Children in Foster Care; Looked After Children and Education: A Review
of the Literature in the UK
Abstract
This study critically examines the literature regarding the education of
children in foster care; Looked After Children (LAC) in the United
Kingdom (UK). It examines the progress made within UK policy and
practice in just over a decade. Government legislation and policy have
defined how progress for LAC should be made in the UK, and there has
been a shift away from social care perspectives to more holistic
educational perspectives as responsibility has shifted from the
Department of Health to include the Department of Education. This has
had a direct impact on the work of UK based Local Authorities and
schools. It is important to gain an understanding of these changes, and
how perceptions of LAC’s education is now situated. This paper explores
how continued progress can be made in closing the attainment gap between
LAC and their peers by focussing on three key areas: academic
achievement, emerging professional roles, and the training of key
professionals that work with LAC.