Education Outcomes for Looked After Children 2021/22

Headline findings

More looked after children are staying in school for longer, and achieving higher qualifications than last year. However, there are still large gaps compared with all pupils.

Leaver stage

• 31.7% looked after school leavers left in S4 or earlier
• down from 37.3% in 2020/21
• compared with 12.4% of all leavers in 2021/22.

Leaver attainment

• 78.3% looked after school leavers with 1 or more qualification at SCQF level 4 or better
• up from 70.9% in 2020/21
• compared with 96.4% of all leavers in 2021/22.

Leaver destinations

• 84.8% looked after leavers were in a positive initial destination
• down from 86.0% in 2020/21
• compared with 95.7% of all leavers.
• 70.4% looked after leavers were in a positive follow-up destination
• down from 71.0% in 2020/21
• compared with 93.5% of all leavers.

Achievement of Curriculum for Excellence Levels (ACEL)

• a lower proportion of looked after pupils achieve Curriculum for Excellence (CfE) level relevant to their stage compared with all pupils
• the largest gaps between looked after pupils and all pupils are:  29.9 percentage points in reading (P4);  32.0 percentage points in writing (P4); 27.2 percentage points in listening and talking (S3); 32.5 percentage points in numeracy (P4).