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A guide describing current developments and publications
which schools and teachers can draw on for advice and information.
It also has a growing support network which children themselves can
be helped to access.
Background
Looked After Children do not perform as well educationally as
those who grow up in their own homes or with adoptive families.
Many have their education disrupted, or fall behind. Young people
who have been in care are hugely over-represented among rough
sleepers, prisoners and runaways. The good news is that their
educational attainment has been recognised as a source of major
concern and that many initiatives are in place to address the
issue.
Kent County Council are working very hard to tackle the issue of
educational underachievement among children in care and believes it
is very important to have high expectations and aspirations of
these young people.
Education Protects
The Education Protects programme was launched in June 2000 to
support and further improve the educational attainment of children
in public care. It is jointly funded by the Department of Health
and the Department for Education and Skills (the two departments
issued joint guidance in May 2000).
See the Education Protects website for more information on the
programme, including details of regional contacts, network
meetings, news and events. There is a discussion forum as well as
good practice examples from local authorities. This site also
provides links to key documents relating to children in care, and
opens in a new window.
The Social Exclusion Unit and young people in care
May 2003 saw the launch of the Social Exclusion Unit (SEU)
practice guide:
A Better Education for Children in Care: The
Issues (link opens in new window) to support local
authorities as they take action to improve the education of
children in care. Visitors to the SEU's website can also read
about the unit's work with young people in care and find out
about the new targets for children in care.
There are also links to seven fact sheets published by the SEU
covering the following areas
- access to out-of-school activities
- access to school
- early years
- health
- post-16
- support in education
- support at home.
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