Education
Access to and experiences of education have a very significant impact on young people’s socio-emotional development. Data is available about which young people are accessing education, their attainment in national qualifications and the support available to key groups, such as those with additional support needs.
There is a huge amount of education data, much of it available at very local level - even down to individual schools and year groups. However, most of it is about what happens in schools - enrolment, attendance and attainment from Key Stage 1 up to Key Stage 4. We have collated some of the key data sources on young people who may not be in mainstream school settings.
Key places to start
Find out how many young people in your local authority area are not in mainstream school settings (excluded, suspended or in alternative provision), There are readymade tables on all three topics that you can customise to find data for your area.
Find a range of education statistics for your local authority area on LGInform and click the Schools and Education button.
Find key statistics on young people with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities in a readymade report for your local authority area on LGINform.
Note that this data is primarily available at local authority level, and it is harder to drill down to smaller areas or communities.
Things to consider
There is a very large amount of education data available, sometimes down to the level of the individual school. Be specific about what you want to know to save yourself time searching. Often you will have to build more specific searches or queries to find the data you need.
Data for 2019/20 and 2020/21 may not be comparable with earlier years because of differences in exams / assessments and absence management during the Covid-19 pandemic.
Example
Sherelle works with young people who are at risk of criminal exploitation. She knows that many of the young people who works with have been excluded from mainstream education.
She uses the “Create Your Own Tables” tool on the Department for Education website to find how many young people were in Alternative Provision in her local authority area over the last 5 years. She notices a big increase in 2020/21 compared to previous years, especially for girls. LGInform’s report on Total Expenditure on Special Schools and Alternative Provision shows that the local authority is also spending more money than it was - and more than neighbouring councils. Sherelle uses this data to support her case for a new project with girls at risk of criminal exploitation.
Other sources of information
The Department for Education has designated some places with lower attainment rates or worse outcomes as Social Mobility Opportunity Areas. Local strategies and partnerships have been set up to tackle these issues, and if you are in one of these areas you may be able to find local profiles as well as strategies and other useful information on their websites.
The government has set out an intention that every region should have a Local Skills Improvement Plan, led by the local Chamber of Commerce, to plan for local skills needs. If you are in one of the pilot areas announced in July 2021, you should be able to find the plan online.
There is a wealth of very detailed data on education available from the National Pupil Database (NPD) and the Longitudinal Educational Outcomes (LEO) dataset, which tracks individual progress through the education and employment system. However, to access these, you will need a university or research partner with a government licence to use the NPD or LEO.
Data sources
What this is:
Local authorities have statutory duties and responsibilities for young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND), looked after children, young people who are NEET, and young people who are excluded from mainstream education.
You will usually be able to find information on these young people and the council’s plans and activities on their website. Your local authority may have:
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A dedicated strategy to reduce the numbers of young people who are classed as NEET
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A focus on education and training as part of their wider strategy for Children and Young people
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A focus on education and training as part of their strategies for specific groups of young people such as those with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities or care-experienced young people
Education, training and apprenticeships may also be a focus of wider strategies for local employment, skills or economic regeneration and development.
Who it includes:
Varies by local authority
Where it covers:
Local authority
When updated:
Varies by local authority, but probably at least every 5 years
How to use:
Look for relevant strategies, reports or priorities on your local authority’s website.
Search for “education”, “NEET”, “SEND” or “skills” if you can’t find what you need.
Bear in mind:
Local authorities have access to a wide range of data, including specially commissioned research. However, it may not always be clear where the figures they use come from or how recent they are. If possible, check the references in the document as these may help you find the original data source.
What this is:
The attainment score at KS4 is calculated by adding up the grades that pupils achieve at GCSE / EBacc. The “attainment gap” is the difference between the average attainment scores for different groups of young people and the overall average. It tells you how far behind these pupils are by the time they reach GCSE.
Who it includes:
16-17 year-olds, breakdowns by gender, ethnicity, free school meal eligibility, looked after children, Special Educational Need / Disability (SEND).
Where it covers:
Local authority.
When updated:
Annually.
