📚 Key Stage 4 and Key Stage 5 Destinations Publication Arrangements | 关键阶段四与关键阶段五的毕业去向发布安排
Every autumn, schools, colleges, local authorities and parents wait for one of the most revealing datasets in English education: the Key Stage 4 and Key Stage 5 destination measures. Unlike exam results, which tell you what a student achieved, destination data tells you where that student actually went - into a sixth form, a college, an apprenticeship, a university or the labour market. Understanding when these figures are collected, when they are published, what they contain and what they deliberately leave out is essential for anyone choosing a school, running a careers programme or advising an international applicant.
每年秋季,英国的学校、学院、地方教育当局与家长都在等待一份极具参考价值的数据:关键阶段四与关键阶段五的毕业去向指标。考试成绩告诉你学生取得了什么,而毕业去向数据告诉你学生最终去了哪里——升入高中部、进入继续教育学院、选择学徒制、进入大学,还是直接进入劳动力市场。理解这些数据何时采集、何时发布、包含什么、又刻意排除了什么,对于选校、设计生涯规划课程或指导国际申请者而言,都是必备的基本功。
1. What Key Stage 4 and Key Stage 5 Mean | 关键阶段四与关键阶段五的含义
Key Stage 4 (KS4) covers Years 10 and 11 in England, normally ages 14 to 16, and ends with GCSEs and equivalent vocational qualifications. Key Stage 5 (KS5) covers Years 12 and 13, normally ages 16 to 18, and ends with A levels, International Baccalaureate Diploma, BTEC Nationals, T Levels or other Level 3 qualifications.
关键阶段四(KS4)对应英格兰的十年级与十一年级,通常为 14 至 16 岁,以 GCSE 及同等职业资格证书结束。关键阶段五(KS5)对应十二年级与十三年级,通常为 16 至 18 岁,以 A Level、IB 文凭、BTEC National、T Level 或其他三级资格证书结束。
The crucial point for destination data is the delay: the destination of a KS4 cohort is measured in the academic year after Year 11, and the destination of a KS5 cohort is measured in the academic year after the end of 16 to 18 study. A student finishing Year 11 in July 2025 contributes to destination data describing the 2025/26 academic year.
理解毕业去向数据的关键在于时间上的滞后:KS4 队列的去向,是在十一年级结束后的那个学年里测量的;KS5 队列的去向,则是在 16 至 18 岁阶段结束后那个学年测量的。2025 年 7 月完成十一年级的学生,其去向会体现在描述 2025/26 学年的数据中。
Schools outside England - including most international schools offering A levels - follow the same key stage structure conceptually but are not part of the Department for Education (DfE) destination datasets. Their students' outcomes are captured instead by examination boards, UCAS, and the schools' own reporting.
英格兰以外的学校——包括大多数开设 A Level 的国际学校——在概念上沿用同样的关键阶段划分,但并不纳入英国教育部的毕业去向数据集。其学生的升学结果由考试局、UCAS 以及学校自身的报告来体现。
2. What Destination Data Actually Measures | 毕业去向数据究竟衡量什么
Destination measures do not ask what qualification a student obtained. They ask whether the student was in a sustained destination for a defined period. "Sustained" normally means participation for at least two terms of the destination academic year - roughly six months - rather than a single day of enrolment. A student who enrols in a course in September and drops out in October is therefore not counted as a sustained destination.
毕业去向指标并不考察学生取得了什么资格证书,而是考察学生在一段规定时间内是否处于"持续去向"中。"持续"通常指在去向学年中至少参与两个学期——大约六个月——而不是仅仅报名一天。因此,九月注册、十月退学的学生不会被计入持续去向。
There are two standard definitions used in published tables:
已发布的数据表中通常使用两种标准定义:
- Sustained education or employment (including apprenticeships) - the broadest headline measure. | 持续教育或就业(含学徒制)——最宽泛的主要指标。
- Core / education and apprenticeships only - a narrower measure that excludes employment without training. | 核心口径/仅教育与学徒制——较窄的口径,排除无培训的就业。
The remaining group is usually described as "not in education, employment or training" (NEET) or "destination not sustained". This group is not identical to "unemployed": it includes young people who are not looking for work, those travelling, those with health needs, and those whose records simply could not be matched.
其余群体通常被描述为"未在教育、就业或培训中"(NEET)或"去向未持续"。这一群体并不等同于"失业":它包括未在求职的年轻人、在旅行的人、有健康需求的人,以及记录无法匹配的人。
3. The Official Publication Calendar | 官方发布日程安排
Destination data is published by the DfE as an official statistical release, normally on the Explore Education Statistics service and on gov.uk. School-level figures are then added to the Compare School and College Performance service (the "performance tables"). Because the cycle depends on when employment records arrive from HMRC and DWP, the exact day moves each year - treat the following as a typical shape rather than a fixed date.
