Are young people in public care welcomed into mainstream schools?

When asked to accept a young person in public care onto their school roll, some educators may give a negative response or offer an immediate excuse. One excuse I have personally heard on many occasions is that the year group is completely full. Thoughts of a low-achiever, a learner with emotional, behavioral and social difficulties (EBSD) and extra paperwork can make it difficult for young people in public care to be given a supportive and welcoming introduction to a new school. As with any other ‘labelled’ group, a small percentage of the total number of young people in public care will require a substantial amount of resources and help. However the vast majority will only require the staff of a school to provide an inclusive educational environment. Borland et al. (1998: 39) support this view, emphasizing the need to consider schooling when planning for a young person’s future:

School is an important element in the lives of children who became looked after, providing substantial support and care and a forum where children can develop skills and abilities to cope with adversity. There is evidence that teachers responses to emerging difficulties have a bearing on how effectively children can be sustained:

They conclude: ‘School is thus an essential element in equipping children to survive the turbulence of being “looked after” away from home’ (ibid.). Coulling’s (2000: 30) study which looked at how ‘a shared understanding of what counts as successful practice for each agency in relation to the education of “looked after” children’, also emphasizes how important it is to find a school with a supportive ethos, that ‘encourages the child to be assimilated into the life of the school allowing for good liaison with carers and birth family’ (ibid.: 33). She acknowledges that it is not only the relationship between the carer and educational establishment that is vital, but that the social worker and home-finding officer should be actively supportive in matters such as attendance and progress achieved.