4:08pm Thursday 14th September 2006
By Peter Stebbings
National charity Barnardo's says the education system is failing children in care. Reporter Peter looks at the evidence which suggests Haringey is bucking the trend.
Pictures of jubilant teenagers are invariably splashed across the pages of newspapers at this time of year as they celebrate exam success. Last month, Haringey posted its best ever A-level and GCSE results.
But ahead of last month's results, Barnardo's issued a report highlighting the difficulties the estimated 80,000 so-called looked-after' children in the UK have in school. Looked-after children are those youngsters in foster care or care homes.
The report, Failed by the System, surveyed 66 16- to 21-year-olds who had been in care. Of those, 79 per cent left school with no GCSEs and more than half said they had been bullied at school as a direct result of being in care.
According to the report, things hardly improved for the group after leaving school, with around half classified as NEETs (Not in Education, Employment or Training). Many reported they had been to numerous schools and been passed through many care or foster homes.
On releasing the report, Martin Narey, the chief executive of Barnardo's, said: "The cycle of disadvantage that haunts these children as they grow up shows no sign of being broken as they enter adulthood. Our report shows that many looked-after children have both academic potential and the desire to work hard, and would have liked to succeed in education but the state, as a parent, fails them terribly.
"Dreadful GCSE results compound the disadvantages they face and commit them to unemployment and long-term disadvantage."
According to Haringey Council, the borough educates its looked-after children well. Last Thursday it released a press release declaring Top Marks for Haringey's Children in Care'.
According to the release, the borough's looked-after children achieved a significant improvement' in their GCSE results. In 2005, 12 per cent obtained five or more A* to C grades. This year, 11 of 52 children who have been in care in Haringey for the last 12 months gained five or more A* to C grades - 21 per cent.
The council, which runs care homes in Haringey Park, Crouch End, and Coppetts Road, Muswell Hill, says this bucks the national trend. Government figures show nationwide there is an annual improvement of just over one per cent. Last year, 10.8 per cent achieved five or more A* to C grades across the country.
Councillor Liz Santry, the executive member of children and young people, said: "The achievements of all of these young people are a great success story. These young people have done exceptionally well and the results are owing to the hard work of both the pupils and all those who help and support them. We are committed to making sure that the improvements over the last three years continue in the coming years. Gaining qualifications is essential for these young people's future careers."
But to what extent can a council influence young people sitting down and taking their GCSEs?
The council claims its specialist team', together with the children's carers, provide intensive support' and various measures' are in place, all of which have helped contribute to this exam success.
These so-called measures include: planning their care and education to ensure stability during examination years; ensuring they attend school every day; extra tuition during and after school hours to address gaps or areas of weaknesses; council staff working with schools to make sure coursework deadlines are met; providing support to help them with homework; and opportunities to meet with other children in care to share their experiences.
The council declined a request from the Muswell Hill & Crouch End Times to speak to one of the children in care. One of the few details the council was able to disclose was that the best-performing child passed 13 GCSEs at grades A* to C. Another passed ten at A* to C.
But is the picture in Haringey as good as the council makes out?
The Audit Commission, an independent local authority watchdog, gives the council three stars out of four for its children and young people's service.
Bev Boyle, a spokeswoman for Barnardo's, said it had no direct dealings with Haringey and had no way of verifying the GCSE results achieved in the borough.
Nevertheless, Ms Boyle said: "If those results are correct, the council has made great headway, and that's what we are looking for. I would be interested to know exactly how it's done that. On the surface it seems great and it should be applauded.
"Other local authorities need to look at Haringey as an example of how it can be done. Young people in that group sometimes feel quite marginalised."
But while extolling its own virtues in regard to recent GCSE results, official council papers indicate all is not so good across all age groups. The council's Children and Young People's Consultative Committee met last Wednesday, where it was disclosed that the good results among looked-after children at GCSE-age are not replicated at Key Stage 1 - exams taken by five-to seven-year-olds - or at Key Stage 2 - seven-to 11-year-olds.
For example, the percentage of children at Key Stage 2 achieving level four or above declined dramatically in English, and also declined in maths. Science was unchanged.
Muswell Hill councillor Gail Engert, the Lib Dem spokeswoman for children and young people, said: "Whilst welcoming the GCSE achievements of looked-after children, there's a lot more that needs to be done and I understand such improvements were not reflected at all Key Stages.
"Looked-after children are the corporate responsibility of the council, including councillors, and we should be fighting their cause. By their nature they are disadvantaged and often outside family circles that would provide the support and encouragement that the majority of children receive.
"Good exam results are one of the ways these children are able to break the cycle of disadvantageousness and we should be pursuing every single advantage to help them achieve their potential."
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