This qualitative study explores the educational experiences of looked after children and young people in one Scottish local authority. The preoccupations of government are academic achievement and school attendance, but these are not the prime concerns of the children, carers and professionals involved. Moreover, they can be both enhanced and restricted by the background characteristics and care situations of the young people and the responses of schools to their needs and behaviour. Five influential factors emerged from interviews and focus groups with professionals, carers and young people: behaviour; school attendance; carers as educators; friendships; and communication between home and school. Each of them is discussed with extended quotations that convey the voices of participants.

这项定性研究探讨了在苏格兰地方当局中照顾儿童和年轻人的教育经历。政府关注的是学业成绩和上学率，但这些并不是所涉及的儿童、照顾者和专业人员的主要关注点。此外，青年人的背景特征和照料情况以及学校对他们的需求和行为的反应可以增强和限制他们。从与专业人士、护理人员和年轻人的访谈和焦点小组中得出了五个影响因素：行为；学校出勤率; 照顾者作为教育者；友谊; 以及家庭和学校之间的沟通。他们中的每一个都通过扩展的引文进行讨论，这些引文传达了参与者的声音。