The educational provision for 14 to 16-year-olds in further education in England

AoC and IOE UCL’s Faculty of Education and Society are delighted to be launching our interim project report: ‘The educational provision for 14 to 16-year-olds in Further Education in England’. This Nuffield funded project runs over two years from September 2022 to October 2024.

This first report sets out the initial findings from a survey of colleges in England on the educational provision for 14–16-year-olds in FE and 19 semi-structured interviews that were undertaken with leaders of this provision. The survey and interviews covered a range of topics impacting on the experience of 14 to 16-year-olds in three groups: Alternative Provision, Direct Entry and Elective Home Education. Staff perceptions from the surveys and interviews were largely positive about the value of the provision. The next stage of the project will explore these findings further including analysis of the outcomes and progression for students and the perspectives of the learners themselves.