Last year, the government committed £40 million to build evidence-based practice in the post-16 sector. This additional funding will allow us to expand the support we offer to colleges in England.
Prior to this, our post-16 work had focused on students resitting their GCSE English and maths exams. Now we want to support more colleges and incorporate vocational qualifications into our work. Our primary goal is to identify and implement the most effective strategies to narrow the attainment gaps that persist in this crucial stage of education.
Why post-16?
We know the socio-economic attainment gap only widens as learners progress through the education system. By the end of secondary school, disadvantaged pupils are, on average, 18.8 months behind their peers. This gap is even wider for persistently disadvantaged pupils —defined as those who have been eligible for free school meals for at least 80% of their school time — who are almost two years (22.7 months) behind their peers by the end of secondary school (EPI, 2023).
Put simply, the post-16 sector is a crucial ‘last-chance’ for addressing the entrenched education inequality in the English system and improving life prospects for young people before they leave the education system. For an organisation committed to breaking the link between family income and educational outcomes, focusing more efforts in this area is a no-brainer.
So, what are our priorities as we begin the first year of this new phase of work?
1. Listen to the sector
We know how important it is to consult and collaborate with the post-16 sector. We want to make sure that our work addresses the questions and needs of leaders and practitioners in the field, so that it can have the biggest possible impact.
With that in mind, we’d love to share your insights and expertise through our annual survey.
2. Utilise data to target support at disadvantaged learners
We want to make sure we’re targeting our support towards disadvantaged learners. So we’re undertaking a comprehensive data mapping exercise which will link Pupil Premium data from the school system to the learner records used by colleges.
This data mapping will lay the groundwork for including vocational qualifications in our future trials. We want to map different vocational outcomes to find out how suitable they are for randomized trials, which will inform the scope of our future research and support initiatives.
3. Collaborate with the sector
Effective collaboration across the sector is vital to the success of our expanded work. We’re committed to working closely with colleges, educators, and other stakeholders to identify the most pressing challenges and develop strategies that can make a real difference.
Through consultation and collaboration, we want to create a shared understanding of the issues at hand and co-develop solutions that are both practical and effective. Our work will also focus on supporting practitioners by enhancing their professional development and pedagogical knowledge.
Sign up for opportunities and updates
We’re really excited about this new chapter in our post-16 work and the opportunities it presents to support learners, practitioners, and colleges. We know that the input and collaboration of you and your colleagues will be central to its success. You can sign up to receive updates and contribute to this important work.