Outcomes for children in need, including children looked after by local authorities in England, Reporting year 2025

Product Description

This statistical release provides a range of outcome measures at national and local authority level for children in need (CIN), including children looked after (CLA) by local authorities in England.

The outcome measures cover:

• special educational needs
• early years development (at Early Years Foundation Stage)
• educational attainment (at Key Stage 2 and Key Stage 4)
• destinations from school
• absence from school
• suspensions and permanent exclusions from school
• free school meal eligibility
• type of school attended.

Key Stage 2 and Key Stage 4 data is also published at national level for children who were previously looked after who left care through an adoption, special guardianship, or child arrangements order.

This publication previously included the results of end of KS1 assessments. These became non-statutory from the 2023/24 academic year onwards. Optional assessments were still offered but the results of these are not collected, and statistics will not be published.

This publication previously included Key Stage 2 and Key Stage 4 progress measures. The Key Stage 2 progress measures will not be published for the 2023/24 and 2024/25 academic years as Key Stage 2 pupils in these years did not have Key Stage 1 assessments due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The Key Stage 4 progress measures will not be published for the 2024/25 and 2025/26 academic years as Key Stage 4 pupils in these years did not have Key Stage 2 assessments due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The latest facts and figures relate to the reporting year ending 31 March 2025 for children in social care. Within this release, comparisons are made with 2023/24 and 2018/19 (pre-COVID-19 pandemic).