Education for children in care

Children who are in the care of local authorities are one of the most vulnerable groups in society, with many having suffered abuse or neglect.

Children in care have a right to expect the outcomes we want for every child, that they should be healthy, stay safe, enjoy and achieve, make a positive contribution to society and achieve economic well being.

Personal education plans

All children in care must have a personal education plan and it's the child's social worker's responsibly to ensure this is in place. The personal education plan is agreed by the social worker with the involvement of the child or young person they are supporting, the designated teacher and the parent or carer. The plan makes sure that educational services can be accessed, that any special needs are addressed and helps to minimise disruption to schooling. Clear goals are set, which allows for monitoring and evaluation.

Children in care education team

Within Childrens' services there is a dedicated team of teachers whose role is to support and promote improved outcomes for children in care.

They assist

• Schools
• Social workers
• Residential social workers
• Connexions
• Youth services
• Health workers
• Youth offending team

to support children in care in mainstream and special schools. This includes advising on

• Activities, e.g. sport to help motivate and re-engage children
• Creating support packages
• Maintaining school placements
• Training
• Preparing and completing the personal education plan
• Integration into mainstream education
• Movement of children across local authorities
• Lists of designated teachers

Useful resources

Find out more about our legal responsibilities towards promoting the educational achievement of looked after children from the Every Child Matters website.

More detailed information about our work with looked after children can be found in our children and families section.