National Pupil Database Research Articles

Reliability of Longitudinal Social Surveys of Access to Higher Education: The Case of Next Steps in England

Longitudinal social surveys are widely used to understand which factors enable or constrain access to higher education. One such data resource is the Next Steps survey comprising an initial sample of 16,122 pupils aged 13–14 attending English state and private schools in 2004, with follow up annually to age 19–20 and a further survey at age 25. The Next Steps data is a potentially rich resource for studying inequalities of access to higher education. It contains a wealth of information about pupils’ social background characteristics—including household income, parental education, parental social class, housing tenure and family composition—as well as longitudinal data on aspirations, choices and outcomes in relation to education. However, as with many longitudinal social surveys, Next Steps suffers from a substantial amount of missing data due to item non-response and sample attrition which may seriously compromise the reliability of research findings. Helpfully, Next Steps data has been linked with more robust administrative data from the National Pupil Database (NPD), which contains a more limited range of social background variables, but has comparatively little in the way of missing data due to item non-response or attrition. We analyse these linked datasets to assess the implications of missing data for the reliability of Next Steps. We show that item non-response in Next Steps biases the apparent socioeconomic composition of the Next Steps sample upwards, and that this bias is exacerbated by sample attrition since Next Steps participants from less advantaged social backgrounds are more likely to drop out of the study. Moreover, by the time it is possible to measure access to higher education, the socioeconomic background variables in Next Steps are shown to have very little explanatory power after controlling for the social background and educational attainment variables contained in the NPD. Given these findings, we argue that longitudinal social surveys with much missing data are only reliable sources of data on access to higher education if they can be linked effectively with more robust administrative data sources. This then raises the question—why not just use the more robust datasets?

Mental health difficulties, attainment and attendance: a cross-sectional study.

Evidence for the association between mental health difficulties and academic outcomes is sparse and shows mixed results. The aim of this study was to investigate the association between educational attainment, absenteeism and mental health difficulties while controlling for various child characteristics such as special educational needs and socioeconomic background. 15,301 Year 7 pupils (mean age 11.91; SD = 0.28) from England completed the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire. Attainment, persistent absenteeism and child characteristics were derived from the National Pupil Database. Multilevel regression analysis showed that mental health difficulties were negatively associated with attainment and positively associated with persistent absenteeism. When all mental health difficulties were modelled simultaneously, behavioural difficulties, hyperactivity/attention difficulties and difficulties with peers were negatively associated with attainment. Emotional difficulties and hyperactivity/attention difficulties were positively associated with persistent absenteeism. The results of the current study highlight the importance of integration between mental health support and policy creation in relation to mental health difficulties and wellbeing in schools.

How Trajectories of Disadvantage Help Explain School Attainment

This article illustrates the links between different ways of assessing disadvantage at school and subsequent qualification outcomes at age 16 in England. Our previous work has compared variables that represent current or recent snapshots of disadvantage (such as eligibility for free school meals [FSM]) with long-term summary variables and found the latter to improve measures of both social segregation between schools and explanations of raw-score differences in attainment. This new work takes an even more detailed longitudinal approach, modeling the course of one age cohort of 550,000 pupils from the National Pupil Database through their entire schooling to the age of 16 in 29 distinct analytical steps, using “effect” sizes, correlations, and a regression model. The steps represent stages such as what is known about each pupil when they were born, who they attended school with at age 10, and where they lived at age 14. The model also includes variables representing where data are missing for any pupil in any year. Using capped Key Stage 4 points as an outcome measure, these stages can predict the outcome with R = .90. This is considerably higher than for models using either snapshots or summaries of disadvantage. Key predictors are poverty and special educational needs at age 5, and throughout schooling, coupled with prior attainment at ages 6, 10, and 13. With predictors fed into the model in life order, there is little evidence of differential progress for different language and ethnic minority groups and no evidence of regional differences or a type of school effect. The article concludes with the implications of these results for assessing disadvantage when considering school contexts and for policy makers. Given the small but apparently consistent negative school composition “effects” in every year, one clear implication is that school intakes should be as mixed as possible both socially and academically.

An approach to linking education, social care and electronic health records for children and young people in South London: a linkage study of child and adolescent mental health service data

ObjectivesCreation of linked mental health, social and education records for research to support evidence-based practice for regional mental health services.SettingThe Clinical Record Interactive Search (CRIS) system was used to extract...

