Boesley, Lauren;
(2021)
'Sometimes you have to work hard despite the system': Exploring the role and experiences of designated teachers for looked after and previously looked after children.
Doctoral thesis (D.Ed.Psy), UCL (University College London).
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Abstract
The Children and Young Persons Act 2008 (amended by the Children and Social WCopyright © The Author [year]. Original content in this thesis is licensed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International (CC BY-NC 4.0) Licence (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/). Any third-party copyright material present remains the property of its respective owner(s) and is licensed under its existing terms. Access may initially be restricted at the author’s request. ork Act 2017) placed statutory duties on all state-maintained schools in England to allocate a designated teacher responsible for promoting the educational achievement of care-experienced children in schools. Despite their integral role, there is little research exploring how designated teachers perceive, experience and enact their role. The current research aimed to explore the relationship between statutory regulations about the designated teacher role and practice. This included an exploration of key roles and responsibilities, barriers and facilitating factors that impact the role, perceptions around personal effectiveness, and an exploration into how designated teachers work with virtual schools, social care, educational psychologists (EPs) and wider professionals. This mixed-methods study used surveys with a sample of virtual schools (n=44) and designated teachers (n=142), and semi-structured interviews with designated teachers (n=16). Quantitative data were analysed using a statistical analysis programme, providing descriptive statistics and exploring trends, while qualitative data were analysed using thematic analysis. Survey findings provided an exploration into support from virtual schools, EPs, and wider agencies; key challenges faced by designated teachers; time spent enacting key duties; designated teacher’s sense of effectiveness; and multiagency working. Thematic analysis from interviews elicited three themes: complexities of the designated teacher role; building relationships and making contacts; and negotiating challenges in the wider system. Implications include raising the profile of designated teachers by increasing awareness and recognition about the role in schools and among professionals, including social care and EPs. It is hoped that by supporting and strengthening the designated teacher role, holistic outcomes for care-experienced children can be improved.
| Type: | Thesis (Doctoral) |
|---|---|
| Qualification: | D.Ed.Psy |
| Title: | 'Sometimes you have to work hard despite the system': Exploring the role and experiences of designated teachers for looked after and previously looked after children |
| Event: | UCL (University College London) |
| Open access status: | An open access version is available from UCL Discovery |
| Language: | English |
| Additional information: | Copyright © The Author 2021. Original content in this thesis is licensed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International (CC BY-NC 4.0) Licence (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/). Any third-party copyright material present remains the property of its respective owner(s) and is licensed under its existing terms. Access may initially be restricted at the author’s request. |
| UCL classification: | UCL UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Education UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Education > UCL Institute of Education UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Education > UCL Institute of Education > IOE - Psychology and Human Development |
| URI: | https://discovery-pp.ucl.ac.uk/id/eprint/10132749 |
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