Going to University from Care Sonia Jackson Thomas Coram Research Unit Institute of Education University of London

ACWASydney 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

ACWASydney 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?

ACWASydney Outcomes in and after care 50% not in education, training or employment aged % 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

ACWASydney 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 addiction Evidence from British Birth Cohort Studies

ACWASydney Educational attainment of Looked After Children in England 2005 In careAll 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%

ACWASydney The UK Policy Context 1998 Quality Protects 2000 Joint Ed/Dept of Health Guidance 2001 Children (Leaving Care) Act 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

ACWASydney 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

ACWASydney 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

ACWASydney Reasons for care

ACWASydney Participants: ethnicity

ACWASydney Outcomes after one year

ACWASydney 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

ACWASydney 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

ACWASydney 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

ACWASydney ‘By Degrees’ at the House of Lords