going to university from care

Going to University from Care

Sonia JacksonThomas Coram Research Unit

Institute of Education University of London

ACWASydney14.08.06 2

• I would advise anyone to go to university. It’s fun for starters…

• It just broadens your horizons – opens your eyes to what’s going on around you

• It gave me a different perspective on my life


Three questions

• Why do so few children in care go to university?

• Why does it matter?

• What can the By Degrees research tell us about what helps and what gets in the way?


Outcomes in and after care

• 50% not in education, training or employment aged 19.

• 80% unemployed 2 years after leaving care• 70% have mental health problems• 30% homeless and 50% young offenders have

been in care• High level of substance misuse/addictions• Early parenthood at least 3 times more likely


Wider benefits of learning

Each step up the educational ladder leads to improvements in quality of adult life

lifelong learning resilience self-efficacy mental and physical health family and parenting civic engagement respect for law absence of addictionEvidence from British Birth Cohort Studies


Educational attainment of Looked After Children in

England 2005

In care All children

1 GCSE A-G 60% 96%

5 GCSEs A-G 41% 89%

5 GCSEs A*-C 9% 56%

Further education18% 78%

University 1% 43%


The UK Policy Context

• 1998 Quality Protects

• 2000 Joint Ed/Dept of Health Guidance

• 2001 Children (Leaving Care) Act 2000

• 2003 Social Exclusion Report ‘A Better Education for Children in Care’

• 2004 Children Act

• 2005 Children’s Services Departments report to Dept. for Education and Skills


The ‘By Degrees’ Project- from Care to University

• Three cohorts tracked over four years

• Total research sample: 129 students

• Surveys of local authorities and HEIs


Aims of the project• Increase participation

• Improve retention and completion

• Help LAs fulfil obligations as corporate parents

• Raise awareness among higher education institutions

• Use findings to influence policy and practice


Reasons for care

0

510

15

20

2530

35

Men

tal il

lnes

s of

par

ent

Physic

al illne

ss o

f par

ent

Paren

t add

iction

Death

of p

aren

t(s)

Sexua

l abu

se

Physic

al and

em

otio

nal a

buse

Family

bre

akdow

n

Unacc

ompa

nied to

UK

Self-r

efer

ral

Oth

er

Per

cen

tag

e

Cohort 2

Cohort 3


Participants: ethnicity

48%

5%

30%

9%

8% White British

Mixed

Black or BlackBritish

Asian or AsianBritish

Other


Outcomes after one year

Cohort 2Cohort 1 Cohort 3

On course

Changed course oruniversity

Failed first year

Left course


What have we learnt?

• Children in care can go to university and succeed

• Participants attended 68 different HEIs

• Low drop-out if adequate support

• Stable foster care is a key resource

• Residential care doesn’t help

• Care leavers must have legal right to financial help and advice


Some recommendations

• Placements shd offer educational environment

• Planning for uni must start early

• Specialist foster carers for education

• Written contracts for students Extended foster and residential care

• Widening participation initiatives target LAC and care leavers


Where are we one year after the project ended?

• 6% care leavers now going to university• Project team produced advice booklets for

practitioners and young people (Who Cares? Trust)

• Frank Buttle Trust Quality Mark for higher education institutions launched June 2006

• Tick box to be introduced on university application form

• Government makes education top priority in new strategy for children in out-of-home care


‘By Degrees’ at the House of Lords

going to university from care

Documents