By tracking the records of individual looked after children from GCSE back through Key Stages 3, 2 and 1, Angela O'Sullivan and Rob Westerman were able to show a steady widening of the gap between their attainment and that of children not in care. Despite weaknesses in local authority data, the evidence is clear that the frequency and timing of placement and school moves play a crucial part in preventing children in care from achieving the levels predicted by their earlier Key Stage grades. The article concludes with practical suggestions for change.
Barnardo's, Failed by the System, Ilford: Barnardo's, 2006.
2.
BorlandMPearsonCHillMTisdallKBloomfieldI, Education and Care Away from Home, Edinburgh: Scottish Council for Research in Education, 1998.
3.
CoullingN, ‘Definitions of successful education for the “looked after” child: a multi-agency perspective’, Support for Learning15, pp 30–35, 2000.
4.
Department for Education and Employment and Department of Health, Education of Children in Public Care — Guidance, London: DfEE Publications, 2000.
5.
Department for Education and Employment and Department of Health, Circular 13/94 LAC(94)11, The Education of Children Looked After by Local Authorities, London: DfEE/DH, 1994.
6.
Department for Education and Skills, Every Child Matters, London: DfES, 2003.
7.
Department for Education and Skills, Outcome Indicators for Looked After Children to Year ending September 30, 2005, London: DfES, 2006a.
8.
Department for Education and Skills, Care Matters: Transforming the lives of young people and children in care, London: DfES, 2006b.
9.
Department of Health, Children Looked After by Local Authorities — Year ending 31 March 2001, Government Statistical Service, 2002.
10.
Department of Health, Children Looked After by Local Authorities — Year ending 31 March 2003, Government Statistical Service, 2004.
11.
EssenJLambertLHeadJ, ‘School attainment of children who have been in care’, Child Care, Health and Development2, pp 339–51, 1976.
12.
EvansR, ‘Equality and the education of children looked after by the state’, International Journal of Human Rights7:1, pp 58–86, 2003.
13.
Fletcher-CampbellFHallC, Changing Schools, Changing People? The education of children in care, Slough: National Foundation for Educational Research, 1990.
14.
Fletcher-CampbellFArcherT, The Achievement at Key Stage Four of Young People in Public Care, Slough: National Foundation for Educational Research, 2003.
15.
FrancisJ, ‘Investing in children's futures: enhancing the educational outcomes of “looked after” children’, Child & Family Social Work5:1, pp 241–60, 2000.
16.
GarnettL (1994), Education of Children Looked After, Humberside Social Services Department, Unpublished paper (Humberside Local Authority) cited in Evans R, ‘Equality and the education of children looked after by the state’, International Journal of Human Rights 7:1, pp 58–86, 2003.
17.
GoddardJ, ‘The education of looked after children: a research review’, Child & Family Social Work5:1, pp 79–86, 2000.
18.
Hansard, 9 February 2005, Column 849.
19.
HarkerMDobel-OberDLawrenceJBerridgeDSinclairR, ‘Who takes care of education? Looked after children's perceptions of support for educational progress’, Child & Family Social Work8:2, pp 89–100, 2003.
20.
HeathAAldgateJColtonM, ‘The education of children in and out of care’, British Journal of Social Work19, pp 447–60, 1989.
21.
JacksonS, The Education of Children in Care, Bristol: Bristol Papers in Applied Social Studies No 1, 1987.
22.
JacksonS, ‘Educating children in residential and foster care’, Oxford Review of Education20:3, pp 267–80, 1994.
23.
JacksonS, High Achievers: A study of young people who have been in residential or foster care, Final report to the Leverhulme Trust, Swansea: University of Wales, 1998.
24.
JacksonS, Nobody Ever Told us School Mattered: Raising the educational attainments of children in care, London: BAAF, 2001.
25.
JacksonSAjayiSQuigleyM, Going to University from Care, Final report of the By Degrees project, London: Institute of Education, 2005.
26.
JacksonSMartinP Y, ‘Surviving the care system: education and resilience’, Journal of Adolescence21, pp 569–83, 1998.
27.
JacksonSThomasN, What Works in Creating Stability for Looked After Children?, Ilford: Barnardo's, 2001.
28.
MartinPJacksonS, ‘Educational success for children in public care: advice from a group of high achievers’, Child & Family Social Work7:2, pp 121–30, 2002.
29.
SergeantH, Handle with Care: An investigation into the care system, London: Centre for Young Policy Studies, 2006.
30.
SimonAOwenC, ‘Outcomes for children in care: what do we know?’, in ChaseESimonAJacksonS (eds), In Care and After: A positive perspective, London: Routledge, 2006.
31.
SteinM, What Works in Leaving Care?, Ilford: Barnardo's, 1997.
32.
Social Services Inspectorate/Office for Standards in Education, The Education of Children Who are Looked After Away From Home, London: HMSO, 1995.
33.
Social Exclusion Unit, A Better Education for Children in Care, London: Office of the Deputy Prime Minister, 2003.
