What does 'Looked After Children' mean?

[CuppaTeaJanice]

I've just been reading the prospectus for my local (oversubscribed) primary school. It lists the following priorities for its selection procedure...

1. Looked after children
2. Medical or special reason
3. Sibling already at the school
4. In catchment area
5. Outside catchment area

Does anybody know what 'looked after children' might mean? It makes it sound like neglected children aren't welcome!!

children in care - they get priority

Children in care of the local authority - ie. being fostered like my dd

fostered children

Children in local authority care - wards of court.

It's VERY important that they can rely on the school because often the school is all they have ever had.

It covers fostered children in long or short-term foster cared but also includes children living with relatives who aren't parents, e.g. children living with a grandparent/auntie/older sibling or whatever.

Thankyou.

It's children who are registered with social work for one reason or another... not necessarily living away from their parents.

It's a term which always makes me smile - the implication being that all other children are not looked after.

Yes, they could think of a better term - I'm sure loads of other parents don't know what it means either.

Fostered or children in local authority care

Found this on-line:

"A looked after child means a person under the age of 18 who is provided by a local authority, acting in its social services capacity, with accommodation for a continuous period of more than 24 hours, by agreement with the parents or with the child if he is aged 16 or over, or who is the subject of a relevant court order under part IV of the Children Act 1989. Children looked after under an agreed series of short term placements (respite care) are excluded.

Children in care are more likely to be from groups that tend to do less well in education. They are also more likely to have statements of Special Educational Need (27% compared with 3% of all children)"