Education for Children in Care

Young people in care get support to make sure their education is not disrupted.

Staying in learning help children in care keep their friends, achieve qualifications and successfully move into adulthood. They can also access support to make they succeed. 

Crucial: Children in care have the same rights to education as everyone else, and they are just as able to do well and succeed.

Your educational rights

If you are looked after, you have the right to:

• be in full-time education (and should be unless there is a very good reason why not)
• have a teacher at school who will offer specialist support if needed
• have an up-to-date Personal Education Plan (PEP), which will be reviewed at the school at least every 6 months.

Staying happy at school

Where possible, children in care will not be asked to change school. This is because you feel better and learn better when you are happy and settled at school.

Your school will have a designated teacher for looked-after children. If you need to you can talk to them or to another teacher. They can make sure that any problems you have in school are sorted and can arrange for extra help and support.

Take Action: Find out more about how school supports you.

Your Personal Education Plan

All looked after children will have a Personal Education Plan (PEP or ePEP) to help them get the most from their education. It also gives you the chance to say how school or college is going, what you want to get out of it, and where you need the most support.

Crucial: In Oxfordshire, young care leavers progress to apprenticeships, further education, higher education and employment.

Post-16 support

Young people who are looked after or leaving care have access to specialist Education, Employment and Training support. You may also be helped with certain education and training costs, such as books, travel and equipment.

Instant expert: To help you think about your future, the Learning & Work Institute have created The Really Useful Book of Learning and Earning for Care Leavers. It provides useful information, advice and activities to help care leavers get used to living independently and make decisions about education and work. It includes information about taking up learning or paid work, care leavers’ rights and what support they can get. 

Support for care leavers

There are designated workers including Specialist NEET Advisers, Learning Coaches and more who can support you with education, employment or training. 

They can help you with:

• preparation for interviews
• future planning – what are your options?
• application forms for college, work, and training

Crucial: Advisers at the Virtual School for Looked after Children can support you to achieve your ambitions.