2. Educational Achievement of Care Experienced Learners in North Ayrshire in 2021 - Cabinet - 07.06.2022

North Ayrshire Council · 7 June 2022
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NORTH AYRSHIRE COUNCIL
7 June 2022                                                                                  
Cabinet
Title: Educational Achievement of Care Experienced Learners
in North Ayrshire in 2021
Purpose: To update Cabinet on: (i) Curriculum for Excellence Broad
General Education (BGE) attainment levels of care experienced
learners in 2021; (ii) Senior Phase attainment of care
experienced school leavers in 2021; (iii) Post-school participation
of care experienced learners.
Recommendation: That Cabinet:
a) Notes the content of the report, including the progress being
made by learners, specifically in literacy and numeracy;
b) Notes the achievements of school leavers in SQA
examinations in 2021.
1. Executive Summary
1.1 This report summarises the key performance measures of care experienced1 and
looked after2 learners, focusing specifically on the published 2021 attainment data and
trends over time. Overall, educational outcomes for care experienced learners have
improved over the last five years. However, there remains a significant gap between the
educational outcomes achieved by care experienced learners and all learners, both in
North Ayrshire and nationally.
1.2  In the Broad General Education, Care Experienced learners at the national data
collection stages of P1, P4 and P7 have been adversely affected by the pandemic. This
has led to a reduction in attainment levels in 2021.
1.3 Care experienced school leavers are achieving better in literacy and numeracy than
their counterparts nationally and in the South West Educational Improvement
Collaborative (SWEIC) and there has been a positive trend in average total tariff score
over the last 10 years. The proportion of care experienced learners entering a positive
destination has been above the national figure for the last 5 years.
1 Care Experienced is a term we use in education; it has no statutory basis. Care experienced is an umbrella term which
can mean children / young people who are: Looked after at home through a Compulsory Supervision Order; Looked
after away from home; Previously looked after, where at some point in their lives they have had any of the above
experiences. 
2 Looked after young people include those: Looked after at home through a Compulsory Supervision Order (CSO) or
Looked after away from home in a residential children’s house, in a foster placement or a kinship placement.

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2. Background 
2.1 Care experienced young people are categorised for the purposes of our management
information system SEEMIS as: Looked After at Home, Looked After Away from Home
and Previously Looked After. The total number of care experienced young people in
North Ayrshire at the annual census date in September each year is shown in the charts
in Appendix 1. 
2.2 This report focuses on the following key measures: 
1. Attainment in Literacy and Numeracy across the Broad General Education for
care experienced learners for 2021. 
2. Attainment in Literacy and Numeracy and overall attainment in all qualifications
at Senior Phase level for care experienced school leavers in 2021. 
3. Average Total Tariff Score of school leavers and the impact of the stage at which
they leave school. 
4. Post-school participation of care experienced school leavers for 2021. 
2.3 Attainment in Literacy and Numeracy in Broad General Education for care
experienced learners (These highlights are supported by charts in Appendix 2) 
2.3.1 The charts at Appendix 2 indicate that the attainment of care experienced
learners at all assessed stages of Curriculum for Excellence (currently P1, P4
and P7 in 2021) has declined since the last time this data was collected before
the pandemic in 2019. The reduction in attainment levels is evident in both
literacy and numeracy. This mirrors the impact the pandemic has had on
Curriculum for Excellence levels overall for all learners in North Ayrshire, with
a similar pattern occurring for the full cohort groups. 
2.4 Attainment in Literacy and Numeracy and overall attainment in all qualifications
at Senior Phase level for care experienced school leavers (These highlights are
supported by charts in Appendices 3-5) 
2.4.1 It should be noted that the cohort size for care experienced school leavers
varies from year to year and is generally between 40-50 young people.
Therefore, care must be taken when analysing variations in performance for
this group. For example, one care experienced learner attaining/not attaining a
specific qualification may account for more than 2 percentage points of a
difference in the overall attainment measures for care experienced learners
(whereas in the general population, one pupil would make less than 0.07
percentage points of a difference in the same attainment measure).
2.4.2 Performance in Literacy and Numeracy at SCQF levels 4 and 5 is consistently
lower for care experienced leavers than for the overall school leaver cohort in
North Ayrshire. However, North Ayrshire Looked After school leavers perform
generally better than their counterparts nationally and in the SWEIC authorities
(see Appendix 3). In level 5 Numeracy, North Ayrshire has performed above
both National and SWEIC comparators in each of the last 3 recorded years.
The decline in Level 4 Numeracy for care experienced leavers in 2021 is in line
with the attainment pattern across all learners in North Ayrshire in the same
year and can be attributed in part to the impact of the pandemic. Literacy Level
5 achievement remains above or in line with National and SWEIC comparators
continuing achievement of previous years where it was above on all

