## June 2012 Statistical First Release Definitions

1
This document contains definitions and supporting information used in the June 2012 Statistical First Release (SFR) DS/SFR15 "Post 16 Education & Skills: Learner Participation, Outcomes and Level of Highest Qualifications Held". The release was
published on June 28th 2012 and is available at
http://www.thedataservice.org.uk/statistics/statisticalfirstrelease/sfr_current/
2
The Statistical First Release contains information on Metrics and Definitions used in the publication. This document provides this information in greater technical detail for each table in the SFR.
3
The data source for the majority of the tables in the publication is the Individualised Learner Record (ILR). Information on the collection of the ILR can be found on the information authority website at http://www.theia.org.uk/. Information on the specific data sources can be found in the SFR and within Annex A of this document.
4
The Data Service has produced a Data Dictionary which is a central repository of information on ILR data. It is organised in a hierarchical manner allowing users to 'drill down' from high level business definitions to more technical sample code. The Data Dictionary is referenced throughout this document and is available at http://www.thedataservice.org.uk/datadictionary/
5
Additional information is provided for Tables 12, 13 & 14 about the definitions in the Labour Force Survey and Vocational Qualifications Database.
6
For further information or feedback on this document, please contact the Data Service Service Desk using servicedesk@thedataservice.org.uk or telephone 08702 670001

## Contents Table Definitions

2006/07 to 2010/11
Table 1
6
Tables 2.1, 7.1 and 10.1
8 14
Tables 2.2, 7.2 and 10.2 Tables 2.3, 7.3 and 10.3
15
Tables 3.1, 3.2, 8.1 and 8.2
17
Tables 4, 9 and 11
20
Table 5.1 and 5.2
22
Table 6
23
Table 12 and 13
26 27
Table 14
2011/12
Tables 15, 16 and 17
28
Table 18.1 and 18.2
33
Table 19.1 and 19.2
34
Tables 20, 21 and 22
35
Table 23
37 38
Annex A - Data Sources

## Metrics

The 'metrics' or 'measurements' used in this SFR and supplementary tables are outlined below:

| Metric                                                                           | Definition                                                                  |
|----------------------------------------------------------------------------------|-----------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| Starts                                                                           | The number of courses or programmes that have begun in a given time period, |
| usually quarterly or annually.                                                   |                                                                             |
| A start is assigned to the quarter/year that it begun and is only counted once.  |                                                                             |
| However, a learner undertaking more than one qualification will be counted for   |                                                                             |
| each qualification/programme. For example, a learner starting an Intermediate    |                                                                             |
| Level Apprenticeship and then starting or transferring to an Advanced Level      |                                                                             |
| Apprenticeship will be counted as two starts.                                    |                                                                             |
| Starts are used in Apprenticeships and Workplace Learning. It is not generally   |                                                                             |
| used as a metric for Education and Training programmes - learner numbers         |                                                                             |
| (see below) are a more representative measure in Education and Training.         |                                                                             |
| The starts measure is helpful in determining the take-up of programmes, and is   |                                                                             |
| a key performance measure for Apprenticeships and Workplace Learning.            |                                                                             |
| Learner                                                                          |                                                                             |
| Numbers                                                                          |                                                                             |
| The number of people who are undertaking learning in a given time period,        |                                                                             |
| usually annually, or on a fixed date. Individual learners are defined by learner |                                                                             |
| reference numbers within each provider. A learner studying towards more than     |                                                                             |
| one qualification are counted once. A learner in multiple providers may be       |                                                                             |
| counted as multiple learners.                                                    |                                                                             |

This measure is helpful for quantifying the number of people that have participated in a given time period, and where a fixed date is used, can give an estimate of the percentage of people engaged in learning. Learner numbers in an academic year are historically a key performance indicator for FE colleges.

| Achievements                                                               |
|----------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| and, where appropriate, the certification obtained.                        |
| For Apprenticeship achievements 'framework achievement' requires all       |
| elements of the framework to be completed.                                 |
| This measure is useful as it shows the number of courses achieved in the   |
| sector. This measure is also a key performance measure for Apprenticeships |
| and Workplace Learning.                                                    |
| The cohort used to calculate Education and Training success rates is based |
| upon the academic year the learning aims are planned to finish in.         |
| Education and                                                              |
| Training                                                                   |
| Success Rates                                                              |

The success rate is calculated as the number of learning aims achieved divided by the number of starters, excluding any learners who transferred onto another qualification. Where a learner does transfer to a new qualification they are treated as a start on the new qualification and not the old one. As success rates are calculated at a qualification aim level, learners with more than one qualification aim will be included more than once. Learners who leave their programmes within six weeks of starting are excluded from the calculation.

This measure is a key performance indicator and used as part of the OFSTED inspection framework and the Framework for Excellence (Further Education Public Information). It is also used by the Skills Funding Agency in monitoring the performance of providers.

Technical information on the 2007/08 FE Success Rates methodology can be found at the following web page: http://www.thedataservice.org.uk/datadictionary/technicaldefinitions/derivedvari ables/0708/summary.htm Technical information on the 2008/09 FE Success Rates methodology can be found at the following web page: http://www.thedataservice.org.uk/datadictionary/technicaldefinitions/derivedvari ables/0809/summary.htm
Technical information on the 2009/10 Education and Training Success Rates methodology can be found at the following web page: http://www.thedataservice.org.uk/datadictionary/technicaldefinitions/derivedvari ables/0910/index+0910.htm
FE Retention Rates
The Retention Rate is a measure of the ability to complete the course of study for a qualification aim in the FE sector. There are two measures of retention rate, one for completers and a superseded measure including continuing aims, which is not reported in this SFR. The retention rate is calculated as the number of aims that have been completed divided by the total number of aims, excluding those that were transferred out from the aim. The retention rate including continuers is the number of aims that have been completed or are still being continued divided by the total number of aims, excluding those that were transferred out from the aim.
FE Achievement Rates
The Achievement Rate is a measure of the ability to pass a FE qualification having already completed the study for it. There are two measures of achievement rate, one for all completers and a superseded measure including all aims that have been completed and have a known outcome. The achievement rate for all completers is calculated as the number of aims that have been fully achieved divided by the number of aims that have been completed. The achievement rates for known outcomes is calculated as the number of aims that have been fully achieved divided by the number of aims that have been completed and have a known outcome.
Apprenticeship Success Rates
The cohort used to calculate Apprenticeship framework success rates is marginally different from that used for other success rates.

For a given year, the cohort includes all frameworks (i.e. the combined grouping of qualifications and not each individual qualification aim), whose planned end date is during the reporting year, which were achieved on or before that planned end date, plus any programmes that went beyond the planned end date and were either achieved or withdrawn from (i.e. are not still in progress) in the reporting year. Where a learner transfers to another framework, they are treated as a start on the new qualification and not the old one. Learners who leave their programmes within six weeks of starting are excluded from the calculations. Learners who leave programmes to take up alternative employment are classified as not having achieved. This measure is a key performance indicator and used as part of the OFSTED inspection framework and FE Choices. It is also used by the Skills Funding Agency in monitoring underperformance of providers.

Further information on Apprenticeship Success Rates can be found at the following web page: http://www.thedataservice.org.uk/datadictionary/technicaldefinitions/derivedvari ables/0910/index+0910.htm

## Table Definitions Table 1 All Age Demographic Summary Of Fe And Skills Participation (2010/11) - Learner Volumes

Published: January 2012


FE/LR (2010/11 - LR05 - final)

WBL/ER & TTG (20010/11 - ER15 - final)

ASL (2010/11 - SL05 - final)
Further information on data sources is available in Annex A.

## Definitions Used: Government Funded Learners. See Definition Above

This table summarises FE and Skills provision in 2010/11 for the following:
Apprenticeships - learners participating on a government funded Apprenticeship programme in 2010/11.

Education and Training - learners participating on government funded provision returned in the 2010/11 Learner Responsive collection.

Workplace Learning - learners participating on government funded Workplace Learning in
2010/11. Workplace Learning is all Employer Responsive provision that is not an apprenticeship programme.

Community Learning - learners participating on government funded provision returned in the
2010/11 Adult Safeguarded Learning collection, including learners on First Steps provision.

Age. Age is the learner's academic age for all funding streams. More information on age is described in table 2 below.

Gender. Gender is based upon self-declaration by the learner.

## Learners With Learning Difficulties And/Or Disabilities. Learners With Learning Difficulties And/Or Disabilities (Lldd) Is Based Upon Self-Declaration By The Learner.

Ethnicity. Ethnicity is based upon self-declaration by the learner. The ethnicity categories shown in table 1 are based on grouping the ethnicities declared by learners on the ILR as follows:

White

White - British

White - Irish

White - any other White background
Mixed

Mixed - White And Asian

Mixed - White And Black African

Mixed - White And Black Caribbean

Mixed - Any Other Mixed Background
Asian or Asian British

Asian or Asian British - Bangladeshi

Asian or Asian British - Indian

Asian or Asian British - Pakistani

Asian or Asian British - any other Asian background
Black or Black British

Black or Black British - African

Black or Black British - Caribbean

Black or Black British - any other Black background
Chinese or Other Ethnic Group

Chinese

Any other
Not Known/Not Provided

Not Known/ Not Provided
Supplementary Tables. No supplementary tables are provided for table 1, although supplementary information for tables 2, 7 & 10 do include further breakdowns for 2010/11. In addition, the October 2011 Statistical First Release included a similar table for FE and Skills participation in 2009/10 and this is also available in the FE and Skills supplementary table section of the SFR website.

## Tables 2.1, 7.1, 10.1 Fe And Skills Participation By Level And Age (2006/07 To 2010/11) - Learner Volumes

Published: January 2012

Data Source:
ILR data for:

FE/LR (2007/08 and earlier years - F05 - final, 2008/09 to 2009/10 - L05 - final, 2010/11 - LR05 - final)

WBL/ER (including Workplace Learning) (2007/08 and earlier years - W13 - final, 2008/09 - E13 - final, 2009/10– E15 - final, 2010/11 - ER15 - final )

ACL/ASL (2006/07 - C03 - final, 2007/08 - C03 - final, C02 - final, 2008/09 - C05 –
final, C04 - final, 2009/10 - C05 final, 2010/11 - SL05 - final)

UfI (2006/07 - U03 - final, 2007/08 - U05 - final, 2008/09 - U05 - final, 2009/10 - U05 final)
And Employer Training Pilot data. Further information on data sources is available in Annex A
Government Funded learners. Only learners that were funded by the Skills Funding Agency or the Young People's Learning Agency (previously the Learning and Skills Council) are included in this table. Learners are defined as funded based upon information recorded by providers in the funding stream field in the ILR. A learner will only be counted once in total learners for each funding stream they have learning aims in. Learners with aims in multiple funding streams will be counted more once for each funding stream. For learners prior to 2008/09, technical information on government funded learners can be found at http://www.thedataservice.org.uk/datadictionary/technicaldefinitions/derivedvariables/0809/L_FU ND.htm A new funding variable L_FUNDINGSOURCE has been introduced in the 2009/10 ILR collections to distinguish the sources of funding for learners. This variable has been retrospectively derived for most 2008/09 learners included in this table. Technical information on this field can be found in the 2009/10 Derived Variables Specification at http://www.thedataservice.org.uk/datadictionary/technicaldefinitions/derivedvariables/0910/Index +of+Derived+Variables+0910.htm Learners with any combination of Demand led funding (DLF), Non Formula funding and ESF (European Social Fund) co-financing are included, except for those with just ESF co-financing only. DLF learners without funding are not included. An exception to the L_FUND and L_FUNDINGSOURCE based funding rules is University for Industry (UfI) provision, which is block funded and not subject to normal learner funding rules. For 2007/08 to 2009/10 all active UfI learners are included, identified by the field L_ACTIVE. Technical information on this field can be found at http://www.thedataservice.org.uk/datadictionary/technicaldefinitions/derivedvariables/0809/L_A CTIVE+P_ACTIVE+A_ACTIVE.htm.

Age. Age is 'Academic Age' which means the learner's age calculated as at 31 August of the specified academic year. For example, 31 August 2007 for the 2007/08 academic year. Where the learner has not provided a date of birth they are recorded as 'missing age'. No academic age information is available for National Employer Service (NES) learners for the years prior to 2007/08. All NES learners are considered adults. In some supplementary tables age at start of programme is used as a proxy for academic age for NES learners. In these tables there are two categories of age, 'young people' which includes learners aged up to 19 years exclusive (i.e. age bands 'under 16' and '16-18') and 'adults' which means learners aged 19 and over including those learners with missing age. For the supplementary tables, age is disaggregated as follows; under 16, 16, 17, 18, 19-24, 25- 34, 35-44, 45-59, 60+ and unknown/missing age. All Train to Gain (a previous Workplace Learning programme) learners with age recorded as under-19 are assumed to be adult and included in the 19-24 category. Technical information on how age is calculated and banded can be found at http://www.thedataservice.org.uk/datadictionary/technicaldefinitions/derivedvariables/0809/AGE _DEFS.htm Below Level 2 (excluding Skills for Life). This includes learners who are funded by the Skills Funding Agency or Young People's Learning Agency and are on a qualification that is below Level 2, i.e. is Entry level or Level 1. This category excludes all Skills for Life qualifications, which are shown separately in the Skills for Life section. Learners who are doing more than one 'below Level 2 qualification' are counted once in this category, unless each qualification is in a different funding stream. Learners doing more than one qualification in different areas within the same funding stream would be counted once for each category. For example, a learner doing a 'below Level 2 qualification' and a 'Level 2 qualification' will be counted twice, once in each category. Technical information on analysing the level of the qualification can be found at http://www.thedataservice.org.uk/datadictionary/technicaldefinitions/derivedvariables/0809/A_N VQLEV+L_NVQLEV.htm The level of a qualification is set out by the National Qualifications Framework (NQF) and the Qualifications and Credit Framework (QCF). More information on the level of various qualifications and equivalencies between qualifications is available at http://www.ofqual.gov.uk/qualifications-assessments/89-articles/147-equivalent-qualifications Skills for Life. This includes learners who are funded by the Skills Funding Agency or Young People's Learning Agency and are on Skills for Life provision. Learners are included if they are eligible for Skills for Life funding. Learners studying approved and non-approved (internally certificated and externally accredited 'other provision') Skills for Life aims are included in the SFR.

Learners who are doing more than one 'Skills for Life' qualification are counted once in this category, unless each qualification is in a different funding stream. Whereas learners doing more than one qualification in different areas would be counted once for each category. For example, a learner doing a 'Skills for Life qualification' and a 'Level 2 qualification' will be counted twice, once in each category. Technical information on Skills for Life categories can be found at http://www.thedataservice.org.uk/datadictionary/technicaldefinitions/derivedvariables/0708/Skills +for+Life+Participation+%28A_SFLP%29Data+Definition.htm Full Level 2. This includes Skills Funding Agency or Young People's Learning Agency funded learners who are on a Full Level 2 programme. The widths (proportion of a full level ascribed by a single aim) of all of a learner's aims are summed to establish whether a learner is taking a Full Level 2 programme. This would include aims such as those shown in the table below. Learners only count as 'Full Level 2' if they meet the criterion of all their aims summing to or greater than 100% of a Full Level 2 - part-Level 2 learners are not included, for example those learners studying just 4 GCSE qualifications.

| Aim type                                            | Percentage of a                                     |
|-----------------------------------------------------|-----------------------------------------------------|
| full level 2                                        |                                                     |
| NVQ Level 2                                         | 100%                                                |
| GNVQ Intermediate (part GNVQs constitute 40%)       | 80%                                                 |
| GCSE                                                |                                                     |
| double                                              |                                                     |
| awards (including vocational GCSEs)                 | 40%                                                 |
| GCSE (including vocational GCSEs)                   | 20%                                                 |
| GCSE                                                |                                                     |
| short                                               |                                                     |
| courses                                             | 10%                                                 |
| 100%                                                | Other Vocationally Related Qualifications which are |
| 80% or more of a full level 2 - 325 guided learning |                                                     |
| hours or more                                       |                                                     |
| Intermediate Level Apprenticeship                   | 100%                                                |

The proportion of Full Level 2s that are First Full Level 2s is known as the 'Firstness Rate'. Further information on the Firstness Rate is available in a separate paper at http://www.thedataservice.org.uk/statistics/statisticalfirstrelease/methodogy/ Technical information on the calculation of Full Level 2 and 3 can be found at http://www.thedataservice.org.uk/datadictionary/technicaldefinitions/derivedvariables/0809/L_FU LLLEVEL2_3.htm Full Level 3. This includes Skills Funding Agency or Young People's Learning Agency funded learners who are on a Full Level 3 programme. The widths (proportion of a full level ascribed by a single aim) of all of a learner's aims are summed to establish whether a learner is taking a Full Level 3 programme. This would include aims such as those shown in the table below. Learners only count as 'Full Level 3' if they meet the criterion of all their aims summing to or greater than 100% of a Full Level 3 - part-level 3 learners are not included, for example learners studying just 2 AS level qualifications.