The mathematical backgrounds of undergraduates from England

Participation in any kind of mathematical study during upper secondary education in England is significantly lower than in other educational systems. As a result, many English students enter university at age 18 or 19 having not studied mathematics for 2 years or more and relatively large proportions of students entering numerate degree programmes do not have a qualification in advanced school mathematics. To date, the mathematical preparation of those university entrants who do not have an advanced school mathematics qualification has not been documented. This study addressed this by analysing a large dataset formed from the combination of two large national databases in England: the National Pupil Database and the Higher Education Statistical Agency Database (N = 253,557). This dataset provided the school mathematics qualifications of undergraduates from England across all degree subjects, who took General Certificate of Secondary Education (GCSE) Mathematics in 2008 and entered a UK university between 2010 and 2012. The study found that approximately 10% of undergraduates did not have a C grade at GCSE Mathematics, which is commonly assumed to be a minimum requirement for entry to university. In general, degree subjects with more mathematical demand recruited students with stronger mathematical backgrounds: 64% of undergraduates in subjects with high mathematical demand had an advanced school mathematics qualification compared to 24% in subjects with medium mathematical demand and 12% in subjects with low mathematical demand. For some university subjects with high and medium mathematical demand, for example Electronic and Electrical Engineering, there were substantial proportions of students with weak school mathematics backgrounds. There was considerable variation across universities with undergraduates in the high-status Russell Group institutions having stronger school mathematics qualifications within the same degree subject.

More than the sum of its parts: Cumulative risk effects on school functioning in middle childhood.

Risk factors for poor school functioning rarely occur in isolation, but instead are likely to cluster together. As they accumulate, cumulative risk theory (CRT) predicts that the likelihood of negative outcomes increases, often disproportionately. We build upon and extend previous research by (i) examining two critical aspects of school functioning (reading attainment and behavioural difficulties); (ii) utilizing a large number of candidate risk factors across multiple ecological domains; (iii) testing the two core assumptions of CRT; and (iv) formally examining the functional form of the risk-outcome relationships. Participants were N=3084 children aged 6-7 attending 77 mainstream primary schools in England. Sixteen candidate risk factors (e.g., familial poverty) were modelled using data from the National Pupil Database. Reading attainment and behavioural difficulties data were generated via teachers' reading assessment scores and the Teacher Observation of Children's Adaptation Checklist (disruptive behaviour subscale), respectively. A cumulative risk score was generated for each pupil. Multilevel modelling was utilized for analysis. Six risk factors were identified for behaviour and seven for reading attainment. A cumulative risk effect was found for both outcomes, and the two core assumptions of CRT were supported. Quadratic relationships were found for both aspects of school functioning, indicative of a threshold effect. As the number of risk factors increases, difficulties in school functioning increase disproportionately. Consistent with CRT, our results suggest that the number of risks is more important than their nature. This has implications for future risk research and the implementation of school-based interventions.

Association of adverse childhood experiences with educational attainment and adolescent health, and the role of socioeconomic factors: analysis of a prospective cohort study

BackgroundThere is increasing policy emphasis on adverse childhood experiences (ACEs). We aimed to assess the relative contributions of these experiences and socioeconomic factors to educational attainment and health. MethodsUsing data collected between 1991 and 2014, from a UK cohort (ALSPAC), we assessed associations of having had ACEs between birth and 16 years of age (sexual, physical, emotional abuse; emotional neglect; parental substance abuse, mental illness, criminal conviction, or separation; violence between parents; and bullying) with obtaining five or more good GCSEs (grades A* to C, n=9959, assessed through linkage to the National Pupil Database) and health at age 17 (depression, obesity, harmful alcohol use, smoking, and illicit drug use, n=4917, assessed through research clinic measurements and self-completed computer questionnaires). ACEs were assessed using both prospective (reports by main caregiver at time of ACE occurrence or very soon afterwards) and retrospective (reports by 23 year old adults looking back at their childhood) questionnaires and an ACE score was calculated by summing the number of ACE an individual experienced. We adjusted for a wide range of socioeconomic and family factors. We calculated population attributable fractions (PAF) for each outcome for four or more ACEs and key socioeconomic and demographic indicators. FindingsMost participants (84%) experienced at least one adverse experience (24% ≥4). ACE score was associated with lower educational attainment and worse adolescent health. The association with educational attainment reduced by about half after adjustment for socioeconomic and family factors; associations with adolescent health also attenuated, but to a lesser degree. We assessed PAF for each outcome according to experiencing four or more ACEs (24%), low maternal education (30%), manual social class (24%), and maternal smoking during pregnancy (27%). For depression and illicit drug use, PAFs were highest for four or more ACEs (14% and 15%, respectively). For these outcomes, the PAF for maternal smoking during pregnancy was also high (both 10%). For all other outcomes, PAFs were higher for socioeconomic factors or maternal smoking than for ACEs. InterpretationA key limitation of our study is that it is restricted to families in a population-based cohort; vulnerable groups are under-represented. Nevertheless, our analysis suggests that interventions targeted at children experiencing four or more ACEs will not necessarily focus on the groups at highest risk of adverse outcomes. Our results underline the importance of the broader socioeconomic context for policies focused on ACEs. FundingSupported by a grant from the UK Economic and Social Research Council (ES/N000382/1).

