CYP Now - Children’s homes providers forced to challenge schools to secure places, ICHA warns

Children’s homes providers were forced to “rigorously challenge” schools to secure a return to education for residents throughout lockdown, the Independent Children’s Home Association (ICHA) has said.

Children living in residential care were not offered school places during lockdown, providers say. Picture: Adobe Stock

Despite children under local authority social care and those with education, health and care (EHC) plans being classed as vulnerable under government guidance and, therefore, entitled to school places throughout lockdown, anecdotal reports from a number of members of the ICHA revealed a number of challenges in securing places for residents even as lockdown measures eased.

Latest Department for Education figures show that on 18 June 18 per cent of all children with an EHC plan or a social worker attended school.

At the height of lockdown, on 17 April, just five per cent of these children attended school.

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