A new Ofsted report, published today, describes the challenges some schools and colleges face in supporting children in care to reach their potential, due to inconsistencies in local authority practice, unclear national expectations, and a lack of training for staff
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, the leaders of most of the schools and colleges visited demonstrated a deep understanding of each learner’s circumstances. They applied flexible and inclusive approaches to support individuals’ specific needs, often adapting policies to reflect their emotional and behavioural challenges. Support was most effective when staff were well trained. Leaders who invested in specialist professional development – particularly in understanding the needs of care-experienced children and the impact of issues such as trauma – were better equipped to create supportive environments.
Researchers found that effective communication was essential to timely and coordinated support for children in care. This included collaboration between leaders and staff in schools and colleges, as well as regular engagement with carers, social workers and virtual school headteachers. Virtual schools were widely valued by schools and colleges for their role in providing funding, training and specialist advice.
Nationally, children in care face significant disparities in academic achievement compared to their peers. In the schools and colleges visited, academic and learning support was an important focus, with targeted interventions including one-to-one tutoring, small-group teaching and in-class support. Many schools and colleges also prioritised emotional and social development, fostering trusting relationships to ensure learners felt seen and supported.
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. Today’s report makes several recommendations to help create more effective education provision for these children, including:
Informed by this research, Ofsted’s renewed education inspection framework (introduced in November 2025) now has a sharper focus on children known, or previously known, to local authority social care.
Sir Martyn Oliver, His Majesty’s Chief Inspector, said:
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