Hughes defends lack of duty for schools

The children’s minister has denied that the government’s failure to give schools a duty to co-operate to promote and safeguard the welfare of children has contributed to the low educational attainment of looked-after children.

Beverley Hughes said the poor academic record of looked-after children had nothing to do with the Children Act 2004’s failure to place a duty on schools.

She said the Education and Inspections Bill, currently going through parliament, would ensure that looked-after children were given priority in school admissions procedures, even if schools said they could accept no further pupils.