| Aim type                                                             | Percentage of   |
|----------------------------------------------------------------------|-----------------|
| a full level 3                                                       |                 |
| AS Levels (including VCEs)                                           | 25%             |
| A/ A2 levels (including VCEs)                                        | 50%             |
| Advanced GNVQ                                                        | 100%            |
| Advanced pilot 6 unit GNVQ                                           | 100%            |
| NVQ Level 3 or above                                                 | 100%            |
| International Baccalaureate                                          | 100%            |
| Other Vocationally Related qualifications which are 80% or more of a |                 |
| full level 3 - 595 guided learning hours or more                     |                 |
| 100%                                                                 |                 |
| Advanced Level Apprenticeship                                        | 100%            |
| Higher Apprenticeship                                                | 100%            |

The proportion of Full Level 3s that are First Full Level 3s is known as the 'Firstness Rate'. Further information on the Firstness Rate is available in a separate paper at http://www.thedataservice.org.uk/statistics/statisticalfirstrelease/methodogy/ Technical information on the calculation of Full Level 2 and 3 can be found at http://www.thedataservice.org.uk/datadictionary/technicaldefinitions/derivedvariables/0809/L_FU LLLEVEL2_3.htm Level 2. The number of learners undertaking Skills Funding Agency or Young People's Learning Agency funded Level 2 qualifications. This would include all learners that are doing full Level 2 programmes, as well as those that are doing part Level 2 qualifications, for example one GCSE. For 2008/09 and 2009/10, Level 2 also includes Train to Gain qualifications that are not full Level 2. Prior to 2008/09 all Train to Gain Level 2 learners were full Level 2. Learners who are doing more than one Level 2 qualification are just counted once in this category, unless each qualification is in a different funding stream. Learners doing more than one qualification at different Levels would be counted once for each category. For example, a learner doing a 'Level 2 qualification' and a 'Level 3 qualification' will be counted twice, once in each category. Technical information on analysing the level of the qualification can be found at http://www.thedataservice.org.uk/datadictionary/technicaldefinitions/derivedvariables/0809/A_N VQLEV+L_NVQLEV.htm Level 3. The number of learners undertaking Skills Funding Agency or Young People's Learning Agency funded Level 3 qualifications. This would include all learners that are doing full Level 3 programmes, as well as those that are doing part Level 3 qualifications, for example one AS level. For 2008/09 and 2009/10, Level 3 also includes Train to Gain qualifications that are not full Level 3. Prior to 2008/09 all Train to Gain Level 3 learners were full Level 3. For years prior to 2009/10, a small number of Higher Apprenticeships at Level 4 are included in Level 3. Learners who are doing more than one Level 3 qualification are just counted once in this category, unless each qualification is in a different funding stream. Whereas learners doing more than one qualification in different areas would be counted once for each category. For example, a learner doing a 'Level 2 qualification' and a 'Level 3 qualification' will be counted twice, once in each category. Technical information on analysing the level of the qualification can be found at http://www.thedataservice.org.uk/datadictionary/technicaldefinitions/derivedvariables/0809/A_N VQLEV+L_NVQLEV.htm

## Level 4+. The Number Of Learners Undertaking Skills Funding Agency Or Young People'S Learning Agency Funded Level 4 And Above Qualifications (Excluding Higher Apprenticeships).

Learners who are doing more than one Level 4 and above qualification are just counted once in this category, unless each qualification is in a different funding stream. Whereas learners doing more than one qualification in different areas would be counted once for each category. For example, a learner doing a 'Level 2 qualification' and a 'Level 4 qualification' will be counted twice, once in each category. Technical information on analysing the level of the qualification can be found at http://www.thedataservice.org.uk/datadictionary/technicaldefinitions/derivedvariables/0809/A_N VQLEV+L_NVQLEV.htm No Level Assigned. The number of learners undertaking Skills Funding Agency or Young People's Learning Agency funded qualification that does not have a level assigned to it. These qualifications have a level of X (not known or not applicable) or U (Unclassified) or M (Mixed levels). The majority of these learners are studying qualifications of level X, not known or not applicable. Technical information on analysing the level of the qualification can be found at http://www.thedataservice.org.uk/datadictionary/technicaldefinitions/derivedvariables/0809/A_N VQLEV+L_NVQLEV.htm Supplementary Tables. There are several supplementary tables for tables 2.1, 7.1, and 10.1
(participation tables). These supplementary tables breakdown the overall figures by:
Funding Stream - the funding stream of the ILR. More details on these can be found in Annex A. In 2008/09 Demand Led Funding (DLF) was introduced and changed the way data is collected and how learners are funded. This had a significant impact on how funded learners are defined from 2008/09 onwards, and therefore figures from 2008/09 are not directly comparable to earlier years. An overview of the main changes can be found below and further information on the effects of DLF on the count of learner numbers in the SFR can be found in a separate paper at http://www.thedataservice.org.uk/statistics/statisticalfirstrelease/methodogy/
Further information on demand led funding can be found at http://www.thedataservice.org.uk/datadictionary/businessdefinitions/Demand+Led+Funding.htm Firstness - alongside the funding stream split, adult figures will be published showing First Full Level 2 and First Full Level 3 participation volumes in each provision type. More information on firstness is above.

Geography - learners by region and either local authority (former Local Education Authority) or parliamentary constituency. These are based upon a learner's home postcode, field L17 in the ILR, matched to a postcode file to identify the region, parliamentary constituency or LA they live in. This could differ to where the learner receives their training. The postcode file used for the academic years 2006/07 to 2009/10 is the May 2010 Office of National Statistics postcode directory (ONSPD). This postcode file uses the revised parliamentary constituencies, more details on this change can be found at http://www.ons.gov.uk/ons/guide-method/geography/beginner-s-guide/electoral/westminsterparliamentary-constituencies/index.html. The postcode file used for the academic year 2010/11 is the May 2011 National Statistics Postcode Look-up (NSPL). This postcode file uses a different methodology to allocate postcodes to higher geographies than is used for the ONSPD and is the approved means of reporting geographic statistics for producers of National Statistics.

Age - These tables show broad ages of young people and adult. The additional information breaks this down further into Under 16, 16, 17, 18, 19-24, 25-34, 35-44, 45-59, 60+ & unknown age. Further information on the age calculation can be found above.

Ethnicity - This is the ethnic origin of the learner as declared by the learner. It is field L12 of the ILR and the categories are based on the 2001 census.

Gender - This is the gender of the learner as declared by the learner. It is field L13 in the ILR. Learners with Learning Difficulties and/or Disabilities and/or Health Problems - This is a self declared field in the ILR which flags if the learner considers him/herself to have a learning difficulty and/or disability and/or health problem. The categories are Yes, No and No information provided. This is field L14 in the ILR.

Sector Subject Area - this is the sector subject of the learner aims as coded in the Learning Aims Database (LAD). More information on LAD is at http://www.thedataservice.org.uk/Services/DataCollection/software/lad/

## Tables 2.2, 7.2, 10.2 Fe And Skills Achievement By Level And Age (2006/07 To 2010/11) - Learner Volumes Published: January 2012

Data Source:
ILR data for:

FE/LR (2007/08 and earlier years - F05 - final, 2008/09 to 2010/11 - L05 - final)

WBL/ER (including Workplace Learning) (2007/08 and earlier years - W13 - final, 2008/09 - E13 - final, 2009/10– E15 - final, 2010/11 - ER15 - final )

ACL/ASL (2006/07 - C03 - final, 2007/08 - C03 - final, C02 - final, 2008/09 - C05 - final, C04 - final, 2009/10 - C05 final)

UfI (2006/07 - U03 - final, 2007/08 - U05 - final, 2008/09 - U05 - final, 2009/10 - U05 final)
And Employer Training Pilot data. Further information on data sources is available in Annex A
All definitions are the same as table 1.1, 2.1 and 3.1 but showing achievements rather than learner numbers.

Supplementary Tables. There are several supplementary tables for tables 2.2, 7.2, and 10.2
(achievement tables). The splits are the same as for tables 2.1, 7.1 and 10.1.

## Tables 2.3, 7.3 And 10.3 Education And Training Success Rates And Apprenticeship Success Rates By Level And Age (2006/07 To 2010/11) - Percentages

Published: January 2012
Data Source:
ILR data for:


FE/LR (2007/08 and earlier years - F05 - final, 2008/09 to 2010/11 - L05 - final)

WBL/ER (including Workplace Learning) (2007/08 and earlier years - W13 - final, 2008/09 - E13 - final, 2009/10 - E15 - final, 2010/11 - ER15 - final )
Further information on data sources is available in Annex A
Education and Training Success Rates - A summary of the definition and a link to the web page containing the detailed definition is available in the metrics section above.

Apprenticeship Success Rates - A summary of the definition and a link to the web page containing the detailed definition is available in the metrics section above.

