Seminar by Professor Judy Sebba (University of Oxford) 'The educational progress of looked after children: linking care and educational data'

A systematic review by Aoife O’Higgins1 suggested that it is likely that care is a protective factor in educational outcomes. A major study was then undertaken into what factors seem to contribute to these poorer outcomes by linking two national datasets in England, that which records educational factors for all children with the data about their care careers. The analysis focused on the progress at secondary school of young people who had been in care for over a year at the time of taking their ‘school-leaving’ examinations in 2013. Detailed statistical analysis was complemented by interviews with 26 young people and with their foster carers, teachers, social workers and ‘Virtual School headteachers’ who are responsible for supporting their education. The findings are influencing policy and practice in England, for example on avoiding school moves of young people in care. Evaluations of the GLA’s London Fostering Achievement3 and the Attachment-Aware Schools Programme will also be drawn on. 1 O’Higgins, A., Sebba, J. & Luke, N. (2015) What is the relationship between being in care and the educational outcomes of children? An international systematic review. Oxford: Rees Centre 2 Sebba, J., Berridge, D., Luke, N., Fletcher, J., Bell, K., Strand, S., Thomas, S., Sinclair, I., O’Higgins, A., (2015) The Educational Progress of Looked After Children in England, The Rees Centre 3 Sebba, J., Luke, N., Plumridge, G. et al., (2016) Evaluation of the London Fostering Achievement Programme. London: GLA