Understanding the education of children and young people in residential care: A systematic review of barriers and enablers

Abstract The aim of this article was to conduct a systematic review of the barriers and enablers to positive educational outcomes and experiences for children and young people in residential care. This systematic review follows the SCIE methodology for systematic reviews and aims to fill the gap in literature regarding the barriers and enablers to positive educational outcomes and experiences. Seven databases were searched using a refined search strategy. The database searches found 2,188 results with 2,086 not meeting the inclusion criteria. A further 62 were removed as duplicates leaving 40 articles for full text screening. Of these 21 studies were included in this systematic review. A narrative synthesis was applied, and four themes emerged: staff role and institutional expectations, educational environment and support, emotional, behavioural, and relational factors, and youth aspirations. To conclude, this systematic review found that relationships with residential staff, teachers, and peers were crucial to positive educational outcomes and experiences.