Education Outcomes for Looked After Children 2022/23

School leavers post school destinations

This section presents data on the destinations of the estimated 1,054 young people who were looked after during the period 1 August 2022 to 31 July 2023 who left school during 2022/23. It also presents findings on school leavers who experienced care at any point since turning 5 (1,758 leavers) and at any point since turning 12 (1,246 leavers). 

Initial destinations relate to the activity undertaken by young people approximately three months after the end of the school year (October 2023). Follow-up destinations relate to activities undertaken 9 months after the end of the school year (April 2024). School leavers who are engaged in higher education, further education, training, voluntary work, employment or are undertaking personal skills development are classified as having a 'positive destination'. Other destinations include unemployed seeking, unemployed not seeking, and unknown. See background notes for more information. 

Headline findings

• Since 2009-10, the proportion of leavers looked after within the year who were in a positive destination after leaving school has increased. The proportion in a positive initial destination increased from 58.1% to 86.4%, while the proportion in a positive follow-up destination increased from 42.0% to 71.1%. However, in 2022/23, looked after leavers continue to be less likely to be in a positive initial or follow-up destination than all school leavers (95.9% and 92.8% respectively).
• In 2022/23, the gap between the proportion of leavers looked after within the year going on to Higher Education as an initial destination compared to all school leavers was 31.7 percentage points. This is the smallest the gap has been and down compared with 2021/22 (33.2 percentage points) and in pre-pandemic 2018/19 (35.1 percentage points). 
• In 2022/23, the gap between the proportion of leavers looked after within the year in a positive follow-up destination compared to all school leavers was 21.8 percentage points. This is down considerably since 2009/10 (44.0 percentage points) and slightly smaller compared to 2021/22 (23.8 percentage points).
• In 2022/23, the proportion of leavers in a positive follow-up destination was similar for those care-experienced at any point since turning 5 (70.2%), leavers care-experienced at any point since turning 12 (69.0%), and those looked after within the year (71.1%).
• Those looked after with foster carers provided by the local authority had the highest proportion of leavers in a positive destination at both initial (94.2%) and follow-up (80.2%).

Initial destinations

In 2022/23, three months after leaving school, leavers looked after within the year (86.4%) were less likely to be in a positive destination than all school leavers (95.9%), as shown in Table 2.1. There was also notable difference between the initial destinations of school leavers looked after within the year and all school leavers. Those looked after were more likely to be in further education (47.3%) compared to all school leavers (26.6%) and considerably less likely to be in higher education (8.6% compared to 40.3%). These findings are likely to be related to looked after young people tending to leave school at earlier stages, coupled with their lower attainment levels when compared to all school leavers (see previous sections). A higher proportion of school leavers looked after within the year were in training (12.0%) compared to all school leavers (3.4%), whilst almost a quarter of all school leavers (24.3%) were in employment compared to 13.6% of those looked after within the last year.

The proportion of leavers care-experienced at any point since turning 12 (85.9%) in a positive destination was similar to those care-experienced at any point since turning 5 (86.2%) and those looked after within the last year (86.4%). The proportion of leavers who experienced care since turning 5 who were in employment (16.4%) was slightly higher than those who experienced care since turning 12 (14.7%) and those looked after within the year (13.6%). Nevertheless, this proportion remains lower than for all school leavers (24.3%).

Table 2.1: Percentage of leavers by initial destinations

Percentage of leavers by initial destination, for school leavers looked after within the year, care experienced leavers and all leavers, 2022/23.

[Note 1] Positive destinations include higher education, further education, training, voluntary work, employment, personal skills development and, for the years where applicable, activity agreements.

[Note 2] Due to the effects of rounding some totals will not equal the sum of their parts.

The percentage of school leavers looked after within the year in a positive initial destination has increased from 65.5% in 2012/13 to 86.4% in 2022/23, as shown in Chart 4a. Over the same period, the percentage of all school leavers in a positive initial destination increased from 90.3% in 2012/13 to 95.9% in 2022/23, meaning the gap has closed considerably. There has been a particular increase in the proportion of looked after leavers entering further education, increasing from 30.3% in 2012/13 to 47.3% in 2022/23.

Chart 4a: Initial destinations of school leavers

Percentage of school leavers in positive initial destinations for school leavers looked after within the year and for all school leavers, 2009/10 to 2022/23.

Follow-up destinations 

In 2022/23, nine months after leaving school, school leavers looked after within the year (71.1%) were less likely to be in a positive destination than all school leavers (92.8%) as shown in Table 2.2. For school leavers looked after within the year this represents a reduction of 15.4 percentage points from initial positive destinations compared to 3.0 percentage points for all school leavers. This suggests that leavers looked after within the year are both less likely to have positive initial destinations and less likely to remain in these destinations compared to all school leavers.

