More inclusive secondary schools see fewer students dropping out of education and becoming "NEET", according to new research from Leeds academics.
Schools which are considered more inclusive because they use fewer suspensions, support lower achieving pupils to make good progress and have their own post-16 provision see fewer young people dropping out of education or training after Year 11, the data shows.
Schools gather information on their pupils' destinations after GCSEs, with young people who do not stay in education or move on to training or apprenticeships being considered Not in Education, Employment or Training (NEET).
Lead researcher Robin Evans, PhD candidate in Leeds Institute of Data Analytics, said: "Our research shows that inclusion isn't just a buzzword - it works. Some schools are already getting this right, so if we want to reduce the number of young people becoming NEET, we need accountability measures that value what truly makes a difference."
Researchers analysed national-level DfE data for every mainstream secondary school in England - just over 3000 schools in total - over three academic years 2021/22 – 2023/24. They looked at post-16 destinations – i.e. what school leavers were doing up to six months after finishing Year 11 - and markers of the school's culture and characteristics
Schools were considered "more inclusive" if they:
• Have lower suspension rates and use restorative behaviour policies
• Have higher Progress 8 scores showing they support lower-attaining pupils to make strong progress and catch up with their peers
• Have on-site post-16 provision/ sixth form for pupils to stay in the school after GCSEs
Key findings
Ms Evans' analysis, published in the Royal Society Open Science, shows that schools with lower suspension rates, higher Progress 8 scores and their own post-16 provision have fewer pupils becoming NEET.
Single sex and faith schools all showed lower NEET rates, and together these five characteristics – along with variables controlled for in the study - explain 80 per cent of variation in NEET rates.
These findings illustrate the value of inclusivity in schools, and its importance for young people's life chances, the researchers said.
Since 2014, young people have been required by law to stay in education or training until the age of 18. NEET rates have been stagnant for 12 years: 4.6% of 16 and 17-year-olds were NEET in 2024, 4.5% in 2012.
In November 2025 the government launched a formal inquiry – The Milburn Review - into why so many young people are dropping out of education or training. The Schools White Paper published in February 2026 stressed a focus on inclusivity and belonging in schools and proposed changes to Progress measures and suspensions.
