Progression to higher education or training
Academic year 2024/25

Description

This document describes the data included in the ‘Progression to higher education or training: 2022/23’ Official Statistics release’s underlying data files. This data is released under the terms of the Open Government License (opens in new tab) (http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/version/3/) and is intended to meet at least 3 stars for Open Data (opens in new tab) (https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/2010-to-2015-government-policy-government-transparency-and-accountability/2010-to-2015-government-policy-government-transparency-and-accountability#appendix-3-releasing-data-in-open-and-anonymised-formats).

The publication methodology, available on the publication report, should be referenced alongside this data. It provides information on the data sources, their coverage and quality as well as explaining methodology used in producing the data.

Coverage

This release provides information on destinations from state-funded mainstream schools and colleges.

This information is based on data from the National Pupil Database.

File formats and conventions

The Code of Practice for Statistics requires us to take reasonable steps to ensure that our published or disseminated statistics protect confidentiality. Where appropriate we apply disclosure control to protect confidentiality.

The following symbols have been used in this publication:

(0) zero

(c) small number suppressed to preserve confidentiality or for accountability reasons

(z) not applicable

(x) not available

(low) positive % less than 0.5

Small cohorts

At institutional level, where cohorts are less than 6, all data are suppressed. This is to ensure that schools are not held to account for small cohorts of pupils rather than for confidentiality reasons.

This does not apply to levels of data other than institutional level.

Data files

Progression to higher education and training destinations

Filename: ees_prog_202223.csv
Geographic levels: Local authority; National; Parliamentary constituency; Regional; School
Time period: 2016/17 to 2022/23
Content summary: Progression to higher education or training data by student characteristics (including sex, disadvantaged status and ethnicity), education establishment and destination at all available aggregated geographic levels

Variable names and descriptions for this file are provided below:

Variable name            |  Variable description
-----------------------  |  ---------------------------------------------------
breakdown                |  Student characteristics
cohort_count             |  Number of pupils completing a level 3 qualification
destination_description  |  Destination measure
disadvantage_status      |  Disadvantage Status
establishment_type       |  Establishment type
ethnicity_minor          |  Ethnicity
pupil_count              |  Number of pupils sustaining a destination
pupil_percent            |  Percentage of pupils sustaining a destination
sex                      |  Sex

Footnotes:

1. Local authority maintained includes community, voluntary aided, voluntary controlled and foundation schools.
2. Free school meal status is given as in year 11. Students with no key stage 4 record were not known to be eligible in year 11 and are included in all other students.
3. State-funded mainstream schools & colleges covers all state-funded mainstream schools, academies, free schools, city technology colleges (CTCs), sixth forms and other FE sector colleges. Excludes alternative provision, special schools, other government department funded colleges and independent schools.
4. Non-selective in highly selective area includes all non-selective schools in local authorities with a high level of selection (where 25% or more of state-funded secondary places are in state-funded selective schools). These local authorities are Bexley, Buckinghamshire, Kent, Lincolnshire, Medway, Poole, Slough, Southend-on-Sea, Sutton, Torbay, Trafford and Wirral.
5. Total state-funded mainstream schools also includes city technology colleges (CTCs). Figures for this institution type are not presented separately. Excludes pupil referral units (PRUs), alternative provision (AP), hospital schools, maintained and non-maintained special schools, independent schools, independent special schools and independent schools approved to take pupils with special educational needs (SEN).
6. LLDD: Students in colleges may be recorded on the ILR as learners with learning difficulties and disabilities. The definitions differ from special educational needs recorded by schools.
7. Other FE sector colleges excludes other government department funded colleges.
8. State-funded mainstream colleges include further education sector colleges and other government department funded colleges.
9. Unclassified ethnicity includes students for whom ethnicity was not obtained, refused or could not be determined.
10. Selective schools admit pupils wholly or mainly with reference to ability. These schools are formally designated as grammar schools. The schools status is based on admission policy in the secondary phase (i.e. age 11).
11. Other non-selective includes all non-selective schools that are not in highly selective areas, including those in areas with some selection.
12. Disadvantage status is given as in year 11. Disadvantaged students are defined as those who were eligible for free school meals at any point in the previous six years or having been looked after by their local authority. These are the students who would have been in receipt of the pupil premium when in year 11. Students with no key stage 4 record were not known to be disadvantaged in year 11 and are included in all other students.
13. Note that the methodology used to determine the top third Higher Education Institutions changed in 2024 for the 2020/21 cohort.  The change is covered in detail within the accompanying methodology document.
14. Note that the methodology used to determine the top third Higher Education Institutions changed in 2020 for the 2016/17 cohort. Instead of the top 33% of institutions, institutions are now only added to the list until 33% of the student intake is represented. Additionally, qualifications equivalent to A levels are now included in the process, rather than solely A levels. Top third results from the 2015/16 cohort are thus not directly comparable with 2016/17 and later cohorts.


Progression to higher education and training institution level destinations

Filename: ees_prog_inst_202223.csv
Geographic levels: School
Time period: 2022/23
Content summary: Progression to higher education or training by institution, location, student characteristics and provider type

Variable names and descriptions for this file are provided below:

Variable name       |  Variable description
------------------  |  -----------------------------------------------------------------
acag_cohort         |  Number of pupils completing an academic/AGQ level 3 qualification
acag_overall        |  Academic/AGQ students who sustained L4+ destination
appl4               |  Sustained an apprenticeship (level 4 or higher) destination
breakdown           |  Student characteristics
cohort_count        |  Number of pupils completing a level 3 qualification
data_type           |  Data type
establishment_type  |  Establishment type
hel45               |  Sustained a level 4 or 5 education destination
hel6                |  Sustained a degree destination
otl3_cohort         |  Number of pupils completing an other level 3 qualification
otl3_overall        |  Other level 3 students who sustained L4+ destination
overall             |  Sustained a level 4 or higher destination
tecl_cohort         |  Number of pupils completing a level 3 tech level qualification
tecl_overall        |  Tech level students who sustained L4+ destination
top3rd              |  Sustained a destination at top third HEI

Footnotes:

1. Disadvantage status is given as in year 11. Disadvantaged students are defined as those who were eligible for free school meals at any point in the previous six years or having been looked after by their local authority. These are the students who would have been in receipt of the pupil premium when in year 11. Students with no key stage 4 record were not known to be disadvantaged in year 11 and are included in all other students.
2. Note that the methodology used to determine the top third Higher Education Institutions changed in 2024 for the 2020/21 cohort.  The change is covered in detail within the accompanying methodology document.
