Question to the Department for Education:

To ask Her Majesty's Government what support relevant authorities are required by law to provide to looked-after children in further education.

The statutory duty on local authorities, to promote the education of their looked-after children, applies equally to those in further education (FE). This means looked-after children in FE receive support from their authority’s Virtual School Head and have a Personal Education Plan. This plan should help the local authority and education setting monitor and maximise the young person’s progress.

Local authorities have a duty to provide financial assistance to care leavers to support their participation in education or training; for example, by contributing to travel costs. In addition, looked-after children in FE are a priority group for the 16 – 19 bursary for defined vulnerable groups, worth up to £1200 a year. Looked-after children or care leavers aged 16 to 24 doing an apprenticeship are eligible for a one-off bursary of £1000 to fund the cost of transition into work and support them in their first year of apprenticeship. If care leavers are following a recognised course of higher education, the authority that looked after them must pay them a one-off bursary of £2000.

Universities are independent bodies and are best placed to decide how best to support their students. Many universities already provide a range of support to help enable more vulnerable students to attend their institution and access higher education. For example, The University of Sussex, offers care leavers a bursary of £3,000 cash for every year of study and a £500 study grant, as well as a guaranteed room in a campus-based residence for their entire course, including all holidays.