There was a 12.2 percentage point decrease between initial and follow-up in school leavers looked after within the year going on to further education. In contrast, the proportion of school leavers looked after within the year who were unemployed increased by 6 percentage points. The proportion of school leavers looked after whose destination was unknown increased after follow-up from 0.6% to 10.0%, contributing to the decrease in school leavers looked after within the year recorded in overall positive destinations.

When looking at leavers care-experienced at any point since turning 5 (72.2%) and those care-experienced at any point since turning 12 (71.0%), they remain less likely to be in a positive destination at follow-up than all school leavers (92.8%). This represents a reduction between initial and follow-up of 14 percentage points for those who experienced care since turning 5, and 14.9 percentage point reduction for those who experienced care since turning 12. The greatest decrease between initial and follow-up destinations for those who are care-experienced at any point since turning 5 and those care-experienced at any point since turning 12 was related to further education (down 12.2 percentage points for those experiencing care since turning 5 and 12.7 percentage points for those experiencing care since turning 12). As with school leavers looked after within the last year, the proportions of care-experienced leavers who were unemployed increased between initial and follow-up by 6.5 percentage points for those experiencing care since turning 5 and 5.7 percentage points for those experiencing care since turning 12. The increase in number of unknown follow-up destinations for these groups also contributed to the overall reduction in positive follow-up destinations.

Table 2.2: Follow-up destinations of school leavers

Percentage of leavers by follow-up destination for school leavers looked after within the year, care experienced leavers and all leavers, 2022/23.

[Note 1] Positive destinations includes higher education, further education, training, voluntary work, employment, personal skills development and, for the years where applicable, activity agreements.

[Note 2] Due to the effects of rounding some totals will not equal the sum of their parts.

[Note 3] For 2018/19, support previously recorded as Activity Agreements is recorded in the Training category. As a result, the proportion of school leavers recorded in the Training category is not directly comparable between 2018/19 and earlier years. Full time series available in supporting tables.

[Note 4] There has been a change to the way in which Personal Skills Development activity is categorised in these statistics. For more information see the publication background notes section 3.7.

Longer term trends illustrated in Chart 4b show there has been a narrowing of the gap between school leavers looked after within the year and all school leavers since 2009/10 in terms of proportions in positive follow-up destinations. In 2009/10, 42.0% of looked after school leavers were in a positive follow-up destination, compared to 85.9% of all school leavers. Since then, the gap has narrowed from 44.0 percentage points to 21.8 percentage points in 2022/23. There has been a steady increase in the proportion of looked after leavers entering further education over the last decade, which is up from 22.1% in 2012/13 to 35.1% in 2022/23. There has also been a substantial decrease in the proportion of looked after leavers unemployed and seeking work, which has reduced from to 30.4% in 2012/13 to 10.7% in 2022/23. 

Chart 4b: Follow-up destinations of school leavers

Percentage of school leavers in positive initial destinations for school leavers looked after within the year and for all leavers, 2009/10 to 2022/23.

Positive destinations by placement type

Table 2.3 below shows how the proportion of leavers looked after within the year who went on to a positive destination varies by placement type. In general, leavers looked after within the year in community settings are more likely to be in a positive initial or follow-up destination than those in residential settings. In community settings, 89.1% of leavers who are looked after had a positive initial destination compared to 78.7% of leavers in residential settings. At follow-up, 74.8% of leavers in community settings compared to 60.1% of leavers in residential settings had a positive destination.

For school leavers looked after within the year who were placed in community settings, those with foster carers provided by a local authority were most likely to be in a positive initial destination (94.2%). This was followed by those with kinship carers (92.2%) and foster carers purchased by a local authority (92.0%). For follow-up destinations, those with foster carers provided by a local authority had the highest percentage in positive destinations (80.2%), followed by foster carers purchased by a local authority (77.0%) and kinship carers (68.3%). Those looked after at home had lower percentages in positive initial and follow-up destinations, at 80.6% and 68.3% respectively.

For school leavers looked after within the year who were placed in residential accommodation, 78.7% and 60.1% were in positive initial and follow-up destinations respectively.

School leavers with more than one placement showed lower rates of positive initial and follow-up destinations (78.3% and 62.8% respectively) compared to all those looked after in the year (86.4% and 71.1% respectively).

Table 2.3: Positive destinations by placement type [Note 1]

Number and percentage of looked after school leavers in a positive initial and follow-up destination by placement type, 2022/23.

[Note 1] Some children who were included in the initial destination survey could not be contacted at the time of the follow-up destination survey. This is why the total number of children in each survey differs. Positive destinations include higher education, further education, training, volunteer work, employment and personal skills development.

[Note 2] Includes supported accommodation and with prospective adopters.

[Note 3] Includes in residential school, in secure care accommodation and crisis care.