The Greater Manchester Combined Authority (GMCA) and The National Network for the Education of Care Leavers (NNECL) are pleased to announce, following a successful pilot, they will work in partnership to support all post-16 education providers in the GMCA area to achieve the NNECL Quality Mark over the next three academic years. It is widely recognised young people with care backgrounds face multiple barriers accessing further and higher education and as a result miss out on the opportunity to achieve the levels of education leading them to a good career which will sustain them for life. Achieving the NNECL Quality Mark will ensure learning institutions across the region have the right support in place, at the right time, so that young people from care backgrounds have the best conditions in which to learn.
National data confirms young people with experience of being in care achieve significantly lower educational outcomes than their non care experienced peers. Across the UK care leavers are identified as a priority group for targeted outreach and tailored support from universities and colleges. 14% of young care leavers enter higher education compared to 47% of those without care backgrounds. The reasons are complex and multi-layered and include;
- the impact of early childhood trauma;
- the stark difference in attainment between looked after children and their peers;
- disrupted education, sometimes involving several placements and school moves;
- low expectations from key influencers in a young person’s network; social workers, teachers, foster carers, sports coaches, youth workers and staff in leaving care teams
In a UCAS survey of 500 care experienced applicants to university, 60% of respondents said they received no specific information about the support available to them in higher education.
Commenting on the partnership Cllr Mark Hunter, Leader of Stockport Council and GMCA Group Leader for Children and Young People said, “In 2021 GMCA provided funds for 8 education institutions to work with the National Network for the Education of Care Leavers (NNECL) to achieve their Quality Mark. Due to the resounding success of that initiative GMCA have agreed to joint fund other post 16 education providers to achieve the NNECL Quality Mark with the aim of Greater Manchester being the first region to have all colleges (with an annual intake of approximately 300+ pupils) and universities accredited by NNECL. Andy Burnham’s commitment to the GM Care Leaver Guarantee means we want to continue to work with education providers to encourage and enable care leavers to access further and higher education and go on to have a successful and rewarding career.”
Denise Rawls, Executive Director at NNECL said; “Greater Manchester committing to becoming the first combined authority where all sixth forms, colleges and universities are care experience inclusive learning environments with the NNECL Quality Mark is exciting. This bold action signals GMCA’s commitment to breaking down barriers to educational opportunity and building a society supporting the aspiration of every young person, regardless of their background. We are delighted to be working with all the sixth forms, further education colleges and universities across Greater Manchester to create an exciting network of learning environments where young people with care experience can access dedicated support and guidance and are empowered to flourish and achieve their full educational potential.”
Cited as good practice in the final recommendations of Josh MacAlister MP’s 2022 Independent Review of Children’s Social Care in England, the NNECL Quality Mark supports staff in post-16 learning spaces to transform their organisations experience for care leavers. In September 2024, the Rt Hon Baroness Jacqui Smith, Minister for Skills said; “The NNECL Quality Mark is an important tool for improving access and raising standards for care experienced students across the post-16 landscape. The department is fully supportive of the Quality Mark, and I would encourage institutions to continue to work towards their accreditation.”
Institutions in Greater Manchester with the NNECL Quality Mark include Oldham College, Salford University and The University of Manchester. Colleges and universities outside of Greater Manchester with the NNCEL Quality Mark include Royal Central School of Speech and Drama, University of Sheffield, University of Law, Sheffield Hallam University, University of Exeter, Leeds City College and many more.
Staff in GMCA learning teams can find out more by getting in touch with NNECL.