Hard and soft choices? Subject selection by schools and students

ABSTRACTWe present an analysis of A-level subject choices at around age 16 for a cohort of students in English schools who completed their studies in 2014. We examined both the National Pupil Database and a unique rich dataset on the subject preferences and subsequent choices between the ages of 16 and 18 (i.e. GCSE and A-level). We found substantive differences between students’ preferences and actual choices of ‘hard’ and ‘soft’ post-16 subjects (i.e. A-level). These differences were strongly associated with falsification of students’ expectations of examination grades taken at age 16 (i.e. GCSE) in the core subjects of English and mathematics. The sizes of these falsification effects were much larger than other significant associations such as gender, ethnicity, and social class. This suggests that subject choices are not rigidly framed by stable individual preferences and they are therefore open to influence from new information, persuasion, and opportunities.

Better to Stay or Go? A Longitudinal Study of Mobility over the Compulsory Educational Life Course

There has been substantial discussion in the literature about where you grow up and if whether or not you experience social and spatial mobility during childhood has substantial bearing upon later life achievement (Pribesh and Downey Demography, 36, 21–534, 1999; Gasper et al. Social Science Research, 39(3), 459–476, 2010; Sharkey and Elwert American Journal of Sociology, 116(6), 1934-1981, 2011). This paper utilises data from the National Pupil Database (NPD) and a quantitative framework to explore the impact of residential mobility on educational outcomes. Many previous studies of neighbourhood mobility have used point in time measures when studying inequality, which means that an individual’s neighbourhood trajectory is overlooked. We follow a single cohort of pupils over an eleven year time period to analyse their mobility along with their individual characteristics to provide a clear understanding of who is moving and the association this has on them in terms of educational attainment. We also use the index of multiple deprivation (IMD) as a measure of neighbourhood deprivation to determine to what extent there is a trade up in terms of neighbourhood over the educational life course. Our findings show that moving home has a negative impact on educational attainment compared to those that stay in the same location throughout the educational life cycle. Those that ‘trade up’ in terms of quality of neighbourhood still do not achieve the same educational outcomes as their peers who live in a lower deprived neighbourhood throughout their schooling.

The PATHS curriculum for promoting social and emotional well-being among children aged 7–9 years: a cluster RCT

