‘Lottery’ of local authority resources also hampers provision
Research from schools’ inspectorate Ofsted has highlighted how schools and colleges support the academic and personal progress of children in care.
The research, conducted during the 2024/25 academic year, explored how mainstream schools and colleges help support the 81,770 children and young people currently in local authority care across England. It used surveys and interviews to gather information, involving Ofsted inspectors, virtual school heads, social workers, parents and carers, and children in care. Researchers also made visits (15 in total) to primary, secondary and further education providers. (The authors’ do note that schools and colleges were not compelled to take part in the research, which may have had an impact on the findings).
Some schools and colleges visited for the research said access to resources and virtual school provision often depended on which local authority a child was placed under, creating a ‘lottery’ effect. Further education providers highlighted that personal education plan (PEP) meetings were sometimes not held beyond age 16, reducing oversight and support for older learners. These inconsistencies limited timely interventions and contributed to delays in support for children in care.
Despite these difficulties, researchers found the leaders of most of the schools and colleges visited demonstrated a deep understanding of each learner’s circumstances, applying flexible and inclusive approaches to support individuals’ specific needs. Unsurprisingly, support was most effective when staff were well trained, with leaders who invested in specialist professional development – particularly in understanding the needs of care-experienced children and the impact of issues such as trauma – better equipped to create supportive environments.
Many providers prioritised emotional and social development, particularly for learners who had experienced instability. Safe spaces such as nurture rooms and wellbeing hubs were staffed by trained adults who offered emotional regulation and reassurance. Some staff maintained informal, consistent contact with learners. They fostered trusting relationships and made sure learners felt that they were seen and supported. Learners were reassured by the presence of caring adults who understood their circumstances and could offer both emotional and practical help.
The report makes several recommendations to help create more effective education provision for these children, including that there should be ongoing specialist training for school and college staff on how to better understand and respond to the needs of children in care. This training should be continous, rather than one-off, with regular refresher sessions. They also call for a standardised national approach to PEP formats, funding approvals (particularly pupil premium plus), and virtual school provision to reduce delays in support. Improved collaboration between education providers and local authorities, through shared protocols and expectations, is also recommended, as well as for local authorities to ensure ongoing support for care-experienced young people beyond 16.
The research informed Ofsted’s renewed education inspection framework (introduced in November 2025), which now has an increased focus on children known, or previously known, to local authority social care. Sir Martyn Oliver, His Majesty’s chief inspector, commented: ‘Children in care are one of the most vulnerable groups in society, and we know there are significant disparities in their academic and personal achievement compared to their peers. While this report highlights the fantastic work some schools and colleges are doing to support these children’s progress, it’s also clear that we need a more consistent national approach to local authority support and practice. Understanding how leaders meet the needs of vulnerable children is my top priority, and a golden thread running through all our education inspections under the renewed framework.’
Full research available here: https://tinyurl.com/hnvzr93y