Creating an educational environment where every child can thrive is challenging enough. For children in care with frequent school moves and common issues with trauma and mental health, these challenges can sometimes seem insurmountable. It needn’t be this way.
Here are five practical, inexpensive and time-efficient ways that leaders can create a whole-school culture of inclusion for this vulnerable cohort.
Be consistent with care awareness
As with most professional development, what makes the biggest difference isn’t usually the one-off, full-day course but a steady drip-feed of awareness raising, built into the rhythm of school life.
Short 15- to 30-minute slots during staff inductions and CPD, framed in the same way as safeguarding refresher sessions, will keep the essentials of trauma-informed practice alive and remind all staff how language, consistency and predictable routines support children in care.
Revisiting the core ideas regularly and making care awareness part of the annual calendar means it stops feeling like an expensive bolt-on and a specialist knowledge. Instead, it becomes an accessible part of the professional grammar of teaching.
Support your designated teacher(s)
Every school with children in care is required to have an assigned designated teacher (DT). An excellent DT combines strong knowledge of statutory duties with empathy, advocacy and the ability to embed trauma-informed, high-expectation practice across the whole school.
The role naturally draws in capable, committed staff, but demands are significant. DTs often shoulder extra responsibilities on top of their core workload, and it’s easy for goodwill to tip into overload.
Schools that build in timetable remission, provide dedicated time and establish clear reporting lines make it possible for the role to be carried out well. Importantly, when senior leaders show visible support and recognition, it signals to the whole school that the DT’s work matters, further facilitating their impact.
Build a network of trusted adults
Having a Designated Teacher in place is essential, but depending on a single relationship can sometimes leave children in care exposed if things shift or break down. Many schools already do this instinctively, but it’s worth being intentional about creating a small circle of trusted adults.
Two or three people who can provide consistency and support are ideal. These don’t need to be formal roles; often it’s the approachable member of support staff, the caretaker who always says hello or the teaching assistant who takes time to listen.
What matters here is presence, stability and genuine care rather than a detailed grasp of policy, though brief training in active listening can help significantly.
Be authentic in building relationships
That’s because strong relationships are the foundation of inclusive education. Taking the time to connect beyond the classroom with a simple ‘How’s your day?’ or noticing small successes like punctuality builds trust and signals to a child that they are seen and valued.
Teachers don’t need to overshare or have lived care experience. Being aware of a child’s context and approaching interactions with empathy will make a huge difference.
Embedding one-to-one time, modelling inclusive language and normalising diverse family experiences (single parents, foster carers, extended family) all help children feel understood. Offering tailored support and celebrating small wins will also reinforce positive outcomes.
See behaviours through the lens of inclusion
Children in care often respond to trauma in ways that can look like defiance. In the heat of the moment, even the most experienced teacher can react in ways that exacerbate situations and deepen feelings of rejection.
A helpful approach to address this is to regularly review policies on behaviour, uniform and attendance with an eye to making adjustments where pupils might struggle. Understanding the ‘why’ behind an action matters: a missing tie or blazer may be a matter of affordability, not defiance.
When policies are framed with empathy, staff can better respond in ways that support rather than punish.
Inclusiveness isn’t about costly programmes or sweeping reforms. When schools take small but deliberate steps, they send a powerful message that every child matters and has the chance to thrive. This is especially important for young people in care.
Your thoughts