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comparators. For Literacy Level 4, North Ayrshire remains above comparators
as it has been in last 3 years.
2.4.3 Care experienced leavers in North Ayrshire are continuing to attain better each
year and are increasingly gaining more qualifications and at a higher level than
in the past (see appendix 4). In 2021, 86% of North Ayrshire’s care experienced
leavers attained at least 1 qualification at SCQF Level 4 or better (the second
highest performance in the last 5 years). 2021 has seen the highest attainment
at Levels 5 and 6 for the care experienced leavers group in the last 5 years –
62% left with at least one SCQF Level 5 qualification or better (up from 51% in
2016/17) and 41% left with at least one SCQF Level 6 qualification (up from
20% in 2016/17).
2.4.4 The average total tariff score is also improving for care experienced school
leavers (see appendix 5). At 449, the average total tariff score in 2021 was the
highest achieved on record. Nevertheless, there is still a significant gap
between the attainment of care experienced learners and those who are not
care-experienced, both locally and nationally. In North Ayrshire, the gap is
gradually closing. Over the last three years, the gap between care experienced
average total tariff scores and all North Ayrshire school leavers has been on
average 493 points, compared to an average of 534 points for the five years
previously. Whilst this is clear progress, there is still a significant amount of
work to be done to reduce this gap more consistently and at a faster rate.
2.4.5 The number of care experienced learners in North Ayrshire who are currently
choosing to leave school at the end of S4 is much higher compared to the
general school population. For example, in 2021 in North Ayrshire the
proportion of looked after children who left at the end of S4 was 33% (the
corresponding figure for all care experienced was 27%) compared to 8% of not
care experienced young people who left at the end of S4. 
2.5 Post-school participation of care experienced school leavers (These highlights
are supported by charts in Appendix 6) 
2.5.1 The overall percentage of North Ayrshire care experienced school leavers
entering a positive destination has remained consistently above the national
performance for this group over the last five years. In 2021 the number of care
experienced school leavers in a positive destination is currently at its highest
recorded level. At 94.1%, the percentage of care experienced leavers entering
an initial positive destination in 2021 is only 1.2 percentage points behind the
group of leavers who are not care experienced and is a significant improvement
on recent years. 
2.6  The Education Service continues to focus on improving positive outcomes for care
experienced learners at all stages. It is acknowledged that, whilst educational outcomes
for care experienced learners have improved over time, there is still significant scope
for further improvement. Attainment and achievement for this group of learners is an
area of focus during quality improvement visits in all schools and the annual attainment
review in each secondary school. The Education Service Improvement Plan makes
specific reference to actions impacting positively on care experienced learners.

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3. Proposals 
3.1 It is proposed that Cabinet: 
a) Notes the content of the report, including the progress being made by learners,
specifically in literacy and numeracy; and
b) Notes the achievements of school leavers in SQA examinations in 2021. 
4. Implications/Socio-economic Duty 
Financial 
4.1 None. 
Human Resources 
4.2 None. 
Legal 
4.3 None. 
Equality/Socio-economic 
4.4 Tackling inequality is a key aspect of this report. The Council is committed to a
continued focussed approach to improve outcomes for care experienced leavers. 
Climate Change and Carbon 
4.5 None. 
Key Priorities 
4.6 NAC Council Plan 2019-2024: Aspiring Communities: “Children and young people
experience the best start in life”. 
This work relates to the following high-level action in the Education Service Plan: “We
will support our children and young people to become successful learners, confident
individuals, effective contributors and responsible citizens.” 
Community Wealth Building 
4.7 The Council will continue to consider the pillars of community wealth building in any
future developments in this area.

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5. Consultation 
5.1 None specifically related to this report. 
Audrey Sutton
Executive Director (Communities and Education) 
For further information please contact Kevin Herron, Senior Manager, Education on
(01294) 324450. 
Background Papers
None.

