The educational progress of young people in out-of-home care

Journal article

Young people who grow up in care have worse educational outcomes internationally than those not in care but to what extent does this reflect the care itself or the young people’s experiences before they came into care? A systematic review by O’Higgins, Sebba & Luke, (2015) suggested that it is more likely that care itself is a protective factor in educational outcomes but that children in care are likely to have a range of other factors that put them at risk for poorer outcomes. A major study was then undertaken into what factors seem to contribute to these poorer outcomes by linking two national datasets in England, one that records educational factors for all children and the other which has data about the care careers of young people in care. The analysis focused on the progress at secondary school of young people (aged 11–16 years) who had been in care for over a year at the time of taking their public examinations at age 16 in 2013. Detailed statistical analysis was complemented by interviews with 26 young people and with their foster carers, teachers, social workers and ‘Virtual School headteachers’ who are responsible for supporting their education. The study identified important predictors of outcomes such as instability in care and/or school placement. This paper reports on some of the findings which are influencing policy and practice in England, for example on avoiding young people in care moving school.

Authors: Sebba, JC; Luke, N; Berridge, D

• Publication status: Published
• Peer review status: Peer reviewed
• Publisher: Association of Childrens Welfare Agencies and NSW Family Services Inc.
• Journal: Developing Practice
• Volume: 47
• Pages: 18-35
• Publication date: 2017-04-01
• Acceptance date: 2017-01-31
• ISSN: 1445-6818
• Keywords: Article