Webinar: Educational pathways and outcomes for care-experienced children: a population-scale data linkage study

Presenter: Dr Emily Lowthian, Lecturer in Education, Swansea University

Abstract

“Children who have relatively short periods of care – and/or who experience care in early or late childhood – commonly face the most significant deficit in their educational attainment compared to those with longer and more stable care experiences. Explanatory analyses suggest suspensions, exclusions and being an autistic learner could explain some of this disadvantage, whereas schools that support disadvantaged children could be a protective factor. Yet, a knowledge gap remains in terms of care movements, educational attainment and “what works”, so we ask three questions:

1. How can we generate new insight into care-experiences using measures such as time in the care system, type of care, and reasons for care? 

2. What is the educational attainment (age 7 and 11) for the different types of care identified? 

3. What school and individual aspects disrupt or explain the relationship between care-experiences and educational attainment at age 16?

Leveraging the Secure Anonymised Information Linkage (SAIL) Databank, we have accessed new data and constructed an electronic cohort of children born between 1st September 2000 and 31st August 2003. Using this rich data source, we answer our three questions above. 

Our talk will discuss: What are common patterns of the “care-experience”? And how do these map on to educational attainment? We highlight some key aspects that may disrupt educational attainment, depending on specific care-experiences (i.e. early adoption vs. late childhood foster care). Policymakers and those working in related sectors should consider these results in relation to school policy and practice to support care-experienced young people reach their potential.”