Teaching staff perceptions of educational experiences of children in out-of-home care in primary schools

Abstract

This study reviewed the local and international literature on the educational experiences of children coming from out-of-home care settings. Its main focus was to take an objective view of how school staff such as Heads of school, classroom teachers and relevant learning support assistants perceive children’s school experiences when coming from such backgrounds. In this study the lived school and classroom experiences of children from out-of-home care was explored. From this study it emerged that the children from out-of-home care require a lot of attention especially when required to carry out school-related tasks such as homework. In addition to this, although the school staff reportedly do their utmost to support children with this background effectively, they do not receive reports on the previous learning and academic history of the children when they shift schools. This suggests a lack of continuity which can result in the children having negative educational experiences. In such situations, school staff report that they may not be adequately prepared on how to provide effective support and meet the needs of these children. One could also note that the school staff plays a major role on whether the educational experiences of children from out-of-home care are positive or negative.