Looked-after children at boarding school treated differently

Young people placed in boarding schools by social services are treated differently by staff and other pupils if they are aware of their background, according to a report published yesterday.

Some young people who took part in the study by the Office of the Children’s Rights Director said they could be teased or threatened, or people became careful about what they said to them and how they treated them.

The government is currently looking at whether boarding school placements should be more widely used for children who need to live away from home.

One young person said school staff kept threatening to tell their children’s home when they misbehaved, but others said staff were more sympathetic and helpful if they knew of their background.

The children also said it often took much longer for councils to make decisions on school-related issues than it did for the parents of other boarders to make the same decision.

Despite these issues, the report found that boarding school placements made it easier for some children to cope with home-related problems and improved their relationships with people at home.