research in practice

Research carried out in the 1980s and 1990s drew attention to the overwhelmingly poor educational outcomes of children in public care (see esp. Jackson 1987). Research has consistently demonstrated that the low educational achievements of care leavers are a significant handicap (Stein and Carey 1986; Biehal et al 1992; Stein 1994). Since 2000, a number of high quality research projects have informed statutory guidance and policy initiatives in this area.