Apply to access the Longitudinal Education Outcomes (LEO) dataset
Source: gov.uk (2025-07-17)

Guidance on how to apply to access the LEO standard extract through the Office for National Statistics secure research service.

About the LEO standard extract

The LEO standard extract connects individuals’ education data with their employment, benefits and earnings data to create a de-identified person level administrative dataset.

The LEO standard extract is a relational database comprising a range of tables where researcher access is restricted on a needs basis.

The capacity to analyse these longer-term labour market outcomes together, at person level, enables developments in the assessment of education policy and provision with greater accuracy than ever before.

The Department for Education are the owners of the LEO data and the data made available to researchers is known as the LEO standard extract. Access to the data is made from requests, via the Office of National Statistics Secure Research Service (ONS SRS).

Apply to access the LEO standard extract though the ONS SRS

Applications to access variables within the standard extract are open.

Only fully accredited researchers (https://www.ons.gov.uk/aboutus/whatwedo/statistics/requestingstatistics/approvedresearcherscheme#working-on-research-projects) can apply.

Before you apply, read the ONS guidance and support for applicants (https://www.ons.gov.uk/aboutus/whatwedo/statistics/requestingstatistics/approvedresearcherscheme).

The ONS has also published a frequently asked questions document (https://ons.metadata.works/browser/dataset/369/0), in the LEO Standard Extract entry in the ONS Data Catalogue.

The variable request form (https://www.ons.gov.uk/aboutus/whatwedo/statistics/requestingstatistics/secureresearchservice/discoversecureresearchdata) detailing the variables available can be found here under ‘Related downloads’. This document is a form of meta data for the LEO standard extract and is crucial for users to understand the data and choose the variables they need.

A user guide for working with the LEO standard extract is also available to researchers within the SRS and in the research community library in the Knowledge Hub (https://khub.net/group/longitudinal-education-outcomes-via-ons-srs-research-community/group-home). It can also be supplied by request for those not able to access the SRS or Knowledge Hub.

Apply via the ONS Research Accreditation Service (RAS) (https://researchaccreditationservice.ons.gov.uk/ons/ONS_homepage.ofml).

Project eligibility

Each project must demonstrate a clear public benefit and commit to publish its research outcomes.

The Department for Education (DfE) will ensure that any projects that are permitted to work with these data are fully compliant with the Digital Economy Act (chapter 5, section 64) (https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2017/30/section/64).

Terms and conditions for accessing the extract

Fully accredited UK Statistics Authority (UKSA) researchers are required to work within the constraints of their accreditation and training as well as the ONS Five Safes (https://www.ons.gov.uk/aboutus/whatwedo/statistics/requestingstatistics/approvedresearcherscheme#the-five-safes) model of data protection. Researchers are also required to sign a DfE Individual Declaration Form and return it to ONS prior to accessing the data.

Further information can be found on the ONS Secure Research Service (SRS) website (https://www.ons.gov.uk/aboutus/whatwedo/statistics/requestingstatistics/approvedresearcherscheme).

The Higher Education and Research Act 2017 (https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2017/29/section/79/enacted) permits the sharing of Universities and Colleges Admissions Service (UCAS) data to approved persons doing:
- applying for admission on to higher education courses provided by English higher education providers, or
- considering whether to accept an offer for admission on such a course from such a provider
- research into equality of opportunity
- research areas approved by the Secretary of State
How applications are assessed

Stage 1. Applications are received and checked by the ONS Project Accreditation Service for SRS (PASS).

Stage 2. Applications that pass the initial process are scrutinised and approved or rejected by:
- Department for Education
- HM Revenue and Customs
- Department for Work and Pensions
Stage 3. Applications that are approved are then scrutinised and accredited or rejected by the Research Accreditation Panel (https://uksa.statisticsauthority.gov.uk/digitaleconomyact-research-statistics/research-accreditation-panel/).

Further information

The LEO standard extract is iteratively being developed and updated. DfE will review its use and make improvements to it over time.

An update to the LEO via ONS’s SRS service in November 2023 means that organisation-level data can be linked to LEO data. In order to comply with the Digital Economy Act (DEA), this data must be pseudonymised before it can be linked (https://www.ons.gov.uk/aboutus/whatwedo/statistics/requestingstatistics/secureresearchservice/discoversecureresearchdata).

Research teams will need to possess strong Structured Query Language (SQL) skills to be able to work effectively with the extract.

There is limited direct analytical support available to researchers. However a research community and knowledge base which includes a resource library and researcher forum is available at the Knowledge Hub (https://khub.net/group/longitudinal-education-outcomes-via-ons-srs-research-community/group-home). The ONS has published information on how to access the research community (https://ons.metadata.works/browser/dataset/369/0).

Access to data will be provided to accredited projects. Physical copies of data will not be provided. Accredited projects will work through the ONS’s Secure Research Service (https://www.ons.gov.uk/aboutus/whatwedo/statistics/requestingstatistics/approvedresearcherscheme#introduction) to access the data.

Information about personal data

For more information about how the government shares and uses personal data as part of the LEO programme please refer to the Longitudinal education outcomes study: how we use and share data (https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/longitudinal-education-outcomes-study-how-we-use-and-share-data).

You can also find out more about how the ONS shares and uses personal data (https://www.ons.gov.uk/aboutus/transparencyandgovernance/dataprotection) and how HESA shares and uses personal data (https://www.hesa.ac.uk/about/regulation/data-protection/notices).

Contact details

For any queries regarding access to LEO data within this service please contact xxx@xxx.xx (mailto:xxx@xxx.xx).

For any queries regarding the LEO Programme itself please contact xxx@xxx.xx (mailto:xxx@xxx.xx).