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Even the brightest children in local authority care are being
failed by the education system, according to a study published
in 2001. The study - the first of its kind - used a 'best
value' model to examine the academic performance over five
years of Coventry's 350 looked-after children and found no
relation between their key stage 3 and 4 results. Young people
who had achieved good results at the end of Year 9 were just
as likely to leave school with no qualifications as those
who had consistently failed. In total, an average of only
4% of Coventry's youngsters in care left school with five
or more A*-C GCSEs between 1995 and 2000, compared to 38%
of all the authority's children. The looked-after children
were also seven times more likely to be excluded than other
pupils, more than six times more likely to truant and more
than three times more likely to have a special need. The study
also found no correlation between a child's exam results and
the number of times they had moved home.
(TES, 30 March 2001)
Office for Standards in Education, April 2001
This report examines the work of 26 local authorities that
set targets to raise the educational achievements of looked-after
children. The report describes local education aunthority
initiatives to raise achievement, and reports on the views
of young people, teachers and their carers. For example, in
Hampshire, two teachers act as advocates and befrienders to
looked-after children. They are able to provide support in
lessons and this has proved valuable in overcoming literacy
problems in specialist subjects such as science, and in giving
confidence where the pupils feel uncertain. The main recommendations
from the inspections, which the report emphasises took place
in well-informed authorities and schools, include establishing
greater understanding between social services and education,
with social workers and teachers receiving joint training
to understand better each other's roles. Every local authority
should establish a database of children in care and develop
personal education plans to chart the needs and targets for
each looked-after young person. Young people should not be
pressurised to move out of care before they complete their
final year of statutory schooling. Fostering should be seen
as a career and given appropriate status.
Link
Call Ofsted on 020 742 6800 or visit www.ofsted.gov.uk
A study of those who have succeeded in education by Professor
Sonia Jackson, of the Department of Applied Social Studies at
the University of Wales, Swansea, found that out of 105 people
up to age 35 who had been in care but who then gained at least
5 decent GCSE passes, only 38 went on to higher education. Jackson
advocates bridging schemes to achieve consistent and sensible
communication between teachers and social workers which ensures
that looked after children are not just left to fail.
'Reducing Risk and Promoting Resilience in Vulnerable Children',
Sonia Jackson IUC Journal of Social Work theory and practice,
issue 4, 2001/2002
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