Understanding the Impacts of Time in Care on Educational Attainment of Young Adults Aged 16-18 in England
Lead Research Organisation:
UNIVERSITY OF EXETER
Department Name: Economics
Abstract
In many countries, the educational attainment of looked after children is far below that of the general child population. However, how being in care influences children's educational attainment is not clear. In this project, by applying advanced quantitative methods to the linked administrative data from Growing Up in England (GUiE), I examine the association between being in care and educational attainment, investigate if being in care causes poor educational attainment, and find out how different elements of care experience associate with looked after children's educational attainment. Results from this project will provide guidance to policymakers and practitioners to hold the care system accountable for providing children with opportunities to succeed.
Organisations
| Description | My analysis using the GUiE Wave 1 and 2 data fills a gap in the existing literature and provides new evidence on how time in care and care-related experiences impact educational attainment. My findings reveal significant gaps in educational attainment, particularly in GCSE and advanced level qualifications, between children in care and those not in care. For children in care, spending more time in care appears to contribute to better educational outcomes, especially in terms of GCSE A to C qualifications. A large portion of the gap in both GCSE and advanced level qualifications between children in care and those not in care can be explained by their observed characteristics. |
| Exploitation Route | Findings from this project offer valuable insights for policymakers and practitioners to design care systems with proactive strategies that support care experienced children in achieving academic success. |
| Sectors | Education |
| Description | Data training workshop |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Postgraduate students |
| Results and Impact | Another GUiE data user and I gave a two-day workshop to potential GUiE data users (mainly PhD students). On the workshop, I shared my experience using GUiE and provided suggestions to the other data users. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2025 |
| URL | https://www.ncrm.ac.uk/training/show.php?article=13624 |
| Description | Workshop on Using Administrative Education Data |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Other audiences |
| Results and Impact | This cross-disciplinary workshop focuses on using administrative education data in research across economics, education, and sociology. Bringing together economists, sociologists, and education researchers, it aims to provide a platform for sharing research findings and policy insights, fostering collaboration, and expanding professional networks. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2025 |
| URL | https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/workshop-on-using-administrative-education-data-tickets-1251176475519... |
| Description | presentation to a group of stakeholders |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | I presented the research ideas of my project to get early feedback from a group of representatives from a range of organizations, including Nuffield Family Justice Observatory, Catch-22, WellChild, British Association of Social Workers, National Council on Disabled Children, and Drive Forward. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2023 |