The impact of KS4 vocational courses on disengaged young people's engagement with education 15-18

This study investigated the hypothesis that offering vocational options in Year 10 can help improve levels of educational engagement and subsequent outcomes among young people disengaged from education. However we found little evidence to support this claim. Disengaged young people who reported following vocational courses did not differ from those who chose not to take these courses in terms of their subsequent engagement or destinations post Year 11. There was evidence that those taking vocational courses were more likely to achieve Key Stage 4 Level 1 although not Level 2. We also investigated an additional hypothesis that young people with borderline attainment (achieving 1 - 4 GCSEs grades A*-C) who follow vocational as opposed to academic pathways post Year 11 may have better outcomes. We found no evidence to support this case.

This report was written through the Centre for the Analysis of Youth Transitions (CAYT). A repository of CAYT impact studies is hosted by Mentor-Adepis (Alcohol and Drug Education and Prevention Information Service).