Educational outcomes and experiences: How do different ways of defining and stratifying care experience (for example by age at first entry to care, cumulative time spent in care, stability of caring environment, or recency of care) shape our understanding of educational outcomes for care experienced young people, and is there a single or combined approach that is most informative for policy and practice?
Background
The Independent Care Review made clear that education is central to ensuring care experienced children feel loved, safe and able to reach their potential, highlighting that many barriers to learning stem from wider experiences of trauma, instability and stigma rather than education alone. Education Outcomes for ‘Looked After’ Children reporting[4] highlights persistent gaps in outcomes between pupils experiencing the ‘care system’ and their peers in terms of attainment, attendance, exclusions and destinations upon leaving school. A better understanding is needed on underlying drivers for these persistent gaps.
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