Data set from Stability measures for children looked after in England

CLA on 31 March - school stability

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Last updated
Number of school moves during the year and previous 2 years (school stability) for CLA on 31 March by sex, age, ethnicity, first legal status and placement during the year/previous 2 years, school phase, SEN provision, type of need, UASC/non-UASC.

Data set details

Theme
Children's social care
Publication
Stability measures for children looked after in England
Release type
Number of rows
4,660
Geographic levels
National
Indicators
  • Number
  • Percentage
Filters
  • Characteristic
  • CLA population
  • Move Measure
Time period
2021 to 2025

Data set preview

Table showing first 5 rows, from underlying data
time_periodtime_identifiergeographic_levelcountry_codecountry_namecla_groupcharacteristicbreakdownmove_measureschool_stabilitychildren_countchildren_percent
2025Reporting yearNationalE92000001EnglandCLA 2 years on 31 MarchAge group10 to 15 yearsAny movesTotal children23110100
2025Reporting yearNationalE92000001EnglandCLA 2 years on 31 MarchAge group10 to 15 yearsAny movesWith no moves during the previous 2 years1830079
2025Reporting yearNationalE92000001EnglandCLA 2 years on 31 MarchAge group10 to 15 yearsAny movesWith one or more moves during the previous 2 years481021
2025Reporting yearNationalE92000001EnglandCLA 2 years on 31 MarchAge group10 to 15 yearsMid-year movesTotal children23110100
2025Reporting yearNationalE92000001EnglandCLA 2 years on 31 MarchAge group10 to 15 yearsMid-year movesWith no mid-year moves during the previous 2 years1959085

Variables in this data set

Table showing first 5 of 6 variables
Variable nameVariable description
breakdownCharacteristic
children_countNumber
children_percentPercentage
cla_groupCLA population
move_measureMove Measure

Footnotes

  1. Numbers have been rounded to the nearest 10. Percentages rounded to the nearest whole number. Figures in some tables may be suppressed, denoted by a 'c', percentages <0.5% are denoted by a 'k' . Historical data may differ from older publications which is mainly due to amendments made by local authorities after the previous publication. However, users looking for a longer time series may wish to check for the equivalent table in earlier releases of this publication. Figures exclude children looked after under a series of short-term placements.
  2. Includes children looked after on 31 March each year who are of school age and have been matched to the school census. See methodology document for further information.
  3. Includes children looked after on 31 March each year who also spent at least one day in care in the previous year ending 31 March, who are of school age and have been matched to the school census. See methodology document for further information.
  4. First placement and legal status during the year, excluding a small number of children for whom placement on 31 March of the relevant year and corresponding legal status has been used instead. See methodology document for further information.
  5. First placement and legal status during the previous 2 years, excluding a small number of children for whom placement on 31 March of the relevant year and corresponding legal status has been used instead. See methodology document for further information.
  6. Youth Justice legal statuses' refers to children: remanded to LA accommodation or youth detention accommodation under the Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Act 2012; placed in LA accommodation under the Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984; or, sentenced to a youth rehabilitation order with residence or intensive fostering requirement under the Criminal Justice and Immigration Act 2008 (as amended).
  7. 'Any moves' is the number of times a child moves school (or from no school to a school) between 1 April and 31 March, excluding any moves prior to the date on which the child first entered care during the year.
  8. 'Mid-year moves' is the number of times a child moves school (or from no school to a school) between 1 April and 31 March, excluding the period 1 August to 30 September, and excluding any moves prior to the date on which the child first entered care during the year.
  9. 'Any moves' is the number of times a child moves school (or from no school to a school) between 1 April of the previous year ending 31 March and 31 March of the relevant year, excluding any moves prior to the date on which the child first entered care during the previous 2 years.
  10. 'Mid-year moves' is the number of times a child moves school (or from no school to a school) between  1 April of the previous year ending 31 March and 31 March of the relevant year, excluding the period 1 August to 30 September of both years, and excluding any moves prior to the date on which the child first entered care during the previous 2 years.
  11. Excludes expected transitions from one school phase to another, for example primary school to secondary school at age 11.
  12. EHC plans also includes statements of SEN. Statements were phased out from 2014 to 2018.
  13. The summer census in 2020 was not carried out due to the coronavirus pandemic. Therefore 2021 data excludes children aged 15 at the beginning of the 2019/20 academic year.
  14. The summer census in 2020 was not carried out due to the coronavirus pandemic. Therefore 2022 data excludes children aged 15 at the beginning of the 2019/20 academic year, and 2021 data excludes children aged 14 at the beginning of the 2019/20 academic year.
  15. Down Syndrome has been recorded as a primary need for the first time in the school census in 2024/25. This addition means that there are likely to be pupils recorded with a primary need of Down syndrome this year that would have been recorded with a different primary need last year.

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Contact us

If you have a specific enquiry about CLA on 31 March - school stability statistics and data:

Children Looked After data team

Email: cla.stats@education.gov.uk
Contact name: Karen Attew