For the past few years, the Department for Education (DfE) have been publishing experimental statistics on the destinations for KS4 and KS5 students. The KS5 measure shows the activity in the year after the young person took their A levels or other level 3 qualifications. The data are available on various levels, including local authority, national and institution levels. As a part of the 16-19 accountability system reform, the DfE are developing more comprehensive and robust destinations data, planning to publish these in the 2016 performance tables onwards [1].

Last year we looked at KS5 destinations across regions, comparing the percentages of young people going either to education destinations or to employment and/or training destinations. We found that South West, East of England and South East had to highest percentage of students going onto employment and/or training destinations: 10%, 9% and 8%, respectively. London, North East and North West saw the highest percentages of students progressing to education destinations: 68%, 66% and 66%, respectively.

With the release of the 2011/12 KS5 destinations data, we revisit this analysis. The infographic shows percentages of students going into the different destinations in each region: education, employment and/or training, education/employment/training combination, destination not sustained, destination not sustained/recorded NEET, and activity not captured in data. The size of each pie chart is determined by the number of students in the 2010/11 KS5 cohort in each region [2]. 

The picture we get is similar to the previous data [3]. London, reported separately for Inner and Outer London, and North West show the highest percentages of KS5 students progressing onto education destinations: 73% and 70%, respectively, higher than the previous year. East of England, South West and South East remain the regions with the highest percentages of students going onto employment and/or training: 11%, 9% and 7%, respectively.

The percentages of students who did not sustain any destination [4] are similar across regions, varying just between 7-10%. Similarly, the percentages of students with destination not sustained/NEET [5] are 2% across most regions, with London reporting 1% and North East 4%. Looking at the percentages of 2012 KS5 students not captured in the data [6], we see a more diverse picture: 20% were unaccounted for regarding their destinations in South East, while just 10% in the North East. The figures for other regions range between 13-17%.

Although the situation is improving with higher percentage of young people continuing either in education or employment and/or training, a large proportion of them remains outside the data. Do you find these statistics useful? Do you keep a record of where your students go? How do you keep track of them? We are very curious to hear from you and have the opportunity to share good practice across the sector. Explore our Big Numbers and join us on Twitter @learningplusuk, on our Post-16 Learning Forum or LinkedIn group to share your views!

 

[1] Reforming the accountability system for 16 to 19 providers: Government response to the consultation on 16 to 19 accountability. March 2014.

[2] Please see the reference table below the infographic.

[3] The figures are for state-funded schools and colleges. Due to rounding of student numbers, the percentages for various destination categories in some regions do not add up exactly to 100%.

[4] 'Destination not sustained' means the student was recorded as having education or employment participation in the year September to August but did not have continuous participation from October to March. The student may have had a maximum of 2 months recorded NEET in the participation period October to March. DfE SFR: Destinations of key stage 4 and key stage 5 pupils: 2011 to 2012.

[5] ‘Destination not sustained/recorded NEET' means the student was recorded as having education or employment participation in the year September to August but did not have continuous participation from October to March. The student had between 3 and 6 months (inclusive) recorded NEET in the participation period October to March. Or, the student had no record of education, employment or training but was recorded as NEET at some point in the year September to August. DfE SFR: Destinations of key stage 4 and key stage 5 pupils: 2011 to 2012.

[6] Activity not captured in data' means the young person was not found in an education, employment or a recorded NEET destination. Possible reasons for this could be that the young person was attending an independent college or school that was not captured in the awarding body data, a Scottish or Welsh college or school, they have left the country, are in custody or their whereabouts are not known. DfE SFR: Destinations of key stage 4 and key stage 5 pupils: 2011 to 2012.