Educational success for looked-after children: The social worker's responsibility

Research over the past twenty years shows that children in public care are massively disadvantaged within the education system. The scale of the problem has been highlighted by the rise in exclusions, with over a third of looked after children denied their right to education altogether. But even those who attend school regularly are unlikely to reach their educational potential unless active measures are taken to compensate for earlier disadvantages. Careleavers without qualifications are at high risk of social exclusion. This article reports findings from the author's research on high achievers who have been in care and urges social workers to recognize the promotion and support of looked after children's education as a central part of their role.