Looked after children: education outcomes 2015-2016

Post-school destinations

	Looked after school leavers are less likely to go in to positive destinations, especially higher education
	Around a quarter of those looked after leavers who enter further education do not sustain this destination after nine months

This section presents data on the destinations of the 468 young people who were looked after from 1 August 2015 to 31 July 2016 and who left school during 2015/16. Information on young people's 'destinations' (such as employment or further education) is collected three and nine months after they leave school. A young person is said to be in a positive destination if they are in education, employment, training, voluntary work or an Activity Agreement ¹. For more information on school leaver destination categories, see background note 4.8. The data underlying the illustrations are available here: http://www.gov.scot/stats/bulletins/01282

Initial and follow-up destinations

Chart 3: Looked after children in positive destinations nine months after leaving school, 2009/10 to 2015/16

A lower proportion of looked after children enter positive destinations than all school leavers, but this gap has narrowed since 2009/10, although progress has slowed in recent years. The lower proportion of looked after children going into positive destinations is likely to be related to looked after young people leaving school at younger ages.

Table 2.1: Positive initial destinations (three months after leaving school) among looked after leavers and all school leavers, 2012/13 to 2015/16

More than three-quarters (78%) of children looked after for a full year who left school during or at the end of 2015/16 were in a positive destination three months after leaving school, compared with nine in ten (93%) of all 2015/16 school leavers (Table 2.1). Among looked after young people, 46% were either in Higher or Further Education, compared to two-thirds of all leavers (67%). The lower proportion of looked after young people entering higher education can largely be explained by leaving school earlier and consequent lower levels of qualifications.

The positive destination is more likely to be sustained after nine months for all school leavers rather than for looked after leavers. By the time of the follow-up in March, seven in ten (71%, down from 78%) looked after children who were looked after for the year from August 2015 to July 2016 and left school in that period were in a positive destination, compared with nine in ten (91%) of all 2015/16 school leavers. The rate of positive destinations among looked after children at the time of the follow-up has improved greatly over the period of measurement, from 40% in 2009/10 to 71% in 2015/16. This increase is predominantly due to increases in looked after school leavers entering employment (from 7% in 2009/10 to 19% in 2015/16) and further education (from 22% in 2009/10 to 32% in 2015/16). The overall reduction is also present for all school leavers, but to a lesser extent (93% in positive destinations initially down to 91% at follow up).

There is a consistently large fall in the proportion of looked after young people sustaining a place in further education. It is not clear why this occurs, but it may highlight a need for extra support for this group to continue their education.

Table 2.2: Positive follow-up destinations (nine months after leaving school) among looked after leavers and all school leavers, 2012/13 to 2015/16

Table 2.3 shows the percentage of looked after school leavers in positive destinations three and nine months after leaving school. There is a decrease in proportions in positive destinations in all groups except for those children in voluntary homes. The largest decreases are seen in those young people looked after at home.

Table 2.3: Percentage of positive initial and follow-up destinations among looked after school leavers with one placement, 2015/16 ^(1),(2)

(1) Includes 'with prospective adopters'.
(2) Includes 'in residential school, 'in secure care accommodation' and 'crisis care'.

Cross- UK comparisons

The improvements seen in the proportion of looked after children in Scotland moving into positive destinations after leaving school since 2009/10 mirrors the general trend across the UK overall. Because of differences in the education systems and leaving between Scotland and the rest of the UK (and in the ages at which young people leave school) it is not possible to directly compare post school destinations of looked after children. See background note 5.3 for further information.