Making up Lost Ground: Challenges in Supporting the Educational Attainment of Looked after Children beyond Key Stage 4

Abstract

Looked after children continue to perform poorly at school compared to their peers and care leavers are at increased risk of unemployment and poverty. Although there is a growing body of research on their education and recent studies have identified the factors associated with successful educational outcomes, less attention has been paid to whether, and if so how, the majority of children finishing Key Stage 41 with disappointing qualifications may be supported to make up any educational deficit beyond compulsory school-leaving age (currently 16 in the UK). Care leavers can exhibit remarkable resilience and leaving care may be an opportunity for positive change. Jennifer Driscoll reports on a small pilot study which explored young people's own accounts and explanations in relation to their educational experiences and attainment, together with their attitudes to and engagement with education, particularly with regard to their aspirations and motivation to persevere with it. The challenges for schools in providing support to young people who are notoriously self-reliant and resistant to accepting help are considered in the context of current tensions in educational policy.

Making a connection: school engagement of young people in care

“…This highlights the vital role of care system personnel, reinforcing that education cannot be left to schools (Jackson & Cameron 2012).We have previously discussed the role and responsibility of the carer and the caseworker in promoting education as a route to a better quality of life (Authors). Other studies have highlighted the role of the teacher (Gilligan 1998;Martin & Jackson 2002;Harker et al 2004;Merdinger et al 2005;Driscoll 2011). While many young people who were interviewed appreciated teachers who would take the time to assist and encourage them, be approachable and have a relaxed and cheerful disposition, it seemed that teachers were not as vital to school engagement as carers and caseworkers.…”

“…Although there is a growing body of research which establishes that children in out-of-home care do not do as well educationally compared to children in the non-care population (Trout et al 2008;Berlin et al 2011;Kirk & Day 2011;Dill et al 2012), and research which makes recommendations about the interventions and changes in systems that may be beneficial (Martin & Jackson 2002;Harker et al 2004;Driscoll 2011;Forsman & Vinnerljung 2012), there is little research that has examined the school engagement of children in care. The purpose of this paper is to explore the behavioural, emotional and cognitive school engagement of young people in care compared with those not in care, and in doing so, to provide guidance about enhancing school engagement through various education and care system interventions.…”

Falling off the ladder: Using focal theory to understand and improve the educational experiences of young people in transition from public care

“…In this paper we consider how the theory might help us to understand a persistent failing of the out-of-home care system in the UK, the massive gap in educational achievement between children and youth in public care compared with the general population, and in particular their under-representation in postcompulsory education (Jackson & Cameron, 2014;Driscoll, 2013).…”

Change, Relationships and Implications for Practice: The Experiences of Young People Who Use Multiple Services

“…Research suggests placement instability affects young people's outcomes in part by undermining existing support networks and minimising opportunities to develop new relationships; repeated changes may cause young people to become disillusioned (Holland & Crowley, 2013;Rock et al, 2013) but also self-reliant (Jakobsen, 2012). As Driscoll (2011) states:…”

“…Changing schools can result in disruptions to a young person's education with negative consequences for their academic outcomes and future opportunities (Driscoll, 2011;Plumridge & James, 2011). This, combined with other factors such as low expectations from teachers and problematic relationships with carers (Driscoll, 2011), contributes to poor outcomes for children in care. School changes disrupt relationships with peers (Fernandez, 2006) and with key adults in the school setting who provide support to students.…”