If your child is taken into care
Educating children in care
The council will be responsible for your child’s education if they’re taken into care. They must have someone called a ‘virtual school head’ to make sure social workers and others give proper attention to your child’s education while in care.
There will also be a ‘designated teacher’, who is responsible for all of the children in care at your child’s school.
Your child will have an overall care plan, which will include education.
Most of the decisions about the child’s welfare will be taken by their social worker and foster carer (or residential care worker). You might also be involved, depending on the circumstances.
The social worker is responsible for making sure your child can achieve their potential, including:
- working with your child’s school to draw up a personal education plan
- making sure they are well supported at school
- making sure they go to school every day
- choosing and applying for a school place when required
- making sure that there are good links between social services and the child’s designated teacher
- being involved in any assessment for special educational needs
- making sure that foster carers attend parents’ evenings and any other school events which parents would attend