Can a child in voluntary foster care attend their usual school?

School arrangements form part of the child’s care plan and should be agreed by the child’s social worker, the local authority, the parents and the foster carers, with the child’s views taken into account. Remaining at the same school is generally considered first because continuity can support learning, friendships and emotional stability.

For a voluntary foster care placement, the child’s parents normally retain parental responsibility. The local authority does not automatically gain parental responsibility simply because the child is accommodated with foster carers. This means important education decisions should be made with the parents, unless there is a specific agreement or safeguarding reason affecting who can make a particular decision.

The decision about school will consider:

• the child’s safety and welfare, including whether the school is aware of any relevant risks;
• the distance between the foster home and the school, including the reliability and suitability of travel arrangements;
• the child’s age, views, additional needs and stage of education;
• the availability of suitable support at the current school;
• the effect of changing schools on the child’s friendships, attendance, learning and wider support network; and
• whether the placement is expected to be short-term or may continue for longer.

A child who remains at their usual school should be able to attend consistently and safely. The local authority and foster carers may need to agree who will take the child to school, collect them, attend meetings and share information with staff. These practical arrangements should be clear from the beginning rather than left for the foster family to resolve alone.

The school should be told about the placement through the appropriate professionals, while information is shared carefully and only with people who need it to support the child. A designated teacher for looked-after children can help coordinate educational support, monitor progress and liaise with the social worker, foster carers and parents. The child’s personal education plan should record relevant education needs, agreed actions and any support required.

Foster carers will usually help with everyday education, such as school attendance, homework, uniform, supplies, parent or teacher meetings and communication about progress. Their exact authority should be confirmed with the supervising social worker and the child’s social worker. Foster carers should not assume that they can independently change the child’s school, consent to every educational decision or withdraw the child from lessons without checking the agreed arrangements.

Transport may be provided or arranged where travel to the existing school is considered appropriate but cannot reasonably be managed by the foster family. The arrangements depend on the local authority’s policy, the child’s circumstances and the placement plan. If travel becomes tiring, unreliable or unsuitable, the social worker should review the situation rather than allowing it to affect attendance.

A change of school may be considered if the existing school cannot meet the child’s needs, the journey is impractical, remaining there presents a safeguarding concern, or the placement is too far away. It should not be treated as an automatic consequence of entering voluntary foster care. Before a move is agreed, the professionals involved should consider the likely educational and emotional impact, consult the child and parents where appropriate, and plan the transition carefully.

If the child is unhappy about school arrangements, is struggling to attend or wants to change school, the foster carer should raise this with the social worker and the school. The child’s views should be listened to in a way that reflects their age and understanding. A review can consider whether additional help, a different travel plan or another education arrangement is needed.

Keeping the usual school is therefore possible, but it depends on the placement plan and the child’s best interests rather than on a general entitlement to remain there. Foster carers should ask for the decision, responsibilities, transport plan and review arrangements to be recorded clearly, so everyone understands how the child’s education will be supported.