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Education Continuation Rate

DfE Destinations

Last refreshed 30 January 2026 16:42
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Education Continuation Rate

DfE Destinations

Percentage of students continuing in education after leaving school

Understanding Education Continuation Rate

The Education Continuation Rate shows the percentage of students who progress to further or higher education after leaving school. This is a key indicator of how well a school prepares students for academic pathways beyond compulsory education.

What This Measure Captures

This metric includes students who go on to: - Higher Education: University degrees, foundation courses - Further Education: A-levels, BTECs, vocational qualifications - Other education: Apprenticeships with significant educational components

Why It Matters

A high education continuation rate suggests: - Students are well-prepared academically - The school provides effective careers guidance - Students have aspirations for continued learning - Teaching quality supports progression

Context for Interpretation

Different school types may have different patterns: - Sixth forms typically have high university progression - 11-16 schools feed into various post-16 providers - Technical schools may have more vocational pathways

Consider this alongside employment rates and NEET figures for a complete picture of student destinations.

Technical Details

Column Name
education_continuation_rate
Data Source
DfE Destinations

Coverage by School Phase

How many schools have data available for this field.

Primary
0% 0 / 17910
Secondary
0% 0 / 1263
Secondary with Sixth Form
87% 1785 / 2033
Sixth Form Only
88% 255 / 289
All-through
30% 81 / 269
Special
0% 0 / 2059
Independent
0% 3 / 1724
Good (80%+)
Moderate (50-79%)
Poor (<50%)

Score Weight by School Phase

How much this field contributes to the overall performance score.

Secondary with Sixth Form
20%
Sixth Form Only
40%

Distribution by School Phase

Statistical distribution of values across schools.

Min
1.0
Max
92.0
Mean
53.74
Median
53.67
Std Dev
15.35
Schools
2121
Secondary with Sixth Form (1785)
6
14
43
109
166
349
462
408
198
30
1 10 19 28 37 46 56 65 74 83 92
Sixth Form Only (255)
3
22
65
42
31
23
40
19
9
1
1 10 19 28 37 46 56 65 74 83 92
All-through (81)
2
1
7
10
18
26
15
2
1 10 19 28 37 46 56 65 74 83 92

Related Fields

Fields that correlate with Education Continuation Rate. Click to explore.

Positive correlation
Negative correlation