CELCIS Education Forum: Policy and the education of care experienced learners across the UK, Ireland and Australia

Mind the gap: Education policy and the education of care experienced learners across the UK, Ireland and Australia

Join us online, on Thursday 26 November, for a special online research symposium bringing together researchers and practitioners from five nations and regions across the UK, Ireland and Australia. Together, we’ll explore the gap between education policy ambitions and the lived experiences of children and young people with care experience.

We're delighted to welcome:

• Dr Eavan Brady, Assistant Professor in Social Work, Trinity College Dublin
• Dr Celeste Musgrave, Researcher, University of Tasmania
• Dr Emily Lowthian, Senior Lecturer in Education, Swansea University
• Michael Bettencourt, Education Consultant, CELCIS, University of Strathclyde
• Fay Blyth, Virtual School Head and Doctoral Student, University of Sussex

Every child with care experience has an equal right to education. Yet, too often, there is a gap between that right in principle and the support children and young people receive in practice. Where they live, how policy is designed, and how closely it reflects their lived experiences can all influence the support available to them. Through a series of short presentations, our speakers will explore this gap, from international policy perspectives to the realities of everyday practice.

By the end of the session, attendees will be able to:

• Recognise how care experienced learners’ educational journeys can differ from policy milestones across the life course.
• Explore how geographical differences in policy and provision shape educational support in Australia and the UK.
• Understand the diversity of children and young people with care experience, drawing on findings from a 16-year study in Wales.
• Consider how Virtual School Head Teachers in Scotland bridge policy and practice to support young people over time.
• Explore the practical implementation of the Personal Education Planning (PEP) statutory process in England.

The session will close with time to reflect on what today's learning means for your own local context and area of practice.

Who should attend?
The Forum event is open to everyone with an interest in the education of children and young people with care experience. This includes practitioners, leaders, researchers, policy makers, and foster, kinship and adoptive carers across the UK, Ireland and Australia.

About the CELCIS Education Forum
At CELCIS, we are privileged to convene and coordinate a free, open-access network of practitioners and leaders who are involved or interested in the education of children with experience of care, and their families. We encourage and facilitate opportunities for practitioners to come together in a reflective, challenging and enabling space.  To find out more and view resources from past Forum events, visit our web page.