Debate over care boarders
Derren Hayes
Tuesday, January 29, 2019
Two new schemes aim to encourage councils to place more looked-after children at boarding schools.
The government recently announced a fresh attempt to encourage councils to place looked-after children in boarding schools. Under the plans, a series of "hubs" are to be created connecting local authorities, social workers and virtual school heads with independent and boarding schools.
These will support children in care by offering them residential school placements or other non-residential opportunities such as mentoring, tutoring or activities during the school holidays.
The Department for Education is to shortly open a tender for local authorities and primary and secondary schools interested in forming hubs, although it has not confirmed whether any money will be available to fund their set up.
It follows the launch, also in December, of a separate scheme to offer local authorities discounts of up to 40 per cent for a boarding school place. Under the Boarding Schools Partnership scheme, funded by the DfE, children in or on the edge of care could gain a place at one of the 65 boarding schools that have signed up.
The DfE's latest drive follows previous initiatives by ministers to encourage councils to consider boarding schools as an alternative to care, most of which have had little impact.
Critics of such schemes say there is little evidence that they improve outcomes for children (see Ray Jones expert view). However, research published last year showed 37 out of 52 vulnerable children placed in boarding schools by Norfolk County Council saw their level of risk reduce.
Here, former looked-after child Lucy Brown explains why she believes attending boarding school was beneficial for her.
Expert View
‘My boarding school experience had a positive impact on my life'
By Lucy Brown, a former looked-after child who now works in children's services
"I came to reside at Sexey's state boarding school in Somerset in the second term of my third year of secondary education. I had received input from social care for five years, and boarding school for me came about as a result of concerns that the family relationships were breaking down.
After trying a few respite foster placements, my then social worker put me forward for a place at Sexey's as she felt I would get the nurturing support I needed and it may take me away from pull factors within the local community but still keep my family intact.
Initially, boarding school was scary, as would be any new experience. However, Sexey's was a school that hosted a number of children who were funded by social care, along with a large number of forces children where their parents were transitory.
The experiences I had there - which would not have been available to me from my family at that time - had a massive impact on my self-esteem, confidence and education outcomes. As an example, I felt a part of something positive; I was able to have positive role models and supportive peers, unlike the negative role models in my local environment.
I was able to participate in group activities such as sport, hobbies, interests and school trips, and was able to see myself progress and grow in areas I had never been able to. I gained life skills through learning with peers. I believe that my social and emotional intelligence and self-actualisation grew as a result of being in this environment, and this would not necessarily have happened if I had been fostered as originally planned. The experience allowed me to grow and develop within a system that can be seen as stark, isolating and unnurturing.
I have been able to take these skills throughout my career and utilise them to give benefit to children and families within my chosen career paths.
While I am aware a boarding school education isn't the answer for everyone, for me it kept our family united, but with the breathing space for us all to be able to manage when we are together."
Expert View
‘Boarding schools are likely to be overwhelming for most children in care'
By Ray Jones, emeritus professor of social work, Kingston University and St George's University of London
"There is nothing new in what the government wants to promote. As a social worker in the 1970s I had a boy in care - his mother had recently died and his father was in prison - for whom I arranged a private boarding school placement, funded by a charity, which was near his sister and her family with whom he lived during holidays.
The placement kept the kinship care arrangement sustainable for everyone concerned and the boy blossomed - as did Lord Adonis, the former Labour minister, when he was in care and who is a strong advocate for private boarding school placements.
For the majority of children in care, however, a placement in a private boarding school is likely to be overwhelming and threatening, placed among children who are financially privileged and, if the current high profile Eton-educated politicians are at all representative of private boarding schools, somewhat arrogant and dismissive of those from more modest backgrounds.
I grew up on a council estate in a working-class community. I would not have coped - and could not have kept up - among the culture and affluence of private boarding schools. For many children in care, this is likely to be their experience and reality too.
There is another reason I am cynical and concerned about the government finding the money for children in care to be placed in private boarding schools. This is what was said by children's minister Nadhim Zahawi in August: 'If the independent sector becomes embedded in the infrastructure that delivers the best outcome to these kids, there is no better way than them making the argument for their charitable status, for their VAT exemptions. And Mr Corbyn would never be able to abolish them.'
What an awful thought - that placing a few children in care in private boarding schools is presented as a means for these schools to be able to argue that they should retain their privileged charitable status while providing a segregated education for the children of the rich."