Education Service | Foster Care And Education

TACT’s Education Service

TACT’s specialist education service has been developed to support foster carers and advocate for children of all ages, to ensure that young people are able to access their educational entitlement of a full time and appropriate education based on their age, ability and needs.

The service is overseen by our dedicated Head of Education, and consists of a full time Advisory Teacher in England, dedicated part time Advisory Teachers in Wales and Scotland, a Post-16 Advisor and an Education Support Administrator.

Training and projects of innovation are a big focus for the team – such as being part of Literacy Catch-up with What Works for Children in Social Care, and writing the Black Lives Matter curriculum.

Some of the services the team offer are:

Supporting carers and advocating for young people across a range of educational issues.
Attendance as requested at educational meetings, such as Personal Education Plans (PEPs) and EHCP Annual Reviews
Training for foster carers, social workers and schools in a range of topics, including trauma-informed education, SEND, anti-racism in schools and managing exclusions.
Funding creative solutions to education issues as they arise – such as laptops, tuition, equipment, school residentials, etc.
Specific support, advice and guidance for Post 16 students around different pathways, such as academic, vocational and employment.
Home Communication Plans for children with communication difficulties.
Resources for Unaccompanied Asylum-Seeking Minors and their carers
Free resources in numeracy and literacy for primary aged children in care and foster carer birth children.
Free tickets to activities across the UK in our Cultural Experiences Programme.

TACT reinvests in employing highly qualified and experienced teachers and education professionals to put children at the centre of all we do, in order to achieve the very best educational outcomes.

What is our vision for the future?

The education service echoes the same sentiments that are held TACT-wide, with an emphasis on ‘aspiration’ to promote a high-quality education for all; the hope is to close the gap between attainment and expected standards and to ensure that young people do not miss out on opportunities by virtue of being in care.

We want to support our young people to achieve as a good parent would, with care and encouragement.
We want our young people to know that they are not alone, that they can be anything they want to be and that they can have a positive future.

By working with a positive regard for every young person, we hope that we can support them and their foster carers to hold high aspirations and to believe in themselves.