How to use:
The easiest way to find this data at local level is to visit LGInform and search for “average attainment 8 score”. This will give you a list of reports for your local authority area by different characteristics, allowing you to compare between groups.
Bear in mind:
It is also possible to build more detailed queries to compare data across groups, times and places on the Department for Education’s Explore Education Statistics website but it may take you some time and practice to learn how to use this effectively.
In 2019 the grading system for GCSEs was changed from U – A* to U – 9. Learn more in this explainer on the Ofqual website.
See moreWhat this is:
Number and % of school pupils permanently excluded or suspended from school. High quality based on school reports to DfE.
Who it includes:
Breakdowns by age, gender, ethnicity, free school meal eligibility, Special Educational Need / Disability (SEND).
Where it covers:
National, regional, local authority.
When updated:
Annually.
How to use:
The Explore Education Statistics website includes a set of readymade tables with information on exclusions and suspensions at local authority level. You can build your own tables with more details on young people’s characteristics.
Bear in mind:
You will need to build your own queries to find out more about specific groups of young people, and it may take you some time and effort to learn how to use this tool effectively.
What this is:
Number and % of school pupils in alternative provision (including Pupil Referral Units). Extremely high quality based on local authority reports to DfE.
Who it includes:
Breakdowns by age, gender, free school meal eligibility, ethnicity.
Where it covers:
National, regional, local authority.
When updated:
Annually.
How to use:
The Explore Education Statistics website includes a readymade table, under the heading Schools, Pupils and their Characteristics, showing pupils in local authority funded alternative provision. You can customise the table to show details for your local area.
Bear in mind:
You will need to build your own queries to find out more about specific groups of young people, and it may take you some time and effort to learn how to use this tool effectively.
What this is:
Number and % of pupils with an Education Health & Care (EHC) plan or Statement of Special Educational Needs (SEN), and number and % of pupils receiving SEN support. Extremely high-quality data based on school reports to DfE.
Who it includes:
Breakdowns by age, gender, ethnicity, free school meal eligibility.
Where it covers:
National, regional, local authority.
When updated:
Annually.
How to use:
This report brings together a range of DfE data on young people with SEN at local authority level - just select the area you want.
The Explore Education Statistics website includes a set of readymade tables with information on SEN at local authority level, including details on young people’s characteristics.
Bear in mind:
It is also possible to build more detailed queries to compare data across groups, times and places on the Department for Education’s Explore Education Statistics website. It may take you some time and practice to learn how to use this effectively.
What this is:
Number of people aged 16-17 known to each local authority, and whether they are in employment, education or training, Not in Employment, Education or Training (NEET) or whether their status is not known. Extremely high-quality data reported by each council.
Who it includes:
16-17 year-olds, breakdowns by age, gender, ethnicity, Special Educational Need / Disability (SEND).
Where it covers:
National, regional, local authority.
When updated:
Annually.
How to use:
You can download an Excel spreadsheet with detailed figures for each local authority in England.
Bear in mind:
A useful figure to check is the number and % of young people whose status is Not Known to the local authority. If this figure is significantly higher than average, it suggests that there may be particular groups of young people slipping through the cracks (e.g., recent migrants). If it is lower than average, it tells you that the local authority and schools have good systems for tracking and possibly engaging young people, and it may be worth speaking to the staff responsible.
What this is:
Data on educational attainment and attainment gaps at early years, Key Stage 2 and Key Stage 4, 16-17 year-olds Not in Education, Employment or Training (NEET). High quality data drawn from a range of official sources, combined in a simple report by LGInform.
Who it includes:
0-17 year-olds, breakdowns by free school meal eligibility, looked after children, Special Educational Need / Disability (SEND).
Where it covers:
Local authority.
When updated:
Annually (mostly).
How to use:
This report brings together a range of DfE data on young people with SEN at local authority level - just select the area you want.
A very wide range of other data on schools and education is also available at on LGInform when you click the Schools and Education button.
Bear in mind:
This data relates to the whole local authority area. You cannot use it to find out about specific groups of people, for example by age or ethnicity, or more local areas.
The more detailed data available in the LGInform Explorer can be overwhelming - the data pack can help you identify specific measures / indicators to search for.
See more