BackgroundUniversal social and emotional learning interventions can produce significant practical improvements in children’s social skills and other outcomes. However, the UK evidence base remains limited.ObjectivesTo investigate the implementation, impact and cost-effectiveness of the Promoting Alternative THinking Strategies (PATHS) curriculum.DesignCluster randomised controlled trial. Primary schools (n = 45) were randomly assigned to implement PATHS or to continue with their usual provision for 2 years.SettingPrimary schools in seven local authorities in Greater Manchester.ParticipantsChildren (n = 5218) in Years 3–5 (aged 7–9 years) attending participating schools.InterventionPATHS aims to promote children’s social skills via a taught curriculum, which is delivered by the class teacher, generalisation activities and techniques, and supplementary materials for parents. Schools in the usual provision group delivered the Social and Emotional Aspects of Learning programme and related interventions.Main outcome measuresChildren’s social skills (primary outcome, assessed by the Social Skills Improvement System); pro-social behaviour and mental health difficulties (Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire); psychological well-being, perceptions of peer and social support, and school environment (Kidscreen-27); exclusions, attendance and attainment (National Pupil Database records); and quality-adjusted life-years (QALYs) (Child Health Utility 9 Dimensions). A comprehensive implementation and process evaluation was undertaken, involving usual provision surveys, structured observations of PATHS lessons, interviews with school staff and parents, and focus groups with children.ResultsThere was tentative evidence (at ap-value of < 0.10) that PATHS led to very small improvements in children’s social skills, perceptions of peer and social support, and reductions in exclusions immediately following implementation. A very small but statistically significant improvement in children’s psychological well-being [d = 0.12, 95% confidence interval (CI) –0.02 to 0.25;p < 0.05) was also found. No lasting improvements in any outcomes were observed at 12- or 24-month post-intervention follow-up. PATHS was implemented well, but not at the recommended frequency; our qualitative analysis revealed that this was primarily due to competing priorities and pressure to focus on the core academic curriculum. Higher levels of implementation quality and participant responsiveness were associated with significant improvements in psychological well-being. Finally, the mean incremental cost of PATHS compared with usual provision was determined to be £29.93 per child. Mean incremental QALYs were positive and statistically significant (adjusted mean 0.0019, 95% CI 0.0009 to 0.0029;p < 0.05), and the incremental net benefit of introducing PATHS was determined to be £7.64. The probability of cost-effectiveness in our base-case scenario was 88%.LimitationsModerate attrition through the course of the main trial, and significant attrition thereafter (although this was mitigated by the use of multiple imputation of missing data); suboptimal frequency of delivery of PATHS lessons.ConclusionsThe impact of PATHS was modest and limited, although that which was observed may still represent value for money. Future work should examine the possibility of further modifications to the intervention to improve goodness of fit with the English school context without compromising its efficacy, and identify whether or not particular subgroups benefit differentially from PATHS.Trial registrationCurrent Controlled Trials ISRCTN85087674 (the study protocol can be found at:www.journalslibrary.nihr.ac.uk/programmes/phr/10300601/#/).FundingThis project was funded by the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) Public Health Research programme and will be published in full inPublic Health Research; Vol 6, No. 10. See the NIHR Journals Library website for further project information.

Access to grammar schools by socio-economic status

One of the main motivations given for the proposed new expansion of grammar schools in England is to improve social mobility. We assess the role of existing grammar schools in promoting social mobility by examining access to grammar schools, differentiating among the 85% non-poor pupils using the National Pupil Database. We find stark differences in grammar school attendance within selective areas by socio-economic status, even when comparing pupils with the same Key Stage 2 attainment. High attaining children from the most deprived backgrounds are significantly less likely to attend a grammar school compared to similarly high attaining children from the least deprived backgrounds. Given these large inequalities in attendance to grammar schools, conditional on achievement, it is hard to see how such a system would promote the aim of improving social mobility.

Quasi-markets, school diversity and social selection: Analysing the case of free schools in England, five years on

The opening of new state schools by non-state actors has intensified debates about social selection and inequality in quasi-markets. This article examines the case of England, where the government allows anyone to apply to open a new 'free school', arguing this will improve social equity. Using data from the National Pupil Database for all 325 free schools established between 2011/12 and 2015/16, we analyse whether the students attending free schools are representative of their local neighbourhoods. We develop the first analysis of whether the specifics of who opens and provides a free school impacts on who attends the school. We also analyse whether opening a free school has an impact on neighbouring schools. We find that free schools are located in areas with above-average deprivation but admit intakes that are more affluent than the average for the neighbourhoods from which they recruit. This is particularly the case for primary free schools, which also recruit students with above-average prior attainment. There is no evidence that free schools become more representative as they admit additional year groups. Significantly, we find that all categories of free school providers have opened schools whose populations are more affluent than their neighbourhoods, with the exception of academy chains. We also find that the opening of a free school leads to a concentrated loss of pupils at the closest school, except in cities, but we do not identify an impact on the student composition of neighbouring schools. Discussing the reasons for this, we conclude that free schools are socially selective and reproduce socio-economic inequalities.

Selection on attainment? Local authorities, pupil backgrounds, attainment and grammar school opportunities

ABSTRACTThis paper uses the National Pupil Database to explore how grammar school opportunities vary among pupil groups, and how grammar school opportunities correlate with the Local Authorities (LAs), pupil backgrounds and attainment. The results show that grammar school admission is relatively fair, based on its selection criterion, but there is no evidence that grammar schools can promote social mobility by providing more opportunities for disadvantaged pupils, which is the major claim supporting their expansion. Snapshots of grammar school opportunities in each LA, and the probability of attending grammar schools for four pupil subgroups, are examined. Then logistic regression models controlling for pupil backgrounds and attainment are created. Findings reveal that the varied proportion of grammar school places in each LA leads to unbalanced grammar school opportunities between them, making the difficulty of attending grammar schools diverse. The difference in grammar school opportunities between LAs has benefited a group of pupils moving outside their home LAs for secondary education, usually from more advantaged families. In LAs selecting more than 20% of their pupils into grammar schools, pupils eligible for free school meals, pupils with special educational needs, native English speakers and white pupils are less likely to go to grammar schools, while those from richer areas, from minority ethnic groups and those younger within a year group have higher chances when controlled for prior attainment. The difference in grammar school opportunities between social groups is largely the stratification of early-age attainment, and is unlikely the result of deliberately biased selection process.

