Closing the Gaps in Academic Achievement

A report published this week by the Education Policy Institute (EPI) and Renaissance provided further evidence of the disruption to learning caused by the UK’s Covid-19 restrictions. Amongst the findings are that girls’ reading and maths results were more negatively impacted by the pandemic than boys’, that restrictions had an uneven impact in different regions and that poorer pupils and those with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) were more affected than their peers.

This is particularly significant for children in care, who are often over-represented in terms of disadvantage or special education needs and are often in the lowest performing groups. With the number of children in care increasing every year, we believe that more needs to be done to address these gaps. Impactful Government interventions and funding are undoubtedly required.

James Townend, Managing Director at Fitzgerald Fostering said, “Looked after children often face a multitude of challenges which impact their educational attainment – and this has been compounded by the long-term impact of the pandemic . Looked after children need strong support both at school and by their foster carers in order to help them reach their potential. At Fitzgerald Fostering, we work in partnership with our foster carers to create a nurturing environment for the young people in their care. We have strong aspirations for all the children placed through our agency and we provide 24/7 support and exceptional training to our foster carers to ensure the best possible outcomes for all involved.”

If you have been thinking about fostering, and you live in Berkshire, Buckinghamshire, Oxfordshire or the surrounding areas, please contact Fitzgerald Fostering on 01753 550031.

At Fitzgerald Fostering, we are with you every step of the way.