Institutional Habitus and Educational Outcomes of Looked After Children: Complexities and Paradoxes

Gary Walker

Principal Lecturer, Childhood & Early Years

This work is supported from the Carnegie Staff Development Fund

Aims of the research

• To reach a more sophisticated understanding of the reasons for the lower educational outcomes of Looked After Children

• To reflect on the concept of a uniform ‘institutional habitus’

Context for the research

• Looked After Children (LAC) achieve lower outcomes compared to non-LAC e.g. 5 GCSEs A*-C = 31% LAC 75% Peers

• Dominant policy discourse: ‘care system’ failing to support Looked After Children e.g. Lack of space or resources for homework Poor communication between services Low expectations Low priority given to education

 

Research approach

• Use of Bourdieu’s theory of ‘habitus’ / institutional habitus as lens to explore role of adults supporting LAC

• Habitus: internalised, acquired schemes of thought, perception and action → disposition towards the world

• Institutions acquire elements of the social world as individuals do

Research Approach

• Two local authorities (Municipal and Provincial)• Group interviews with:

– Social Workers – Care Leavers – Carers

• Individual interviews with– Teachers – Central Education workers– Virtual School Headteachers– Deputy Director Children’s Services

• Total: 30 participants

Research findings

• Staff develop deep relationships with LAC• Address ‘whole’ child• Socio-emotional needs as important as educational

She's in Year Six at the moment, and I just thought 'Oh, she's so lovely'...and she was in the library just laying on a cushion reading with her glasses on, and I thought 'Yeah, we had to take you out of your home and we were the ones that saw the bruising', and so we went through the whole thing...and I knew her mum, you know, who'd...it was her boyfriend who'd caused the marks, but when you're involved in the whole process like that and then you see that at the end in Year Six...and all you would ever want is that that carries on. (Dawn, Designated Teacher, Primary School)

Research findings

• Staff made judgements about which needs to prioritise …if there’s that emotional baggage and that trauma then that has to be dealt with (Chris, Virtual School Headteacher)

… the driver is about just ensuring that we do the best for

each child (Dawn, Designated Teacher, Primary School)

• Geography of local authority significant…the kids are tired after an hour and half taxi journey (Bob, Designated Teacher, High School)

• ‘Minor’ achievements celebrated

• Teachers focused on ‘progress made’ by LAC …the distance travelled for the individual (Pauline, Education Worker)

Conclusions

More subtle understanding of educational outcomes of LAC

Staff highly committed and child-centred Paradoxes: doing ‘right’ thing and ‘wrong’ thing

Socio-emotional support ≠ educational support? Celebrating minor achievements = low

expectations?

Multi-agency tensions Different priorities Different views on Pupil Premium Status

Conclusions

Institutional habitus not uniform Mix of consensus

‘Whole child’ approach Focus on emotional stability

and contrast Individual interpretations of ‘success’ Use and enactment of policies / guidelines Professional identities

Better to think of institutional ‘nexus’?

Conclusions

Teachers can promote good practice Awareness of wider impact of

Focus on socio-emotional support Long journeys to / from school Celebrating ‘minor’ achievements Focus on progress

Can lead to...individualised support for LAC

Support ‘whole’ child but keep eye on educational targets too

Thank you for listening

Gary Walker

Principal Lecturer, Childhood & Early Years

School of Education and Childhood

Carnegie Faculty

Leeds Beckett University, Room 212, Carnegie Hall,

Headingley Campus, Leeds, LS6 3QS

Tel: +44 (0)113 812 6511

Email: g.d.walker@leedsbeckett.ac.uk