Laura Mazzoli-Smith and Karen Laing, Newcastle University Presentation at CfLaT Showcase September 2015

1. Supporting looked after young
people in education and thinking
through
issues around labelling
Laura Mazzoli Smith and Karen Laing
CfLaT Showcase September 2015

2. Looked after young people and education
• Progression rate to university is 4% in the north-east and 6% nationally,
compared with 39% for all maintained pupils (DfE, 2011/2014)
• In 2003 Jackson et al found that widening participation activities had not
substantially impacted on these figures but there is increased activity now
• Policy changes made as a result of the 5-year action research project By
Degrees: from care to university (Jackson et al., 2005) in the Children and
Young Persons Act 2008:
A £2000 bursary
Buttle UK launched a Quality Mark for institutions with a statement of commitment
UCAS added a tick-box for LAYP to identify themselves should they wish

3. The Choices Together programme
• A programme for looked after young people in years 10 and 11
designed to introduce the concept of University
• Run since 2006/07 by the then Raising Aspirations Partnership, a joint
programme of activity between north-east HEIs
• Part of the National Networks for Collaborative Outreach funded by
HEFCE to work with students, teachers, parents and carers to support
the progression of disadvantaged young people into HE
• Aim of programme also to raise the awareness amongst University
admissions officers and staff about the needs and real-life
circumstances of looked after young people

4. How is it successful?
• Students attend 4 sessions at partner Universities plus Welcome and
Celebration events
• Parents/carers attend too, as well as some Local Authority advisers
• Care-experienced current undergraduates share their life stories and
journeys to University
• Participants gain excellent levels of knowledge and information about
HE, which was largely lacking beforehand
• Provides a peer group of young people in similar circumstances and
raises levels of confidence, at least during the event

5. Life stories as a tool for widening participation
• Students spoke about particular teachers, social workers, carers as
vital in supporting their progression, along with HE support packages
• The session led to some carers re-evaluating their roles
‘Stacey has said that Choices Together is one of the most useful things she has even
attended.’
‘Inspirational. I’ve had dozens of children in my care by never before thought that my job
should also be to support their educations…I feel really ashamed.’
‘I wish I’d known about this years ago as I’ve had other young people who – well I’ve
advised them against going as I thought there was not support and it was too hard.’
• Students spoke about how progression to HE should be considered as
something ‘normal’, as it is for other young people

6. Who has low expectations?
• There was evidence of low expectations of the young people amongst
some carers
• Some carers told us that they had actively prevented their young
people from thinking about HE as they thought it would be too
difficult and they didn’t know anything about the support available
• Students spoke about low expectations and stereotyping on the part
of some of their teachers, but others were very supportive
• Young people had aspirations but not necessarily the knowledge and
support to consider opportunities such as HE

7. What does this tell us about school support?
• At present appropriate information and support for looked after
young people is far too reliant on chance contact with particular
motivated, supportive individuals
• Carers and other professionals can act as ‘gate-keepers’ influencing
the young people in their care about whether or not to consider HE
• Looked after young people have aspirations and it is the support to
keep these on track which is often lacking, not the aspirations
themselves (Cummings et al., 2012)

8. Does labelling help or hinder?
• Information about the looked-after status is useful for institutions to
hold and LAYP say it matters that professionals around them are
aware of their particular circumstances
• Extra support is available at HEIs and stay-put placements support
educational progression further, but support differs across LAs
• Students at the Welcome Event spoke about how they felt ‘backed
into a corner’ by the label, knowing the statistics on HE progression
• Great care should be taken about confidentiality

9. What can we do differently?
Contact details:
laura.mazzolismith@newcastle.ac.uk
k.j.c.laing@Newcastle.ac.uk
With grateful acknowledgement to the Catherine Cookson Foundation who
funded the evaluation and all the participants and staff of the Choices
Together programme 2014.
Full report: Mazzoli Smith, L. and Laing, K. (2015) Supporting the Progression
of Looked After Young People to University: Evaluation of the Choices
Together Programme. Newcastle: Research Centre for Learning and Teaching,
Newcastle University.