Government funded - Education and Training success rates are based on cohorts of learning aims and the cohort is included where at least one learning aim is Skills Funding Agency or Young People's Learning Agency funded. The cohort used to calculate Education and Training success rates is based upon the academic year the qualification aim is planned to finish in.

Age - For Education and Training success rates, age is calculated as at 31 August on the year the qualification started. This is the same definition used for table 1.1, 2.1 and 3.1, where further information on age calculation is available. For Apprenticeships age is calculated as at the start of the programme. Technical information on how age is calculated and banded can be found at http://www.thedataservice.org.uk/datadictionary/technicaldefinitions/derivedvariables/0809/AGE _DEFS.htm Skills for Life - The definition for Skills for Life is set out above, although in success rates only those that are coded as Skills for Life in the Learning Aims Database (LAD) are counted in the calculation. Further information on the LAD can be found at http://www.thedataservice.org.uk/Services/DataCollection/software/lad/
Full Level 2 - For Education and Training success rates, as the rate is measured at learning aim level rather than learner level; only those learning aims that are full Level 2 within their own right are included in the success rate. See the types of aim that are flagged as 100% of a full Level 2 in the definition above. For Apprenticeships, all Apprenticeships at Level 2 are 100% of a full Level 2 and are therefore all included in the success rate calculation.

Full Level 3 - For Education and Training success rates, as the rate is measured at learning aim level rather than learner level; only those learning aims that are full Level 3 within their own right are included in the success rate. See the types of aim that are flagged as 100% of a full Level 3 in the definition above For Apprenticeships, all Advanced Level Apprenticeships at Level 3 and Higher Apprenticeships are 100% of a full Level 3, therefore all are included in the success rate.

Supplementary Tables. The breakdowns used in the supplementary tables are the same as used in tables 2.1, 7.2 and 10.3. Information on the definitions of these breakdowns are available above.

## Tables 3.1, 3.2, 8.1 And 8.2 Apprenticeship Programme Starts By Level And Age (2006/07 To 2010/11) Apprenticeship Framework Achievements By Level And Age (2006/07 To 2010/11)

Published: January 2012


WBL/ER (2007/08 and earlier years - W13 - final, 2008/09 & 2009/10 - E13 - final, 2010/11 - ER15 - final)
Further information on data sources is available in Annex A.
Government funded. Providers are only requested to return information on funded frameworks. See definition above. All starts and achievements recorded in the ILR are reported.

Starts. The definition is available in the metrics section above. Age. Age is calculated as at the start of the programme. This differs to tables showing apprenticeship participation alongside figures for other funding streams (tables 1, 2, 4, 7 & 9 - 11) where academic age is used for consistency with other funding streams, except those showing success rates. Apprenticeships can begin at any point in the academic year so it is more appropriate to report the age of learners at the start of their programme. Age is broken down into learners aged Under 19, 19-24 and those aged 25 and over.

Quarter –Totals for the quarters of the academic year. Starts are identified by the period the learner started the programme. Achievements are identified by the period the learner finished the Framework. Academic quarters are:


Quarter 1 - 1 August to 31 October

Quarter 2 - 1 November to 31 January

Quarter 3 - 1 February to 30 April

Quarter 4 - 1 May to 31 July
Framework Achievements. Achievement of the full Apprenticeship framework is counted, which is consistent with the Apprenticeship success rate. An Apprenticeship framework consists of an NVQ, one or more Key Skills qualifications and a Technical Certificate. The level of an apprenticeship is determined by the overall framework type (Intermediate Level, Advanced Level & Higher) not the underlying aims.

Supplementary Tables. These tables have several sets of supplementary tables which break the information in the main tables into further detail. These supplementary tables are an extension to the main table and cover the years 2002/03 to 2010/11 and provisional in-year data for 2011/12. The definitions for Table 18 include more information about 2011/12 data. These tables detail the information by:
Quarter - see above. Geography - learners by region and either local authority (former Local Education Authority) or parliamentary constituency. These are based upon a learner's home postcode, field L17 in the ILR, matched to a postcode file to identify the region, parliamentary constituency or the LA they live in. This could differ to where the learner receives their training. Technical information on calculation of the learners' geographies can be found at http://www.thedataservice.org.uk/datadictionary/datasets/1011/postcode_reference_dataset_10
11.htm Age - These tables show broad ages of young people and adult. The additional information breaks this down further into Under 16, 16, 17, 18, 19-24, 25-34, 35-44, 45-59, 60+, 'missing age'. Further information on the age calculation can be found above.

Ethnicity - This is the ethnic origin of the learner as declared by the learner. It is field L12 of the ILR and the categories are based on the 2011 UK census, as this is the ethnicity classification collected in the 2011/12 ILR. This is a different classification of ethnicity to those used in other supplementary tables. More information on this classification is available in the ILR specification for 2011/12.

Gender - This is the gender of the learner as declared by the learner. It is field L13 in the ILR. Learners with Learning Difficulties and/or Disabilities and/or Health Problems - This is a self declared field in the ILR which flags if the learner considers him/herself to have a learning difficulty and/or disability and/or health problem. The categories are Yes, No and No information provided. This is field L14 in the ILR.

Sector Framework Code - this is the sector framework code of the programme aim of the Apprenticeship - field A26 in the ILR. In 2010/11 new frameworks were introduced that are compliant with the new Specifications of Apprenticeships Standards for England (SASE). These new frameworks have been grouped in this release's supplementary tables so that volumes may be meaningfully compared with volumes for earlier years. In general, these groups take the framework description of an earlier pre-SASE framework. A new supplementary table with apprenticeship starts and achievements by ungrouped framework for 2010/11 only has also been published. More information on SASE frameworks is available at: http://www.afo.sscalliance.org/introductiontoframeworks/recentchanges.cfm Subject Sector Area - this is the sector subject of the learner aims as coded in the Learning Aims Database (LAD). More information on the LAD is at:
http://www.thedataservice.org.uk/Services/DataCollection/software/lad/ For 2008/09 onwards the sector subject area of an Apprenticeship framework is determined by its sector framework code's value in an index of frameworks to areas. For previous years the sector subject area was coded on the ILR return for the programme aim. These supplementary tables are available at: http://www.thedataservice.org.uk/statistics/statisticalfirstrelease/sfr_supplementary_tables/Appr

## Tables 4, 9 And 11 Fe And Skills - Skills For Life Participation And Achievement By Level (2006/07 To 2010/11) - Learner Volumes

Published: June 2012 (REVISED)


FE/LR (2007/08 and earlier years - F05 - final, 2008/09 to 2009/10 - L05 - final, 2010/11 - LR05 - final)

WBL/ER (including Workplace Learning) (2007/08 and earlier years - W13 - final, 2008/09 - E13 - final, 2009/10– E15 - final, 2010/11 - ER15 - final )

ACL/ASL (2006/07 - C03 - final, 2007/08 - C03 - final, C02 - final, 2008/09 - C05 –
final, C04 - final, 2009/10 - C05 final, 2010/11 - SL05 final)

UfI (2006/07 - U03 - final, 2007/08 - U05 - final, 2008/09 - U05 - final, 2009/10 - U05 final)
And Employer Training Pilot data. Further information on data sources is available in Annex A.

## Definitions Used: Government Funded Learners. See Definition Above.

REVISION - These tables were revised in the June 2012 SFR. Prior to June 2012 all Skills for Life tables (including tables 20-22) counted learners twice in the 'of which' categories if they had both an approved and non-approved Skills for Life aim in the same category of level/type. [insert some text from Katherine's revision note plus link]. A note with more information on this revision is available at: http://www.thedataservice.org.uk/NR/rdonlyres/907339C7-439B-43D8-9831- C957BD130A83/0/SFL_Revision_June12.pdf Skills for Life - The definition in tables 4, 9 & 11 is the same as previous tables, see definition above. Learners who are doing more than one Skills for Life qualification are counted once in the total but can be counted more than once if they are doing Skills for Life qualifications in more than one category. For example, a learner doing a 'Level 1 maths qualification' and an 'entry level English qualification' will be counted twice, once in each category. Additionally, a learner participating on a 'Level 1 English qualification' and a 'Level 2 English qualification' would be counted in each of those categories but only once in the overall English category. Learners may also be counted multiple times if they are doing qualifications in different funding streams. Further technical information on Skills for Life can be found at: http://www.thedataservice.org.uk/datadictionary/technicaldefinitions/derivedvariables/0809/A_S FL+L_SFL.htm Further information on Skills for Life can be found at: http://rwp.excellencegateway.org.uk/
Skills for Life Types (English, Maths and ESOL). The number of learners participating and that have achieved is broken down into Skills for Life type. Skills for Life aims can be split into three types - English, Maths or English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL). An aim is considered to be each Skills for Life type if the Learning Aims Database (LAD) indicates that it is within that category. From 2011/12 the Learning Aims Database is replaced by the Learning Aims Reference Database (LARA). Technical information can be found at http://www.thedataservice.org.uk/datadictionary/technicaldefinitions/derivedvariables/0809/A_S FLTY.htm Level: Entry, 1 and 2. The number of learners participating and that have achieved is broken down into level within each Skills for Life type. This is Entry Level, Level 1 and Level 2. There are no Skills for Life aims at levels higher than Level 2.

