Academic year 2020/21

Widening participation in higher education

Data guidance

Published 28 July 2022

Description

This document describes the data included in the Widening Participation in Higher Education: 2020/21 Official Statistics release’s underlying data files.

The methodology document attached to this release should be referenced alongside this data. It provides information on the data sources, their coverage and quality as well as explaining methodology used in producing the data.

Coverage

The release covers two measures of progression to Higher Education by age 19.

The first shows progression to HE by pupil characteristics for pupils aged 15 in English state-funded schools and special schools (including non-maintained special schools).

The second relates to progression to HE by school type for pupils aged 17 who were entered for A levels or equivalent level 3 qualifications at English schools and colleges.

File formats and conventions

Rounding

We are removing rounding and suppression of data where possible in order to maximise the utility of the statistics while minimising the risk of disclosure.

More information about the Departmental policy on confidentiality can be found here:

External_Confidentiality_Policy (opens in a new tab)

Data relating to Children in Need and Looked After children is rounded to the nearest percentage for rates and to the nearest 10 for counts of pupils given the sensitivity of these statistics.

Conventions

The following convention is used throughout the underlying data.

‘x’ Not applicable

‘c’ Confidential

Data files

All data files associated with this releases are listed below with guidance on their content. To download any of these files, please visit our data catalogue.

All Characteristics

Filename: all_characteristics.csv
Geographic levels: National
Time period: 2009/10 to 2020/21
Content: Progression to HE by pupil characteristics

Variable names and descriptions

Variable names and descriptions for this file are provided below:

Variable name	Variable description
Characteristic_Detail	Characteristic
High_Tariff_progression_rate	HE Progression Rate (High Tariff)
number_of_HE_students	Number of HE Students
number_of_HighTariff_HE_students	Number of HE Students (High Tariff)
number_of_students	Number of Pupils
progression_rate	HE Progression Rate

Footnotes

Note that progression rates can be volatile over time due to the very small number of pupils in some categories. This is particularly the case for Gypsy/Roma and Traveller of Irish Heritage pupils

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Ethnicity

Filename: ethnicity.csv
Geographic levels: Local authority; National; Regional
Time period: 2009/10 to 2020/21
Content: Progression to HE by Ethnic Group

Variable names and descriptions

Variable names and descriptions for this file are provided below:

Variable name	Variable description
Ethnic_Group_Minor	Ethnic Group
High_Tariff_progression_rate	HE Progression Rate (High Tariff)
number_of_HE_students	Number of HE Students
number_of_HighTariff_HE_students	Number of HE Students (High Tariff)
number_of_students	Number of Pupils
progression_rate	HE Progression Rate

Footnotes

Note that progression rates can be volatile over time due to the very small number of pupils in some categories. This is particularly the case for Gypsy/Roma and Traveller of Irish Heritage pupils

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Free School Meals

Filename: fsm.csv
Geographic levels: Local authority; National; Regional
Time period: 2005/06 to 2020/21
Content: Progression to HE by Free School Meal status

Variable names and descriptions

Variable names and descriptions for this file are provided below:

Variable name	Variable description
FSM_Status	Free School Meal Status
High_Tariff_progression_rate	HE Progression Rate (High Tariff)
number_of_HE_students	Number of HE Students
number_of_HighTariff_HE_students	Number of HE Students (High Tariff)
number_of_students	Number of Pupils
progression_rate	HE Progression Rate

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Free School Meals - Gap

Filename: fsm_gap.csv
Geographic levels: Local authority; National; Regional
Time period: 2005/06 to 2020/21
Content: Progression to HE by Free School Meal status (including progression rate gap)

Variable names and descriptions

Variable names and descriptions for this file are provided below:

Variable name	Variable description
High_Tariff_progression_rate	High Tariff HE Progression Rate
High_Tariff_progression_rate_FSM	High Tariff HE Progression Rate (FSM)
High_Tariff_progression_rate_gap	High Tariff Progression Rate Gap
High_Tariff_progression_rate_NonFSM	High Tariff HE Progression Rate (Non-FSM)
progression_rate	HE Progression Rate
progression_rate_FSM	HE Progression Rate (FSM)
progression_rate_gap	Progression Rate Gap
progression_rate_NonFSM	HE Progression Rate (Non-FSM)

Footnotes

The progression rate gap is the difference (in percentage points) between the HE progression rates of pupils who were eligible for Free School Meals and those who weren't eligible

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Free School Meals, Gender and Ethnic Group

Filename: fsm_gender_ethnicity.csv
Geographic levels: National
Time period: 2009/10 to 2020/21
Content: Progression to HE by Free School Meal Status, Gender and Ethnic Group

Variable names and descriptions

Variable names and descriptions for this file are provided below:

Variable name	Variable description
Ethnic_Group_Minor	Ethnic Group
FSM_Status	Free School Meal Status
Gender	Gender
High_Tariff_progression_rate	HE Progression Rate (High Tariff)
number_of_HE_students	Number of HE Students
number_of_HighTariff_HE_students	Number of HE Students (High Tariff)
number_of_students	Number of Pupils
progression_rate	HE Progression Rate