毕业去向数据由英国教育部作为官方统计发布,通常公布在 Explore Education Statistics 服务和 gov.uk 上。随后,学校层面的数据会加入"学校与学院表现比较"服务(即所谓"排行榜/成绩表")。由于整个周期取决于税务与就业部门何时提供就业记录,具体日期每年都会变动——下表应视为典型节奏,而非固定日期。
| Period | 阶段 | What Happens | 发生什么 |
| June - July | 6-7 月 | KS4 and KS5 cohorts complete their studies; exams and coursework are finished. | KS4 与 KS5 队列完成学业,考试与课程作业结束。 |
| August | 8 月 | A level results (mid-August) and GCSE results (late August); UCAS confirms university places. | A Level 成绩(8 月中旬)与 GCSE 成绩(8 月下旬)公布;UCAS 确认大学录取名额。 |
| September | 9 月 | Enrolment in sixth forms, colleges and apprenticeships; local authorities track participation and the "September Guarantee" offer of a place. | 高中部、学院与学徒制入学;地方当局追踪参与情况,并落实"九月保障"(为每位 16 岁青年提供学位)。 |
| October | 10 月 | Main DfE statistical release of KS4 and 16 to 18 destination measures for the previous academic year; school-level data added to performance tables. | 教育部发布上一学年的 KS4 与 16-18 岁毕业去向主要统计数据;学校层面数据加入表现比较表。 |
| November - December | 11-12 月 | UCAS End of Cycle data released; league table compilations by national newspapers; inspection reports referencing destinations. | UCAS 发布年度周期末数据;全国性报纸编制排行榜;督学报告中引用毕业去向数据。 |
| January - March | 1-3 月 | Supplementary breakdowns, local authority analyses, and methodological notes; schools review their own figures. | 补充性分类数据、地方当局分析与方法说明;学校复核自身数据。 |
Note the two-year lag that results from this cycle. Data published in October 2025 describes the cohort that left Year 13 in summer 2024 and the cohort that left Year 11 in summer 2024, tracked through 2024/25.
请注意由此产生的两年滞后:2025 年 10 月发布的数据,描述的是 2024 年夏季离开十三年级与十一年级的队列,追踪区间为 2024/25 学年。
4. KS4 Destination Measures in Detail | 关键阶段四去向指标详解
The KS4 cohort consists of pupils reaching the end of Key Stage 4 in state-funded schools in England, including academies and free schools. Independent schools are generally not included in the destination measures, which is an important limitation when comparing a UK independent sixth form with a state school.
KS4 队列由英格兰公立资助学校(含 academy 与 free school)中完成关键阶段四的学生组成。独立学校通常不纳入毕业去向指标,这在把英国私立高中部与公立学校进行比较时,是一项重要局限。
Published KS4 breakdowns typically include:
已发布的 KS4 分类数据通常包括:
- Percentage in sustained education (school sixth form, sixth form college, further education college, other provider). | 处于持续教育中的比例(学校高中部、高中学院、继续教育学院及其他机构)。
- Percentage in a sustained apprenticeship, often split by level. | 处于持续学徒制的比例,通常按级别拆分。
- Percentage in sustained employment (with or without training). | 处于持续就业中的比例(含或不含培训)。
- Percentage with a destination not sustained or NEET. | 去向未持续或处于 NEET 的比例。
- Breakdowns by disadvantage (free school meals eligibility), special educational needs and disabilities (SEND), gender, ethnicity, prior attainment and local authority. | 按弱势背景(免费校餐资格)、特殊教育需求与残障(SEND)、性别、族裔、先前学业水平与地方当局拆分。
For international readers, the KS4 measure effectively answers one question: did this school successfully move its fifteen and sixteen year olds into something structured and lasting - usually a Level 3 programme - or did a significant proportion disappear from the system?
对国际读者而言,KS4 指标实际上只回答一个问题:这所学校是否成功地把 15 至 16 岁的学生送入了有结构、可延续的路径——通常是三级课程——还是相当比例的学生从体系中"消失"了?
5. KS5 Destination Measures in Detail | 关键阶段五去向指标详解
The 16 to 18 destination measures cover students who completed a period of 16 to 18 study in state-funded schools and colleges, including those who left after one year as well as those who completed two years. This inclusion matters: a sixth form with high Year 12 attrition can still be judged on where those leavers went.
16 至 18 岁毕业去向指标覆盖在公立资助学校与学院完成 16-18 岁阶段学习的学生,既包括读满两年的学生,也包括一年后离开的学生。这一点很重要:即使某高中部有较高的十二年级流失率,其离校学生的去向同样会被纳入评价。
Headline KS5 measures usually include:
KS5 的主要指标通常包括:
- Sustained education, including higher education institutions and further education. | 持续教育,包括高等教育机构与继续教育。
- Sustained apprenticeships at Level 2, Level 3 and above. | 二级、三级及以上的持续学徒制。
- Sustained employment without training. | 无培训的持续就业。
- Destination not sustained / NEET. | 去向未持续/NEET。
- Higher education progression, sometimes split by institution type: higher tariff or "top third" universities, Russell Group, and non-UK destinations where data allows. | 高等教育升学率,有时按院校类型拆分:高录取门槛或"前三分之一"大学、罗素集团,以及数据允许时的境外升学去向。
For A level students aiming at competitive universities, the HE progression breakdowns are the most informative element, because they distinguish between "went to university" and "went to a selective university".
