For tens of thousands of adopted children in the UK, the reality of school or college is a daily struggle for survival. As a result, too many are failing academically. Many families who weren’t planning to home school are turning to it as a last resort. 

Traumatised children need a different approach to learning – one that prioritises wellbeing and relationships. And research shows that these approaches help every child to learn. 

We are calling on governments in all four nations of the UK to rethink our education system. 

Research         Policy          Campaigning

 

 

Research

 

 

Breaking the barriers to school attendance

Up to half of adopted and kinship children struggle to attend school regularly, despite a huge government drive to tackle absence.​​ This report explores the reasons for absence and why the need for better support and understanding is critical. It is part of a wider campaign to influence government policies, skill up and support education professionals, and empower kinship carers/adoptive parents and young people to advocate for their right to be in school and in the classroom.

Read the report here

Get involved in the campaign

 

 

 

More research:

From Both Sides: evaluating education support for previously looked after children in England

 As a part of Adoption UK's Equal Chance campaigning, we are calling for adopted children to be given an equal chance to learn. Our latest report reveals that current support measures in schools for previously looked after children are not working, and makes recommendations we believe would have a real impact.

Please find the link to the recording of our From Both Sides report launch discussion here

Please find links to the presentations given by our panellists below:

• Rebecca Brooks: From Both Sides report key findings and recommendations

• Dr Andrew Brown: Alex Timpson Attachment and Trauma Programme in Schools

• Jacqueline Marsh: EPAC and SGO Education Plans

 

Better Futures (2020) 

Focussing on adopted young people’s experiences of further education, this report draws on semi-structured interviews and survey responses from adopted young people and adults. It explores the impact of difficult school experiences on individuals’ access to further education, the challenges involved in finding appropriate support in further education, and the most effective ways that colleges and post-16 settings can support care-experienced young people to thrive and succeed.

Home Learning during Covid 19 (2020) 

As the nation was plunged into lockdown in early 2020, Adoption UK surveyed nearly 700 adoptive parents about their family’s experiences of education during partial school closures. The results not only provide a valuable insight into the impact of Covid-19 on adoptive families, but also pose questions about what our education system can learn from the lockdown experience. Although many families struggled, respondents reported that more than half of their secondary-school-aged adopted children seemed calmer when they weren’t required to attend school, and one in ten parents said they were seriously considering long-term home education as a result of positive experiences of home learning.

Top of the Class (2019)

Is it possible to strive for high academic achievement while still giving the most vulnerable students an equal chance to succeed? Top of the Class draws on the expertise of six leading education professionals as well as survey responses from hundreds of UK teachers to examine the way our schools are resourced, assessed and judged and the impact of those priorities on the most vulnerable learners and to pose the question: is there a different way?

Bridging the Gap (2018)

When Adoption UK asked over 2,000 adoptive parents and nearly 2,000 adopted children and young people about their experiences of education, the results highlighted four gaps which must be bridged if adopted children are to have an equal chance in school: the understanding gap, the empathy gap, the resources gap and the attainment gap. In the face of rising concerns about the mental health and wellbeing of children and young people in the UK, Bridging the Gap offers a bold new approach to ensuring that wellbeing is at the heart of our education system.

Adoption UK's response to the Exclusions Review's call for evidence (2018)

Adoption UK’S Schools & Exclusions Report (2017)

Adoption produced a report into adopted children and exclusions rates in school following a survey of adopters.

 

Policy

Open letter to Schools Minister

19/2/26 Adoption UK CEO is calling on the Schools Minister to ensure the forthcoming Schools White Paper and SEND reforms will address the needs of children and young people who are adopted and in kinship care.

In an open letter sent today, we identify four key issues impacting this cohort of young people across education: Special Educational Needs (SEN), Emotional and Behavioural Support, Barriers to Attendance; and the Attainment Gap. It includes a list of recommendations such as mandatory trauma training for teachers, automatic identification and support for SEN for care experienced young people; and the introduction of an equivalent to PEPs for previously looked after children.

Read the open letter

 

Young People and Work Report: Adoption UK’s response to the call for evidence

Read a summary of AUK's response here

 

The Behaviour Hubs Programme - a win for relational approaches

30/1/26 Report finds rewarding good behaviour, de-escalation, restorative approaches and targeted support all help to improve behaviour in schools.

Read our blog

 

Education Select Commitee inquiry on SEND provision in England

The Education Select Committee at Westminster has been running an inquiry into the current state of SEND provision in England entitled ‘Solving the SEND Crisis’.

27/3/25 Our evidence to the Education Select Committee inquiry on SEND calls on government for earlier identification of needs, training for education professionals, a strengthened role for virtual schools, and creative approaches to making curriculum and assessment accessible and meaningful. Time to #BreakTheBarriers for care-experienced children.

Summary of AUK's submission to the SEND inquiry

 

Adoption UK’s response to the Curriculum and Assessment Review call for evidence

22/11/24 The DfE has established a panel to review the curriculum, assessment frameworks and accountability systems in England’s education system. Following a survey of Adoption UK members, we submitted a response to the panel’s call for evidence, focusing on the need for greater inclusion, accessibility and flexibility, and highlighting the importance of trauma-informed approaches in schools.

Read a summary of Adoption UK's response here

 

Adoption UK's response to the Lord's Comittee on Education for 11-16 year olds

05/06/23 - High stakes such exams such as GCSEs can cause significant anxiety for young people. This is particularly so for many adoptees.

Read Adoption UK’s response here

 

Persistent absence in schools inquiry

26/4/23 - The Education Select Committee is running an inquiry into persistent absence in schools with a focus on supporting disadvantaged pupils. Through written and oral evidence, the committee is looking at those factors which cause persistent absence and the likely impact and effectiveness of the Department for Education’s proposed reforms on attendance. Adoption UK submitted evidence to the committee, calling on government to ensure schools are trauma informed so that they can properly meet the needs of children with care experience.

Read our submission here

 

PP+ Extended to include Children Adopted from Overseas

16/12/22 - New guidance on pupil premium eligibility and funding rate in England includes an increase in funding and for the first time, children adopted outside England and Wales will be eligible to attract this funding for their schools.

 

Department for Education U-Turn on Summer Born Admissions to School (England)

29/7/22 - The Department for Education in England has reneged on a previous commitment to bring forward legislation to secure the rights of summer born children to defer entry to reception and remain with their cohort throughout their time in school.

Read Adoption UK’s response here

 

PP+ and internationally adopted children

19/07/2022 - Adoption UK and others have long campaigned for internationally adopted children in England’s schools to have equal access to support and funding, and now it seems as though change may be on the horizon. Read more in this article from Becky Brooks, Education Policy Advisor.

Read the report here

 

The Schools Bill: Children not in school register

07/07/2022 - The Schools Bill is currently heading towards the report stage in the House of Lords and includes the establishment of a register of children not in school. There is a lot of misinformation about this on social media and so here is our Education Policy Advisor, Becky Brooks' breakdown of what it actually means for you and your family:

Read the report here

 

SEND and Alternative Provision Review (England)

The consultation on the SEND Review is now closed.

You can access the associated materials, including the full report, an easy-read version and a guide for children and young people on the DfE’s website here. 

Adoption UK’s Response: Adoption UK has submitted a response to the SEND consultation on behalf of our members, based on our own previous research, and members’ views gathered via our dedicated SEND review survey.

We will continue to update this page as the Review progresses.

Campaigning

 

Want to make a difference? 

Get involved with our Break the Barriers campaign

 

Back to top