Gypsy and traveller children
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It is Government policy that Gypsy and Traveller children should be given the same opportunities as all other children. LAs have a legal responsibility to ensure that education is available to all children of compulsory school age (5 to 16 years) in their area and that it is appropriate to age, ability and aptitude, and to any special educational needs they may have. This duty extends to all children residing in their area, whether permanently or temporarily, and therefore includes Gypsy and Traveller children.
Schools receive funding for Gypsy and Traveller children in the same way as for other pupils on their roll. In addition, where LAs and schools are faced with significant financial burdens in responding to the particular educational needs of Gypsy or Traveller children, they may benefit from additional funding, the Traveller Achievement Grant part of the Standards Fund.
From April 2003, the Traveller Achievement Grant merged with a number of other small grants to form the Vulnerable Children Grant (VGC), also part of the Standards Fund. The VCG is worth £84m — a substantial increase on the grants it replaced which totalled £31m in 2002. The VCG not only allows more services to be provided but also gives the opportunity for LEAs to allocate funding based on local needs and practices and to provide coherent support across the different groups of vulnerable children.
Funding for Gypsy and Traveller children mainly goes to the Traveller Education Services (TESs) within the local authorities to support the provision of specialist peripatetic teachers, classroom assistants, specialist education welfare officers, distance learning, resources and staff training. The TESs work closely with their LA and schools to help improve levels of school attendance and achievement and raise the awareness and understanding of Gypsy and Traveller culture within the educational community.
The Race Relations (Amendment) Act places specific duties on schools to enable them to comply with the general duty. Each school must have a written race equality policy and arrangements for assessing and monitoring its effectiveness. Schools are also required to monitor the operation of their policies on their pupils, parents and staff, particularly with regard to the achievement of minority ethnic pupils, including those from Gypsy Roma and Traveller of Irish Heritage backgrounds. There is a requirement to see how the assessment and implementation affects the attainment levels of these pupils. Schools are also required to take reasonable practical steps to make available the results of the monitoring.
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Legislation
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