Social Class, Gender and Ethnic Differences in Subjects Taken at Age 14.

ABSTRACTIn this paper, we identify patterns of subject and qualification choices made at age 14. Much of the previous research on ‘subject choice’ has focussed on the later stages of educational trajectories, particularly Higher Education. However, the choices made at early branching points can limit pupils’ subsequent options, potentially contributing to educational inequalities. This paper identifies the patterns of General Certificate of Secondary Education (GCSE) subjects chosen by a cohort of young people born in 1989/1990. We make use of the Next Steps data (formerly the Longitudinal Study of Young People in England (LSYPE)) which is linked to the National Pupil Database. We develop an approach to measuring the academic selectivity of subjects and qualifications. We examine the roles of social class, parental education, income, gender and ethnicity in determining participation in these curriculum groupings. Using measures of prior attainment from age thirteen, we address the question of whether curriculum differentials simply reflect differences in prior attainment or whether they actually operate above and beyond existing inequalities. We find clear socio‐economic, gender, ethnic and school‐level differences in subjects studied which cannot be accounted for by prior attainment.

Effect of multiple risk behaviours in adolescence on educational attainment at age 16 years: a UK birth cohort study

ObjectivesTo explore the association between adolescent multiple risk behaviours (MRBs) and educational attainment.DesignProspective population-based UK birth cohort study.SettingAvon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children (ALSPAC), a UK birth cohort of...

Assessing the impact of specialist home visiting upon maltreatment in England: a feasibility study of data linkage from a public health trial to routine health and social care data

BackgroundFollow-up for public health trials may benefit from greater use of routine data. Our trial of a home-visiting intervention for first-time teenage mothers assessed outcomes to the child’s second birthday. To examine its medium-term impact, particularly upon maltreatment outcomes, we designed a study using routine records.MethodsWe aimed to establish the feasibility of our study design, which combines trial data with routine health, social care and education data using a dissent-based linkage model. Trial participant identifiers were linked to routine health, social care and education data if women did not dissent. Data were forwarded to a safe haven and further linked to de-identified trial outcome data. The feasibility study aimed first to establish the acceptability of data linkage through a discussion group of young mothers and by levels of dissent received by the research team. Second, we assessed levels of accurate linkage to both health (via NHS Digital) and education and social care (both via National Pupil Database, NPD). Third, we assessed the availability of data and levels of missingness for key outcomes received for a sample of target study years.ResultsOf 1545 mother-child dyads contacted, eight women opted out. The engagement exercise with stakeholders found support for the principle of data linkage, including in the context of maltreatment. Some contributors preferred opt-in consent. Most (99.9%) health records were matched on either three or all four identifiers. Fifty participants were not matched to any health data. Primary outcome data from NPD are derived from any one of three fields, all of which were satisfactorily returned and provided an indication of cases for analysis. Missing data for secondary outcomes varied from 0% (Child looked after status) to 70% (Anatomical Area A&E diagnosis) however when combined with other variables the levels of missingness for outcome decrease.ConclusionsThrough study set-up and in this pilot, we provide evidence that the main study is feasible, satisfies governance requirements and is likely to generate data of sufficient quality to address our main research questions. Observed levels of missingness or low event rates are likely to affect some secondary analysis (e.g. state transition modelling) although overall were satisfactory.

Better to stay or go? A longitudinal study of mobility over the educational life course

BackgroundThere has been substantial discussion in the literature about where you grow up and if whether or not you experience social and spatial mobility during childhood has substantial bearing upon later life achievement (Pribesh and Downey, 1999; Gasper et al, 2010; Sharkey and Elwert, 2011).
 ObjectivesThis paper utilises data from the National Pupil Database (NPD) and a quantitative framework to explore the impact of residential mobility on educational outcomes. Many previous studies of neighbourhood mobility have used point in time measures when studying inequality, which means that an individual’s neighbourhood trajectory is overlooked.
 Data/MethodsWe follow a single cohort of pupils’ over an eleven year time period to analyse their mobility along with their individual characteristics to provide a clear understanding of who is moving and the impact this has on them in terms of educational attainment. We also use the index of multiple deprivation as a measure of neighbourhood wealth to determine to what extent children are able to ’trade up’ in terms of neighbourhood.
 FindingsOur findings show that moving home has a negative impact on educational attainment compared to those that stay in the same location throughout the educational life cycle. Those that ‘trade up’ in terms of quality of neighbourhood still do not achieve the same educational outcomes as their peers who live in a lower deprived neighbourhood throughout their schooling.
 ConclusionResidential mobility between deprived areas, as shown in this paper, has more of an impact than just being ‘stuck in place’. It is not purely a case of where you live determining your outcomes, but also how often you move home in childhood and adolescence.

