Post-16 Participation, NEET & Destinations Explained
What do young people actually do after GCSEs? How many stay in education? What does NEET mean? What is a sustained destination? And why can two official statistics about young people’s participation show different percentages?
This collection explains the system and the data behind post-16 education, training and employment in England. Use the guides to understand the measures, then explore the data yourself in the tutor2u Pathways & Participation Explorer.
Explore the data behind these figures
Explore the pathways and participation data →Participation, provision and NEET for ages 16 to 21 in England, with the source, population and age definition on every chart.
Understand participation
What does NEET mean?Who counts as NEET, why it is not the same as unemployed, and how NEET differs from NET.How many young people are NEET?The latest England estimate, and why the 16–17 and 18–24 rates are so different.What is the participation age in England?You can leave school at 16 but must stay in education or training until 18.
After GCSEs
What do young people do after GCSEs?Where Key Stage 4 leavers actually go, and how the pattern differs between groups.What is the September Guarantee?A guarantee of a suitable offer – not of a place, a course or a sustained destination.
Understanding destinations
What is a sustained destination?Why starting a course or job is not enough to count in DfE headline measures.How destination measures workCohorts, matched administrative records, time lags and what is not recorded.Destination categories explainedEducation, apprenticeship and employment – and why they must be read together.
After Level 3
What the data shows
Looking for advice about your own next step?
These pages explain the national system and the public data. For personal next-step guidance, use our Exam Results Explained guides.
What are my options after GCSEs?Compare sixth form, college, T Levels, apprenticeships and other routes.Can I leave school at 16?You can leave school itself, but you must continue in education or training to 18.No sixth-form or college place for September?Practical steps to find a suitable place, and how the September Guarantee helps.Apprenticeships ExplainedUnderstand apprenticeship levels, pay, applications and data.