How Foster Carers Support Children at School

School can be one of the most important — and sometimes most challenging — parts of a fostered child’s life. Many children in care have experienced disruption, trauma or gaps in their education, and school can feel like just one more place where things are uncertain. A foster carer’s steady support can make an enormous difference, helping a child feel safe, settled and able to learn. Here are the key ways foster carers support the children in their care at school.

Greater London Fostering is rated Outstanding by Ofsted in all three judgements, most recently at our inspection published in September 2025. Read the full Ofsted report.

1. Building a strong relationship with the school

One of the most valuable things a foster carer can do is become a familiar, reliable presence at their child’s school. Introduce yourself early to the class teacher or head of year, and make sure the school knows you are the child’s foster carer and the best person to contact day to day. Good, open communication means small worries can be picked up before they grow, and the child sees the adults in their life working together on their side.

2. Understanding the Personal Education Plan (PEP)

Every child in care has a Personal Education Plan (PEP), reviewed regularly and involving the child, the foster carer, the school’s Designated Teacher and the social worker. The PEP sets out the child’s targets, the support they need and how Pupil Premium Plus funding will be used to help them. Foster carers play an important role in these meetings — you often know best how the child is really coping, what motivates them and where they need extra help.

3. Working with the Virtual School and Designated Teacher

Every local authority has a Virtual School Head responsible for the education of its looked-after children, and every school has a Designated Teacher for children in care. These are your allies. They can arrange extra tuition, help with catch-up where a child has fallen behind, and make sure Pupil Premium Plus funding is used well. Knowing who they are — and staying in touch with them — helps ensure your child gets everything they’re entitled to.

4. Creating a calm, supportive home for learning

Learning doesn’t stop at the school gate. A quiet space to do homework, a predictable routine, and encouragement without pressure all help a child feel that education matters and is achievable. For a child who has moved home or school several times, this sense of stability can be transformative. Reading together, showing interest in their day and celebrating small wins all build confidence.

5. Encouraging attendance and engagement

Regular attendance is closely linked to how well children do at school and how connected they feel to it. Foster carers help by keeping mornings calm and organised, spotting the reasons behind reluctance to attend, and working with the school when anxiety, bullying or friendship difficulties are getting in the way — rather than simply focusing on the absence itself.

6. Supporting emotional wellbeing and behaviour

Behaviour that looks like defiance at school is often a sign of anxiety or unmet need. Foster carers can help teachers understand the child behind the behaviour and advocate for trauma-informed, understanding responses rather than purely punitive ones. Sharing what you know about the child’s triggers and what helps them settle allows school staff to respond with patience and consistency.

7. Championing their interests and aspirations

School is about far more than exams. Encouraging a child’s talents — whether that’s sport, art, music, drama or a club they love — builds self-esteem and gives them something positive to belong to. Believing in a child’s potential, and helping them see a future for themselves, is one of the most powerful forms of support a foster carer can offer.

Working together with Greater London Fostering

You are never doing this alone. At Greater London Fostering, our supervising social workers and support team are here to help you navigate school meetings, PEPs, funding and any difficulties that arise, so that every child in our care has the best possible chance to thrive in their education.