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9 An improvement in outcomes for children looked after by local authorities, and care-leavers through (England):
- a) a narrowing of the gap between the educational attainment and participation of looked-after children and their peers;
- b) a reduction in the proportion of care-leavers who are not in education, employment or training; and
- c) an increase in stability in the lives of looked-after children.
a) A narrowing of the gap between the educational attainment and participation of looked-after children and their peers.
Baseline and trends: Baseline year –1999/2000. The proportion of young people in care for at least one year who obtained at least five GCSEs/GNVQs at grades A*–C in England increased from the baseline of 7.3 per cent in 1999/2000 to 11.8 per cent in 2005/06. The gap between the proportion of looked after children achieving five GCSEs/GNVQs at grades A*–C and the proportion of all children achieving five GCSE and equivalent at grades A*–C has changed from 41.9 percentage points in 1999/2000 to 47.4 percentage points in 2005/06.
Percentage of young people, looked after for at least 12 months and in year 11, who achieved five or more GCSEs/GNVQs at grades A*–C (England)
Definition: Percentage of young people in care for at least one year (year ending 30 September) with at least five GCSEs/GNVQs at grades A*–C or equivalent.
Data source: Outcome Indicator returns (OC2): returns completed annually at the request of the Department for Children, Schools and Families, based on year ending 30 September.
b) A reduction in the proportion of care-leavers who are not in education, employment or training.
Baseline and trends: Baseline year –2002. The proportion of care-leavers who were not in education, employment or training in England has been stable at around 30 per cent between 2002 and 2006. However, there has been an increase in the number of care-leavers in education, employment or training owing to the increase in accuracy in reporting care-leavers’destinations.
Percentage of care-leavers at age 19 by activity (England)
Note: Figures have seen slight revisions since the last Opportunity for all due to the implementation of amendments and corrections sent by some local authorities after the publication date of previous material
Definition: Care-leavers who are looked after when aged 16 (in their 17th year) who are not in education, employment or training activity on their 19th birthday.
Data source: Children Looked After returns (SSDA903): returns completed annually at the request of the Department for Children, Schools and Families, based on year ending 31 March.
c) An increase in stability in the lives of looked-after children.
Baseline and trends: Baseline year –2002. The percentage of children in the same placement for at least two and a half years or placed for adoption has increased from the baseline of 63 per cent in 2002 to 65 per cent in 2006.
Definition: Children aged under 16 who have been looked after continuously for at least two and a half years and, of those, the number and percentage who had been in the same placement for at least two years, or placed for adoption, between 31 March 2002 and 31 March 2005.
Data source: Children Looked After returns (SSDA903): returns completed annually at the request of the Department for Education and Skills, based on year ending 31 March.
Further information
For a comparison of the proportion of pupils without any GCSE’s or equivalent see the table below:
Pupils in their last year of compulsory education with no GCSE's or equivalent
| Year | All children1 | Looked-after children2 |
|---|---|---|
| 1997 | 8% | - |
| 1998 | 7% | - |
| 1999 | 6% |
- |
| 2000 | 6% | 51% |
| 2001 | 6% | 50% |
| 2002 | 5% | 47% |
| 2003 | 5% | 47% |
| 2004 | 4% | 44% |
| 20053 | 4% | 40% |
| 20063 | 2% | 37% |
Source: Dcsf
Note: There are differences in coverage over time - e.g. figures up to 2003 are for GCSEs/GNVQs only, but figures for 2004 and 2005 also include a wide range of other qualifications approved pre-sixteen.
- GCSE and equivalent examination resulrs includes all schools
- Expressed as a percentage of all looked after children in Year 11.
- For 2005 and 2006, "all children" results include level 1 and level 2 equivalencies.