About this release
This statistical release provides national and local authority (LA) level information on the outcomes for children who have been looked after continuously for at least 12 months at 31 March 2019, by local authorities in England. LA level data is published for the local authority that looks after the child. LA level data is provided as underlying data only.
All figures are based on data collected annually through the children looked after return (also known as SSDA903) which is completed each spring by all local authorities in England. Further details on which children are included in the data collection can be found in the children looked after return collection guide.
Information on attainment, special educational needs (SEN), absence and exclusions are based on looked after children data that has been matched to attainment, school census and alternative provision census. Where possible, figures are presented for previous years to allow comparisons.
For the first time this year, data has been included at national level on the destinations of looked after children after key stage 4. This is 2017/18 destinations for the 2016/17 cohort.
The looked after children statistics guide covers both the looked after children main statistical publications as well as this release and is published alongside both publications here. In 2019, data on health, wellbeing and offending outcomes, were published in the main looked after children statistics release in December. An update to this guide will be published in May 2020.
Information on the attainment outcomes of previously looked after (PLAC) who left care through an adoption, special guardianship or child arrangements order children looked after continuously for at least 12 months at 31 March 2019 will be published in May 2020.
View accompanying documents here.
