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Publication - Statistics

Looked after children: education outcomes 2018-2019

Published
1 September 2020
From
Deputy First Minister and Cabinet Secretary for Economy and Gaelic
Directorate
Learning Directorate
Topic
Children and families, Education
ISBN
9781800040151

Information on attainment and destinations of school leavers, school attendance and absence, and achievement of curriculum for excellence levels for looked after children in Scotland.

View supporting documents Supporting documents

Achievement of Curriculum for Excellence Levels

  • A lower proportion of looked after children achieve the Curriculum for Excellence (CfE) level relevant to their stage compared with all children across all organisers
  • Achievement of CfE levels is lowest for those looked after at home and those looked after in residential accommodation 

This section presents data on the achievement of Curriculum for Excellence (CfE) levels for aspects of literacy (reading, writing, and listening and talking) and numeracy of the estimated 3,288 young people who were looked after at some point between 1 August 2018 and 31 July 2019, and who were in Primary 1, Primary 4, Primary 7 or Secondary 3 during the 2018/19 school year.

The data shows the CfE level achieved for each pupil within selected stages (P1, P4, P7 and S3 in mainstream schools and all pupils based in standalone special schools/units) in the following curriculum organisers: reading, writing, listening and talking, and numeracy, and relates to the CfE level achieved as at June 2019.

Stage

Chart 6: Percentage of all pupils and those who were looked after achieving the CfE level relevant to their stage (1), by stage, 2018/19
The percentage achieving the relevant CfE level relevant is lower for looked after children.

(1) See background notes for information regarding the CfE levels relevant to a pupil's stage.

Across all stages and organisers, a lower proportion of children who were looked after within the year achieved the CfE level relevant to their stage compared with all pupils (Chart 6).

The proportion of children looked after within the year achieving the CfE level relevant for their stage is highest for listening and talking at all stages, and lowest for writing across all primary stages. This is also the case for all pupils, although with a higher proportion achieving the level relevant to their stage.

The gap between all pupils and those who were looked after within the year is lowest amongst P1 pupils (Early Level), with gap across the four organisers ranging from 15 to 24 percentage points. The gap was higher for P4 (First Level), where the gap ranges from 22 to 36 percentage points, and P7 pupils (Second Level), where the gap ranges from 27 to 35 percentage points. The gap between all pupils and those who were looked after within the year is then reduced at S3 (Third Level or better), varying from 22 to 26 percentage points across the four organisers.

Type of accommodation

Achievement of CfE levels varies across the types of accommodation in which looked after children are placed. Generally, a higher proportion of pupils looked after within the year who lived with friends/relatives achieved the CfE level relevant to their stage across most organisers than in other placement types. (Table 5.1).

A lower proportion of pupils placed in voluntary homes, in other residential accommodation, at home with parents and those with more than one placement achieved the CfE level relevant to their stage compared with all pupils looked after within the last year.

Table 5.1: Percentage of Primary 1, Primary 4, Primary 7 and Secondary 3 children who were looked after within the last year achieving the CfE level relevant to their stage (1), by accommodation type, 2018/19 (2)
Accommodation type Reading Writing Listening & Talking Numeracy
In the community (children with one placement)
At home with parents 51 45 60 50
With friends or relatives 62 55 74 62
With foster carers provided by LA 64 56 70 58
With foster carers purchased by LA 61 50 68 58
In other community(3) * * * *
Residential Accommodation (children with one placement)        
In local authority home 53 52 63 51
In voluntary home 38 42 54 42
In other residential(4) 38 38 46 44
More than one placement 51 47 60 50
All looked after within the last year 57 51 66 55

(1) See background notes for information regarding the CfE levels relevant to a pupil's stage.
(2) Cells containing * represent small numbers that have been suppressed to maintain confidentiality.
(3) Includes supported accommodation and with prospective adopters.
(4) Includes in residential school, in secure care accommodation, and crisis care.

Number of placements

A higher proportion of pupils looked after within the year who only had one placement achieved the CfE level relevant to their stage than those with 2 and 3 or more placements (Table 5.2). This pattern was consistent across all four organisers.

Table 5.2: Percentage of Primary 1, Primary 4, Primary 7 and Secondary 3 children who were looked after within the last year achieving the CfE level relevant to their stage (1), by number of placements 2018/19
Number of placements Reading Writing Listening & Talking Numeracy
1 58 51 67 56
2 49 47 60 50
3 or more 57 47 61 51
All looked after within the last year 57 51 66 55

(1) See background notes for information regarding the CfE levels relevant to a pupil's stage.

Contact

Email: children.statistics@gov.scot

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