Promoting the
Achievement of Looked
After Children (PALAC)
Join our evidence-based research-led project to support
professionals to enhance the achievement and wellbeing of
Looked After and adopted children and young people in school
Contact us
Project Leader:
Dr Catherine Carroll
SENJIT Senior Research
Officer
E: c.carroll@ioe.ac.uk
Project Administrator:
E: senjit@ioe.ac.uk
UCL Institute of Education,
University College London
20 Bedford Way
London WC1H 0AL
Children in care and adopted from care face
immense barriers to achieving in school. Now
national policy puts their participation and
attainment centre stage. Research has shown that
many in this group are very capable learners.
Developed with and delivered by researchers
behind national and international studies, PALAC
supports professionals through a process of
rethinking the school environment to help ensure
that they actively support the all-round education of
children in care.

PALAC equips professionals with the evidence base
for good practice and, together with the facilitators,
works collaboratively over two terms to adapt and
apply this knowledge to individual settings

PALAC will support professionals to meet the latest
Ofsted framework and the SEN Code of Practice in
relation to children in care
ucl.ac.uk/ioe
Promoting the Achievement of Looked After Children (PALAC)
About the PALAC programme
Length of Programme: Two terms
Who is PALAC for?
PALAC is all about making changes
across the school and within
classrooms. PALAC is aimed at all
professionals concerned with the
education of Looked After Children.
This includes designated teachers,
inclusion managers, senior leaders,
Virtual School and Local Authority
(LA) staff and colleagues from
multidisciplinary teams such as
Educational Psychologists. The fee
includes up to three places on the
programme. Colleagues from across
different settings in a LA are
encouraged to attend.
Commitment:
One full day of training (term 1) at the
Institute of Education
One half-day practice-sharing and
evaluation workshop (term 2) at the
Institute of Education
Two PALAC facilitator visits
Ongoing online support from your
PALAC facilitator for the duration of
the programme
For futher information please
contact:
senjit@ioe.ac.uk
PALAC offers:

An evidence-based audit tool for schools to assess current
practice re Looked After Children

A day and a half of training and action-planning at the IOE

Guidance and classroom-tested strategies on how to
improve the education of children in care

Support with getting value from your Pupil Premium and
implementing the new SEN Code of Practice

Advice on developing school policy/guidance on educating
Looked After children and adopted children

Support on initiating, managing and sustaining change in a
school setting

A handbook of practice, key research papers and advice on
supporting system level change in schools

Ongoing support and staff training via visits to your school
by an expert facilitator

The chance to collaborate with other schools and engage
with leading research and researchers in the field
PALAC facilitators are experienced practitioners and
researchers who support school improvement in local
authorities.