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Key Findings - Pupil destinations from schools in Wales 2020

Young People who are Not in Education, Employment, or Training (NEET)

  • In 2020, there were 958 school leavers from Year 11, 12 and 13 known to be NEET in Wales, representing 1.8% of the total cohort
  • As in previous years, the Year 13 cohort continued to have a higher percentage of NEET (3.5% (355) individuals) compared to the Year 11 (1.7% - 527 individuals) and Year 12 cohorts (0.6% - 76 individuals)
  • The percentage of Year 11 clients unable to enter Employment, Education or Training (EET) due to illness, caring for others or pregnancy stood at 1.1%. In the same category, the percentage of Year 12 and Year 13 clients stood at 0.3% and 1.4%, respectively
  • The percentage of NEET Year 11 females who are unable to enter EET this year was slightly higher than for NEET males (62.0% of NEET females and 61.4% of NEET males) 

Continuing in Full-Time Education (FTE)

  • Continuing in full time education continues overwhelmingly to be the most popular choice of destination for pupils in each of the three-year groups. A higher percentage of females than males across all three cohorts chose to continue in full time education
  • A greater proportion of those continuing in full time education (FTE) after Year 11 chose Further Education (FE) over school 6th forms, by 9.5 percentage points; Sixth Form 45.2% and FE College 54.8%
  • In 2020, of those classified as continuing in FTE, going to FE was a more popular route for both males and females. The difference was greater for males (58.4% going to FE, compared to 41.6% staying in school) than it was for females (51.2% going to FE, compared to 48.8% staying in school)
Table showing cohort, males, females and difference data:
Cohort Males Females Difference
Year 11 88.3% 92.7% 4.4 percentage points
Year 12 95.1% 96.4% 1.3 percentage points
Year 13 77.1% 82.3% 5.2 percentage points

In Year 11 and Year 13 a higher percentage of those in minority ethnic groups continued in full time education, compared to those who are white. In Year 12 a slightly higher percentage of those in white ethnic groups continued in full time education compared to those in minority ethnic groups.

Table showing cohort, white and ethnic minority data:
Cohort White Ethnic Minority
Year 11 90.1% 94.8%
Year 12 95.8% 95.5%
Year 13 79.3% 87.3%

Entering the Labour Market - Work and Training Routes

  • The percentage of young people entering Government supported training and work (Employed and Non-Employed status) was highest for those in Year 13 at 11.9% (1202 individuals), whereas 6.4% (1964 individuals) of the Year 11 cohort and 2.2% (267 individuals) of the Year 12 cohort entered one of these options
  • The percentages of young people going straight into employment stood at 2.0% for Year 11, 1.4% for Year 12 and 10.5% for Year 13
  • Entering the labour market (either training in the workplace or employment) was a more popular choice with males than females across all 3 cohorts in 2020 (Year 11 had 8.0% males compared to 4.7% females, Year 12 2.6% males compared to 1.8% females, Year 13 had 13.4% compared to 10.8% females)
  • A much smaller percentage of those in minority ethnic groups entered the labour market (employment or work-based training) than those who are white
Table showing cohort, white, ethnic minority data:
Cohort White Ethnic Minority
Year 11 6.8% 2.2%
Year 12 2.3% 1.1%
Year 13 12.6% 5.6%

No Response Rate

The overall ‘No Response’ stood at 1.6% percentage points. The percentage for the ‘No Response’ rate was greatest for the Year 13 cohort at 4.2% (418 individuals) This cohort group continues to have the highest ‘No Response’ rate.

Table showing no response rate data:
Year 11 0.9%
Year 12 1.2%
Year 13 4.2%

View pupil destinations by year group