Vulnerable Pupil Register?

[AFourNotebook]

Anyone know what this is? It was mentioned by the deputy head of the secondary DS is going to in Sept. Who gets put on the register, and what does it mean for them if they are on it?

A child might be vulnerable long term (e.g. caring for a sick parent) or short term (e.g. they are upset over parents' divorce), and being on this register means that all staff are aware and can keep an extra eye on those children / be a bit more lenient etc. It also means that certain adjustments can be made in specific situations. My daughter was on such a register, and because her year group were going to be watching a video on a topic that would be likely to upset her, the HoY warned her in advance and gave her the option not to watch it. Hope that makes sense.

Thanks for that chocolate. From what the Deputy Head said, it sounds like my son is on the register. He has some SEN, but nothing in his home life that would make him vulnerable, so I was just wondering how broad it was? Would all SEN kids be on it, do you think? Or do you think my DS has been identified as being more vulnerable than most kids with (mild) SEN? I assume it is something the primary school must generate actually, otherwise, how would secondary school know ?

You may well find that it is school policy that all SEN children are on the VC list. It kind of makes sense actually as children with SEN are more prone to bullying. The primary school certainly would have informed them of the SEN and what support they had in place.

Schools have to track "vulnerable groups". It is not that the children are (necessarily) vulnerable in the social sense, it is vulnerable to not getting their target grades.

FSM (ever 6)
SEN
EAL
Young carers

are the main ones. There could also be groups that the school identifies - like girls arriving on level 4.

Ethnicity is also looked at - but increasingly now that ethnic minority kids are outperforming others, the main group which is being left behind is white working class boys.

Vulnerable = danger of not achieving their full potential rather than in any other danger

SEN
Boarders
Very low academic achievers
Parent or sibling dead or seriously ill
Parent disabled
History of eating disorder, self-harm or similar
History of bullying
Severe or unusual situation at home (e.g. live with grandparents, parents don't speak to each other)