HC Deb 07 November 2002 vol 392 cc715-6W
Tim Loughton

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, what action she is taking to raise the educational standards of children in care. [73928]

Mr. Stephen Twigg

[holding answer 15 October 2002]: We are committed to raising the educational standards of all children, including those who are in care, in order to build a fair and inclusive society. In May 2000 we issued comprehensive Guidance on the Education of Children and Young People in Care to help local authorities, in their role as corporate parents to raise the educational attainment of children and young people in public care and to bring them closer in line with those of their peers. The Department seeks through it's policies to help LEAs work towards achieving the PSA target set by the Department of Health that, by 2004, 15 per cent. of children leaving care at age 16 or over shall have achieved at least 5 GCCEs at grade A*-C.

The Guidance is backed up by an Implementation Programme, Education Protects, which is jointly supported by the DfES and the Department of Health. Currently, a team of advisors work with ten networks of Lead Officers for Children in Public Care across the country.

The Implementation Team is also gathering examples of best practice to help inform future work locally and nationally. Examples of best practice will shortly be disseminated through the upgraded Education Protects DfES website.

We are currently consulting on a revised School Admissions Code of Practice that will require all admission authorities in their over subscription criteria, to give top priority to looked after children, after children with statements of special educational needs.

For 2002–03 there is £10 million in the DfES Standards Fund to raise the achievement for children in public care and sick children. A new £20 million Capital Modernisation Fund scheme to increase access to information technology for children in and leaving care is available over the 2 financial years 2002–03 and 2003–04. The money is being distributed as part of the Department of Health's Quality Protects programme. This is on top of the overall budget of £885 million made available over 5 years for the Department of Health's children's services quality protects grant.

The Social Exclusion Unit are are currently undertaking a project looking into the educational achievement of children in public care. We will be considering any recommendations made when their report is published. This is currently expected to be in December 2002.