Over 1.6 million children and young people in England have an identified special educational need (SEN), representing 18.4% -- more than one in every six -- of all pupils currently in school. This report describes the lives of young people born in 1999/2000, who would have taken their GCSEs in the academic year 2014/15, and uses the SEN Code of…

Student satisfaction is both an important and yet controversial issue within the higher education sector, which is typically measured through policy-driven metrics such as the National Student Survey. However, less is understood about the qualities of a satisfying student experience 'as lived' from the perspective of the student, thus questioning…

Models of accrediting work-based learning are now commonplace in universities. The purpose of this viewpoint article is to highlight an opportunity for universities not only to accredit students' part-time work against the degree award but also to extend the process into schools by accrediting the part-time work undertaken by year 12 and 13…

This article discusses the educational, social and economic backgrounds of Access to Higher Education (AHE) students and how these factors influence students' choice of courses and colleges in which to pursue their desire to enter higher education (HE) despite the risks involved and the initial lack of confidence of many of them in their…

The combination of work and study has been hailed as crucial to ensure that youth develop the skills required on the labour market so that transitions from school to work are shorter and smoother. This paper fills an important gap in availability of internationally-comparable data. Using the 2012 Survey of Adult Skills (PIAAC), it draws a…

This study explored the perspectives of medical students from first-in-family (FiF) university backgrounds. Semi-structured interviews focused on steps into, and experiences of medical education, and effects of student identity on social networks. Twenty FiF medical students from one English medical school took part in qualitative interviews. Data…

Part-time undergraduate study is an important vehicle for social mobility, offering an opportunity for those whose work or family responsibilities make full-time study impractical and providing a 'second chance' for mature students who may not have followed the traditional route in school. This report investigates the dramatic decline in part-time…

This paper demonstrates how women who study childcare achieve congruence in their lives. Rather than simply juggling the needs of family, work and study in order to escape the domestic sphere, they choose to minimise dissonance, finding that parenting children, working with children and studying children creates a stable framework with reciprocal…

Students undertaking employment during term time is a growing phenomenon, and whilst there is an awareness that a large proportion of our undergraduates have part-time jobs, the type and extent of this work and the learning experiences gained is less clear. The purpose of this article is to outline research undertaken to determine the potential…

Notwithstanding the expansion of higher education across the OECD, there continues to be concern about the levels of participation amongst those from disadvantaged backgrounds. In response to this, a new form of financial support for students from low-income families, the "opportunity bursary", was introduced for a limited period in…

Interviews with 139 secondary teachers, 60 students, and 32 employers showed that employers provided work experience for public relations and recruitment purposes. Teachers felt students developed skills and experience of the world of work. Students gained skills and information and were able to sample jobs. Distinctions between structural and…

Students' post-compulsory pathways and occupational aspirations in the UK have been shown to differ considerably according to gender, social class and ethnicity. School-based work experience provides many pupils with their first significant encounters with the world of work, and is positioned as providing diverse experiences in this regard. Yet…

Describes the efforts of a project which attempted to meet the needs of pupils who have become disaffected with school. Discusses how the participating schools reorganized and worked to strengthen community relationships and to provide new directions in curriculum planning and program assessment and accreditation. (ML)

Director of Oxford University's Careers Service visited career services offices in the United States and reported to his colleagues how functions and deliveries in the United States compared to those in England. Includes excerpts from his analysis related to financial pressures, on-campus recruitment, programs and services, networking, and more.…

Three reports on further education and a new training initiative in Great Britain are presented, based on a 1982 meeting of the Association of Vice Principals of Colleges, England. In "The New Training Initiative," Graham Kendall considers the philosophy and the development of vocational preparation. Three aspects of the new training…