EDUCATION

Education is of immense importance for all children. However, Looked After Children face various factors that can create barriers to their educational success, consequently limiting their life chances.

Bridging Gaps Fostering Agency believes that it’s every child / young person’s right to receive an appropriate education that will help them to achieve their full potential. Recent research indicates that the majority of Looked After Children/Young People aspire to attend mainstream schools and acquire nationally recognised qualifications. These qualifications can serve them in the current job market or act as a passport to further education. It has long been recognised that educational attainment at the age of 16 is a significant indicator of earning potential.

Bridging Gaps Fostering Agency has implemented the following services to assist carers in supporting the education of children and young people in their care. These services aim to enhance their confidence and effectiveness as learners while promoting their development as responsible individuals.

Ad Astra

Bridging Gaps Fostering Agency have commissioned the services of Ad Astra a provider of high-quality, tailored private tuition. This service serves as additional support for young people who may be struggling academically or need that extra assistance to reach their full potential.

School Placements

Whenever possible, Bridging Gaps Fostering Agency seeks a mainstream school placement unless it is determined not to be the best way to meet the needs of the child/young person. BGFA has a pool of support workers who collaborate with the Local Authority, Education Offices, local schools, foster carers, and the child/young person themselves to ensure appropriate education is secured.


Out of School Support

Not all school placements run smoothly and sometimes Children / Young People have to wait for appropriate provision to be allocated to them. If a Child / Young Person is out of school for any length of time and for whatever reason. Bridging Gaps Fostering Agency have facilities to arrange alternative education through local venues that are already set up for teaching bases. 

Life Long Learning Centre: Demand Led Skills Development Service

Bridging Gaps Fostering Agency, with the support and experience of their sister company, Life Long Learning Centre, which collaborates with local colleges, has resources available in local community venues. This enables the delivery of a unique bespoke service in the following areas of skills development for staff, foster carers, and children as and when necessary.

  • NVQ Qualifications at all levels

  • Information Technology

  • Esol Skills for Life

  • Literacy & Numeracy

  • Arabic

  • Urdu

  • Punjabi

  • Somali

  • Dressmaking

  • Community Cultures & Morals Values

  • British Naming System

  • Health Education

  • Careers Guidance


All these courses are nationally recognised through qualification bodies: NOCN, City & Guilds, AQA & Trinity College.

Learn to Work

BGFA have agreed a bespoke programme with Learn to Work to help motivate young people to access high level of activities and their links with employers. This will inspire and prepare young people into the world of work by giving them opportunities to develop skills they need to be successful.