Schools To Help Children In Care
Children in care could receive help from a “virtual head teacher” under plans to boost their opportunities. A White Paper published today is expected to say the heads could oversee children’s progress.
{mosimage}Other proposals include making schools give places to children in care, even if they are full, and providing bursaries of £2,000 for university. Only 11% of children in care currently get five good GCSEs, compared with 56% in England as a whole.
The government has committed itself to improving the life chances of children in care, a group largely seen as being failed by the system. Girls aged 15-17 who have been in care are three times more likely to become teenage mothers than others of their age, the government says and more than 30% of people leaving care are not in education, employment or training at age 19 compared to 13% of all young people. Almost one in three adult prisoners have spent time in care.
Education Secretary Alan Johnson will outline the White Paper’s proposals in the Commons on Thursday, but it is thought they will not differ much from the Green Paper published in the autumn.
Those proposals included:
- ‘Virtual head teacher’ to track progress
- Access to the best schools Catch-up help in school
- Free transport to school
- £2,000 bursary for university
- Fewer placements
- Stay in foster care until 21+
- No school moves for children in Years 10 and 11
- ‘Councils’ formed for children in care
At the moment, there are about 61,000 children in care in England, 69% of whom are fostered. A key part of the package would be allowing young people to stay with foster parents up to 21 or beyond.