Technical information on analysing the level of the qualification can be found at http://www.thedataservice.org.uk/datadictionary/technicaldefinitions/derivedvariables/0809/A_N VQLEV+L_NVQLEV.htm Supplementary Tables. Several supplementary tables breakdown the participation and achievement numbers in tables 4, 9 & 11 by:
Geography - learners by region and either local authority (former Local Education Authority) or parliamentary constituency. These are based upon a learner's home postcode, field L17 in the ILR, matched to a postcode file to identify the region, parliamentary constituency or the local authority they live in. This could differ to where the learner receives their training. Technical information on calculation of the learners' geographies can be found at http://www.thedataservice.org.uk/datadictionary/datasets/1011/postcode_reference_dataset_10 11.htm Each geographic supplementary table is available for all ages, 16-18 and 19+ separately.

Age - This table shows broad ages of young people and adults. The additional information breaks this down further into Under 16, 16, 17, 18, 19-24, 25-34, 35-44, 45-59, 60+ and 'missing age'. Further information on the age calculation can be found above.

Ethnicity - This is the ethnic origin of the learner as declared by the learner. It is field L12 of the ILR and the categories are based on the 2001 census.

Gender - This is the gender of the learner as declared by the learner. It is field L13 in the ILR. Learners with Learning Difficulties and/or Disabilities and/or Health Problems - This is a self-declared field in the ILR which flags if the learner considers him/herself to have a learning difficulty and/or disability and/or health problem. The categories are Yes, No and No information provided. This is field L14 in the ILR. These supplementary tables are available at: http://www.thedataservice.org.uk/statistics/statisticalfirstrelease/sfr_supplementary_tables/furthe r_education_skills/

## Tables 5.1 And 5.2 Workplace Learning Starts By Level (2006/07 To 2010/11) Workplace Learning Achievements By Level (2006/07 To 2010/11)

Published: January 2012


WBL/ER (TTG) (2007/08 and earlier years - W13 - final, 2008/09 & 2009/10 - E13 - final, 2010/11 - ER15 - final)
And Employer Training Pilot data for 2006/07.
Further information on data sources is available in Annex A.

Government funded. All Workplace learners are funded. Workplace Learning includes Train to Gain and other Employer Responsive provision (except Apprenticeships).

Starts. The definition is available in the metrics section above. Age. Age is calculated as at the start of the programme. This differs to tables 1, 2, 4, 7 & 9 -
11 (except those showing success rates), where academic age is used for consistency with other funding streams.

Level. Starts and Achievements are broken down into level. Information on the definition of each level is set out above. Information on Skills for Life is also described in previous tables and can be found using this link. Skills for Life starts and achievements may be at Entry Level, Level 1 or Level 2.

Supplementary Tables. These tables have several supplementary tables which break the information in the main tables into further detail. These supplementary tables also include provisional data for Workplace Learning in 2011/12 (see definitions of table 19 for more information about this data). These supplementary tables detail the information by Quarter, Geography, Age, Ethnicity, Gender, Learners with Learning Difficulties and/or Disabilities and Sector Subject Area. These breakdowns use the same definitions as the supplementary tables for Apprenticeship starts and achievements in tables 3.1, 3.2, 8.1 & 8.2 above. This includes the use of the 2011 UK census classification of ethnicity.

## Table 6 Community Learning (2006/07 To 2010/11) Participation And Achievement By Type - Learner Volumes

Published: January 2012


FE/LR (2007/08 and earlier years - F05 - final, 2009/10 - L05 - final)

ACL/ASL (2006/07 and earlier years - C03 - final, 2007/08 - C03 - final, C02 - final, 2008/09 - C05 - final, C04 - final, 2009/10 - C05 - final, 2010/11 - SL05 - final )
Further information on data sources is available in Annex A.

## Definitions Used: Government Funded Learners. See Definition Above

Community Learning funded. This table only includes government funded learners that are funded from the Community Learning budget. Learners funded from the discrete First Steps budget are not included. Learners are included for the 4 types of Community Learning provision: Personal and Community Development Learning (PCDL), Neighbourhood Learning in Deprived Communities (NLDC), Family Literacy Language and Numeracy (FLLN) and Wider Family Learning (WFL). The way these learners are identified from the ILR has varied from 2006/07 onwards - this is explained below.

Total Learners - 2006/07 to 2007/08. Total participating and achieving learners for 2005/06 to
2007/08 are all learners returned in the Adult Community Learning funding stream plus all learners returned in the FE funding stream with aims that are one of the Community Learning provision types, excluding all First Steps learners, except for 2006/07 where First Steps learners cannot be accurately separated from other Community Learning learners.

Total Learners - 2008/09. Total participating and achieving learners for 2008/09 are all learners returned in the Adult Safeguarded Learning (ASL) funding stream with aims that are one of the Community Learning provision types, excluding all First Steps learners. No learners returned in the Learner Responsive (LR) funding stream are included.

Total Learners - 2009/10. Total participating and achieving learners for 2009/10 are all learners returned in the ASL funding stream with aims that are one of the Community Learning provision types, excluding all First Steps learners. In addition 28,200 ASL learners returned in the LR collection of 5 specially designated colleges are included as, in 2009/10 only, these were funded from the Community Learning budget.

Total Learners - 2010/11. Total participating and achieving learners for 2010/11 are all learners returned in the ASL funding stream with aims that are one of the Community Learning provision types, excluding all First Steps learners.

Provision Type. For the years 2006/07 and 2007/08, provision type is determined by the learning aim monitor ILR field (A46). These codes can be found in Appendix O of the 2007/08 ILR specification: http://www.theia.org.uk/NR/rdonlyres/7F2257E7-4774-4FE1-8EE2- 5B8DF2B88332/0/natilrspecification2007_08annexosp23March2008v3.doc The values used to identify the ASL provision types are:


23 - Family Literacy Language and Numeracy (FLLN)

24 - Wider Family Learning (WFL)

61 - Personal and Community Development Learning (PCDL)

65 - Neighbourhood Learning in Deprived Communities (NLDC)
Community Learning provision type cannot be accurately identified in 2005/06 due to the quality of data returned in the learning aim monitor field. However, this field is used to identify Community Learning learners in the FE collection. First Steps provision cannot be accurately identified for 2006/07, although other Community Learning provision types can be identified, including learners in the FE collection. For 2007/08 First Steps is determined and therefore excluded from the total by counting learners in the ACL collection with aims that are not any of the four provision types listed above. No First Steps learners are returned in the FE collection. From 2008/09 onwards, all provision types are determined by the Community Learning provision type ILR field (A58). The values used are:


01 - Personal and Community Development Learning (PCDL)

02 - Neighbourhood Learning in Deprived Communities (NLDC)

03 - Family Literacy Language and Numeracy (FLLN)

04 - Wider Family Learning (WFL)
Supplementary Tables. Supplementary tables for Community Learning will be published for the first time after the June 2012 SFR.

Geography - learners by region. These are based upon a learner's home postcode, field L17 in the ILR, matched to a postcode file to identify the region they live in. This could differ to where the learner receives their training. Technical information on calculation of the learners' geographies can be found at http://www.thedataservice.org.uk/datadictionary/datasets/1011/postcode_reference_dataset_10
Age - These tables show broad ages of young people and adult. The additional information breaks this down further into Under 16, 16, 17, 18, 19-24, 25-34, 35-44, 45-59, 60+, 'missing age'. Further information on the age calculation can be found above.

Ethnicity - This is the ethnic origin of the learner as declared by the learner. It is field L12 of the ILR and the categories are based on the 2001 census.

Gender - This is the gender of the learner as declared by the learner. It is field L13 in the ILR. Learners with Learning Difficulties and/or Disabilities and/or Health Problems - This is a self declared field in the ILR which flags if the learner considers him/herself to have a learning difficulty and/or disability and/or health problem. The categories are Yes, No and No information provided. This is field L14 in the ILR.

