To ask the Secretary of State for Education what proportion of (a) looked after children and (b) other children achieved the expected standard in English and mathematics at key stage 2 in (i) 1997 and (ii) 2010.

Information on the percentage of looked after children who achieve the expected standard in English and mathematics in Key Stage 2 tests is available in table 2.1 of the Departments Statistical First Release, Outcomes for Children Looked After by Local Authorities in England, as at 31 March 2010. This shows the percentage of children looked after continuously for 12 months at 31 March who achieved at least level 4 in English and mathematics Key Stage 2 tests for all years since 2006. Information on years prior to 2006 is not available from this data source. The publication can be found at:

http://www.education.gov.uk/rsgateway/DB/SFR/s000978/index.shtml

Information taken from table 2.1 is shown in table 1; this follows the current practice of comparing the academic achievement of children looked after continuously for 12 months with that of all children. Information on the Key Stage 2 performance of children not looked after can be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Information on the Key Stage 2 attainment of children looked after continuously for 12 months for years prior to 2006 relates to children looked after continuously at 30 September each year. Because this data has been derived from a different data source and includes a different cohort of children, the percentages given in table 2 are not directly comparable with those shown in table 1 above. The earliest year for which this information is available is 2000; this is shown in the table 2 as follows: