Schools, pupil referral units and local authorities in Wales need to do more to understand how their support improves the educational progress and achievement of care-experienced learners, according to a new report from Estyn.
The education and training inspectorate found a strong commitment to supporting these learners, but said providers are generally more successful at describing the support they offer than at showing its impact on learners’ progress, attainment and longer-term outcomes.
Attendance, behaviour and well-being are often monitored more consistently than educational achievement, the report says.
The report, Known, Included and Ambitious: Promoting the Education of Care Experienced Learners, looks at how effectively maintained schools, PRUs and local authorities improve the educational experiences, well-being and aspirations of care-experienced learners aged 3 to 16.
It considered the experiences of children who were looked after, adopted from care, living in kinship care, subject to special guardianship orders (SGO), or who were previously looked after.
The report found that schools, PRUs and local authorities are generally better able to identify and monitor children who are currently looked after. Support is less consistent for learners who are adopted from care, living in kinship care or under special guardianship orders, or who were previously looked after, which limits providers’ ability to spot emerging needs, intervene early and evaluate outcomes for them.
According to the report, care-experienced learners are most likely to thrive when they are known and understood as individuals, included fully in education and supported by adults who remain ambitious for their learning and future. Many staff know these learners well and help them feel safe, included and supported, and the strongest providers combine this with ambitious expectations.
Learners highlighted the importance of trusted adults who listen, understand their circumstances and provide consistent support. Although many providers seek learners’ views, these do not always influence decisions about their education. Learners also highlighted the need for privacy and careful handling of personal information so they do not feel singled out because of their care experience.
The report also highlights the importance of keeping educational continuity during placement or school changes, including continuity of trusted relationships and Welsh-medium education where appropriate.
Owen Evans, His Majesty’s Chief Inspector of Education and Training in Wales, said:
“There is much to recognise in the commitment of staff who help care-experienced learners feel safe, valued and included. The strongest practice combines this support with high expectations for what each learner can achieve.
“We need a clearer understanding of which approaches help learners make progress and achieve well. Listening to learners, understanding their individual circumstances and maintaining continuity in their education are essential to helping them benefit from future opportunities and evaluate the impact of support on their progress and outcomes.”
The report recommends that schools and pupil referral units set ambitious expectations for care-experienced learners, ensure fair access to learning and future opportunities, and assess how well support helps them progress.
It says local authorities should strengthen how they monitor educational outcomes, scrutinise the impact of support and work with partners to maintain continuity when placements or schools change.
Estyn also recommends that the Welsh Government clarify national expectations and review whether guidance, funding and accountability arrangements support consistent and equitable provision, while respecting learners’ and families’ choices about disclosure and confidentiality.
The report was commissioned by the Welsh Government. Its findings are based on visits to maintained schools, PRUs and local authority education services across Wales, along with discussions with leaders, practitioners, governors, local authority officers and care-experienced learners.
