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Key Findings - Pupil destinations from schools in Wales 2021

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

  • In 2021, there were 813 school leavers from Year 11, 12 and 13 known to be NEET in Wales, representing 1.5% of the total cohort
  • As in previous years, the Year 13 cohort continued to have a higher percentage of NEET (2.3% (251) individuals) compared to the Year 11 (1.6% - 507 individuals) and Year 12 cohorts (0.4% - 55 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 1.1%, respectively
  • The percentage of NEET Year 11 females who are unable to enter EET this year was slightly higher than for NEET males (69.8% of NEET females and 65.8% 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
Table showing cohort, males, females and difference data:
Cohort Males Females Difference
Year 11 86.0% 91.3% 5.3 percentage points
Year 12 95.5% 96.5% 1.1 percentage points
Year 13 73.1% 79.7% 6.6 percentage points

A greater proportion of those continuing in full time education (FTE) after Year 11 chose FE over school 6th forms, by 11.7 percentage points.

  • Sixth Form 44.2%
  • FE College 55.8%

In 2021, 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 (58.0% going to FE, compared to 42.0% staying in school) than it was for females (53.6% going to FE, compared to 46.4% staying in school).

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 88.3% 92.4%
Year 12 96.1% 96.0%
Year 13 76.2% 80.8%

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 13.5% (1477 individuals), whereas 7.8% (2,500 individuals) of the Year 11 cohort and 2.1% (259 individuals) of the Year 12 cohort entered one of these options
  • The percentages of young people going straight into employment stood at 2.8% for Year 11, 1.3% for Year 12 and 11.5% 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 2021
Table showing percentage of males and females by year group choosing to enter the labour market
Cohort Male Female
Year 11 9.9% 5.6%
Year 12 2.3% 1.9%
Year 13 15.7% 11.6%

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 8.2% 3.6%
Year 12 2.3% 0.6%
Year 13 14.4% 5.9%

No Response Rate

The overall ‘No Response’ stood at 2.3% percentage points. The percentage for the ‘No Response’ rate was greatest for the Year 13 cohort at 7.0% (764 individuals). This cohort group continues to have the highest ‘No Response’ rate:

Table showing no response rate data
Year 11 1.1%
Year 12 1.1%
Year 13 7.0%

View pupil destinations by year group