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Record number of care leavers going to uni

Published
The county council is celebrating the education achievements of young people leaving care, including a record number of care leavers who are studying at universities across the UK.
group of happy uni students

Gloucestershire’s children in care have made excellent educational progress this year and the council is extremely proud of the examination results they have achieved. This year, more young people in care than ever before achieved a higher grade at GCSE English and Maths.

There are also 34 care leavers from Gloucestershire who are currently studying at University, the highest on record. This includes 12 young people who have recently started degree courses at universities including Gloucestershire, Manchester, Birmingham, Bristol, Northampton and Swansea.

Courses being studied include Psychology, Philosophy, Law, Criminology, Children and Families Foundation, Social Work, Creative Writing, Film Making and Business Management.

There are also 8 care leavers who have recently graduated from university with a degree or masters qualification in courses such as Paramedic Science, Social Work, Psychology, Sports strength and conditioning, Photojournalism and Accountancy. 

Children and young people in care receive support from the council’s Virtual School, a team of dedicated teachers and education professionals who support the education of children in care and care leavers, alongside the school at which they are enrolled.

The Virtual School works to raise the educational attainment and school attendance of children and young people, tracking their progress and working with schools, social workers and foster carers to help young people in care to achieve their full potential.

Cllr Stephen Davies, Cabinet Member for Children’s Safeguarding and Early Years at Gloucestershire County Council said: “All these young people can be rightly proud of overcoming adversity and achieving this richly deserved educational success. It is an amazing set of results, and the best since the Virtual School was introduced in 2007.

“We have high aspirations for the children and young people in our care and I know that these qualifications will open up more opportunities for them as they prepare for adulthood. I would like to thank the whole team around them, schools, social workers, carers and parents who have supported them at every stage.”