Executive Summary
This report focuses on a large number of teenagers poised at the start of young adulthood. Most have continued after compulsory schooling to study further academic qualifications (typically 'AS/A' levels), some were following more vocational routes, and a small number were NEET ('not in education, employment or training'). All are drawn from a national study of the developmental pathways of children and young people. The Effective Pre-school, Primary and Secondary Education (EPPSE) study has followed nearly 2600 young people from early childhood to age 16. The findings from seven technical reports on the young people at age 16 are summarised here to explore the most important influences on developmental pathways that lead to GCSE achievement, mental well-being, social behaviours and aspirations for the future, all at the end of statutory education (age 16).
the overall aim of the large-scale longitudinal study is to explore individual, family, home learning environment (HLE), pre-school, school and neighbourhood influences on the developmental and educational outcomes of young people. More specifically the EPPSE study at age 16 aims to investigate:
- the influence of a family background, home and out of school learning on young people's academic results, dispositions and social-behavioural outcomes at age 16, followed by career path destinations at age 16+
- the influence of pre-school, primary and secondary school in shaping variations in outcomes
- changes in the patterns of influence across different phases in education
- how far experiences and outcomes differ for particular groups of students e.g., boys or girls, those who are disadvantaged by family background or poverty or who have additional needs
- the long term effects of pre-school and the estimated economic benefits of pre-school experience to individuals/households income and predicted subsequent contribution to the Exchequer.