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273 291
211 239 224 217 208
367 384
351 346 344 370 346
174
176
277
293 330 322
294
0
100
200
300
400
500
600
700
800
900
1000
2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021
Care Experienced Pupils - All Schools
At home Away From Home Previously Looked After
Appendix 1

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0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
90%
Numeracy Literacy
Percentage of children achieving CfE level
North Ayrshire schools P1 - Early Level - 2021 vs 2019
Care Experienced Children - 2019 All pupils (not CE) - 2019 Care Experienced Children - 2021 All pupils (not CE) - 2021
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
90%
Numeracy Literacy
Percentage of children achieving CfE level
North Ayrshire schools P4 - First Level - 2021 vs 2019
Care Experienced Children - 2019 All pupils (not CE) - 2019 Care Experienced Children - 2021 All pupils (not CE) - 2021
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
90%
Numeracy Literacy
Percentage of children achieving CfE level
North Ayrshire schools P7 - Second Level - 2021 vs 2019
Care Experienced Children - 2019 All pupils (not CE) - 2019 Care Experienced Children - 2021 All pupils (not CE) - 2021
Appendix 2

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71.7
55.0
40.0
33.3
71.2
61.5
41.0
27.1
70.3
58.8
37.2
28.4
0.0
5.0
10.0
15.0
20.0
25.0
30.0
35.0
40.0
45.0
50.0
55.0
60.0
65.0
70.0
75.0
80.0
% Level 4 Literacy % Level 4 Numeracy % Level 5 Literacy % Level 5 Numeracy
LAC attainment in Literacy and Numeracy ‐ North Ayrshire vs. National and SWEIC ‐
2019‐2021 (percentage attaining out of annual leavers' cohort)
North Ayrshire 2019 North Ayrshire 2020 North Ayrshire 2021
National 2019 National 2020 National 2021
South West Collaborative 2019 South West Collaborative 2020 South West Collaborative 2021
Appendix 3

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88.1% 85.1% 84.7%
77.2%
86.1%87.3%
80.9% 77.4% 76.9% 80.3%
98.0% 98.1% 97.3% 97.1% 97.4%
71.8% 70.9% 69.8% 71.8%
n/a
0.0%
10.0%
20.0%
30.0%
40.0%
50.0%
60.0%
70.0%
80.0%
90.0%
100.0%
2016/17 2017/18 2018/19 2019/20 2020/21
Percentage of School Leavers achieving 1 or more 
qualification at SCQF level 4 or better
NAC Care experienced NAC Looked After NAC All Other Leavers (not CE) Looked after leavers ‐ National
51.2% 50.0% 50.6% 53.2%
62.4%
49.1%
40.4% 37.7%
53.8% 50.8%
88.6% 89.9% 89.4% 88.6% 91.7%
36.5% 36.1% 34.6% 38.1%
n/a
0.0%
20.0%
40.0%
60.0%
80.0%
100.0%
2016/17 2017/18 2018/19 2019/20 2020/21
Percentage of School Leavers achieving 1 or more 
qualification at SCQF level 5 or better
NAC Care experienced NAC Looked After NAC All Other Leavers (not CE) Looked after leavers ‐ National
20.2% 20.3%
27.1% 29.1%
40.6%
18.2%
10.6%
17.0%
30.8% 32.8%
64.8% 68.0% 67.5% 69.8%
11.4% 11.9% 10.6% 14.2%
n/a
0.0%
10.0%
20.0%
30.0%
40.0%
50.0%
60.0%
70.0%
2016/17 2017/18 2018/19 2019/20 2020/21
Percentage of School Leavers achieving 1 or more 
qualification at SCQF level 6 or better
NAC Care experienced NAC Looked After NAC All Other Leavers (not CE) Looked after leavers ‐ National
Appendix 4

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275
358
319
379
295
252
404
348
263
398
327
380 352 327
393
449
794
872
909 906 911
811
889
949
282 293 291 273 293
341
0
100
200
300
400
500
600
700
800
900
1000
2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021
Average Total Tariff Score for LAC, Care Experienced and all non‐LAC School 
Leavers NAC vs. National performance for LAC children
North Ayrshire LAC North Ayrshire Care Experienced NAC all Leavers ‐ not Care Experienced* National ‐ LAC Leavers
Appendix 5
*not looked after and not previously looked after‐ and unable to determine status for 2015 and 2016

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83.0
86.8
80.9
83.0 84.6
93.3
73.6
76.4
80.4
82.4 81.4
87.9
73.1
77.9 80.0
76.5
86.7
91.9
93.1
88.1
83.8
88.2
84.8
94.1
95.5
93.7
96.3
94.4
93.0
95.3
70.0
75.0
80.0
85.0
90.0
95.0
100.0
2015/16 2016/17 2017/18 2018/19 2019/20 2020/21
Percentage of Care Experienced and Looked After Leavers entering a 
Positive Destination
North Ayrshire ‐ LAC National ‐ LAC South West Collaborative ‐ LAC
Care Experienced ‐ NAC Leavers not Care Experienced ‐ NAC
Appendix 6