Improving educational experiences for children in care

In Wales – where the number of children and young people in care is rising (6,845 recorded in 2019) – there was a gap of 19% at Key Stage 2, increasing to 37% at Key Stage 5.

Work by researchers at Cardiff University on the educational experiences of these children has directly informed Welsh Government strategy, developed innovative methods to engage young people, and generated creative materials, training, workshops and online communities of practice. This has improved the overall educational experiences of care experienced children and young people.

This included the Welsh Government’s commission of the Fostering Wellbeing programme which increases foster carers’ access to peer support, training and information; support for the publication of A foster carer’s Guide to Education in Wales; and allocation of a portion of the Pupil Development Grant to provide training for foster carers.

Jonathan Jones, a Senior Policy Manager for the Welsh Government’s Education and Public Services Group, confirmed the research’s significant influence on the work of the Welsh Government, practitioners, teachers, and other stakeholders, helping to “shape some incredible policies which are making a real difference to some of our most disadvantaged children and families in Wales”.

A review of the strategy one year on reported examples of educational progress for care experienced young people. In 2016, 23% of children who are looked after achieved the Level 2 GCSE threshold, an improvement of 6% on the 2015 attainment figure.

Creative methods to engage stakeholders

Educational research studies often do not reach the people who would benefit from hearing their key messages. To directly engage these stakeholders, the Cardiff University team developed creative and accessible materials, some of which were co-produced with children and young people.

This included films, music videos, graphic art pieces, comic strips, a special edition of the magazine Thrive (delivered to all young people in foster care in Wales), and two magazines for foster carers.

Maria Boffey, Head of Operations for the Fostering Network, the UK’s leading fostering charity, confirmed that “foster carers have provided us with feedback about how the films, magazines and workshops have offered advice, ideas and information that has helped them to better support children and young people in their care”.

Lasting impact on policy and practice

Through both changing policy and working directly with the beneficiaries of the research, this work has had lasting impact on policy and practice in Wales, with the scale and research extended through related work with cultural and arts institutions.

This research has given children and young people “an opportunity to be heard”, a decision which will have “lasting impact on themselves, the care experienced community and future generations to come,” according to Emma Jones, Independent Living Coordinator, Roots Foundation.

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