The Department for Education (DfE) has produced statistics on the educational outcomes and characteristics of children in need (CIN), including looked after children during the academic year 2018-2019. These statistics highlig​​ht the wide gaps in educational outcomes between children in need and the average for all pupils.

The term child in need (CIN) refers to looked after children (LAC), children on child protection plans (CPP) and children on child in need and other plans (CINP).

Attainment

• In 2019, only 44% of CIN pupils in the early years achieved a good level of development compared with 72% of all pupils
  • This was 47% for children who had been continuously looked after for 12 months or more, and 42% for those on a CPP
• Only 35% of all children in need in key stage two achieved the expected level in reading, writing and maths. Significantly lower than the average for all pupils (65%)
• In 2019, only 8.8% of all CIN pupils at key stage four achieved a grade 5 or above in English and maths compared with 43.2% of all pupils.
  • Only 7.2% of children who had been continuously looked after for 12 months or more achieved this level, and 5.1 % of those who had been continuously looked after for less than 12 months
• In 2019, the average Attainment 8 score of all CIN pupils at key stage four was 18.8 compared with 46.7 for all pupils.
  • Children who were continuously looked after for 12 months or more had a similar average Attainment 8 score of 19.1
  • The average for those who had been continuously looked after for less than 12 months was 13.3.

Rates of SEND

• CIN pupils are more than three times more likely than all children to have SEN. Almost half of all CIN have SEN (47.7%), compared with 14.9% of all pupils, with around a quarter having either EHCPs (23.1%) or receiving SEN support (24.6%)
• Children who had been continuously looked after for 12 months or more were most likely to have SEN (55.8%). They were also most likely to have EHCPs (27.2%)
• Children on a CPP were least likely to have EHCPs (8.6%)​.

Rates of free school meal (FSM)

• Almost half of all CIN pupils were eligible for and claiming FSM (47%), around three times more than the average for all pupils (15%)
• Children on CPP had the highest proportion of pupils eligible for and claiming FSM (67%), around four times more than the average for all pupils.

Absence and exclusion rates

Overall absence

• In 2019, the overall absence rate for all CIN pupils was 10.1% compared with 4.7% for all pupils
• Children who had been continuously looked after for 12 months or more had a rate of 4.7%, the same as the average for all pupils and far lower than the average for CIN
• Children on a CPP had the highest overall absence rate (13.1%)

Persistent absence

• Defined as pupil enrolments missing 10 or more per cent of their possible sessions (due to authorised or unauthorised absence)
• In 2019, more than a quarter of all CIN pupils were persistently absent (29.2%), compared with 10.9% of all pupils
• Children who had been continuously looked after for 12 months or more had a rate of 10.9%; the same as the average
• Children on CPP had the highest persistent absence rate (38.0%).

Permanent exclusion rates

• In 2018, 0.58% of all CIN pupils were permanently excluded, compared with 0.10% of all pupils
• Children on CPP had the highest permanent exclusion rates (0.96%)
• Children who had been continuously looked after for 12 months or more had a rate of 0.05%.

Fixed period exclusions

• In 2018, 11.05% of all CIN pupils had at least one fixed period exclusion, compared with 2.33% of all pupils
• 12% of children who had been continuously looked after for 12 months or more and 15% of those who had been continuously looked after for less than 12 months had at least one fixed period exclusion.

Read the full report here.