Table 1 updated to include backseries for disadvantage
Updated to include indicators for those attaining overall level 2 with English and maths.
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the summer exam series was cancelled in 2020. Pupils scheduled to sit GCSE and A/AS level exams in 2020 were awarded either a centre assessment grade (based on what the school or college believed the student would most likely have achieved had exams gone ahead) or their calculated grade using a model developed by Ofqual - whichever was the higher of the two. Some vocational exams went ahead as normal, other exams were either delayed or went ahead in an alternative format. The results from the autumn resits for AS/A levels are included in this release, however, due to timing issues, the GCSE resits taken in autumn will not be included in this release until 2022, along with any vocational exams taken after summer 2020. For an indication of the magnitude of these resits, more information can be found in the entries for GCSE and A level autumn exams on gov.uk at Entries for AS and A level: autumn 2020 exam series - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk) and Entries for GCSE: autumn 2020 exam series - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk). In summary 2.8% of total GCSE Summer 2020 entries were resat in Autumn 2020, hence the impact is minimal.
The cancellation of summer 2020 exams and the new method of awarding grades has led to a set of pupil attainment statistics that are unlike previous years. This is evident in our level 2 statistics at 16 and to a lesser degree, our level 3 statistics at 18. This increase in attainment at 16 will affect our statistics at age 19 in 2022/23.
All data used in this release is available as open data for download
Browse and download individual open data files from this release in our data catalogue
Learn more about the data files used in this release using our online guidance
You can view featured tables that we have built for you, or create your own tables from the open data using our table tool
Our underlying data files contain more data than are presented in the sections below. You can make your own tables online by clicking the ‘view data and files’ button at the top of this page. Alternatively, you can download the data as csv files using the same link. Here is a summary of what is included:
Level 2 | Age 16 | Age 17 | Age 18 | Age 19 | Progression from 16 to 19 | Ages 20-25 | |
National figures (A & B) | Headline figures | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Qualification type | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ||||
| Institution type | ✓ | ||||||
State-funded figures (C) | Headline figures | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ||
| Gender | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | |||
| Disadvantaged status | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | |||
| FSM | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | |||
| IDACI (Income Deprivation Affecting Children Index) | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | |||
| SEN | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | |||
| Ethnicity | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | |||
| Ethnicity & FSM status | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | |||
| Ethnicity, FSM status & gender | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | |||
LA: State-funded (D) | Local authority | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ||
| Local authority & gender | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | |||
| Local authority & FSM status | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | |||
| Local authority & SEN | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | |||
LAD: State-funded (E) | Local authority district | ✓ | |||||
| Local authority district & disadvantaged status | ✓ | ||||||
| Local authority district & FSM status | ✓ | ||||||
Level 3 | Age 16 | Age 17 | Age 18 | Age 19 | Progression from 16 to 19 | Ages 20-25 | |
National figures (A & B) | Headline figures | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | |
| Qualification type | ✓ | ||||||
| Institution type | ✓ | ||||||
State-funded figures (C) | Headline figures | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | |||
| Gender | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ||||
| Disadvantaged status | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ||||
| FSM | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ||||
| IDACI (Income Deprivation Affecting Children Index) | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ||||
| SEN | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ||||
| Ethnicity | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ||||
| Ethnicity & FSM status | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ||||
| Ethnicity, FSM status & gender | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ||||
LA: State-funded (D) | Local authority | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | |||
| Local authority and gender | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ||||
| Local authority & FSM status | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ||||
| Local authority & SEN | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ||||
LAD: State-funded (E) | Local authority district | ✓ | |||||
| Local authority district & disadvantaged status | ✓ | ||||||
| Local authority district & FSM status | ✓ | ||||||
| Local authority district & qualification type | ✓ | ||||||
Level 2 English & maths | Age 16 | Age 17 | Age 18 | Age 19 | Progression from 16 to 19 | Ages 20-25 | |
State-funded figures (C) | Headline figures | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | |
| Gender | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ||
| Disadvantaged status | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ||
| FSM | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ||
| IDACI (Income Deprivation Affecting Children Index) | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ||
| SEN | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ||
| Ethnicity | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ||
| Ethnicity & FSM status | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ||
| Ethnicity, FSM status & gender | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ||
LA: State-funded (D) | Local authority | ✓ | ✓ | ||||
| Local authority and gender | ✓ | ✓ | |||||
| Local authority & FSM status | ✓ | ✓ | |||||
| Local authority & SEN | ✓ | ✓ | |||||
LAD: State-funded (E) | Local authority district | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | |||
| Local authority district & disadvantaged status | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ||||
| Local authority district & FSM status | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ||||
Given the circumstances in which grades were awarded in 2020 and the delays to examinations, caution should be taken in comparing 19/20 data to previous years
These National Statistics provide information at both national and local authority level on the attainment of 19-year olds at the end of each academic year (e.g. 2019/20 refers to 31 August 2020). They are used to monitor trends in attainment over time and changes in attainment within different groups.
