At Fostering People, we know education opens doors for children in care and helps them achieve the best possible outcomes in adulthood. Yet research shows that children in care often face additional barriers. They are more likely to be excluded from school, have lower attendance, and leave with fewer qualifications than their peers.
That’s where the School Through My Eyes project comes in. This child-led training resource is designed to help close the gap, giving professionals the insights to better support children and young people in care and ensure they have the same opportunities as everyone else.
Join us as we take a closer look at the School Through My Eyes project and hear from one of the project leads about what we’ve learned, the impact it’s already having, and plans for expanding the project across Scotland.
What is School Through My Eyes?
The School Through My Eyes project aims to truly understand the barriers to education that children in care face. It’s more than just listening to their lived experiences; it’s about using their stories to make a real difference in how they’re supported with their achievement and inclusion in schools.
The project began in 2023, when Fostering People Scotland secured funding from The Corra Foundation to develop a resource that would help Scotland improve educational outcomes for care-experienced people, in line with recommendations from The Promise.
We spoke to Amber Mann, one of the project leads, to find out more.
What makes this project different?
“What makes School Through My Eyes stand out is its strong focus on amplifying the voices of care-experienced children and young people. Rather than relying on assumptions about what they need, the project encourages practitioners to start by truly listening, gaining insight directly from those with lived experience. It shifts the focus from doing what we think is best, to understanding what young people are actually saying, and using that insight to shape more meaningful, responsive support.”
How does it work in practice?
“This isn’t about ticking boxes or following a fixed model. It’s about creating space for meaningful connection, reflection, and growth. We view care-experienced children and young people as experts in their own lives, and this resource encourages practitioners to step back, listen deeply, and work with them, rather than doing things to or for them.”
“Importantly, School Through My Eyes is not designed to criticise or shame practitioners. We fully recognise the challenges and limitations that exist in education and care settings. Instead, this resource aims to empower professionals, celebrating good practice, sharing real-life strategies, and creating a safe space to reflect on what’s working and where we can do better, together.”
“It encourages cross-sector collaboration, shared ambition, and a collective commitment to ensuring care-experienced young people feel seen, heard, supported—and above all—cared for within education. By closing the gap between intention and experience, and by drawing on the diverse expertise across our sector, we believe we can help shift the narrative from barriers to possibilities.”
What has this project taught us?
Listening to care-experienced voices
“Through School Through My Eyes, we’ve learned just how powerful and necessary it is to listen directly to the voices of care-experienced children and young people. Their insights reveal consistent themes around feeling misunderstood, unsupported, or excluded in education — but they also highlight what does work. We’ve heard stories of connection, belonging, and encouragement that show how even small, thoughtful actions from practitioners can make the biggest difference.”
Responding to what we hear
“We’ve learned that when practitioners truly hear and respond to these lived experiences, real change becomes possible. We’ve seen how young people feel empowered when they feel heard, and how their confidence can grow when practitioners take the time to understand their perspective. This project has deepened our understanding of the barriers to learning that care-experienced children face, but it has also shown us the hope, resilience, and potential that exists when the right support is in place.”
“It’s reminded us that change starts with empathy, openness, and a willingness to see school through their eyes, and that positive, meaningful relationships are at the heart of every success story.”
How are we putting what we’ve learned into practice?
“We’ve taken the learning from this project and woven it into our everyday practice. We actively reflect on what young people have told us and use that to shape our approach. We’re more intentional about asking young people how school feels for them, and we’re supporting professionals to do the same. We’ve also used the training materials and case studies to challenge assumptions and promote a culture of curiosity and compassion when working with schools.”
What difference has this project made?
“School Through My Eyes is still in its early stages, with promising outreach planned for schools in the 2025–2026 academic year. While we look forward to capturing direct impact through feedback and follow-up with practitioners over the coming months, we’re already seeing powerful early outcomes.”
“The young people who have worked with us directly on this project have shared how much they’ve enjoyed being involved. They’ve spoken about feeling heard, valued, and empowered, exactly what we hoped to achieve. Many expressed excitement about the potential for School Through My Eyes to create real, lasting change, not only for themselves, but for other care-experienced children and young people across Scotland.”
“We’ve also seen new friendships form, both among young people and between young people and staff. Their involvement has sparked more open, honest conversations about education; what’s working well, and where there’s still room for improvement.”
“These early signs are incredibly encouraging, and we’re excited to continue tracking how the resource influences both the experiences of young people in school and the confidence of practitioners to better support them.”
What’s next for School Through My Eyes?
“We’re excited to continue growing School Through My Eyes and sharing it more widely. Over the remainder of 2025 and into early 2026, we plan to deliver the resource to education providers, social care staff, and foster families across Scotland. Our aim is to ensure the resource reaches the people who can make the biggest difference in the lives of care-experienced young people.”
“To make the project as accessible and sustainable as possible, we’re developing a training pack that can be used across different settings. This will allow our learning and messages to be shared far and wide, helping to create consistent, informed support for young people across sectors.”
“We’re also mindful that many valuable projects are limited by funding and deadlines. That’s why our team is working hard behind the scenes to find practical, long-term ways to keep School Through My Eyes going, without compromising the integrity of the content or the privacy of the young people who have contributed so honestly.”
“Education is always evolving, and we want our project to reflect that. By regularly updating the resource in line with emerging data, insights, and the voices of young people, we’ll ensure School Through My Eyes stays current, relevant, and impactful. Our goal is to create a living tool that supports ongoing reflection, shared learning, and improved practice across all who support care-experienced children.”
Take part in the project
The role of a foster carer means you have first-hand experience of helping children in care with their education. That’s why we’ve created a questionnaire specifically for foster carers so we can understand your perspective.
This gives you a chance to share what you’ve seen, like the barriers they face, the support they need to thrive, and what’s already working well. Your insight will help us identify any gaps and improve our training resources to ensure better educational support for children in care.
To join one of our School Through My Eyes training sessions, head to our training resources page and submit an enquiry form.
Want to learn more?
Whether you’d like more information about The School Through My Eyes Project or want to learn more about fostering, call us on 0800 077 8159 or submit an enquiry form and we’ll be in touch. Together, we can help children in care have a positive school experience and brighter futures.
