Supporting children back into education

Filling your child with confidence, self-worth and offering reassurance can help them feel  more capable of going back to school safely and navigating any obstacles they may face.

Returning to school might feel like jumping into the deep end for your child. Mysterious. Nerve-wracking. Or just plain scary. Offering love and support at every stage of the journey is crucial. Your support will provide a guiding light for them when times are a bit tricky.

When your child is starting at a new school, you really need all hands on deck to make sure the best possible outcome is achieved and their individual needs are being catered for. A personal education plan (PEP) should be organised for your child quickly so that the school knows how to best support your child, whether that’s through therapy, one-to-one support or any additional resources. 

Once your child has started, you should have regular meetings with the school team to keep track of what’s going on and implement any changes that might be beneficial. Every child’s needs are different, and they will react to change in a different way; as a foster parent you should work closely with the school so that your child’s education can be adjusted to suit them.

When catching up with teaching staff at your child’s school, you should keep an eye on the following: 

• Complexity of the work - You might find that work set at school isn’t quite the right level for your young person. So if it’s too complex, or too simple, liaising with the school will help them provide work that’s just right. 

• Length of the school day - If your child has special educational needs, or struggles with schooling for other reasons, you might find that the standard school day isn’t optimum for them. Working closely with the school will help you come to an arrangement that best suits your child. 
• Timetables -  The layout of the day might not be the best for your young person. A simple rejig of lessons could make all the difference, so it’s always worth talking about this to see what can be done. 

Transparency about what is going on will be invaluable to your child, and will help getting back into education seem easier to accomplish. Once you’ve found a suitable school or special educational provision it is really important that your young person can visit, spend time there, and speak to some of the staff.

There are two key members of staff that could provide much of the help and support your young person needs when getting them back into education. These are:

SENCo

Otherwise known as the special educational needs and disabilities coordinator. Every school has a SENCo; this person will be responsible for all special educational needs (SEN) within a school. If your child has SEN you can speak to the SENCo if you have any concerns, questions, or would just like to discuss your young person’s needs in more detail. 

Designated teacher

Designated teachers are specifically trained members of staff who ensure that each and every child’s individual needs are catered for. They often deal with safeguarding and are your go-to if your child needs their school day adapting. A close relationship with your school’s designated teacher will be really beneficial when helping your child to settle into school life. 

Introducing your young person to the designated teacher, SENCo or even headteacher will help them understand what’s ahead, and hopefully provide them with some friendly and familiar faces ahead of their first day. 

Allowing your child to spend some time at their new school before starting will help them get to grips with their new chapter and provides an opportunity for you to ask your child exactly what they think. Do they like it? Don’t they like it? How do they feel? Your child’s voice is really important when it comes to decision making, so this allows them to share exactly how they feel so you know if their new school is the right decision, or if, together, you need to think of a plan B. 

At ISP, we put our children and young people at the heart of everything we do. A big part of that is asking them for their opinions on the things impacting their lives, including going back to school. By opening up the dialogue, you can start to understand their expectations and preferences, as well as ensuring that their interests will be catered to. Whether your child loves arts and crafts or is a football fanatic, their school should have relative clubs and departments so that they can really start to get excited. 

It’s important to remember that your young person might be really worried about returning to school. Things like strict teachers, bullying or a new structure to get used to could all be contributing factors. By understanding your child’s concerns, you will know what needs to be implemented to smoothen the transition, ensuring they get the most out of their education and feel safe and supported in the process. 

An open conversation will also give you the opportunity to reassure. You should let your child know that you are behind them every step of the way, and the wider fostering team is too. Social workers, supervising social workers and teaching staff will all be part of the process of returning to school, and communicating this will hopefully alleviate some of your child’s stress and concern.