Children in care in Barking and Dagenham are achieving above the national average in their educational results, according to the Corporate Parenting Annual Report for 2024-25.
The report, presented to the Assembly on Wednesday 25 February 2026, highlighted that 96% of personal education plans were up-to-date for children in care. Furthermore, at Key Stage 2, children in the borough's care were more likely to achieve the expected standard in reading, writing, maths, and grammar, spelling, and punctuation compared to national averages for children in care. The Aspire Virtual School implemented a range of support measures to help these children achieve their best, including the EdClass remote tuition platform, an online library for years 1 to 9, tutoring through a partnership with the London School of Management Education, and careers mentoring.
At Key Stage 4, Barking and Dagenham's children in care also outperformed national averages, with a higher proportion achieving grade 4 or above in English and maths. The overall attainment score for these students was 26.8, compared to a national average of 22.8 for children in care. In-person careers mentoring was also available through the 'Future Frontiers' programme, supporting young people from year 9 to 11 to raise aspirations, build confidence, and make informed decisions about their futures.
The report also detailed a range of support measures implemented over the year, including the launch of the Lifelong Links service, which helps young people reconnect with important people in their lives, and the opening of another Mockingbird Hub to provide a stronger network for foster carers and children.
Improvements were also noted in the Leaving Care Grant and the Enhanced Local Offer for care leavers, with 94% of care leavers having an up-to-date pathway plan by the end of 2024-25. Additionally, 60% of care leavers were in education, employment, or training, exceeding national and London averages.
The Council also began developing its own children's homes to provide more local support options, and continued to focus on stable, high-quality care, with 95% of review meetings held on time. The report indicated that 86% of children received their medical checks, and emotional wellbeing support was expanded.
Read the full Corporate Parenting Annual Report 2024-25 here.
