Briefing Note : Raising the Participation Age

Background

Following national consultation, "Raising Expectations: Staying in education and training post-16 - from Policy to Legislation," was published by the DCSF on 5 November 2007.

This legislation, which will come into effect for the cohort of students who start in year 7 this September, is one of a wide range of reforms aimed at improving participation, attainment and attitudes among the 14-19 age range and is part of the government response to the Leitch Review (2006).

The DCSF cites the following reasons for introducing a compulsion to remain in education or training post-16:-

· Continuing in learning for longer brings benefits for individuals, the economy and society

· The Leitch Review highlighted the importance of improving workers' skills in the UK, if businesses are to remain competitive internationally. Young people without qualifications are going to find it increasingly difficult to gain employment.

· There are plans in place to reach 90% participation amongst 17 year olds by 2015, but without compulsion, the most disadvantaged and disaffected young people are those that are missed.

· This group is likely to include those who are most vulnerable, who have lower aspirations and face greater barriers to learning

· Introducing compulsion will ensure the entire education system has to focus on the needs of those least likely at present to choose to participate.

(In England, currently 7.2 per cent of 16-17 year olds are not engaging in any form of education, employment or training (NEET), and a further 6.2 per cent of that age group are in jobs without training. These groups are drawn disproportionately from young people who are low attaining and/or experiencing social disadvantage)

In Hampshire around 5.6% of 16-18 year olds are NEET and there are targets to reduce this figure to around 3.3% by 2010. However, there are significant variations between schools and between areas of the county.

What does RPA mean in practice?

The legislation, subject to approval by Parliament, will increase the minimum age at which young people can leave learning to 17 from 2013 and to 18 from 2015.

Alongside curriculum reforms which give young people the right to study one of the new diplomas and a commitment to apprenticeships, financial and other forms of support are planned in order to help all young people overcome barriers to participation.

Despite the frantic tabloid headlines which misrepresented this reform as an attempt to "raise the school leaving age," and force all young people to stay in school, the legislation is intended to be fairly flexible about what constitutes "participation," which could be:-

· Full-time education, such as in school or in college

· Work-based learning, such as an apprenticeship

· Part-time education or training, if they are employed, self-employed or volunteering more than 20 hours a week.

Implications

Primary schools were sent information from the DCSF to share with year 6 students and parents and a suggested letter to send home in order to ensure that parents were aware that their children were likely to be the first cohort to whom this legislation applied.

Secondary schools, have, for some time, been responsible for the progression of their year 11 students and for minimising the percentage of them who become NEET (not in education, employment or training) when they leave compulsory education.

The planned legislation does not, currently, require schools to provide post-16 education and training but it does re-enforce their responsibility to find a suitable progression route for each young person.

The most significant implications are for post-16 providers who will need to increase their intake and make provision for students whose needs may be more complex and for employers who will need to provide recognised and accredited training for any young people below 18 whom they employ.

By 2013, the local authority is likely to be the responsible body for post-16 provision so this legislation will have significant planning and funding implications for the County Council. The attached paper for the Children's Services Department Management Team (which will now go on to CMT) scopes some of those implications as far as they are currently known.

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