Research

Research: Non-Mainstream Schools and Educational Outcomes of Children in Care

2 mins read
Children in care generally have much lower educational attainment than their peers.
The analysis shows 37.8% of the looked-after children were in non-mainstream school settings at the age of 16. Picture: Gpointstudio/Adobe Stock
The analysis shows 37.8% of the looked-after children were in non-mainstream school settings at the age of 16. Picture: Gpointstudio/Adobe Stock

Some local authorities make frequent use of non-mainstream education including special schools, pupil referral units and alternative provision for children in care but other areas rarely place looked-after children in these types of settings. Researchers from the Rees Centre at the University of Oxford wanted to explore the impact of non-mainstream schools on the educational outcomes of this vulnerable group.

Method

The researchers analysed data from the National Pupil Database for England for 642,805 state-educated children eligible to take GCSE exams in 2013 aged 16, including 4,849 children who had been in care for at least a year.

The team looked at the type of education setting children were attending and their educational attainment, focusing on GSCE results. They used the data to explore variations in the use of non-mainstream schools between local authorities.

Register Now to Continue Reading

Thank you for visiting Children & Young People Now and making use of our archive of more than 60,000 expert features, topics hubs, case studies and policy updates. Why not register today and enjoy the following great benefits:

What's Included

  • Free access to 4 subscriber-only articles per month

  • Email newsletter providing advice and guidance across the sector

Register

Already have an account? Sign in here


More like this