BAAF Conference: Aiming higher – Improving educational outcomes for children and young people in care

Theme

Educational outcomes for children and young people in care are often deemed to be unacceptably low. But is this an accurate or helpful representation of the evidence? There are a number of core questions that need to be answered:

• What do we know about what works well in helping children learn and achieve?
• How can foster carers identify learning and education as core to their role?
• How can we help more children in care get into higher education?
• What can we learn from specific local projects that focus on looked after children and young people of all ages?
• What has been the impact and lessons from virtual head teachers?

The conference will be relevant to all of those who are involved in running or developing services with an education focus. It will bring together leading experts in the field to discuss these and other matters, share best practice and focus on practical ways to help children achieve their full educational potential. Delegates will have the opportunity to network with peers, and be inspired by real life examples of good practice.

Chair

• Dr John Simmonds, Director of Policy, Research & Development, BAAF

Speakers

• Julia Alfano, Educational Psychologist (Looked After Children Lead),Hampshire County Council
• Collette Isabel Bentley
• Professor David Berridge, Head of Centre for Family Policy & Child Welfare, University of Bristol
• Michael Gorman, Headteacher of Bath & North East Somerset Virtual School for Children in Care
• Rose Griffiths, Senior Lecturer in Education, University of Leicester
• Sonia Jackson, Emeritus Professor, London University, Institute of Education & Swansea University
• Cara Osborne, Psychology Research Associate, Hampshire County Council
• Richard Parker, Director of Centre for Education Policy in Practice, Bath Spa University
• Ruth Pimenta, Education Adviser, PAC-UK
• Professor Judy Sebba, Director Rees Centre for Research in Fostering & Education, University of Oxford