looked after children

Sorry I have no experience of this and therefore no advice.
I just wanted to say I agree, what a ridiculous situation.
Good luck getting them to see sense.

It's not up to a school to define children as LAC or not. I'd get in touch with your Social Worker pronto.

dragon I'm astonished that the school is so ignorant; not least because schools actually get more money for looked after children. They are obviously unaware that the term 'looked after' refers to children who are under 18 and have been provided with care and accommodation by children's services. Most often this will be with foster carers, but as in your case some children are placed with another adult known to the parents and children's services.

They are LACs as GA says. That means that you can choose whichever school you want and they will be at the top of the list. Speak to your social worker and contact your local authority admissions officer. They will soon put the school right.

A looked after child is technically one accommodated by the local authority with a foster parent or such. That does not include a residence order to a relative.
There are those out there who can give you more up to date details on how to proceed with this.

Some Local authorities spent a lot of time trying to worm their way out of asking relatives to care for their grandchildren, nephews and nieces etc.

When I finished working in 2010 it was absolutely not done for a social worker to ask a relative if they would take a child in this situation, as the LA could then be held liable to provide financial support.

Cynical brinkmanship and emotional black mail going on here as most grans would not want to refuse their grandchildren support. IMO

I'm afraid Nelliemoser is right. Children on a residence order (or special guardianship order) to a relative are no longer looked after. Perhaps the school they are at has continued to treat them as looked after children because they were involved when the children were first at risk of going into care and placed with you. If so, they have technically been wrong but this has been in the children's favour. A new school could not treat them as looked after.

Sometimes children are placed with relatives who are then approved as 'family and friend foster carers', but local authorities will always encourage (force!) relatives to apply for residence orders or SGO's so that the children no longer count as 'looked after' and the local authority's financial responsibility is greatly reduced.

That is disgraceful, my LA doesn't do that and neither should any other...

I agree MiceElf but sadly it's a growing trend.

Nightowl and Nelliemoser are giving what I understand to be the up to date information. If there were care proceedings before you were awarded a Residence Order, then the children have, at some time, been LAC. Courts occasionally make a residence order to grandparents/relatives, along with a supervision order for a year. The SO is often to help relatives manage contact in the early days.
I don't know if you have a social worker. If you do, I'd raise it with them asap.
Thanks dragon, for the loving care you give your grandchildren. The comments by Nightowl and Nelliemoser tell it like it is. LA's try and avoid financial responsibility where relative carers are concerned. There was a Judgement that said relatives with Special Guardianship Orders should be treated as LA foster carers and given the same financial and practical support. It sounds as though law has been made to put a stop to this. Shameful.