Question to the Department for Education:

To ask His Majesty's Government whether they collect information about the length and frequency of gaps in education for children in care that are the result of placement moves.

Answered by Baroness Smith of Malvern - Minister of State (Minister for Women and Equalities)

Information about the length and frequency of gaps in education that are the result of placement moves is not held centrally by the department.

Existing statutory data is collected for children missing education, school attendance, and children in care. However, it is not possible to accurately link these datasets to obtain the information requested, as the children missing education data is collected at a local authority level, while data for children looked after and school attendance is collected at a child level.

We recognise the need to improve the data available about children’s social care, including making it more relevant to the experience of young people during periods of change. Addressing data gaps in children’s social care will be a long-term endeavour due to the need to agree data standards and definitions, as well as redesigning local authority and departmental systems before rolling out nationally.

This work includes understanding the data needs of the children’s social care sector as a whole and scoping ways in which data gaps may be addressed over time. This year, the department has published data on stability measures for children looked after, providing insights into the placement, school, and social worker stability for these children. The data is available here: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/stability-measures-for-children-looked-after-in-england/2024.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to ensure that the education and employment opportunities of children in care are not limited by missed education or lower grades that are the result of moving home or schools during Key Stage 4.

Answered by Baroness Smith of Malvern - Minister of State (Minister for Women and Equalities)

The department is committed to ensuring that looked-after children are supported to succeed in education and achieve positive outcomes.

We recognise the critical importance of continuity and stability throughout a looked-after child’s life, and particularly in respect of their education. Under the Care Planning, Placement and Case Review guidance and regulations, the child’s social worker should do everything possible to minimise disruption to their education. School changes should be minimised, and any transitions well-planned and supported. Where a change to a child’s educational arrangements is unavoidable, their Personal Education Plan should set out arrangements to minimise disruption to education, especially during exams and other critical periods in their education.

The government is introducing measures, including through the Children's Wellbeing and Schools Bill, to rebalance the placement market, improve regulation and commissioning of placements, and bring greater visibility to the prices local authorities are paying. This includes a focus on addressing the barriers that prevent homes from being established where they are needed.

Through the government’s Plan for Change, we are also investing £2 billion over this Parliament to give more children a safe, loving home, including expanding the children’s home estate, delivering more foster care placements and helping keep families together by providing targeted support before problems escalate.

These measures will mean more placements are available for children who need them, so they do not have to move at critical periods where it is not in their interests. They will also ensure that, where it is in a child's best interests, they can be placed closer to home and school.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the impact of being moved far from their communities and support networks during their GCSE and A-Level years on children in care.

Answered by Baroness Smith of Malvern - Minister of State (Minister for Women and Equalities)

The department is committed to ensuring that looked-after children are supported to succeed in education and achieve positive outcomes.

We recognise the critical importance of continuity and stability throughout a looked-after child’s life, and particularly in respect of their education. Under the Care Planning, Placement and Case Review guidance and regulations, the child’s social worker should do everything possible to minimise disruption to their education. School changes should be minimised, and any transitions well-planned and supported. Where a change to a child’s educational arrangements is unavoidable, their Personal Education Plan should set out arrangements to minimise disruption to education, especially during exams and other critical periods in their education.

The government is introducing measures, including through the Children's Wellbeing and Schools Bill, to rebalance the placement market, improve regulation and commissioning of placements, and bring greater visibility to the prices local authorities are paying. This includes a focus on addressing the barriers that prevent homes from being established where they are needed.

Through the government’s Plan for Change, we are also investing £2 billion over this Parliament to give more children a safe, loving home, including expanding the children’s home estate, delivering more foster care placements and helping keep families together by providing targeted support before problems escalate.

These measures will mean more placements are available for children who need them, so they do not have to move at critical periods where it is not in their interests. They will also ensure that, where it is in a child's best interests, they can be placed closer to home and school.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the finding of the report by Become, Moved During Exams: The instability crisis affecting children in care, published in June 2025, that more than 5,000 children in care were moved more than 20 miles from their home or previous placement during their GCSE and A-Level years.