Challenges of administrative data linkages: experiences of Administrative Data Research Centre for England (ADRC-E) researchers

BackgroundLinkage between administrative datasets routinely collected by government departments and other statutory bodies create rich resources for policy-relevant research. We describe how ADRC-E has achieved linkage between health and education data for England, and the challenges presented by this process.
 MethodsA key task of ADRC-E is to progress exemplar studies of novel data linkages, and build relationships with data providers. While navigating untested data application and permission processes, ADRC-E researchers have maintained detailed timelines and developed a framework to improve the efficiency of future applications.
 ResultsThe ADRC-E has approval to link four one-year birth cohorts of the National Pupil Database and Hospital Episode Statistics to facilitate research into outcomes for children with chronic conditions. The timeline of 3 years and 4 months represents 6 face-to-face meetings and 108 email and telephone correspondences. The technical challenges of data linkage have yet to be overcome before we receive data for research. Other examples of data timelines for cross-sectoral data linkage requests will be reported.
 ConclusionsThe shifting legal landscape governing the use of personal data, and a lack of precedent mean that unlocking administrative data for research requires substantial time, diligence and expertise on the part of both researcher and data provider.

Estimating the causal effects of academisation of English schools with the data from the National Pupil Database

BackgroundOver the last 30 years there have been two key policy initiatives in schooling in England. First, there was a move to raise academic standards with a market-oriented model of schooling and the introduction of Academies with higher levels of autonomy. Second, there has been a lesser though nevertheless important trend to providing for more pupils with special educational needs (SEN) in ordinary rather than special schools, what has been called the inclusive education movement.
 ObjectivesWe explore causal effects of converting English schools into academies on educational inclusiveness in England. Specifically we investigate the implications of a school’s academisation event in converting to a Sponsored Academy or a Converter Academy on the inclusion of pupils with SEN and the impacts on the education trajectory of these pupils.
 Methods (including data)Using administrative data from the National Pupil Database and combining it with publicly available data on school institutional history, we are able to construct extensive longitudinal samples of pupil cohorts and academisation school cohorts from 2003 to 2015. Utilising both from aggregate school level and individual level features, we study the various aspects of academisation on educational inclusiveness by modelling the admissions, re-classifications and potential exclusions on pupils with SEN from the contemporaneous and follow-up effects of academisation events. In addition, we examine the adequacy and effectiveness in causality modelling in a educational context under various regimes of modelling frameworks.
 Findings and conclusionsThe analysis to date suggests that academisation events have small negative impacts in educational inclusiveness. Specifically, we find that pupils with SEN are more likely to register with non-SEN in academised schools in the treatment group. In addition, these negative effects are found to remain statistically significant several periods after occurrence of the event.

Harnessing administrative data in legal epidemiology: new frontiers in the study of family law

BackgroundIn all decisions concerning the upbringing of a child, the child’s best interests are a primary consideration (art 3(1) UN Convention on the Rights of the Child 1989). The extent to which the English family justice system (FJS) promotes children’s well-being, however, is not clear due to a lack of research in this area. In particular, very little is known about educational trajectories and outcomes of looked after children and children in need.
 MethodsThis poster will describe administrative data resources generated by the FJS and education sectors and will describe an on-going project examining educational outcomes in vulnerable children. We will use the national children looked after (SSDA903) and child in need returns, linked to the National Pupil Database to examine factors predicting the nature and quality of secondary schools that children in care and in need attend and whether these differ from the general population. Further, we will examine, given the schools that children attend, how secondary school outcomes (absences, exclusions and exam results) vary among different groups of children.
 ConclusionThis project will demonstrate how we can use linked administrative data to evaluate the operation of law and, importantly, substantive outcomes for the children whom it affects. Such studies enable us to monitor changes in policy and practice and thereby evaluate the effectiveness of law.