Question: when did school leaving age raised to 16
Answer: 1 September 1972

title: Raising of school leaving age in England and Wales
text: introduction of compulsory education in 1870. On 1 September 1972, the age was raised from 15 to 16, following preparations which began eight years earlier in 1964. This left a gap year of school leavers who, by law, had to complete an additional year of education from 1973 onwards. Many of the age raisings in the 19th and 20th centuries were aimed at generating more skilled labour by providing additional time for students to gain additional skills and qualifications. In recent years, government statistics showed that 11% of 16 to 18 year-olds were neither continuing their education after completion of