The figures are based on a matched administrative dataset produced by the Department for Education consisting of data from the Individualised Learner Record (ILR), key stage 4 and 5 awarding body results and the School Census.
The statistics are based on two cohorts as follows:
• An overall national cohort has a numerator based on all young people captured in the dataset (not just those in the state-sector in year 11), and has a denominator based on the whole school population (including state-funded maintained schools, independent schools, Alternative Provision (APs) and Pupil Referral Units (PRUs)), as recorded at academic age 14 i.e. year 10, or the penultimate year of secondary school.
• The state-funded cohort is based on pupils recorded in mainstream state-funded schools at academic age 15 i.e. year 11 or the final year of secondary school (the state-funded cohort also includes a small number of learners who attended non-maintained special schools). The state funded cohort includes breakdowns by various pupil characteristics (as recorded at academic age 15).
There are differences in the methodology in the attainment measures for the national and state-funded cohorts, which mean that they should not be directly compared.
For further background information on these statistics, including on the data sources and the methodology, please see the accompanying methodology. Underlying data is also published alongside this release.
Feedback
We would welcome feedback on any aspect of this publication at: Post16.STATISTICS@education.gov.uk
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the summer exam series was cancelled in 2020. Pupils scheduled to sit GCSE and A/AS level exams in 2020 were awarded either a centre assessment grade (based on what the school or college believed the student would most likely have achieved had exams gone ahead) or their calculated grade using a model developed by Ofqual - whichever was the higher of the two. Some vocational exams went ahead as normal, other exams were either delayed or went ahead in an alternative format. The results from the autumn resits for AS/A levels are included in this release, however, due to timing issues, the GCSE resits taken in autumn will not be included in this release until 2022, along with any vocational exams taken after summer 2020.
The cancellation of summer 2020 exams and the new method of awarding grades has led to a set of pupil attainment statistics that are unlike previous years. This is evident in our level 2 statistics at 16 and to a lesser degree, our level 3 statistics at 18. The increase in attainment at age 16 will be seen in our statistics for the cohort turning 19 in 2022/23. A section is included on Level 2 attainment at 16 in 2020 to highlight the impact these changes have had on this cohort.
Additional 2019/20 analysis on impact of COVID-19: Level 2 attainment at 16 by pupil characteristics
Table 1 shows:
Additional 2019/20 analysis on impact of COVID-19: Level 2 attainment at 16 by ethnicity
From figure 1, at age 16 Black ethnicities had the lowest attainment at level 2 last year. However, the Black population has seen the largest percentage point increase in 2019/20 which has brought Black ethnicities in line with the average attainment level.
The Chinese population saw the lowest percentage point increase compared to last year. However, the Chinese population have consistently been the highest attaining group and so while attainment has increased for this group, there is less room for improvement.
Data in this section refers to the national cohort where the numerator is based on all young people captured in the dataset (not just those in the state-sector in year 11), and has a denominator based on the whole school population (including state-funded maintained schools, independent schools, Alternative Provision (APs) and Pupil Referral Units (PRUs)), as recorded at academic age 14.
