Employment: Learning Disability

(asked on 20th February 2018) - View Source

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, pursuant to the Answer of 22 December 2017 to Question 120167, what employment-related statistics for students with learning difficulties the Government collects.


Answered by
Sam Gyimah Portrait
Sam Gyimah
This question was answered on 28th February 2018

To observe transitions between education and employment, the Department for Education relies on data matching between its own administrative sources on educational activities and other data held by Her Majesties Revenue and Customs, the Department for Work and Pensions, and local authority data.

Outputs from the matched data have been successful in showing the positive outcomes of learners who have recently completed education, without placing any additional burden on schools or other education providers.

Outcomes for school and college students reaching the end of key stage 4 (KS4) (compulsory schooling) and key stage 5 (KS5) (16 to 18 study) are published in the publication ‘Destinations of KS4 and KS5 pupils’, which uses a concept of sustained destinations (to education, any employment or training) in its measures. Students are counted in the employment category only if they were not also in education in each of the six months considered.

The publication includes outcomes at national and local authority level for those identified as having special educational needs (SEN) or disabilities in schools, and learners with a learning difficulty or disability (LLDD) in colleges. From 2016 young people with a SEN are grouped into those with an Education, Health and Care (EHC) plan and those identified as requiring support and, at KS4, information on primary need type is also given. Information about destinations after KS5 is only available for students who completed level 3 (advanced) qualifications meaning many SEN or LLDD learners aged 16 to 18 are not currently in scope for these statistics. The publication is available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/destinations-of-ks4-and-ks5-pupils-2016.

Additionally, destinations of adult (19+) further education and all age apprenticeships are published. This publication presents sustained employment for all completers, regardless of education destination. Other definitions and reporting timelines are consistent with those used in ‘Destinations of KS4 and KS5 pupils’. Learners can be identified using the category ‘Learners with Learning Difficulties and/or Disabilities (LLDD)’. The publication is available at:

https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/further-education-outcome-based-success-measures-2014-to-2015.

In addition to data collected by government, the Higher Education Statistics Agency collects and publishes information on the “Destinations of leavers from Higher Education”. This publication identifies employment outcomes of leavers from UK higher education institutions six months after graduating, and includes information for students identified as having a disability. The publication is available at: https://www.hesa.ac.uk/news/29-06-2017/sfr245-destinations-of-leavers.

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