Footnotes

Note that progression rates can be volatile over time due to the very small number of pupils in some categories. This is particularly the case for Gypsy/Roma and Traveller of Irish Heritage pupils

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Free School Meals, Gender and Ethnic Group - Region

Filename: fsm_gender_ethnicity_region.csv
Geographic levels: Regional
Time period: 2009/10 to 2020/21
Content: Progression to HE by Free School Meal Status, Gender and Ethnic Group - Regional level

Variable names and descriptions

Variable names and descriptions for this file are provided below:

Variable name	Variable description
Ethnic_Group_Major	Ethnic Group
FSM_Status	Free School Meal Status
Gender	Gender
High_Tariff_progression_rate	HE Progression Rate (High Tariff)
number_of_HE_students	Number of HE Students
number_of_HighTariff_HE_students	Number of HE Students (High Tariff)
number_of_students	Number of Pupils
progression_rate	HE Progression Rate

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Gender

Filename: gender.csv
Geographic levels: Local authority; National; Regional
Time period: 2009/10 to 2020/21
Content: Progression to HE by Gender

Variable names and descriptions

Variable names and descriptions for this file are provided below:

Variable name	Variable description
Gender	Gender
High_Tariff_progression_rate	HE Progression Rate (High Tariff)
number_of_HE_students	Number of HE Students
number_of_HighTariff_HE_students	Number of HE Students (High Tariff)
number_of_students	Number of Pupils
progression_rate	HE Progression Rate

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Headline Stats

Filename: headline_stats.csv
Geographic levels: National
Time period: 2020/21
Content: Key summary statistics

Variable names and descriptions

Variable names and descriptions for this file are provided below:

Variable name	Variable description
High_Tariff_progression_rate_White	High Tariff HE Progression Rate (lowest ethnic group - White)
progression_rate_Female	HE progression rate (Female)
progression_rate_FSM	HE Progression Rate (Free School Meals)
progression_rate_FSM_Inner_London	HE Progression Rate (FSM highest region – Inner London)
progression_rate_gap_FSM	HE Progression Rate (Free School Meals gap)
progression_rate_increase_Black	HE Progression Rate (greatest increase - Black)

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School Type

Filename: school_type.csv
Geographic levels: National
Time period: 2008/09 to 2020/21
Content: Progression to HE by School Type

Variable names and descriptions

Variable names and descriptions for this file are provided below:

Variable name	Variable description
A_level_Status	A level status
High_Tariff_progression_rate	HE Progression Rate (High Tariff)
number_of_HE_students	Number of HE Students
number_of_HighTariff_HE_students	Number of HE Students (High Tariff)
number_of_students	Number of KS5 Students
progression_rate	HE Progression Rate
School_Type	School Type

Footnotes

Note that figures from 2017/18 are not directly comparable with earlier years due to a change in the cohort

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School Type - Gap

Filename: school_type_gap.csv
Geographic levels: National
Time period: 2008/09 to 2020/21
Content: Progression to HE by School Type (including progression rate gap)

Variable names and descriptions

Variable names and descriptions for this file are provided below:

Variable name	Variable description
A_level_Status	A level status
High_Tariff_progression_rate_gap	High Tariff Progression Rate Gap
High_Tariff_progression_rate_independent	High Tariff HE Progression Rate (Independent)
High_Tariff_progression_rate_state	High Tariff HE Progression Rate (State)
progression_rate_gap	Progression Rate Gap
progression_rate_independent	HE Progression Rate (Independent)
progression_rate_state	HE Progression Rate (State)

Footnotes

The progression rate gap is the difference (in percentage points) between the HE progression rates of students who attended independent schools and those who attended state-funded schools at Key Stage 5
Note that figures from 2017/18 are not directly comparable with earlier years due to a change in the cohort

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Special Educational Needs

Filename: sen.csv
Geographic levels: Local authority; National; Regional
Time period: 2009/10 to 2020/21
Content: Progression to HE by Special Educational Need Status

Variable names and descriptions

Variable names and descriptions for this file are provided below:

Variable name	Variable description
High_Tariff_progression_rate	HE Progression Rate (High Tariff)
number_of_HE_students	Number of HE Students
number_of_HighTariff_HE_students	Number of HE Students (High Tariff)
number_of_students	Number of Pupils
progression_rate	HE Progression Rate
SEN_Status	SEN Status

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Tariff Groups

Filename: tariff_group.csv
Geographic levels: Provider
Time period: 2008/09 to 2020/21
Content: HE providers by tariff group

Variable names and descriptions

Variable names and descriptions for this file are provided below:

Variable name	Variable description
Mean_tariff	Mean Tariff
Tariff_Grouping	Tariff Group

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Teaching Excellence Framework

Filename: tef.csv
Geographic levels: National
Time period: 2020/21
Content: HE students by Teaching Excellence and Students Outcomes Framework (TEF) rating

Variable names and descriptions

Variable names and descriptions for this file are provided below:

Variable name	Variable description
number_of_HE_students	Number of HE Students
percentage_HE_students	Percentage of HE Students
progression_rate	HE Progression Rate
School_Type	School Type
TEF_Rating	TEF Rating

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