Given the circumstances in which grades were awarded in 2020, caution should be taken in comparing 19/20 data to previous years
Level 2 attainment at 19
As shown in table 2, in 2019/20, 82.8% of 19 year olds were qualified to Level 2, a decrease of 0.7ppts compared with the previous year. There have been consecutive annual falls in Level 2 attainment at 19 since 2015/16. Prior to then, Level 2 attainment at 19 rose every year. Despite the recent falls, Level 2 attainment at 19 has increased by 17 percentage points compared with 2003/04.
Level 2 at 19 by qualification type
Figure 2 shows the 4.7 percentage point fall in Level 2 at 19, between 2014/15 and 2019/20, has been driven by a decrease in the attainment of large vocational qualifications (1) by the same cohort at 16.
Some vocational Level 2 qualifications no longer count in Key stage 4 performance measures following reforms introduced further to Professor Alison Wolf’s review. This has significantly reduced the offering and take-up of these larger vocational qualifications at Key stage 4.
However, the fall in Level 2 via vocational qualifications at 16, between 2014/15 and 2019/20, has been partially offset by an increase in Level 2 at 16 via GCSEs. Therefore, it is probable that at least some, but not all, of the pupils who would otherwise have achieved Level 2 via vocational qualifications at 16 are instead achieving Level 2 via 5 GCSEs at the same age.
(1) At least 325 guided learning hours
Level 3 attainment at 19
As shown table 3, in 2019/20, 60.2% of 19 year olds were qualified to Level 3, an increase of 0.3ppts compared to the previous year. The proportion of 19 year olds qualified to Level 3 increased each year from 2003/04 to 2014/15. This figure has fluctuated since then, hitting the series peak in 2016/17.
Level 3 attainment at 19 by qualification type
As shown in figure 3, the overall increase in Level 3 attainment at 19 between 2003/04 and 2016/17 was mainly driven by a rise in vocational qualification attainment.
Level 3 attainment in 2019/20 has increased by 0.3 percentage points compared to a year prior, driven mainly by a 0.5ppt and 0.2ppt increase in vocational qualification and A level attainment respectively. Level 3 attainment through Other and AS level qualifications have both fallen by 0.2 percentage points.
The fall in AS level attainment coincides with the decoupling of AS levels from A levels as part of reforms which started in the 2015/16 academic year. This has resulted in AS results no longer counting towards an A level (and AS levels becoming standalone qualifications), which has led to a reduction in AS level entries (see A level and other 16-18 results for more information). In turn, this had resulted in a fall in Level 3 attainment via AS levels, with just 0.1% of 19-year olds having achieved Level 3 through this route in 2019/20.
This section reports on the attainment of 19-year olds who were recorded in the mainstream state sector in year 11 (i.e. the final year of secondary school) and their associated characteristics at that time.
Figures for Level 2 and 3 attainment differ between the national and state-sector cohorts. National figures include a wider range of young people, including those from independent schools. Level 2 attainment at 19 nationally stands at 82.8% (81.3% for state educated pupils). Level 3 attainment at 19 nationally stands at 60.2% (57.4% for state educated pupils). At age 19 in 2020, Level 2 attainment has fallen both nationally and for state-educated pupils and Level 3 attainment has risen for both.
Given the circumstances in which grades were awarded in 2020, caution should be taken in comparing 19/20 data to previous years
Level 2 attainment at 19 by pupil characteristics
Looking at Level 2 attainment at 19 by pupil characteristics (as recorded in year 11), as shown in table 4:
Level 2 attainment at 19 by ethnicity
There are notable differences in Level 2 attainment at 19 by ethnicity. Attainment has consistently been the highest for the Chinese population throughout the decade and consistently been the lowest for the White population as shown in figure 4.
In the latest year:
Level 2 attainment at 19 by FSM status, ethnicity and gender
Looking at these characteristics together in figure 5, we see:
Level 3 attainment at 19 by pupil characteristics
Looking at Level 3 attainment at 19 by pupil characteristics (as recorded in year 11), as shown in Table 5 below:
Level 3 attainment at 19 by ethnicity
There are notable differences in level 3 attainment at 19 by ethnicity. Attainment has consistently been the highest for the Chinese population throughout the decade and consistently been the lowest for the White population as shown in figure 6 below.
