A PLAN has been made to improve the low levels of achievement and progress by children in care in Lancashire.

The county council has made a series of recommendations after a report found that levels of attainment fell in 2014 for children who reached the end of Key Stage Four.

The data from the council and the Department for Education has revealed that attainment was very low compared with other pupils and that the figures were below the national average for ‘Children Looked After’ (CLA), the phrase used for children in care.

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A report to the council’s Education Scrutiny Committee, which will be debated on Tuesday, March 24, also states that there is a declining trend in the attainment of CLA at the end of Key Stage Four in the county over the last three years.

However, the data also revealed there is an improving trend in the proportion of CLA at the end of Key Stage Two who have reached or exceeded the expected level of attainment in reading, writing and mathematics over the last three years.

It also shows the increase has been better than the national rate and that the gap in attainment is closing.

A series of nine areas have been identified as priorities for development which have been incorporated into the recovery plan.

They include developing the monitoring of progress towards individual targets for children through the Education Provision Maps and attendance at Personal Education Plan review meetings. Developing the monitoring of the social, emotional and behavioural achievements for individual children has also been highlighted as a priority. There are currently more than 1,600 children in the care of the county council with around 900 in primary and secondary schools.

Simon Jones, Lancashire’s NUT representative, said: “It’s very important that the local authority makes sure education provision for all children is well catered for.

“It’s hard however since the council’s budget is slashed and slashed again.”