arrival, Ali is now speaking with local people, attending a mainstream school and taking a series of GCSEs including maths, English, science, RE, art, graphics and biology with further plans to go on to college and study ICT and English.
As well as the dedication of his foster family, key to Ali’s development have been the projects at Bath Place, sponsored by the Virtual School, in which volunteers create a mix of a homework club and youth centre and enables Ali to meet other unaccompanied young people.
Ali identified Fun Key Skills is a mix of maths and English as well as social skills which has improved all aspects of his learning as well as his confidence.
Mrs Harvey says the project has been immensely helpful to helping Ali settle and to make the progress he has. She said: “It has helped him to gain confidence as, for a time, he is with people speaking Pashto (his native language). It provides a break from constantly having to try to understand what is still a new language and culture for him and has helped him feel less isolated.”
Ali agrees, saying: “There are people who understand the experiences I have had and it helps having so many people supporting me in and out of school.”
Head teacher of the Virtual School, Anne Hawker, said: “Considering the difficulties Ali faced when he arrived in the country, his progress has been nothing short of staggering and it is a testament to the efforts of all staff involved with the virtual school, the staff at the school that he does attend, his foster family and, most of all, himself, that within just over a year, he has put himself in a position to sit exams, further his education and give himself a really good opportunity in life.”