Pathways Study

A survey designed to find out about the experiences of students on post-16 education courses.

The Pathways Study is a survey designed to find out about the experiences of students on post-16 education programmes. It is a major piece of research into the ongoing reforms to post-16 education programmes.

The survey is a chance for students to let the Government know what they think about their A Level courses – what works well and what could be better. We want students to take this opportunity to have their voice heard and help shape future student experiences.

Who is carrying out the research?

NatCen Social Research (NatCen) and the National Foundation for Educational Research (NFER) are conducting the Pathways Study. NatCen is Britain’s largest independent social research agency. NFER is a leading educational research organisation. The study has been commissioned by the Department for Education.

What will taking part involve?

A 15-minute survey which you can complete online or over the phone with one of our telephone interviewers
You will be asked questions about your A Level courses, why you chose them and if you are satisfied with different aspects of them

What will happen to any information I give?

If you complete the survey, the information you provide will be used to give feedback to the Department for Education on what students like yourself think about their A Level courses.

Your answers and contact details will be stored securely in line with the UK General Data Protection Regulation. Any information you give will only be used for this study.

Your answers are confidential and will only be used for research purposes. We will delete any information which makes you identifiable at the end of the study.

Your name will not be shared with anyone outside the NatCen research team or mentioned in any future reports or publications about the survey.

Take part

Thank you for your interest in the Pathways Study. You can now take part in this year’s survey here.
Completing the questionnaire takes around 15 minutes.

Frequently asked questions

Who is doing the research, and who is funding it?

How did you get my contact details?

We have been provided with your personal contact information from the Individual Learner Record (ILR) and National Pupil Database (NPD) from DfE in line with UK General Data Protection (GDPR) requirements. DfE is the data controller for this data and they are supplied on the legal basis of Public Task. We will only use these details to contact you about this research study and will not pass them on to anyone else.

What will happen to the information I give?

Your answers and contact details will be stored securely in line with the UK GDPR. Any information you give will only be used for this study.

Your answers are confidential and will only be used for research purposes. We will delete any information which makes you identifiable at the end of the study.

How will my answers be used?

We are asking students across England to fill in the survey. We will collect and analyse the answers and write a report every year based on what we found.

You will be able to read each of the reports on the Department for Education’s website. You will not be named in any of the reports.

Do I have to take part?

Your views are important to us, but it is voluntary to take part in the research. You do not have to complete the survey if you do not want to.

Where can I find out more about the Pathways Study?

For more information, please visit our website natcen.ac.uk/PathwaysStudy, email us at Pathways@natcen.ac.uk or call on Freephone on 0800 652 9294.

Contact us

For more information, you can contact the NatCen Research team by calling 0800 652 9294 or emailing Pathways@natcen.ac.uk.

Privacy notice

In this privacy notice, we explain the legal basis for data processing, who will have access to your personal data, how your data will be used, stored and deleted and who you can contact with a query or a complaint.