Change can be unsettling for any child, but for children in care who’ve experienced a lot of upheaval in their lives already, going back to school can be more challenging for them.
We spoke to one of our foster parents to find out how she helped the child in her care settle into school and the ongoing strategies she uses to support their education.
Caroline has been fostering with Orange Grove since April 2022. She currently has two siblings in her care, who are two and six years old. One is too young for school, but the other has just started year two. Although the children have only been with her since March, she’s already made incredible progress with the six-year-old's education.
Caroline’s top tips for school success
1) Develop a relationship with their school
Whether the child in your care is transitioning to a new school or moving up a year group, developing a good relationship with the school is essential for ensuring staff understand your young person's needs.
Caroline did this, she says, “It's an absolutely amazing school. They helped prepare her for the transition to year two by allowing her to spend time in her new classroom and with her new teacher. Luckily, she really likes the teacher, and the school allocates some one-on-one time out of the classroom so she can talk about her feelings.”
“The school has strong links with the local community. Pupils visit the church for Christmas, and parents are invited to the school to talk to the children about their jobs. They also run an annual school fair where, this year, she had the opportunity to sit in a fire engine.”
2) Set expectations and persevere
As a foster parent, you are responsible for ensuring the child in your care attends school. The school environment can be challenging for children in care. Their trauma may make it difficult for them to trust teachers, they could be behind their peers, and they may not have previously been encouraged to attend school.
The child in Caroline's care struggles with attendance, but Caroline continues to persevere and sets realistic expectations. She explains, “She was very behind her peers when she started living with me. It was clear that if she didn't want to go to school in the past, she would have a day at home. But with me, she knows that although she may not feel like going to school in the morning, she will still go to school at some point. So, no matter how long it takes, we always go."
“I've had to ring the school on many occasions to say, ‘We are on our way. I don't know what time will be with you, but we are on our way.’ They are very understanding of our situation.”
3) Build a routine
Routine is essential for any child, but for children in care, routine offers stability and safety because they know what to expect. Caroline recognised this and quickly built a routine for herself and the children in her care.
She explains, “When the children arrived, they had no boundaries or routines. So, I needed to make sure we had a structured routine. Not only for them but for me too.”
“On a school day, we get up at the same time every morning and follow the same routine - having breakfast, getting ready and leaving for school. If it's raining, we go in the car because it's a good mile walk. On a nice day, we walk through a beautiful park, so the children get some exercise.”
4) Help children feel like they belong
When children move into care, they leave everything behind – their friends, family, toys, clothes, bedroom, local community and school. Whether you foster a child in an emergency, short-term or long-term, you can help the child in your care feel like they belong.
Caroline explains, “I try to make sure that the children I look after don't feel any different to their peers. I ensure that they have the full school uniform and that I attend and take part in all school activities - parents' evenings, readers afternoons, sports day, harvest festival, remembrance service, Christmas fayre, festival of lights, special concerts and assemblies”.
5) Make completing homework fun
After a day at school, it can be challenging to get children motivated to do their homework. However, Caroline's experience has taught her that the best way to get children involved is to make things fun.
She explains, “We have to make things fun here. If it's fun, she'll get involved and sometimes even enjoy doing her homework and reading. I give her lots of praise and encouragement, rewarding her with stickers in the shape of stars when she has done well.”
6) Recognise the progress you are making
Between school drop-offs, family time arrangements and your family's everyday routine, you may forget to take a step back and realise the progress you are making to help the child in your care with their education.
Caroline has made incredible progress and says, “When she first came to me, the school completed a phonics assessment. They did this for every child in year one, and she needed to get 33 to pass. She scored two, so she was behind her peers. We worked really hard with her, and within three to four weeks, she scored 20, and by the end of the school year, she passed.”
7) Make quality time
Healthy communication is at the heart of supporting the child in your care to feel happy and confident at school. Building a bond with you will help them to trust their teachers and form friendships with their peers.
It takes time to develop trust, but you can help by allocating time each day for the child in your care to talk, play or sit in silence with you. Giving them this time will demonstrate that you are there for them and are genuinely interested in how they are thinking and feeling.
Caroline explains, “I find it really helpful for her to have a little time at the end of each day to talk about whatever she wants. So, we've added this to our routine - every evening, she'll put on her pyjamas and brush her teeth before sitting with me.”
Support for children at Orange Grove
At Orange Grove, our support for children in foster care includes access to educational specialists, who will help you get the most out of your child’s education. This includes helping you ensure your child receives the right support from their school. We want our children and young people to have a positive school experience and the opportunity to succeed.
If, like Caroline, you would like to make a difference in the lives of children and young people by opening your home and providing a nurturing environment that will help them succeed at school, we'd love to hear from you.
Thinking about transferring?
Download our Guide to Transferring Foster Agency for an in-depth overview of the transferring process and the benefits of fostering with Orange Grove.