When discussing the educational prospects of care-experienced young people, there is a tendency to focus on their disadvantages. The statistics are damning, but they only tell part of the story. This article explores the educational journey for young people with care
experience, from early years to further and higher education, with a particular focus on the barriers, support systems and what’s needed to help them succeed.
A Challenging Starting Point
Young people in care start their educational journey with considerable disadvantage. According to the Department for Education, only around 32% of care-experienced pupils meet expected standards in reading, writing and maths by the end of primary school.
Compare that to 61% of all children, and the gap is immediately apparent, with an almost 50% disadvantage in the classroom. At GCSE level, the difference widens: just 7.2% of care-experienced young people achieve a strong pass (grade 5 or above) in English and Maths,
compared to 40.1% of their peers. Beyond secondary school, the numbers are equally as disheartening. While nearly half of all
Eighteen-year-olds typically enter university; however, only around 9% of care leavers do the same by age 19. Even for those who get to university, the odds of staying and completing their course are even lower.
So what’s going wrong?
Key Barriers Along the Way
There’s no single explanation as to what causes this unmistakable disadvantage when it comes to education, but a few consistent themes emerge:
- Frequent Relocations: Placement instability often results in disrupted education. Each move can mean lost coursework, broken friendships and a lack of structure and support.
- Mental Health Challenges: Nearly half of all care-experienced young people have significant mental health conditions. These aren’t always diagnosed early or treated consistently, and they can have a significant impact on educational engagement.
- Special Educational Needs (SEN): A disproportionate number of care-experienced young people are identified as having SEN, with 56% receiving some form of support. Navigating mainstream education without individualised support can make it nearly impossible for many to achieve their true potential.
- Stigma and Low Expectations: Unfortunately, some schools and educators still hold assumptions about the capabilities of care-experienced young people. This can result in reduced challenge, limited aspirations or unintentional exclusion due to
perceived ability.
For a young person trying to keep up in class while managing the emotional fallout of a recent placement change, or the teenager who has never had anyone to help with revision, these challenges are multiplied and become deeply personal.
Transition Points that Matter
While all stages of education bring hurdles, three transition points are particularly tricky to navigate:
1. Primary to Secondary School: A move that’s already daunting becomes even more so when it coincides with other life changes. The change of established support networks and routine can cause setbacks.
2. Post-16 Choices: At 16, many care-experienced students are unsure of their next steps. Poor GCSE outcomes, a lack of guidance, or practical barriers such as unsupported transport or financial constraints can limit post-16 options.
3. University or Work at 18+: For those who’ve made it through A-Levels or vocational qualifications, applying for university or employment without family support is no small feat. The fear of isolation, or simply not knowing how to apply for student finance, can deter even the most capable.
The Role of Support Systems
Several support systems aim to close the gap. But their effectiveness depends heavily on how well they’re managed and implemented:
- Personal Education Plans (PEPs): Every child in care must have a PEP that is updated at the end of each term. Done well, it should outline strengths, academic targets and the additional support needed. However, sometimes it simply becomes extra paperwork.
- Virtual School Heads (VSHs): Every local authority employs a Virtual School Head (VSH) to oversee the education of care-experienced children and young people. They’re responsible for ensuring the appropriate use of Pupil Premium Plus funding and advocating for children
in care. - Pupil Premium Plus: Additional funding to support academic progress. However, it’s not ring-fenced and its impact depends on how schools choose to use it.
- Education, Health and Care Plans (EHCPs): For care-experienced young people with special educational needs (SEN), EHCPs can provide access to specialist provision. Yet many families and carers struggle to navigate the complex application process, unsupported.
Charities like ASK PIP step in to bridge these gaps by offering tutoring, career guidance, mentoring, and mental health support, creating a model that complements statutory services.
Why Vocational Education Matters
Mainstream schooling doesn’t always account for the lived experiences, especially those complex stories of care-experienced young people. Vocational education acknowledges that behaviour is communication. A young person who struggles with attendance or
concentration isn’t necessarily unmotivated; they may be affected by past trauma. In practice, this might mean:
- Providing students with support from trusted adults who can offer calm guidance.
- Designing learning environments that are predictable and safe.
- Allowing flexibility around deadlines or assessment formats.
- Alternative settings and mentoring programmes can offer a more suitable environment for learning to take place. For some care-experienced young people, these spaces are where they first start to believe in their own potential.
From PEP to PhD: What Success Looks Like
While the data can be disheartening, it’s important to spotlight progress and success.
Take a fictional care-experienced young person. After a turbulent start in education and a series of placement moves, they engaged with a community programme similar to those run by ASK PIP. There, they found a mentor, accessed one-to-one tutoring, and slowly began to enjoy learning again. By the age of 18, they had completed their BTECs and were accepted into university with the support of a designated care leaver liaison. Today, they’re completing a Master’s degree in social work.
This story may be fictional, but it aligns with what can become reality. Progress is possible, but it requires the right support.
What Needs to Happen Next?
If the system is serious about narrowing the education gap, a few priorities stand out:
- Early and sustained intervention: Academic gaps often start in Key Stage 1.
- Support must begin early and continue into adulthood.
- Better transitions: Schools, colleges and universities must work with care services to ensure smooth educational transitions.
- Continued investment in support roles: Virtual School Heads, Designated
- Teachers and care leaver support workers are vital and should be properly resourced.
- Flexible and inclusive learning environments: From alternative provision to hybrid learning options, we need to meet students where they are and understand their unique needs as individuals.
- Trauma-informed training: Every school professional should understand how trauma impacts learning and how to respond appropriately.
Final Thoughts
The journey from PEP to PhD isn’t linear, and most importantly, it isn’t impossible! It’s marked by setbacks, comebacks and small wins that go unseen by educational league tables. However, it’s a journey that’s 100% worth it, and that’s why we support it. For care-experienced young people, education can be more than a qualification. It can be a turning point. So, the mission is clear: empower every young person to pursue meaningful education.
There is no shortcut to equality of opportunity. But with the right mix of support and sustained commitment, more care-experienced young people can walk across the graduation stage knowing just how far they’ve come.
