Schools Plan for Children in Care

Government proposals for children in care to be educated in state and private boarding schools are to be taken a step forward, it was revealed yesterday. The Department for Education and Skills is expected to pilot the plans, which could give the most vulnerable youngsters at risk of poor educational achievement the advantage of regular, continuous schooling, funded by the taxpayer. The idea is expected to feature in a green paper on “looked after” children in October. But opposition MPs repeated earlier warnings that the proposals were “fraught with problems” and uncosted.

The schools minister, Lord Adonis, said yesterday the government was pursuing a number of options which would benefit youngsters whose education was disrupted by moves between homes. He said: “Last week’s Barnardo’s report highlighted their often desperately poor educational achievement, and the impact of frequent changes of placements and inadequate access to good schools. We have acted decisively to tackle both issues.”