Data set from A level and other 16 to 18 results

Retention - student characteristics and disadvantage status

Latest data

Published 27 March 2025

Last updated 27 March 2025

Retention metrics by a combination of disadvantage status and other student characteristics. Other student characteristics include sex, ethnicity, first language, special educational needs (SEN) provision, and KS4 prior attainment.

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Data set details

• Theme: School and college outcomes and performance
• Publication: A level and other 16 to 18 results
• Release: Academic year 2023/24
• Geographic levels: National
• Indicators:
  • Number of students
  • % retained
  • % retained and assessed
• Filters:
  • Characteristic
  • Characteristic disadvantage
  • Cohort
• Time period: 2019/20 to 2023/24

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Data set preview

Table showing first 5 rows, from underlying data

time_period	time_identifier	geographic_level	country_code	country_name	version	characteristic_type	characteristic_value	characteristic_disadvantage	exam_cohort	level_of_study	student_count_year_1	student_count_year_2	retained	retained_and_assessed	returned_and_retained	perc_retained	perc_retained_and_assessed	perc_returned_and_retained
201920	Academic year	National	E92000001	England	Final	Sex	Female	Disadvantaged	A level	Level 3	21104	20656	18396	17922	16957	87.168	84.922	82.092
202021	Academic year	National	E92000001	England	Final	Sex	Female	Disadvantaged	A level	Level 3	19015	18777	17161	16962	16538	90.25	89.203	88.076
202122	Academic year	National	E92000001	England	Revised	Sex	Female	Disadvantaged	A level	Level 3	19039	18956	17310	17088	16895	90.919	89.753	89.127
202223	Academic year	National	E92000001	England	Revised	Sex	Female	Disadvantaged	A level	Level 3	19579	19462	17234	16945	16756	88.023	86.547	86.096
202324	Academic year	National	E92000001	England	Revised	Sex	Female	Disadvantaged	A level	Level 3	20054	19903	17237	16946	16681	85.953	84.502	83.811

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Variables in this data set

Table showing first 5 of 8 variables

Variable name	Variable description
characteristic_disadvantage	Characteristic disadvantage
characteristic_value	Characteristic
exam_cohort	Cohort
perc_retained	% retained
perc_retained_and_assessed	% retained and assessed

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Footnotes

1. Figures for the total number of students may not match the sum of females and males, as not all institutions recorded the sex for every student.
2. Disadvantage status is as reported at the end of key stage 4. Analysis involving disadvantage status includes students at state-funded schools and colleges only.
3. EHC plans and statements of SEN are legal documents which detail the needs of the individual student, and the assistance they are to receive.
4. A change to the trigger rules was introduced in 2020/21 such that students were no longer automatically reported after two years in 16-18 study. The introduction caused a fall in cohort size, particularly within the vocational and technical cohorts. A full impact analysis can be found in the methodology document.

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