Research shows that students’ choice of course when progressing to higher education (HE) is not always well predicted by their GCSE or Level 3 qualification results. This “mismatch” differs systematically by type of school attended and socio-economic status, with students from poorer backgrounds more likely to choose courses that are less stretching than they may have been capable of.
The higher-than-expected grades awarded under centre and teacher assessments during the pandemic will have influenced students’ choice of what to do next. However, previous research by the Education Policy Institute (EPI) shows that non-disadvantaged students experienced greater average grade increases than disadvantaged students, so any benefit was unlikely to be equitable.
In this context, the EPI and University College London undertook a collaborative project to extend the existing research on HE transitions and course selection to cover the cohorts who were awarded centre and teacher assessed grades. The study further adapted this methodology to apply to transitions between the end of Key Stage 4 and 16-19 study, providing the first measure of mismatch at this phase since the raising of the participation age and increased uptake in vocational qualifications. Beyond mismatch, this new research examined the types of 16-19 courses students from different backgrounds have chosen historically, how this varied in the years affected by the pandemic, and whether this was to their benefit or detriment in terms of course completion rates.
To launch the resulting research report, this event brought together politicians, policymakers, school leaders, sector experts and relevant third sector organisations to explore the results – and, importantly, to discuss the implications of teacher assessed grades for entry onto post-16 courses and how this evidence might inform future policy.
Partner with us
This was an invitation-only event as part of the Education Policy Institute’s partnership programme. To discuss running an event with EPI, please contact Tim Archer (tim.archer@epi.org.uk) or Adam Richards-Gray (adam.richards-gray@epi.org.uk) – or you can find out more about wider partnership opportunities here