In addition, further information on Community Learning enrolments is available in the Data Service's MI Library at: http://mireportslibrary.thedataservice.org.uk/asl/

## Tables 12 And 13 Labour Force Survey Supplementary Tables Labour Force Survey And Annual Population Survey Supplementary Tables By Local Level Published: March 2012

Data Source: Quarter 4 2011 Labour Force Survey for national figures and 2011 Annual Population Survey for local area figures. More information on the data used is available at: http://www.thedataservice.org.uk/NR/rdonlyres/65A455F8-EDFA-4FF2-93C2- 82270F76408B/0/MeasuringAdultEducationalAttainmentUsingtheLabourForceSurvey.pdf

A separate document summarising the methodology used to calculate estimates of adult educational attainment using the Labour Force Survey is available at the following web page: http://www.thedataservice.org.uk/statistics/statisticalfirstrelease/methodogy/ The document also provides a comparison with latest available estimates using the old methodology.

Age. Age is the age of the respondent as at the end of the week in which they were interviewed in.

## Labour Force Survey Supplementary Tables These Tables Provide Information On Highest Qualification Levels Held By People In England. These Tables Breakdown This Information By:

Geography - The region of respondents' main address. This is the variable GOVTOR on the
LFS.
Ethnicity - This is the ethnic origin of the respondent. It is the variable ETH01 on the LFS. Gender - This is the gender of the respondent. It is the variable SEX on the LFS.
Disability Status - This is the DISCURR variable in the LFS which shows their disability status under the Disability Discrimination Act (DDA), based on any health problems they have reported. These tables are available at: http://www.thedataservice.org.uk/statistics/statisticalfirstrelease/sfr_supplementary_tables/labou r_force_survey_sfr_supplementary_tables/
Annual Population Survey Supplementary Tables These tables provide information on highest qualification level of people held in England, broken down by Local Area District,/Unitary Authority, Local Education Authority and Government Office Region.

Geography - respondents' region, Local Education Authority and Unitary Authority / Local Area District. These are the variables GOVTOR, LEA and UALAD on the AFS. These tables are also available at: http://www.thedataservice.org.uk/statistics/statisticalfirstrelease/sfr_supplementary_tables/labou r_force_survey_sfr_supplementary_tables/

## Table 14 Vocational Qualification Achievements In The Uk By Qualification Type, 2006 (October) To 2012 (March)

Published: May 2012 Data Source: Vocational Qualifications Database

Vocational Qualifications Database. All recognised awarding organisations submit data to Ofqual each quarter on the number of achievements for regulated qualifications (excluding GCSE and GCE) during the quarter. These bulletins present this data, giving information on number of achievements recorded by awarding organisations, and the sector subject area, qualification type and level of achievements. All regulated qualifications are included, regardless of age of learner, centre type and funding status of the qualification.

Geographical coverage. The data covers the regulated qualifications of all recognised awarding organisations in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. Currently only one figure for the total number of achievements for each qualification is collected, so it is not possible to present the data at country level.

Qualification type. At the point of accreditation, regulated qualifications are allocated to one of
16 qualification types, which are used to classify qualifications in these bulletins. It is recognised that this is not currently an ideal classification system, as very similar qualifications may appear under different types, and some qualifications are miscoded. We are investigating how this situation might be improved in the future.

Revisions. Once published, data on the number of certifications for any qualification are not usually subject to revision. Data may be revised in subsequent bulletins due to late-received data or if an error is identified. Qualifications may also be re-categorised to a different type, level, sector subject area or awarding organisation. In some cases, this may result in previous data being amended to reflect the new categorisation.

Completeness of the data. Data is sent to Ofqual every quarter by each awarding organisation. Any data not returned within the collection period is chased to ensure the data is as complete as possible.

Raw data. The raw data, since 1989, is available in the full VQ certification data set in the statistics section of Ofqual's website: http://www.ofqual.gov.uk/research-and-statistics/statistics/vocational-data/

## Tables 15, 16, 17 Fe And Skills Participation By Level And Age (Provisional 2011/12 In-Year Estimates - August To April) - Learner Volumes

Published: June 2012
Data Source:
ILR data for:


Single ILR (2011/12 - R11 - 08/06/2012)

Employer Outcomes Pilot (2011/12 - R11 - 08/06/12)
The Data Service and *the information authority* introduced a Single ILR collection in 2011/12 to replace the multiple ILR collection types that were collected in previous years. There are no longer separate collections for different funding streams (e.g. Employer Responsive and Learner Responsive) and providers return all of their learners in a single file. The only exception to this is the Employer Outcomes Pilot data collection. In this pilot large employers (those with 5,000+ employees) are now funded outside of the existing funding system and return data for their learners in a separate collection to the ILR. Further information on data sources is available in Annex A

In-year. For 2011/12, August 2011 to April 2012 inclusive. Government funded learners. Only learners that were funded by the Skills Funding Agency or Young People's Learning Agency are included in this table. Learners are defined as funded based upon information recorded by providers in the Skills Funding Agency / Young People's Learning Agency funding stream field in the ILR. Learners are counted once in Total Learners regardless of how many aims they have in the ILR collection. Learners are no longer counted once for each funding stream as they are not separate ILR collections for each funding stream in 2011/12. A new funding variable L_FUNDINGSOURCE was introduced in the 2009/10 ILR collections to distinguish the sources of funding for learners. Technical information on this field can be found in the 2011/12 Derived Variables Specification at http://www.thedataservice.org.uk/datadictionary/technicaldefinitions/derivedvariables/1112/index _of_derived_variables_1112.htm Learners with any combination of Demand led funding (DLF), Non Formula funding and ESF (European Social Fund) co-financing are included, except for those with just ESF co-financing only. DLF learners without funding are not included.

Age. Age is 'Academic Age' which means the learner's age calculated as at 31 August of the specified academic year. For example 31 August 2011 for the 2011/12 academic year. Where the learner has not provided a date of birth they are recorded as 'missing age'. In these tables there are two categories of age, 'young people' which includes learners aged up to 19 years exclusive (i.e. age bands 'under 16' and '16-18') and 'adults' which means learners aged 19 and over including those learners with missing age. Technical information on how age is calculated and banded can be found at http://www.thedataservice.org.uk/datadictionary/technicaldefinitions/derivedvariables/1112/Age+ Data+Definition+1112.htm Below Level 2 (excluding Skills for Life). This includes learners who are funded by the Skills Funding Agency or Young People's Learning Agency and are on a qualification that is below level 2, i.e. is Entry level or level 1. This category excludes all Skills for Life qualifications, which are shown separately in the Skills for Life section. Learners who are doing more than one 'below level 2 qualification' are counted once in this category, including learners with Below Level 2 qualifications in more than one funding model, as there are not separate ILR collections in 2011/12. Learners doing more than one qualification in different areas would be counted once for each category. For example, a learner doing a 'below level 2 qualification' and a 'level 2 qualification' will be counted twice, once in each category. Technical information on analysing the level of the qualification can be found at http://www.thedataservice.org.uk/datadictionary/technicaldefinitions/derivedvariables/1112/A_N VQLEV+L_NVQLEV.htm Skills for Life. This includes learners who are funded by the Skills Funding Agency or Young People's Learning Agency and are on Skills for Life provision. Learners are included if they are eligible for Skills for Life funding by the Skills Funding Agency or Young People's Learning Agency. Learners studying approved and non-approved (internally certificated and externally accredited 'other provision') Skills for Life aims are included in the SFR.

Learners who are doing more than one 'Skills for life' qualification are counted once in this category, including learners with Skills for Life qualifications in more than one funding model, as there are not separate ILR collections in 2011/12. Whereas learners doing more than one qualification in different areas would be counted once for each category. For example, a learner doing a 'Skills for Life qualification' and a 'level 2 qualification' will be counted twice, once in each category. Technical information on Skills for Life categories can be found at http://www.thedataservice.org.uk/statistics/statisticalfirstrelease/methodogy Full Level 2. This includes Skills Funding Agency or Young People's Learning Agency funded learners who are on a Full Level 2 programme. The widths of all of a learner's aims are summed to establish whether a learner is taking a Full Level 2 programme. This would include aims such as those shown in the table below. Learners only count as 'Full Level 2' if they meet the criterion of all their aims summing to or greater than 100% of a Full Level 2 - part-level 2 learners are not included, for example those learners studying just 4 GCSE qualifications.

| Aim type                                            | Percentage of a                                     |
|-----------------------------------------------------|-----------------------------------------------------|
| full level 2                                        |                                                     |
| NVQ level 2                                         | 100%                                                |
| GNVQ Intermediate (part GNVQs constitute 40%)       | 80%                                                 |
| GCSE                                                |                                                     |
| double                                              |                                                     |
| awards (including vocational GCSEs)                 | 40%                                                 |
| GCSE (including vocational GCSEs)                   | 20%                                                 |
| GCSE                                                |                                                     |
| short                                               |                                                     |
| courses                                             | 10%                                                 |
| 100%                                                | Other Vocationally Related Qualifications which are |
| 80% or more of a full level 2 - 325 guided learning |                                                     |
| hours or more                                       |                                                     |
| Intermediate Level Apprenticeship                   | 100%                                                |

