School support for kinship children

A designated teacher

A designated teacher promotes the educational achievement of your child. 

Which children get a designated teacher?

The Department for Education specifies that schools should have a designated teacher for children: 

• looked after by the local authority
• previously looked after by the local authority 

 What designated teachers do

Designated teachers should: 

• keep track of your kinship child’s progress 
• make sure they get the right support
• look out for their happiness and wellbeing
• help them feel heard if they have any problems
• work on their personal education plan
• meet with them at least once a term
• work with the local authority’s virtual school to promote educational outcomes 

How to contact your kinship child’s designated teacher

You can find out who the school’s designated teacher is by: 

• checking the school’s website
• speaking to the headteacher
• asking your local authority’s virtual school

In larger (especially secondary) schools, various staff might share designated teacher duties. 

Virtual schools

Virtual schools give information and advice to kinship carers with a formal arrangement, including: 

• special guardians
• carers with a child arrangements order (CAO)
• kinship foster carers 

They also promote the educational achievement of children that:  

• are looked after by the local authority
• were previously looked after by the local authority
• have a social worker  

Find out more about virtual schools and how they could support your kinship child.

Special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) support

Your child may have a disability or special educational needs that means they need extra support at school. Schools have a special educational needs co-ordinator (SENCO) to manage the support for these children. 

How to get SEND support

If the school thinks your child has special educational needs, they should talk to you.  

If you think your child has special educational needs, you can speak to the school. Contact the school’s SENCO if you want to talk through any concerns. 

Schools help most SEND children using a process called ‘SEND support’. Some children with more complex SEND may have an assessment to get an education, health and care plan (EHC plan).  

Read more about children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND).

Additional funds for disadvantaged pupils

The government provides special funding for schools in England, to promote education for children the government considers disadvantaged. This could include some kinship children. 

The main additional funds available are: 

• early years pupil premium
• pupil premium for children getting free school meals
• pupil premium plus 

Find out more about these on our pupil premium plus page.

Exam support

If you’re worried about your child at exam time, talk to their teacher or special educational needs co-ordinator (SENCO) as early as possible. They may be able to offer support with: 

• tips for revising
• topics your child is struggling with
• challenging negative thoughts 

Exam access arrangements

If your kinship child has a special educational need or disability the school might be able to apply for exam access arrangements. Access arrangements help your child take the exam with some adjustments, without changing the demand of it. 

Some examples of access arrangements are: 

• supervised rest breaks
• extra time
• using a computer or reader 

Your child’s school might need to apply to the exam board to request an access arrangement. Speak to your child’s teacher or SENCO if you want to find out more. 

If your child’s school refuses to arrange support, you can write to the school governors using this template from the independent provider of special education advice (IPSEA). Otherwise, you can go through your school’s complaints policy. 

Special consideration

Schools can apply to exam boards for special consideration if their student had a negative experience during the exam period. This includes a recent bereavement or a recent domestic crisis. 

Speak to your child’s teacher if you think your child might have a case for special consideration. The school can only apply after the exam has happened. 

Behaviour support

Kinship children may find past experiences impacting their current behaviour. The school should recognise this and support them to improve. They should consider difficult past experiences, and help in a trauma-informed, attachment-aware way. 

The support will depend on the school, but could include: 

• a safe space for your child to go to
• one point of contact
• an access pass for your child to leave the classroom 

Talk to the school about your child’s behaviour

If your child’s behaviour in their education setting concerns you, talk to your child’s:  

• key worker
• teacher
• form tutor
• headteacher  

You might be able to tell the school what triggers behaviour changes in your child. This will help you work together to find solutions that might help your child. 

If you’re not sure what could be triggering your child’s behaviour changes, we have a free workshop about managing challenging behaviour that you might find useful. 

Risk of exclusion

When your child risks exclusion, arrange a meeting with the school. Check their behaviour policy – it should be on their website – and reference it in your meeting. 

If your child:  

• is looked after by the local authority
• was previously looked after by the local authority 

the designated teacher should talk to you about their behaviour. They can also ask the virtual school for advice.   

Information on academic progress, aspirations and teaching methods

Schools should have high aspirations for kinship children. All pupils can achieve their academic potential, despite past traumas. They should understand that care experience does not reflect a child’s academic ability. 

The school should inform you about your kinship child’s: 

• academic progress
• areas they may need support
• strengths 

If you want to talk more about your child’s progress, contact your child’s teacher (or school) directly.  

One point of contact

All kinship carers should expect clear communication with schools. This is much easier in primary schools, where children usually have 1 class teacher. Secondary school can make this harder, with children having many teachers.   

You can ask the school for a single person to speak to, to avoid confusion or information duplication. This could be: 

• a form tutor
• a member of the pastoral team
• the school’s designated teacher 

It’s also good practice for kinship children to have a trusted adult in school. This is a member of staff they can go to if they’re experiencing any kind of difficulty. 

School transition support

A “transition” is a move between schools or classes, for example: 

• early years to reception class
• primary to secondary school
• secondary school to college 

Transitions can be difficult for kinship children, who may have already experienced a lot of life changes and disruption. Schools and teachers should carefully manage them. Find out more about school transitions and moving schools. 

Questions to ask the school

General questions 

• What resources, help and support do you have in school to support my child, family and myself?
• How can we work together to support my child in the best possible way?
• Are kinship children treated differently? If so, how?
• Are there any other kinship children in the school?
• What is your safeguarding policy?
• How do you work with your virtual school? What are the virtual school contact details?
• How do you support children with transitions, such as moving up to secondary school? 

Funding 

• How is pupil premium and pupil premium plus spent in the school and how will my child benefit from this?
• How do you involve carers in deciding how to spend this money?

Special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) 

• What SEND support is available?
• Who is your SENCo?
• What percentage of children at the school have SEND?
• What’s your experience of education, health and care plans (called an EHC plan or EHCP)? 

Updates and communication 

• Who is the designated teacher or member of staff responsible for looking after kinship children?
• How will you keep me updated on how my child is doing?
• Do you have a single point of contact for parents and carers?
• Can we identify a trusted adult within the school for my child to speak to if they have any concerns in the school day?

 Mental health, trauma informed practice and additional support 

• What extra support is my child entitled to? How will you assess what extra support they might need?
• What mental health, emotional wellbeing and therapies might be available through the school? For example, is there a counsellor available in school?
• What accommodations are you able to make for my child, such as more time in exams, extra learning support or one to one time with teachers?
• Are staff trained in trauma-informed practices? Are staff aware of the effects of early childhood trauma and able to support my child? Do you have experience of working with children with attachment issues or who have experienced trauma?
• What reasonable adjustments can you make for young people who have experienced trauma?
• Do you have a behaviour policy and if so, does this take a trauma-informed approach? 

Support from Kinship

Here at Kinship, we offer a range of free support for all kinship carers, including:

• free online and in-person workshops
• online advice and information
• online and in-person peer support groups

To find services, information and support in your local area – including information about your local children’s services – use our Kinship Compass tool.

You can also contact the Kinship advice team for free, non-judgmental advice and information if you live in England or Wales.