Answered by Baroness Smith of Malvern - Minister of State (Minister for Women and Equalities)

The department is committed to ensuring that looked-after children are supported to succeed in education and achieve positive outcomes.

We recognise the critical importance of continuity and stability throughout a looked-after child’s life, and particularly in respect of their education. Under the Care Planning, Placement and Case Review guidance and regulations, the child’s social worker should do everything possible to minimise disruption to their education. School changes should be minimised, and any transitions well-planned and supported. Where a change to a child’s educational arrangements is unavoidable, their Personal Education Plan should set out arrangements to minimise disruption to education, especially during exams and other critical periods in their education.

The government is introducing measures, including through the Children's Wellbeing and Schools Bill, to rebalance the placement market, improve regulation and commissioning of placements, and bring greater visibility to the prices local authorities are paying. This includes a focus on addressing the barriers that prevent homes from being established where they are needed.

Through the government’s Plan for Change, we are also investing £2 billion over this Parliament to give more children a safe, loving home, including expanding the children’s home estate, delivering more foster care placements and helping keep families together by providing targeted support before problems escalate.

These measures will mean more placements are available for children who need them, so they do not have to move at critical periods where it is not in their interests. They will also ensure that, where it is in a child's best interests, they can be placed closer to home and school.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the finding of the report by Become, Moved During Exams: The Instability Crisis Affecting Children in Care, published in June 2025, that more than 4,000 children in care moved home or had to leave care during their A-Level exam period.

Answered by Baroness Smith of Malvern - Minister of State (Minister for Women and Equalities)

The department is committed to ensuring that looked-after children are supported to succeed in education and achieve positive outcomes.

We recognise the critical importance of continuity and stability throughout a looked-after child’s life, and particularly in respect of their education. Under the Care Planning, Placement and Case Review guidance and regulations, the child’s social worker should do everything possible to minimise disruption to their education. School changes should be minimised, and any transitions well-planned and supported. Where a change to a child’s educational arrangements is unavoidable, their Personal Education Plan should set out arrangements to minimise disruption to education, especially during exams and other critical periods in their education.

The government is introducing measures, including through the Children's Wellbeing and Schools Bill, to rebalance the placement market, improve regulation and commissioning of placements, and bring greater visibility to the prices local authorities are paying. This includes a focus on addressing the barriers that prevent homes from being established where they are needed.

Through the government’s Plan for Change, we are also investing £2 billion over this Parliament to give more children a safe, loving home, including expanding the children’s home estate, delivering more foster care placements and helping keep families together by providing targeted support before problems escalate.

These measures will mean more placements are available for children who need them, so they do not have to move at critical periods where it is not in their interests. They will also ensure that, where it is in a child's best interests, they can be placed closer to home and school.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the impact of leaving care in the lead-up to or during the A-Level exam period on care-experienced young people's educational attainment.

Answered by Baroness Smith of Malvern - Minister of State (Minister for Women and Equalities)

The department is committed to ensuring that looked-after children are supported to succeed in education and achieve positive outcomes.

We recognise the critical importance of continuity and stability throughout a looked-after child’s life, and particularly in respect of their education. Under the Care Planning, Placement and Case Review guidance and regulations, the child’s social worker should do everything possible to minimise disruption to their education. School changes should be minimised, and any transitions well-planned and supported. Where a change to a child’s educational arrangements is unavoidable, their Personal Education Plan should set out arrangements to minimise disruption to education, especially during exams and other critical periods in their education.

The government is introducing measures, including through the Children's Wellbeing and Schools Bill, to rebalance the placement market, improve regulation and commissioning of placements, and bring greater visibility to the prices local authorities are paying. This includes a focus on addressing the barriers that prevent homes from being established where they are needed.

Through the government’s Plan for Change, we are also investing £2 billion over this Parliament to give more children a safe, loving home, including expanding the children’s home estate, delivering more foster care placements and helping keep families together by providing targeted support before problems escalate.

These measures will mean more placements are available for children who need them, so they do not have to move at critical periods where it is not in their interests. They will also ensure that, where it is in a child's best interests, they can be placed closer to home and school.