Careers Wales compile an annual survey of school-leavers on behalf of the Welsh Government. The survey provides a useful snapshot of pupil destinations.
Pupil destinations are reported by year group. A pupil’s destination is their known activity on the 31 October after they have left that year group. For example, Year 11 destinations show pupils’ activity the October after they have left that school year.
About the destinations survey
We compile the survey from data supplied to us. We rely on partner institutions sharing student information to provide as full a picture as possible.
The survey informs colleagues in their work with customers, parents, teachers, and employers. The data also helps partners involved in planning learning, training and employment opportunities.
The survey looks at the progression routes chosen by young people. These include:
- Education
- Employment
- Training
We provide further analysis based on pupils’ ethnicity and gender, where this information is available.
Who does the survey include?
This year’s survey reports the destinations of 55,478 pupils from secondary schools across Wales. It only includes pupils that are included in the Pupil Level Annual School Census (PLASC) data collected in January each year. It therefore includes:
- Pupils who have reached statutory leaving age in Year 11
- Pupils leaving school in Years 12 and 13
- Pupils from special schools in these year groups
The survey does not include:
- Pupils who attend Further Education (FE) colleges
- Pupils who are Educated Other than at School (EOTAS)
- Pupils who attend independent schools
Males account for 49.8% of the total cohort (27,622 individuals) and Females 50.1% (27,820 individuals). 36 pupils identified themselves in the other and prefer not to say category for gender.
Points to note
In 2024, the percentage of year 11 school-leavers who were known Not to be in Education, Training or Employment (NEET) was 2.4%, this is a slight increase when compared to 2023 where 2% of school-leavers were known to be NEET.
The combined percentage entering the labour market (employment, work-based training with employed and non-employed status) in 2024 was 8.2%, this is slightly lower than in 2023.
The percentage of Year 11 school-leavers returning to full-time education was 87.5% in 2024, an increase from 86.7% in 2023, but a similar level to 2022 when it stood at 87.8%.
The lowest percentage of year 11 school leavers returning to full time education was in 2018 when it stood at 86.4%, however, there was a very high ‘No Response’ rate. Following the introduction of General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) it had not been possible to agree data-sharing agreements with all institutions in time for the 2018 survey.
When comparing the 2024 data with previous years, it is important to take account of other influencing factors, in particular, the high ‘No response’ rate in 2018 and the absence of any external examinations in 2020 or 2021 due to the Covid pandemic.
Please note:
- Percentages have been rounded and may not always total 100%
- National figures may mask variances at regional, local authority and institution level across all cohorts. We provide pupil destinations by local authority area to support analysis at local level
- Graphics may not be to exact scale and are for visual representation only
- Where percentage point changes or differences are shown, these are calculated using unrounded figures. This can provide a different figure compared to when using rounded figures
View the overall figures of Year 11 pupil destinations from schools in Wales 2024.
View the overall figures of Year 12 pupil destinations from schools in Wales 2024.
View the overall figures of Year 13 pupil destinations from schools in Wales 2024.
Terms and their definitions
Full Time Education - Those in education of more than 16 hours per week
Further Education (FE) - Further Education at a college, including post 16 Tertiary colleges, rather than in school 6th form (years 12 and 13)
Gap Year - Only those on a formal gap year (i.e., have applied to UCAS and have deferred entry to Higher Education) are included in the gap year figures. Individuals who have not gone into Higher Education, but who are thinking of applying have been included under other relevant destinations (as at 31st October following the school leaving date)
Known not to be in Education, Employment, or Training (NEET) - This includes those unavailable for work and those unemployed. Young people in part time education (16 hours or less per week) were previously included in this category but have been recorded separately since 2009
Left the area - Those who are known to have left Wales
Minority ethnic groups - A combined total for Mixed White and Black Caribbean, Mixed White and Black African, Mixed White and Asian, Mixed Other, Indian, Pakistani, Bangladeshi, Other Asian, Caribbean, African, Other Black, Chinese, and Other Ethnic Group
Part Time Education - Those in part time education of 16 hours or less per week. These were previously included in the NEET category but have been recorded separately since 2009
WBTYP - Work Based Training for Young People
Work Based Training – employed status - This includes Modern Apprenticeships and other Government supported training of employees
Work Based Training – non employed status - This includes all Government supported work-based training without employed status
White - A combined total for White British, White Irish, White Other
Other publications
The Medr ‘Progression from Year 11 to Tertiary Education’ statistical release looks at participation in the tertiary education sector. Learner destinations are based on their first programme of study in the academic year after leaving Year 11. The publication provides more detailed data on education destinations of Year 11 leavers.
It includes breakdowns by:
- Provider type
- Provision type
- Level of study
- A range of learner characteristics (previously analysis by a range of learners)
Medr produce the statistics by linking administrative education datasets.
How Careers Wales Pupil Destinations differs from the Medr report
Careers Wales Pupil Destinations covers school leavers from Years 11, 12 and 13. It reports on what learners are doing on the 31 October after they have left that school year.
It shows how many learners:
- Have gone into education and training
- Have gone into employment
- Are not in employment, education or training
- Have left Wales
Careers Wales compile pupil destinations using administrative education datasets, data from partner institutions, and pupil self-reported outcomes.
As there are differences in how the data is compiled, the figures in both publications may differ.