How is education supported during staying put foster care?
Education during staying put foster care is supported through continued guidance and practical help that enables a young person to remain engaged with their course, apprenticeship or other learning goals. The staying put agreement can set out arrangements for study space, routines, transport, equipment and communication with relevant education professionals, while promoting the young person’s independence.
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Education is supported during staying put through the young person’s pathway plan, personal adviser and agreed arrangements with the former foster carer. Support should reflect the young person’s course, apprenticeship or training, their level of independence and any additional needs, rather than assuming that every young person requires the same help.
The pathway plan remains important. When a young person leaves care, their local authority should continue to review their pathway plan with them. Education, employment and training goals should be included alongside plans for accommodation, finances, health and personal development. The plan can record the help the young person needs to enrol, remain on a course, manage changes in their circumstances or move towards further independence.
A personal adviser can help the young person understand available education and training options, prepare applications, communicate with relevant services and review progress. They may also help identify difficulties that could affect attendance or achievement, such as changes in mental health, financial pressure, learning needs or uncertainty about future accommodation. The young person should be involved in decisions about their plan and given information in a form they can understand.
Support can continue across different types of learning. This may include further education, higher education, an apprenticeship, vocational training or another recognised programme. The practical help will depend on the provider’s requirements and the young person’s circumstances. For example, they may need help understanding enrolment conditions, organising course-related commitments, preparing for a move into student accommodation or balancing study with work.
Where a young person has special educational needs, a disability or another barrier to learning, the relevant education provider should be involved, with the young person’s agreement where this is required. Reasonable adjustments, specialist advice and learning support may be available through the provider or another public service. A foster carer is not expected to provide specialist educational provision, but can help the young person raise concerns and attend relevant meetings if the young person wants them to.
Financial arrangements should be made clear. The staying put agreement should explain how education-related expenses will be considered and who is responsible for agreed costs. This might include course materials, travel, clothing or other items connected with participation in education or training. The young person should also be signposted to funding available through their local authority, education provider or other appropriate scheme. Amounts and eligibility can change, so these should be checked at the time rather than assumed.
Education providers may need confirmation of the young person’s care-leaver status when assessing support. The young person can ask their personal adviser or the provider’s student support team what evidence is needed and whether there is a designated contact for care-experienced students. Keeping relevant documents together can make applications and reviews easier.
Communication must respect the young person’s privacy. Information about attendance, progress or support needs should not be shared routinely without considering consent and confidentiality. The young person, former foster carer, personal adviser and education professionals should agree what information needs to be shared, why it is needed and who will take action. Safeguarding concerns may require information to be passed on under the relevant procedures, even where ordinary consent is not available.
The former foster carer’s role is usually to provide consistent day-to-day encouragement while allowing the young person to take increasing responsibility. This can include helping them establish workable study habits, think through decisions, prepare for meetings and recognise when further assistance is needed. It should not mean taking control of applications, speaking for the young person in every situation or treating them as a child who cannot make their own educational choices.
Education support should be reviewed when the young person changes course, starts work-based learning, approaches examinations, experiences a significant setback or plans to leave the arrangement. Reviews can establish whether the current support remains suitable, whether the pathway plan needs updating and whether the staying put agreement should record any new responsibilities. If education is disrupted, the personal adviser and relevant provider should be contacted promptly so that alternatives and appropriate support can be considered.
Education support during staying put should not depend on grades, exam results or perfect attendance. A young person may experience a setback, change direction or need time to address a difficulty without their accommodation becoming conditional on academic performance. The focus should be on identifying what has affected their learning and agreeing practical next steps.
The staying put arrangement can distinguish educational goals from household responsibilities. For example, the young person may be expected to communicate about significant changes, contribute appropriately to the household and take reasonable steps towards their agreed plans, while still being treated as an individual who can make choices about their education. If progress becomes difficult, the former foster carer can raise the issue respectfully and help the young person involve their personal adviser or education provider before the problem becomes more serious.
Find out more about education support during staying put foster care
If you are exploring fostering and want to understand how education can fit within a staying put arrangement, speak to Become A Foster Family for guidance on the next steps and questions to raise during assessment.