The Department for Education (DfE) have recently released their experimental statistics on the destinations for KS4 and KS5 students [1]. The data show the students’ activity in the year after A Levels or other Level 3 qualifications. The data are available on various levels, including local authority, national and institution levels. 

For the third year in a row, we have looked at KS5 destinations across regions, comparing the percentages of young people going either to education destinations or to employment and/or training destinations [2]. Our most recent 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 2011/12 KS5 cohort in each region [3].  

The overall picture has remained similar over the past three years, in terms of regional hierarchy. However the latest data have shown slight alterations in some of the figures. For example, the percentage of students remaining in any education destination has dropped nationally, from 67% in the 2012 data, to 63% in the 2013 data. Yet those arriving into sustained employment and/or training destination has risen nationally, from 6% to 7%.

Last year, we saw that London, reported separately for Inner and Outer London, and North West showed the highest percentages of KS5 students progressing onto education destinations: 73% and 70%, respectively. The regions with the highest percentages of KS5 students progressing onto education destinations remain the same this year, although the figures have dropped slightly to 70% (Outer London), 69% (Inner London) and 67%. 

East of England (previously 11%, now 12%), South West (previously 9%, now 10%) and South East (remains at 7%) remain the regions with the highest percentages of students going onto employment and/or training for the third year running with the addition of Yorkshire and the Humber (previously 5%, now 7%). 

The percentages of students who did not sustain any destination remain similar across regions, although the range of percentages has increased from 7-10% last year, to 7-14% this year. The North East has increased by 4 percentage points, with 14% of students not sustained in a destination.
The percentages of KS5 students not captured in the data has increased by 1-2% for every region, with the exception of Yorkshire and the Humber, North East and Inner London. Whilst the North East remains the region with the lowest percentage of KS5 students not captured in the data (10%), the South East now has 22% of KS5 students not accounted for. 

The percentage of young people going into sustained employment and/or training destination has gone up since the last destinations data were released. Yet the percentage of students remaining in any education destination has gone down.
What plausible reasons could there be for this? Do you find the destinations data useful? And is there an easier way to collect the destinations data in centres/LAs?

We would very much like to hear your thoughts on this. To let us know your views, join us on Twitter (@learningplusuk), on our Post-16 Learning Forum or LinkedIn group.

[1] DfE Destinations of key stage 4 and key stage 5 pupils: 2012 to 2013. Available from: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/destinations-of-key-stage-4-and-key-stage-5-pupils-2012-to-2013

[2] 2011 KS5 Destinations: http://learningplusuk.org/data/big-numbers/2011-key-stage-5-destinations/       

     2012 KS5 Destinations: http://learningplusuk.org/data/big-numbers/2012-key-stage-5-destinations/ 

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