A multi-million pound project that aimed to “break the cycle” of unfulfilled potential for vulnerable children by sending them to boarding school has been abandoned because of an unwillingness among local authorities to take part.

The government-backed scheme would have provided free places at independent and state boarding schools to an initial cohort of 150 11-year-olds considered to be at risk of “poor social and emotional outcomes” owing to family difficulties.

But Buttle UK, the charity leading the project, said it was unable to proceed because local authorities were not willing to refer young people who could benefit. It claims this is partly owing to social workers’ low aspirations for the children involved.

Those taking part would have been able to stay at the schools during term-time for up to seven years under the scheme, which was backed with up to £410,000 of Department for Education money, as well as a potential £200,000 from the Education Endownment Foundation. Local authorities would have needed to commit £6,000 per pupils for each year they were in education.

If the project had been successful, Buttle wanted it to lead to the systematic referral of vulnerable children by local authorities for boarding, as an early intervention measure. It was hoped to save public money in the long term by avoiding the need for expensive local authority care for vulnerable children.

But, after spending 18 months discussing the project with local authorities, the charity has revealed that only five pupils have been put forward for the trial.

Ideological block

Gerri McAndrew, chief executive of Buttle, told TES: “There’s an ideology that people think that boarding isn’t right for these children. I think people don’t have the same aspirations for these children as they might for others.

“There’s a concern about what happens to children in the holidays when they’re not at school, there are concerns that the schools won’t cope with children with some of the difficult behaviours,” said Ms McAndrew, a former assistant director of social services at Camden Council.

She added: “All of that is based on an assumption. Not many social workers have actually visited a boarding school, so there’s a real lack of knowledge about boarding schools.”

Maris Stratulis, England manager at the British Association of Social Workers, said: “Schools have a significant role to play in the wellbeing, educational attainment and safeguarding of children on a child protection plan, but that does not necessarily have to involve taking a child out of the family environment.”

Nine boarding schools were prepared to offer places as part of the trial. They included Reed’s School in Surrey, whose former alumni include actor Tom Hardy and tennis player Tim Henman, and Bedales in Hampshire, which has a long list of famous former pupils, including actor Daniel Day-Lewis, singer Lily Allen and model Cara Delavingne.

State boarding schools such as Wymondham College in Norfolk, were also on the list.

The Local Government Association, which represents local authorities nationally, was asked to comment.

This is an edited article from the 3 February edition of TES. Subscribers can read the full article here. This week’s TES magazine is available in all good newsagents. To download the digital edition, Android users can click here and iOS users can click here

Want to keep up with the latest education news and opinion? Follow TES on Twitter and like TES on Facebook