Technical information on the calculation of Full Level 2 and 3 can be found at http://www.thedataservice.org.uk/datadictionary/technicaldefinitions/derivedvariables/1112/L_FU LLLEVEL2_3.htm Full Level 3. This includes funded learners who are on a Full Level 3 programme. The widths of all of a learner's aims are summed to establish whether a learner is taking a Full Level 3 programme. This would include aims such as those shown in the table below. Learners only count as 'Full Level 3' if they meet the criterion of all their aims summing to or greater than 100% of a Full Level 3 - part-level 3 learners are not included, for example learners studying just 2 AS level qualifications.

| Aim type                                            | Percentage of a                                     |
|-----------------------------------------------------|-----------------------------------------------------|
| full level 3                                        |                                                     |
| AS Levels (including VCEs)                          | 25%                                                 |
| A/ A2 levels (including VCEs)                       | 50%                                                 |
| Advanced GNVQ                                       | 100%                                                |
| Advanced pilot 6 unit GNVQ                          | 100%                                                |
| NVQ Level 3 or above                                | 100%                                                |
| International Baccalaureate                         | 100%                                                |
| 100%                                                | Other Vocationally Related qualifications which are |
| 80% or more of a full level 3 - 595 guided learning |                                                     |
| hours or more                                       |                                                     |
| Advanced Level Apprenticeship                       | 100%                                                |
| Higher Apprenticeship                               | 100%                                                |

Technical information on the calculation of Full Level 2 and 3 can be found at http://www.thedataservice.org.uk/datadictionary/technicaldefinitions/derivedvariables/1112/L_FU LLLEVEL2_3.htm Level 2. The number of learners undertaking funded level 2 qualifications. This would include all learners that are doing full level 2 programmes, as well as those that are doing part level 2 qualifications, for example one GCSE. Learners who are doing more than one level 2 qualification are counted just once in this category, including learners with level 2 qualifications in more than one funding model, as there are not separate ILR collections in 2011/12., Learners doing more than one qualification at different levels would be counted once for each category. For example, a learner doing a 'level 2 qualification' and a 'level 3 qualification' will be counted twice, once in each category.

Technical information on analysing the level of the qualification can be found at http://www.thedataservice.org.uk/datadictionary/technicaldefinitions/derivedvariables/1112/A_N VQLEV+L_NVQLEV.htm Level 3. The number of learners undertaking funded level 3 qualifications. This would include all learners that are doing full level 3 programmes, as well as those that are doing part level 3 qualifications, for example one AS level. Higher Apprenticeships at level 4 are included in level 3. Learners who are doing more than one level 3 qualification are just counted once in this category,. including learners with level 3 qualifications in more than one funding model, as there are not separate ILR collections in 2011/12. Whereas learners doing more than one qualification in different areas would be counted once for each category. For example, a learner doing a 'level 2 qualification' and a 'level 3 qualification' will be counted twice, once in each category. Technical information on analysing the level of the qualification can be found at http://www.thedataservice.org.uk/datadictionary/technicaldefinitions/derivedvariables/1112/A_N VQLEV+L_NVQLEV.htm Level 4+. The number of learners undertaking Skills Funding Agency or Young People's Learning Agency funded level 4 and above qualifications (excluding Higher Apprenticeships). Learners who are doing more than one level 4 and above qualification are just counted once in this category, including learners with level 4+ qualifications in more than one funding model, as there are not separate ILR collections in 2011/12. Whereas learners doing more than one qualification in different areas would be counted once for each category. For example, a learner doing a 'level 2 qualification' and a 'level 4 qualification' will be counted twice, once in each category. Technical information on analysing the level of the qualification can be found at http://www.thedataservice.org.uk/datadictionary/technicaldefinitions/derivedvariables/1112/A_N VQLEV+L_NVQLEV.htm No Level Assigned. The number of learners undertaking Skills Funding Agency or Young People's Learning Agency funded qualification that does not have a level assigned to it. These qualifications have a level of X (not known or not applicable) or U (Unclassified) or M (Mixed levels). The majority of these learners are studying qualifications of level X, not known or not applicable.

Technical information on analysing the level of the qualification can be found at http://www.thedataservice.org.uk/datadictionary/technicaldefinitions/derivedvariables/1112/A_N VQLEV+L_NVQLEV.htm Supplementary Tables. No supplementary tables are provided for tables 15-17. 2011/12 data will be added to supplementary tables for tables 2, 7 & 10 when near-final full-year data is available at the end of the 2011/12 academic year.

Provisional Lag. Provisional FE and Skills numbers for 2011/12 are not comparable with the final FE and Skills data for previous years' reported in tables 2, 7 & 10. There can be significant variation between provisional and final estimates and typically these numbers can be expected to be revised upwards

## Tables 18.1 And 18.2 Apprenticeship Programme Starts By Level And Age (Provisional 2011/12 In-Year Estimates - August To April) Apprenticeship Framework Achievements By Level And Age (Provisional 2011/12 In-Year Estimates - August To January)

Published: June 2012
Data Source:
ILR data for:

Single ILR (2011/12 - R11 - 08/06/12)


Employer Outcomes Pilot (2011/12 - R08 - 06/06/12)
Further information on data sources is available in Annex A.

Definitions Used:
Quarter 1. For 2011/12, August to October 2011 inclusive. Quarter 2. For 2011/12, November 2011 to January 2012 inclusive. Quarter 3. For 2011/12, February 2012 to April 2012 inclusive.

Government funded. Providers are only requested to return information on funded frameworks, all starts and achievements recorded in the ILR/EOP are reported.

Starts. The definition is available in the metrics section above. Age. Age is calculated as at the start of the programme. Age is broken down into learners aged Under 16, 16-18, 19-24 and those aged 25 and over.

Framework Achievements. Achievement of the full Apprenticeship framework is counted, which is consistent with the Apprenticeship success rate. An Apprenticeship framework consists of an NVQ, one or more Key Skills qualifications and a Technical Certificate.

Supplementary Tables. Provisional Apprenticeship data for 2011/12 is included in the table 3
& 8 supplementary tables.

Provisional Lag. Provisional Apprenticeship numbers for the first 3 quarters of 2011/12 are not comparable with previous years' final data reported in tables 3 & 8. There can be significant variation between provisional and final estimates and typically these numbers can be expected to be revised upwards. While subsequent revisions to 2011/12 data may be different from previous years, in 2010/11 the final number of starts for the first 3 quarters was up to approximately 0.2% higher and the final number of achievements was up to approximately 4.5% higher than the provisional numbers at a similar point. For information the corresponding rises in 2009/10 were 1.5% for starts and 4.8% for achievements.

## Tables 19.1 And 19.2 Workplace Learning Starts By Level (Provisional 2011/12 In-Year Estimates - August To April) Workplace Learning Achievements By Level (Provisional 2011/12 In-Year Estimates - August To April)

Published: June 2012
Data Source:
ILR data for:

Single ILR (2011/12 - R08 - 08/06/12)
Further information on data sources is available in Annex A.

Definitions Used:
Quarter 1. For 2011/12, August to October 2011 inclusive. Quarter 2. For 2011/12, November 2011 to January 2012 inclusive. Quarter 3. For 2011/12, February 2012 to April 2012 inclusive.

Workplace Learning. This table also includes achievements for Train to Gain qualifications which were started prior to 2011/12.

Government funded. All Workplace learners are funded. Starts. The definition is available in the metrics section above. Age. Age is calculated as at the start of the programme. Level. Starts and Achievements are broken down into level. Information on the definition of each level is set out above. Information on Skills for Life is also described in previous tables and can be found using this link. Starts and Achievements classified as 'other' are qualifications that either have no level assigned or are level 2 or 3 but not full qualifications.

Supplementary Tables. Provisional Workplace Learning data for 2011/12 is included in the table 5 supplementary tables.

Provisional Lag. Provisional Workplace Learning numbers for 2011/12 are not comparable with the final Workplace Learning data for previous years' reported in table 5. There can be significant variation between provisional and final estimates and typically these numbers can be expected to be revised upwards, although the effects of changes to the types of programme offered in Workplace Learning between 2005/06 and 2011/12 mean revisions to data cannot be estimated.

## Tables 20, 21, 22 Fe And Skills - Skills For Life Participation By Level (Provisional 2011/12 In-Year Estimates - August To April) - Learner Volumes

Published: June 2012
Data Source:
ILR data for:


Single ILR (2011/12 - R11 - 08/06/12)

Employer Outcomes Pilot (2011/12 - R11 - 08/06/12)
Further information on data sources is available in Annex A.

