School isn’t just a place to learn facts; it is where children build self-esteem, friendships and hopes for the future. Positive Aspirations Group expects every foster carer to treat education as an essential part of daily care, not an optional extra. Our Education & Employment Policy sets out these duties in detail.
1 | Your core responsibilities
- Champion attendance. Make mornings predictable, celebrate 100 % weeks and notify school instantly of illness.
- Stay connected. Introduce yourself to the class teacher or head of year; keep contact numbers handy; read every email and note that comes home.
- Attend every meeting. Personal Education Plan (PEP), parents’ evenings, EHCP reviews, exclusion hearings—be there unless the Care Plan says the social worker or parent will attend instead.
- Create a homework culture. Agree a set time, provide a quiet space, praise effort over perfection and liaise with teachers if work is too hard or too easy.
- Handle bumps early. Friendship strains, detentions, uniform worries—contact the school and your Supervising Social Worker (SSW) before small issues snowball.
2 | Personal Education Plan (PEP)
Each child in care must have a PEP, reviewed termly. Your job is to:
- Attend the meeting (in person or online).
- Bring evidence—attendance record, reading log, homework issues, strengths to celebrate.
- Help set SMART targets (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, Time-bound).
- Follow through—build the targets into daily routines and record progress in your weekly logs.
3 | If school is disrupted
- No school place / fixed-term exclusion
- Inform the child’s social worker and your SSW immediately.
- Work with our Education Consultant & Advocate to secure interim tuition or reintegration plans.
- Provide structured learning at home: reading, online lessons, educational visits.
- Supervise the child throughout the school day; do not leave them to “mind themselves.”
- Part-time timetable
- Should be in writing, time-limited and agreed by the Virtual School Head.
- Record how the child spends off-site hours—this evidence is needed at review.
4 | Agency support
Our Education Consultant & Advocate can:
- Attend PEPs, exclusion meetings and EHCP reviews with you.
- Mediate with schools over bullying, transport or special-needs provision.
- Coach young people on revision planning, CV writing and interview prep.
- Deliver life-skills workshops and independence training (budgeting, cooking, travel).
Email education@positiveaspirations.org or ask your SSW to arrange a call.
5 | Daily tips that make the difference
- Lay out uniform and pack the bag the night before.
- Share a 10-minute “show me what you learned” chat after school.
- Display certificates and artwork prominently—visual proof that effort is valued.
- Link learning to life: bake to practise fractions, garden to explore science, budget pocket-money to teach maths.
Key takeaway: When foster carers expect—and model—success at school, children start to believe it for themselves. Your consistency, encouragement and swift action when problems arise are the biggest predictors of their educational progress.
