Testimonials

“I cannot overstate the importance of initiatives like School Through My Eyes which foregrounds the voices of children and young people in care by speaking directly with them and seeking their views and lived experience in a sensitive and compassionate way. The results are deeply impactful.

Care-experienced children and young people have consistently told us that school can feel like both a place of possibility and a place of pain. What sets this programme apart is that instead of citing expert research and views, the project reached out and engaged with children, building the trusting relationship needed to enable them to confidently talk about their experiences.

The training is built directly from their lived experiences, offering rare and unfiltered insight into what school really feels like when you are navigating it as a child in care.

It also achieves balance: it does not criticise or shame staff, but invites opening a reflective space to explore practice. It shows how small but thoughtful actions – a trusted adult noticing, listening, or holding in mind – can transform a young person’s sense of belonging. It is about connection, not compliance; understanding, not assumption.

For me, this is why School Through My Eyes is so powerful. It translates the recommendations of The Promise into approaches to practice that any adult in a school can use. It encourages staff to notice hidden barriers, to build trust and safety through relationships, and to work collaboratively in ways that truly close the gap between intention and experience. Its recommendations are completely aligned to our new COSMIC model.

I would strongly recommend this training not only to all school staff – teaching, support, office and leadership teams – but also to the wider professional network around children in care, and to foster parents themselves. If we are serious about improving educational outcomes and life chances for care-experienced children, then we need everyone who touches their school journey to hear these voices and reflect on their practice.

This programme offers exactly that opportunity. I am delighted to endorse it and encourage colleagues across education, social care, and fostering to take part”.

Suzannah Hill, Group Head of Therapy, Polaris