Search results

The primary aim of this research study, commissioned by the Department for Education and Skills (DfES) to enhance understanding about the role of the school in shaping the perceptions and choices of post-16 pathways amongst young people in school, was to identify the nature and influence of school-based factors on the choices that young people make about their post-16 education, training and career pathways. Key findings from this study include: the choices expressed by young people changed over time as a range of factors influenced their ideas; the provision of a sixth form within the school was an important influence on the decision of young people to stay on and participate in post-16 education and training; knowledge about post-16 provision in schools and colleges tended to be strongest among pupils in schools with sixth forms and weakest in schools with no sixth form; the effectiveness of schools in providing advice and guidance often depended on the way a school was organised; Connexions was an important intervening agency for the majority of pupils; pupils wanted more direct experiential learning to inform post-16 choices; and the majority of pupils wanted career advice well before Year 11 even though final decisions were rarely made before then. The contents are: Executive summary; Research context and methodology; Choices and choice processes; The influence of school organisation on pupil choice; Modelling the influence of the school on post-16 choice; Conclusions and recommendations.