In recent years the education of young people in public care has become an issue that is at the centre of Government initiatives and legislative changes to transform the quality of children’s services. The broad policy themes include:

• Raising educational standards and tackling underachievement
• The recognition that particular groups are at risk of social exclusion; addressed by a range of policy initiatives aimed at promoting inclusion
• An emphasis upon planning and target setting
• An integrated approach to service provision
• Delivering efficient services which represent value for money