This article reflects on the relationship between child welfare research and policy development in England, particularly the evaluation of pilot initiatives. The illustration selected concerns the education of looked after children (‘children in care’) and the evaluation of a pilot initiative concerning the Virtual School Head—a senior council employee responsible for overseeing the education of all local looked after children. Child welfare research in England takes insufficient account of the wider theoretical literature on the policy process, which shows that the relationship between research findings and policy development is often problematic. There is an implicit view that child welfare policy is based on research evidence and this assumption holds important implications for the social sciences and for social scientists.