The Corporate Parent Committee meeting scheduled for 19 March 2026 was set to review updates on the Virtual School, the Fostering and Connect Service, and the Leaving Care Service. Discussions were also planned regarding a survey on care leavers and Houses in Multiple Occupation (HMOs), and a workshop on the development of a Children in Care (CIC) council.

Annual Report on the Virtual School

A comprehensive annual report on the Ealing Virtual School for the academic year 2024-2025 was scheduled for discussion. This report details the transformation and work undertaken by the Virtual School, including the use of Department for Education (DfE) grant funding and the outcomes for Children Looked After (CLA). It also outlines identified priorities for the future development of the Virtual School. The report includes recommendations to accept it as the statutory report for the academic year.

The report highlights that the academic year 2024-2025 was a period of significant transition for the Ealing Virtual School, with a focus on educational stability, high expectations, and partnership working. Improvements in data quality, particularly through the implementation of Welfarecall systems, have strengthened oversight and strategic planning. Outcomes at Key Stage 4 were noted to compare favourably with national CLA benchmarks, with attendance and challenging disproportionality identified as key priorities for improvement. The report also details the Virtual School's funding, its service plan for 2024-2025, and data on various cohorts, including attendance, suspensions, exclusions, and academic outcomes across different key stages.

Key areas covered in the report include:

• Cohorts: Analysis of the CLA cohort, noting that 65.6% were educated outside of Ealing by the end of 2024-2025. The report also identifies areas of disproportionality in placement stability based on gender and ethnicity.
• Pupil Premium Plus Grant (PPPG): An overview of how PPPG funding was used, with 24.8% supporting social and emotional needs, 8.5% supporting literacy, and 6.6% supporting 1:1 tuition. The report details the outcomes of interventions funded by PPPG, with 41.8% reported as successfully achieved.
• Attendance, Suspensions & Exclusions: The report indicates that overall attendance for CLA was below the national average. It details attendance rates by EHCP status, borough of education, and ethnicity, noting a fall in attendance for Black Caribbean children. The report also highlights a significant fall in suspensions, with no exclusions issued to Ealing CLA during 2024-2025.
• Outcomes 2024-2025: This section provides detailed data on academic outcomes for CLA across Early Years Foundation Stage, Key Stage 1 (Phonics), Key Stage 2, and Key Stage 4. The report notes that outcomes for Key Stage 4 were above London and National averages.
• Care Leavers and Post-16: Information on the shrinking care leaver cohort and their educational outcomes, with a focus on Level 3 qualifications and GCSE resits.
• Enrichment: Details of enrichment activities funded by the John Lyon's charity, including cookery lessons, music workshops, and work experience opportunities.
• Priority Actions for 2025-2026: A list of key priorities, including raising attendance, reducing disproportionality, strengthening KS4 transition, improving oversight of out-of-borough learners, deepening post-16 engagement, and consolidating the new Virtual School structure.

The report also includes appendices detailing the Virtual School's service plan, a summary of the service plan by phase of education, the Virtual School Offer for Summer 2025, the 2024-2025 Pupil Premium Plus Grant policy, and a full data pack.

Update on the Fostering and Connect Service

An update report on the Fostering and Connect service was scheduled, aiming to inform the Corporate Parenting Board about the service's activities. The report outlines the service's commitment to supporting children and young people to remain with their families where possible, and the process for finding alternative care arrangements, prioritising family members, connected persons, in-house foster carers, and then Independent Fostering Agency (IFA) placements.

Key points from the report include:

• Children in Care: A significant decrease in the number of children in care was noted, from 345 in December 2021 to 240 as of March 2026.
• Fostering and Connect Service Structure: The service comprises five teams: Fostering Recruitment, Fostering Support, the Kinship Team, and two Children in Care Teams.
• External Placements: The service utilises the Commissioning Alliance Dynamic Purchasing Vehicle (DPV) for external placements and maintains robust monitoring of these placements.
• Unregistered Placements: Protocols are in place for unregistered placements, which are considered a last resort, with continuous review and notification to Ofsted. Currently, three children are in unregistered placements.
• Fostering - Mockingbird Programme: Ealing launched its first Mockingbird constellation in March 2025, providing a network of support for foster families. Proposals for a second constellation are underway.
• Weekenders: A partnership with Now Foster delivers the weekender fostering model, where carers commit to caring for a child one weekend per month. Two children have recently been matched with weekender foster carers.
• In-house Psychology: Ealing's in-house psychology service provides therapeutic parenting sessions, training on attachment and trauma, and consultation to social workers.
• Recruitment Update: The service has seen a significant increase in recruitment activity following an enhanced offer to foster carers and partnership with Foster West London. Nine fostering households have been approved in the current financial year.
• Permanence: The report details the service's focus on achieving permanence for every child through Special Guardianship Orders, adoption, and long-term kinship foster placements. The service is tracking permanence for 123 children.
• Legal and Financial Implications: The report references the sufficiency duty under the Children Act 1989 and highlights the financial benefits of increasing local in-house placements to reduce costs associated with external placements.

Update on the Leaving Care Service

An update report on the Leaving Care Service was scheduled to provide a national and London context for these services, alongside Ealing's local demand, performance, and outcomes. The report aims to assure members of current performance, clarify pressures facing care leavers, and provide evidence for their corporate parenting role.

Key aspects of the report include:

• Background: National pressures on leaving care services are noted, including a growing cohort of care leavers, housing shortages, and cost-of-living increases. Ealing is supporting 374 care leavers aged 16-25, many with complex needs.
• Performance and Outcomes - Suitable Accommodation: Over the three years to March 2026, 96 care leavers were supported into private rented accommodation. In 2025/26, 25 care leavers were accepted into social housing, with a further 25-30 anticipated in 2026/27.
• Performance and Outcomes - Education, Employment and Training (EET): Ealing has exceeded EET targets, with 70% of 17-18 year olds and 64% of 19-21 year olds engaged in education, employment, or training, placing the borough above national and statistical neighbour averages.
• Partnership and Third-Sector Working: Key partnerships with organisations such as Shaw Trust, Youth Futures Foundation, and MCR Pathways are highlighted for their specialist capacity and targeted support.
• Risks and Challenges: The report identifies risks associated with externally funded roles and programmes, such as EET Outreach and Homelessness Prevention roles, which are at risk beyond April 2026.
• Legal and Financial Implications: The report confirms the Council's statutory duties to support care leavers and notes that delivery is within existing resources, supplemented by external funding. The loss of external funding could increase demand on higher-cost services.
• Equalities Implications: Care-experienced young people are recognised as a group requiring targeted support to address inequality.

Other Scheduled Discussions

• Update on care leavers survey in relation to HMO survey (verbal update): A verbal update was scheduled to discuss findings from a survey concerning care leavers and their relationship with Houses in Multiple Occupation (HMOs).
• Workshop on development of CIC council: A workshop was planned to discuss the development of a Children in Care (CIC) council.