'Exclusion labelled as support' for looked-after pupils

The Herald Scotland

16-06-2025

The latest report - 'Exclusion labelled as support': Care experienced children in Scotland's education system - was commissioned by Nicola Killean, the Children and Young People's Commissioner for Scotland, who argued that the evidence shows that 'too many children are being let down by the current education system.' Louise Hunter, CEO of Who Cares? Scotland, said that children's 'full right to education must be realised' and called the report a 'reality check' for those who claim that Scotland is on-track to keep The Promise by 2030.
Researchers analysed a range of existing evidence related to the experiences of looked after pupils, including data on more than 1,200 advocacy requests submitted between April 2022 and March 2024. The commissioner also met with a focus group of advocacy workers, and young people themselves were also able to contribute either one-to-one or by participating in small group sessions.
A key feature of The Promise was a commitment that 'all formal and informal exclusions of care experienced pupils would end', but the reality for children has been different. Although exclusion rates for looked after children have fallen significantly over the past decade, official data shows that they actually increased in the period between 2021 and 2023.
The most recent figures revealed that 98 out of every 1000 care experienced pupils was formally excluded at least once in a year, almost six times higher than the levels seen in the broader pupil population.
Informal exclusions and the use of part-time timetables are also widely reported and contribute to children's rights being 'breached'.
Many care experienced young people continue to report feeling stigmatised at school, which the report states is partly due to 'stereotypes' portrayed in the media. Children referred to 'feeling othered for their clothing, transport, having to leave class and a general level of suspicion and rejection.' Those aged over sixteen were more likely to feel 'singled out' in school, although younger children tended to be more positive about their treatment.
A major issue for looked after young people is the 'common experience' of changing schools, which can 'significantly disrupt their rights to education.' Sometimes these changes are requested by the pupils themselves, who may wish to be able to attend school with friends or family, but repeated placements moves for looked after children are also a key factor. The report notes that in the academic year 2022-23, almost one in seven children in care were moved more than once.
Looked after pupils are also affected by a lack of appropriate support for learning in school, despite the fact that all care experienced children are regarded as having additional support needs, and the challenges involved in transitions from one stage of education to another.
The new report highlights the positive impact of the Virtual School Teams (VST), explicitly praising the approach in Edinburgh where the team includes 'a Care Experienced Quality Improvement Officer, virtual headteacher, pupil support officers, educational psychologists and the lead for outdoor education.'
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Virtual schools have been established to support care experienced pupils in more than half of local authorities, and are 'highly valued' by advocacy workers who feel that they are 'really useful in establishing measures to avoid exclusions or get young people back into school as soon as possible.' However, concerns are raised about a lack of access to digital learning or online schools for looked after pupil, with approaches varying from one council to the next and difficulty accessing services due to high levels of demand.
The report ultimately makes three key recommendations, which it describes as 'interdependent'. The first is for the 'commitment to end formal and informal exclusions' for looked after children to be 'enforced immediately, better understood and properly resourced across local authorities.'
The second recommendation is for 'all education authorities', up to and including the Scottish Government, to adopt 'a whole-school approach to supporting Care Experienced children and young people.'
Finally, the report demands that the Scottish Government pass a new law that gives care experienced people the legal right to 'independent, relationship-based, lifelong advocacy.'
Government statistics show that looked after pupils remain less likely to achieve the expected levels in literacy and numeracy, with some attainment gaps in this area increasing over recent years. They are also far less likely to achieve qualifications such as National 5s and Highers, less likely to move on to Higher Education, and more likely to be unemployed after leaving school.
Commissioner Nicola Killean said: 'The report by Who Cares? Scotland reinforces findings from my recent report that too many children are being let down by the current education system. Every child has a right to an education that develops their personality, talents, and abilities to their full potential. But we know this isn't happening for lots of children who have care experience. It is important that we actively seek to include the views of children whose rights are most at risk as their voices can often be lost.
'This report shows that despite some examples of good practice, Care Experienced children and young people's right to education is often not being met. They are more often excluded from school than other children and are often given part-time timetables that they do not want. In some cases, a child can be on a timetable for as little as 30 minutes or one hour a week, even if they want to be in school for longer.'
Louise Hunter, Chief Executive Officer at Who Cares? Scotland, said: 'Every child and young person in Scotland deserves to have an education that allows them to learn, flourish and dream big. But our report highlights that the most basic right to education for too many Care Experienced pupils is not being met.
'Scotland must uphold this right and within our report there are three recommendations on how to make this happen. First, there must be action on advocacy. The Government must legislate for a statutory right to independent, relationship-based, lifelong advocacy for all Care Experienced people who need it.
'Next, the commitment within The Promise to end the formal and informal exclusion of Care Experienced pupils must be enforced. Lastly, a whole-school approach to supporting Care Experienced children and young people must be adopted. Only then will we be able to ensure all pupils in Scotland are taught in communities that care.'
A Scottish Government spokesperson said:
'The Scottish Government is resolute in our commitment to Keep the Promise and to ensure all care-experienced children and young people receive the vital support they need, to improve their life experiences and their educational outcomes.
'Over £60 million has been provided to local authorities through the Care Experienced Children and Young People fund as part of the Scottish Attainment Challenge and we are working with Education Scotland and local government to improve the educational outcomes of care experienced children and young people.
'Exclusion should only be used as a last resort - ultimately its use is a matter for local authorities as the statutory responsibility for the delivery of education rests with them.'