Further Education and Universities: Children in Care

(asked on 15th April 2021) - View Source
Questioner
Dan Jarvis Portrait
Dan Jarvis
(Labour - Barnsley Central)

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many Looked After Children attend (a) university and (b) further education from (i) Barnsley Metropolitan Borough Council and (ii) the UK in the latest period for which data is available.

Answered by
Vicky Ford Portrait
Vicky Ford
This question was answered on 20th April 2021

The information is not held centrally in the form requested. The department does not collect information on the educational activity of all looked after children. Information is held on the number of care leavers aged 17 to 21 years old who are in higher education or other types of education on or around their birthday.

The number of care leavers (full-time and part-time) aged 17 to 21, who were in higher education in Barnsley local authority and England in the year ending 31 March 2020 or in ‘education other than higher education’ are shown in the table.

Number of care leavers aged 17 to 21 in education12

Care leavers in Barnsley and England

Year ending 31 March 2020

All care leavers

Higher Education

Other than Higher Education

Barnsley Local Authority

90

C3

30

England

42,960

2,230

11,530

  1. Education ‘other than higher education’ refers to all studies excluding degrees, diplomas in higher education, teaching and nursing qualifications, HNDs, ONDs, and BTEC levels 4-5, all of which fall under the category of higher education.
  2. The definition of a care leaver is a young person who has been ‘looked after’ at some point since they were 14 years old, and were in care on or after their 16th birthday. Care leavers are entitled to some ongoing help and support from Children’s Services after they leave care. The leaving care age in England is 18 years old, however some young people do leave care aged 16 or 17.
  3. c = suppressed to protect confidentiality

The latest information on children looked after in England, including the number of care leavers in education on 31 March 2020, is contained in the Children looked after in England statistics release, which is available here: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/children-looked-after-in-england-including-adoptions.

Figures on children looked after outside England is a matter for the devolved administrations.

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