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Tips for Foster Carers

Educating children outside of school

For various reasons, you might be faced with educating your foster child outside of school.

This could be either through homeschooling or attending an alternative provisions school. If choosing the former, you might be wondering how it works, and how they will take their GCSE and/or A Level exams.

As a fostering agency, Beacon Fostering understands these challenges of delivering education to those who might struggle in mainstream environments. Here’s what you need to know about educating foster children outside school.

Funding

Funding and support is available for families that educate their children at home, through charities and the local authorities. This is used to cover exam fees and educational resources. Children with SEND (Special Educational Needs and Disabilities) are also entitled to financial support.

Homeschooling communities

You may be wondering about how your foster child will develop socially if they are being educated at home. An internet search will bring up various groups and organisations in your local area where you can connect with other homeschooling families.

Creating a schedule

Developing a timetable for study and when to take breaks will create a sense of order and knowledge for when certain activities take place. It will also enable you to fit in other commitments, such as appointments and social engagements.

Online resources

There are many websites that can help you and your child in your homeschooling journey. As well as BBC Bitesize, there are also sites such as TES (The Times Educational Supplement), Seneca (for GCSE and A-Level Students), Twinkl and Khan Academy (which is based in the USA, but still useful for maths and science).