Children who are, or who have been, in care are generally one of the lowest performing groups in terms of educational outcomes. They also have poorer longer-term outcomes known to be associated with low educational progress... [ view full abstract ]
Children who are, or who have been, in care are generally one of the lowest performing groups in terms of educational outcomes. They also have poorer longer-term outcomes known to be associated with low educational progress and attainment, including poorer employment prospects and health outcomes than the general population, and are over-represented in the homeless and prison populations. However, although the gap in attainment at age 16 has been documented, less attention has been paid to the education experience and attainment of younger children, on entry and during the first few years of formal school. In addition, most studies to date have been unable to disentangle the effects of being in care from the impact of the difficult experiences (in most cases, abuse or neglect) that led to their admission, and have instead tended to compare outcomes to those for the general population.
This longitudinal, mixed-methods study (2014-2016) was based on a large sample of children (n=390) who experienced abuse or neglect before the age of 8. The aim of the study was to investigate whether children who enter care do better or worse than children with similar backgrounds and histories who remain at home, and for which children, in which circumstances, care or support at home promotes positive outcomes, compensating for previous disadvantage. Children who became looked after (in foster care) due to concerns about maltreatment were compared to similar maltreated children who remained at home, monitored and supported by social workers (on a Child Protection Plan). The project linked data from a variety of sources: a local birth cohort; local authority administrative databases on children known to have experienced maltreatment and on those children admitted to care; follow-up interviews (at a mean of 4 years after first entry to care or child protection plan) with parents and foster carers (children’s current circumstances, progress and development); a survey of social workers (children’s histories and family circumstances, and standardised measures of the type, severity and timing of the maltreatment experienced). Data on educational experience and attainment were collected using a standardised measure of language and vocabulary development (the British Picture Vocabulary Scale) administered to the children at follow-up, and from the national pupil database (scores from national tests administered in all primary schools in England). This allows us to compare outcomes for children in foster care both to those for maltreated children supported at home and to those for the wider population.
This presentation will focus on whether and how educational experiences and outcomes vary for maltreated children who entered care compared to similar children who remained at home (on a child protection plan). In addition it will discuss the factors, such as age, ethnicity, special educational needs, experience of maltreatment, age at entry to care, placement stability, and the home learning environment that appear to moderate and mediate any relationship. It will provide important new evidence on the educational experiences and outcomes of maltreated children, and have relevance to policy and practice in social work and education.
Education and qualification of children and young people in care