Definitions Used:
In-year. For 2011/12, August 2011 to April 2012 inclusive. Government funded learners. Only learners that were funded by the Skills Funding Agency or Young People's Learning Agency are included in this table. Learners are defined as funded based upon information recorded by providers in the Skills Funding Agency / Young People's Learning Agency funding stream field in the ILR. Learners are counted once in Total Learners regardless of how many aims they have in the ILR collection. Learners are no longer counted once for each funding stream as they are not separate ILR collections for each funding stream in 2011/12. A new funding variable L_FUNDINGSOURCE was introduced in the 2009/10 ILR collections to distinguish the sources of funding for learners. Technical information on this field can be found in the 2011/12 Derived Variables Specification at http://www.thedataservice.org.uk/datadictionary/technicaldefinitions/derivedvariables/1112/index _of_derived_variables_1112.htm Learners with any combination of Demand led funding (DLF), Non Formula funding and ESF (European Social Fund) co-financing are included, except for those with just ESF co-financing only. DLF learners without funding are not included.

Skills for Life - The definition in tables 20-22 is the same as previous tables, see definition above. The revised methodology introduced to tables 4, 9 & 11 in June 2012 has also been applied to these tables. Learners who are doing more than one Skills for Life qualification are counted once in the total but can be counted more than once if they are doing Skills for Life qualifications in more than one category. For example, a learner doing a 'level 1 maths qualification' and an 'entry level English qualification' will be counted twice, once in each category. Additionally, a learner participating on a 'level 1 English qualification' and a 'level 2 English qualification' would be counted in each of those categories but only once in the overall English category. Further technical information on Skills for Life can be found at http://www.thedataservice.org.uk/datadictionary/technicaldefinitions/derivedvariables/1112/A_S FL+L_SFL.htm Further information on Skills for Life can be found at:
http://rwp.excellencegateway.org.uk/
Skills for Life Types (English, Maths and ESOL). The number of learners participating is broken down into Skills for Life type. Skills for Life aims can be split into three types - English, Maths or English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL). An aim is considered to be the Skills for Life type if the Learning Aims Reference Application (LARA) indicates that it is within that category. This application replaced the Learning Aims Database (LAD) in 2011/12. Technical information can be found at: http://www.thedataservice.org.uk/datadictionary/technicaldefinitions/derivedvariables/1112/A_S FLTY.htm Level: Entry, 1 and 2. The number of learners participating and that have achieved is broken down into level within each Skills for Life type. This is Entry level, level 1 and level 2. There are no Skills for Life aims at levels higher than level 2.

Technical information on analysing the level of the qualification can be found at http://www.thedataservice.org.uk/datadictionary/technicaldefinitions/derivedvariables/1112/A_N VQLEV+L_NVQLEV.htm Supplementary Tables. No supplementary tables are provided for table 20-22. 2011/12 data will be added to supplementary tables for tables 4, 9 & 11 when final full-year data is available after the end of the 2011/12 academic year. Provisional Skills for Life numbers for 2011/12 are not comparable with the final Skills for Life data for previous years' reported in tables 4, 9 & 11. There can be significant variation between provisional and final estimates and typically these numbers can be expected to be revised upwards

## Table 23 Community Learning Participation By Type (Provisional 2011/12 In-Year Estimates - August To April) - Learner Volumes

Published: June 2012

Data Source:
ILR data for:

Single ILR (2011/12 - R11 - 08/06/12)
Further information on data sources is available in Annex A.

Definitions Used:
In-year. For 2011/12, August 2011 to April 2012 inclusive.

## Government Funded Learners. See Definition Above

Community Learning funded. This table only includes government funded learners that are funded from the Community Learning budget. Learners funded from the discrete First Steps budget are not included. Learners are included for the 4 types of Community Learning provision: Personal and Community Development Learning (PCDL), Neighbourhood Learning in Deprived Communities (NLDC), Family Literacy Language and Numeracy (FLLN) and Wider Family Learning (WFL).

Provision type. For 2011/12, all provision types are determined by the Community Learning provision type ILR field (A58). The values used are:


01 - Personal and Community Development Learning (PCDL)

02 - Neighbourhood Learning in Deprived Communities (NLDC)

03 - Family Literacy Language and Numeracy (FLLN)

04 - Wider Family Learning (WFL)
Supplementary Tables. No supplementary tables are provided for table 23 although supplementary tables for Community Learning in 2005/06 to 2010/11 (table 6) will be provided for the first time after the June 2012 SFR. 2011/12 data will be added to supplementary tables for table 6 when near-final full-year data is available at the end of the 2011/12 academic year. Provisional Community Learner numbers for 2011/12 are not comparable with the final Community Learning data for previous years' reported in table 6. There can be significant variation between provisional and final estimates and typically these numbers can be expected to be revised upwards

## Data Sources

Individualised Learner Record (ILR)
Data at an individual qualification aim and learner level are returned to the Data Service by FE sector partners in the form of the Individualised Learner Record (ILR). These data are then used to inform the public about performance in the sector. Prior to the 2011/12 academic year there were multiple ILR collection types for a variety of funding types. The Data Service and *the information authority* introduced a Single ILR collection in 2011/12 to replace the multiple ILR collection types that were collected in previous years. There are no longer separate collections for different funding streams (e.g. Employer Responsive and Learner Responsive) and providers return all of their learners in a single file. The only exception to this is the Employer Outcome Pilot data collection. In this pilot large employers (those with 5,000+ employees) are now funded outside of the existing funding system and return data for their learners in a separate collection to the ILR.

| Funding Stream                                               | Data Sources                                |
|--------------------------------------------------------------|---------------------------------------------|
| FE Providers (FE)                                            | 2007/08 and earlier years - ILR F05 - final |
| Learner Responsive (LR)                                      | 2008/09 & 2009/10 - ILR L05 - final         |
| 2010/11 - ILR LR05 - final                                   |                                             |
| 2011/12 - ILR R11 - 08/06/2012                               |                                             |
| 2007/08 and earlier years - ILR W13 - final                  | Work-based learning (WBL) -                 |
| including data on                                            |                                             |
| Apprenticeships and Workplace                                |                                             |
| Learning                                                     |                                             |
| 2008/09 & 2009/10 - ILR E13 - final                          |                                             |
| 2010/11 - ILR ER15 - 21/11/2011                              |                                             |
| 2011/12 - ILR R11 - 08/06/2012                               |                                             |
| Employer Responsive (ER) -                                   |                                             |
| includes data on                                             |                                             |
| Apprenticeships and Workplace                                |                                             |
| Learning                                                     |                                             |
| Employer Training Pilot (ETP)                                | 2006/07 - ETP database                      |
| UfI / Learndirect (UfI)                                      | 2006/07 - ILR U03 - final                   |
| 2007/08 to 2009/10 - ILR U05 - final                         |                                             |
| Note - UfI data is returned in the Learner Responsive/Single |                                             |
| ILR collection from 2010/11 onwards.                         |                                             |
| Adult Community Learning                                     |                                             |
| (ACL)                                                        |                                             |
| 2006/07 and earlier years - ILR C03 - final                  |                                             |
| 2007/08 - ILR C03 - final, C02 - final                       |                                             |
| Safeguarded Adult Learning                                   |                                             |
| (ASL)                                                        |                                             |
| 2008/09 - ILR C05 - final, C04 - final                       |                                             |
| 2009/10 - ILR C05 - final                                    |                                             |
| 2010/11 - ILR SL05 - final                                   |                                             |
| Community Learning                                           | 2011/12 - ILR R11 - 08/06/2012              |

## Geographic Reference Data

The postcode file used to determine geographic areas for 2005/06 to 2009/10 is the Office of National Statistics Postcode Directory (ONSPD). The May 2010 release of this file is used. For 2010/11 onwards the National Statistics Postcode Lookup (NSPL) is used in response to a requirement from ONS for national statistics to use an alternative methodology for geographic allocation of postcodes. This is not used for any earlier years. Finalised data for 2010/11 uses the May 2011 release of the NSPL. Data for 2011/12 uses the May 2012 release of the NSPL from the June 2012 release onwards. Previous data for 2011/12 in the March and January 2012 releases used the May 2011 release of NSPL.

## The Level Of Highest Qualification Held By Adults

The statistics provided are taken from the Quarter 4 2011 Labour Force Survey (LFS) carried out by the Office for National Statistics from October to December 2011, using the information collected about the highest qualification held by individuals. From 2004 onwards statistics relating to changes in attainment of 19 year olds at Level 2 and monitoring progress towards young people's attainment targets are based on a new administrative data source published by the Department for Education. More information regarding the methodology can be found here: http://www.thedataservice.org.uk/statistics/statisticalfirstrelease/methodogy/