Personal Educational Allowances for Looked After Children

Statistics drawn up by the Government over the last few years point to the fact that children in the care system perform badly in school compared to those not in care. Performance is assessed on the basis of achievement at GCSE and the government aims for a minimum of 5 A* - G grades.

There are various reasons for the poor performance of looked after children and it is not simply that the "fostercare system" is failing looked after children. It must be remembered that children go into fostercare because their birth families have been unable to provide the care they need. They have frequently been neglected, or abused; a common theme is parental drug or alcohol abuse, where a parent is virtually "absent" in real terms, leaving the children in the family to fend for themselves. Faced with the need to feed themselves, clean themselves, clean their clothes and generally care for themselves, few of these children can prioritise attendance at school and doing homework. Therefore at the point they enter foster care, they are already performing badly. Many come without a school place because the behaviour problems associated with the neglect or abuse they have endured have lead to exclusion from school. There is not a level playing field and the government has recognised these children need additional support in order to catch up with their counterparts who have stable family lives.

They have therefore introduced an annual personal education allowance for all looked after children who are at risk of not reaching the national expected standards of attainment. From April 2008 the Government has provided £500 per annum for each looked after child who has been identified as eligible for additional support. These allowances are intended to pay for activities or resources which support the learning and development of a looked after child that a parent would be expected to fund for a child who was not looked after. Examples given in the guidance are: one to one tuition; educational trips and visits that are not organised by school, activities that will benefit the child's learning and development, support for vocational training. Local Authorities are responsible for establishing local eligibility criteria so it is likely that each Local Authority will have slightly different ways of deciding which children are entitled to this allowance. Fostercare families need to discuss this with the child's social worker. The assessment of eligibility and allocation of personal education allowance should be part of the child's Personal Education Plan. Independent Reviewing Officers should also ensure that eligible children are able to access support through the personal education allowance. Statutory Guidance for Local Authorities can be obtained from the Department for Children, Schools and Families.