Engaging young people at risk of becoming NEET:

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Engaging young people at risk of becoming NEET
Challenges for the RPA agenda
Emily Tanner Meg Callanan
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The challenge of RPA

• Government committed to raising the participation
  age to 17 by 2013 and 18 by 2015.
• Approximately 10 of 16 and 17 year olds
  currently NEET.
• What does previous research tell us about NEET
  young people?
• 2 studies causes and consequences of
  underachievement for 16-18s and impact of
  Activity Agreement pilots for NEET 16-17s.

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The study

• Pupils with declining attainment between Key
  Stages 3 and 4 Profiles, experiences, and impact
  of underachievement and disengagement (2009)
  DCSF RR086 Meg Callanan, Rachel
  Kinsella, Jenny Graham, Ola Turkzuk, Steven Finch

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What were we trying to do?

• Explore characteristics of young people who
  underachieve/disengage from education at KS4
• Explore causes of underachievement/disengagement
  and perspectives on identifying disengagement and
  providing effective support
• Examine impact of disengagement on post-16
  destinations, pathways choices

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How did we do it?

• Quantitative analysis of administrative databases
  (including the school census) to explore key
  characteristics of this group
• Qualitative in-depth interviews
• 17/18 yr olds sampled for a drop in achievement
  between KS3 and KS4
• Parents
• School staff

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Who are the young people who underachieve at KS4?

• Represent 5 of the cohort
• Underachievers are more likely to be
• Boys
• White
• from deprived background
• with Special Educational Needs
• NEET or JWT at 16/17

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How does disengagement / underachievement happen?

• Crisis/event based
• Health/mental health problems, family breakdown,
  bereavement, bullying, pregnancy
• Gradual
• Often multiple factors feeding into process
  e.g. curriculum, peer group, aspirations

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What were their post 16 pathways?

• Range of post-16 destinations
• WBL, Employment, Further Education, NEET
• Shifting, fluid pathways
• NEET
• Diverse group (in and out of activity, caring
  responsibilities, continuously NEET)
• Barriers to participation included attainment at
  KS4, self-confidence, aspirations, lack of
  advice/support, finances, childcare

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How can we re-engage the disengaged?

• High quality Information, Advice and Guidance
• Curriculum that matches aspirations and interests
  with clear progression
• Work based learning / apprenticeships
• Autonomy and choice

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Activity Agreements Evaluation

• Financial incentives, intensive support and
  brokered activities for long-term NEET 16-17 year
  olds, overseen by DCSF.
• Aimed to encourage YP back into education,
  employment (preferably with learning) or
  training.
• 2 year programme from April 2006.
• 20 week programme.
• Evaluation carried out by IES, CEI and NatCen
  impact, process and programme theory.

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Who took part?

• 10,900 young people took part.
• Over 1/3 had irregular school attendance.
• Only 14 had 5 good GCSEs.
• Hardest to reach less likely to get involved.
• Participation lower than anticipated c.20 of
  long-term NEET (or 45 of those who had heard of
  AA) took part.

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How did Activity Agreements work?

• The Activity Agreements triangle
• Activities flexible, wide-ranging, tailored.
• Adviser intensive support, the first step to
  engagement.
• Allowance a hook to get people involved.
• Underpinned by the Agreement something for
  something
• Route through AA influenced by prior attainment.

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What difference did AA make?

• Positive impact on take-up of personal
  development.
• Positive impact on EET activities 3m later
  (13ppt).
• Positive impact on skills and confidence.
• Impact varies by prior attainment.
• higher attainers more likely to move to
  work-based training and to have engaged in some
  activity in the 12 months since becoming NEET.
• Lower attainers more likely to engage in
  learning.

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What are the messages for engaging young people?

• Recognise diverse needs of disengaged young
  people.
• Provide targeted intensive support during last
  years of school and beyond.
• Offer flexible, tailored activities that allow
  autonomy and match aspirations.

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Reports

• Pupils with declining attainment between Key
  Stages 3 and 4 Profiles, experiences, and impact
  of underachievement and disengagement (2009)
  DCSF RR086 Meg Callanan, Rachel Kinsella, Jenny
  Graham, Ola Turkzuk, Steven Finch
• Activity Agreement Pilots Evaluation Synthesis
  Report (2008) DCSF RR063 Jim Hillage, Claire
  Johnson, Becci Newton, Sue Maguire, Emily Tanner,
  Susan Purdon
• Evaluation of Activity Agreement Pilot Report of
  the Quantitative Evaluation (2009, forthcoming)
  DCSF.
  Emily Tanner, Susan Purdon, John DSouza, Steven
  Finch

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