Attainment gap for care experienced pupils increases, figures show

The attainment gap for children who have been in care has increased, new figures show.

Statistics released by the Scottish Government looked at the gap in attainment between all school leavers and those who had been in care in the year before they left school.

According to the figures, the gap in the number who left with at least one Scottish Credit and Qualification Framework (SCQF) level five qualification – the equivalent of a National 5 – or better increased from 42.5 percentage points to 42.7 between 2023 and 2024, having previously fallen from 64 points in 2010.

Overall, the proportion of school leavers who achieved at least one level five qualification fell, from 84.8% to 83.5% in the same period, while it fell slightly more among those who had been in care in the previous year, from 42.3% to 40.8%.

The gap between school leavers who had been in care in the previous year and all school leavers who ended up in a positive destination within three months also grew, from 9.5 percentage points to 10.4, according to the figures.

A positive destination is described by the Scottish Government as a school leaver who goes on to further or higher education, work or training.

Elsewhere, the figures showed a decrease in school attendance among those who had previously been in care, particularly among those at secondary school, compared to an increase in total school attendance.

In 2020, the Scottish Government enshrined the findings of an independent review into the care system into what has since become known as the Promise – a pledge to improve the lives and outcomes of looked after children by the end of the decade.

Fraser McKinlay, the chief executive of The Promise Scotland – an organisation founded to monitor the Government’s drive to improve the lives of those in care – said the figures made for “difficult reading”.

“Over the last few years, I have met so many people working in education, making positive changes, dedicated to keeping the promise and committed to sharing what they have learned has worked for their children and young people,” he said.

He added: “Of course, government statistics don’t tell the whole story.

“They don’t explain the changing nature of the ‘care system’ nor, importantly, do they help Scotland understand what is happening in each of these children or young people’s life – although the positive destination figures are a testament to the determination of care experienced young people.

“But what they do make clear is that Scotland must keep going, supporting the many thousands of children, young people and those working alongside them to ensure long lasting change is delivered.

“The Promise Scotland team will continue to push for the changes needed to make sure children with care experience receive the same access to education and opportunities and as their non-care experienced peers.

“We will work alongside everyone committed to realising the ambitions the promise so all children can realise their full potential.”

A spokesman for the Scottish Government said: “It is good to see the gap in achievement between looked after children and their peers narrowed this year across all subjects for pupils in P7 and S3, and to see an increase in the proportion of looked after leavers going on to positive destinations nine months after leaving school.

“That means that we now have more children and young people from the most challenging circumstances getting the chance to succeed at school and in life.

“And while this year’s results continue to show the difference we have made in the long term, the fact that on many measurements the position is at best static and in some cases, showing small declines is troubling.

“It is clear that we – and key partner agencies like local authorities – need to accelerate our efforts to keep the Promise we’ve made to care experienced pupils and their families who sit behind these statistics.

“We have already provided local authorities with over £70 million specifically to support care experienced children and young people.

“This is part of and additional to other Scottish Attainment Challenge funding and funding to support young carers, foster carers and kinship care families – to help improve their childhoods and adolescence and school attainment.

“We need to better understand why all this investment is not yet making the difference it should be and review and potentially renew our approach to the Attainment Challenge in the future.”