Abstract
The educational attainment gap that children in care usually have at the start of their school career often stays with them through primary school. Research suggests that whole school, inclusive approaches where high aspirations are also in place are most likely to successfully address the needs of children in care. This chapter from Education in Out-of-Home Care describes part of a project in England where the concept of Caring Schools was developed, with four domains: ethos and leadership, child focused practice, relationships with parents and carers, and interagency working. The aim is to set out what might be considered benchmark indicators of good practice in a holistic approach.