MPs bid for welfare duties on schools

Schools would be required to ensure that the educational welfare of looked-after children is safeguarded and promoted, under an amendment to the Education and Inspections Bill tabled as Community Care went to press.

The Liberal Democrats tabled the amendment because schools, unlike councils, were not placed under a duty by the Children Act 2004 to promote the educational attainment of looked-after children.

Another amendment, which has support from the Liberal Democrats and the Conservatives, would require a staff member in a maintained school to be responsible for identifying young carers and assessing their educational needs.

The same group of MPs also want the bill to be changed so that local authorities have a duty to promote co-operation between schools and agencies to support children whose parents have health or substance misuse problems, or a disability.

And an amendment tabled by Labour MP Roberta Blackman-Woods would give pupils a statutory right to participate in decisions that affect them, in line with the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child. The bill was due to receive its third reading in the House of Commons this week.

See Hughes defends lack of duty for schools and Boarding passes at the ready