In the latest year:
This section reports on the attainment of 19-year olds who were recorded in the mainstream state sector in year 11 (i.e. the final year of secondary school) and their associated characteristics at that time.
There are differences in the methodology in the attainment measures for the state-funded cohort and for the national cohort, which mean that they should not be directly compared – see coverage section in the Methodology for further details.
Given the circumstances in which grades were awarded in 2020, caution should be taken in comparing 19/20 data to previous years
The progression in Level 2 English and maths measure shows the proportion of students who had not achieved Level 2 in English and/or maths at 16 but had achieved both at 19. This allows the impact of Condition of Funding changes for young people to be monitored, as introduced by the Education and Skills Funding Agency from 2014/15 onwards. This has resulted in most students having to study English and/or maths at level 2 as part of their programmes between the ages of 16 and 19 if they are yet to achieve qualifications at this level. The exact qualifications that students are required to do depends on their personal circumstances. Further information is listed on 16 to 19 funding: maths and English condition of funding - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)
This measure has been rising each year since the changes in funding were introduced in the 2014/15 academic year, with the exception of this year. The progression measure for maths alone (25%) represents the series high, while English alone (32%) has fallen slightly from last years series high. However, despite the improvements made, it means that in 2019/20 at least two-thirds of those who did not have Level 2 English and/or maths at 16 still had not achieved one or both qualifications at 19.
As table 6 shows:
Level 2 in English and maths is also broken down into characteristics in the data and files section of the release.
This section reports on the attainment of 19-year olds who were recorded in the mainstream state sector in year 11 (i.e. the final year of secondary school) and their associated characteristics at that time.
There are differences in the methodology in the attainment measures for the state-funded cohort and for the national cohort, which mean that they should not be directly compared – see coverage section in the Methodology for further details.
Given the circumstances in which grades were awarded in 2020, caution should be taken in comparing 19/20 data to previous years
Level 2 and 3 attainment at 19 by local authority area
The map in figure 7 shows level 2 and 3 attainment at age 19 in 2019/20. Hovering over a local authority will show more information about that area. The darkest areas show higher attainment while lightest colours show lower attainment.
Local authority district data (including Opportunity Areas) is also available in the data and files section of the release. This also includes further breakdowns by age, English & maths, FSM status and disadvantaged status. Further details about the local authority district data can be found in the methodology.
Data in this section refers to the national cohort where the numerator is based on all young people captured in the dataset (not just those in the state-sector in year 11), and has a denominator based on the whole school population (including state-funded maintained schools, independent schools, Alternative Provision (APs) and Pupil Referral Units (PRUs)), as recorded at academic age 14.
As figure 8 shows, more 25-year olds had Level 2 and Level 3 compared with 6 years earlier when they were 19, with the uplift being greater at Level 3. The improved attainment at ages 20-25 means that 90% of 25-year olds held Level 2 and two-thirds held Level 3 in 2019/20.
The age 19 figures in this chart for 2013/14 correspond with the same national cohort figures provided in Table 1 for Level 3 and Table 2 for Level 2. Specifically, they relate to those aged 19 in 2013/14, as this is the year when those aged 25 in 2019/20 were 19-years old.
The United Kingdom Statistics Authority designated these statistics as National Statistics in accordance with the Statistics and Registration Service Act 2007 and signifying compliance with the Code of Practice for Statistics.
Designation signifying their compliance with the authority's Code of Practice for Statistics which broadly means these statistics are:
Once designated as National Statistics it's a statutory requirement for statistics to follow and comply with the Code of Practice for Statistics to be observed.
Find out more about the standards we follow to produce these statistics through our Standards for official statistics published by DfE guidance.
If you have a specific enquiry about Level 2 and 3 attainment age 16 to 25 statistics and data:
Email
post16.statistics@education.gov.uk
Telephone: Elisha Duddle
0161 600 1497
If you have a media enquiry:
Telephone
020 7783 8300
If you have a general enquiry about the Department for Education (DfE) or education:
Telephone
037 0000 2288
Opening times:
Monday to Friday from 9.30am to 5pm (excluding bank holidays)