对于以竞争性大学为目标的 A Level 学生而言,高等教育升学分类数据是最有信息量的部分,因为它区分了"上了大学"和"上了选拔性大学"。
6. Data Sources and the Matching Process | 数据来源与匹配流程
Destination measures are not a survey. They are built from administrative records linked at the individual level by the DfE using identifiers such as the Unique Pupil Number, name, date of birth and postcode. Several sources feed the process:
毕业去向指标不是问卷调查,而是由英国教育部通过唯一学生编号、姓名、出生日期与邮编等标识符,在个人层面链接的行政记录构建而成。数据来源包括:
- School census and school returns - who was in the cohort and what they studied. | 学校普查与学校申报——队列成员构成及其所学内容。
- Individualised Learner Record (ILR) - enrolment in further education and apprenticeships. | 个性化学习者记录(ILR)——继续教育与学徒制注册信息。
- HESA records - enrolment in UK higher education. | HESA 记录——英国高等教育注册信息。
- National Client Caseload Information System (NCCIS) - local authority tracking of young people's participation, including those not in education or training. | 全国客户个案信息系统(NCCIS)——地方当局对青年参与情况的追踪,包括未在教育或培训中的人。
- HMRC and DWP data - employment and benefit records, used to identify sustained employment. | 税务与就业部门数据——用于识别持续就业。
Because each source arrives at a different time, the DfE produces a single matched dataset once a year. Where a record cannot be matched - for example a student who moved abroad - the individual is usually treated as having no sustained destination in the dataset, even though their real outcome may be excellent.
由于各数据源到达时间不同,教育部每年整合成一份匹配数据集。若某条记录无法匹配——例如学生移居海外——该个体通常会被视为在数据集中没有持续去向,尽管其真实结果可能非常优秀。
7. Statistical Safeguards and Caveats | 统计保护与注意事项
Destination data is published with several safeguards that readers must respect if they want to avoid drawing false conclusions.
为避免得出错误结论,读者必须了解毕业去向数据发布时所附带的若干统计保护措施。
- Small cohort suppression. School-level figures are hidden where the cohort is very small, because one or two individuals can swing a percentage dramatically. | 小规模队列抑制。当队列规模极小时,学校层面的数据会被隐藏,因为一两名学生就可能让百分比剧烈波动。
- Confidence intervals. Published tables often show ranges, and overlapping ranges mean two schools are not statistically distinguishable. | 置信区间。发布表格常给出区间,区间重叠意味着两所学校在统计上并无显著差异。
- Rounding and disclosure control. Percentages are rounded and small counts are suppressed to protect individuals. | 四舍五入与披露控制。百分比经过取整处理,小数值被抑制以保护个人隐私。
- Methodological breaks. Years affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, and periods when the definition of "sustained" changed, are not directly comparable with later years. | 方法学断裂。受新冠疫情影响年份,以及"持续"定义发生变更的时期,与之后年份不可直接比较。
- No independent school coverage. The measures describe the state-funded sector, not the whole English system. | 不含独立学校。该指标描述的是公立资助部门,而非整个英格兰教育体系。
The practical rule is simple: never read a single year of destination data in isolation. Read three years, read the national and local authority benchmarks, and read the methodological note.
实用原则很简单:绝不要孤立地看单一年份的毕业去向数据。要看三年数据,要看全国与地方当局的基准值,还要读方法说明。
8. How Schools and Colleges Use Published Destinations | 学校与学院如何使用发布数据
For schools, destination data is both an accountability measure and a diagnostic tool. Senior leaders use it to evaluate the effectiveness of careers education, information, advice and guidance (CEIAG), and to test whether the Gatsby Benchmarks and the statutory provider access requirements are translating into real outcomes.
对学校而言,毕业去向数据既是问责指标,也是诊断工具。管理层用它评估生涯教育、信息、建议与指导(CEIAG)的实际效果,并检验"盖茨比基准"与法定的院校接触要求是否真正转化为实际结果。
In England, schools are also inspected on this territory. Ofsted's inspection framework considers the quality of careers provision and the destinations that learners move on to, particularly in 16 to 19 provision, where inspectors expect leaders to know and be able to explain their destination patterns - including any weaknesses.
在英格兰,学校在这方面同样接受督学评估。Ofsted 的督导框架会考察生涯规划提供的质量以及学习者后续的去向,尤其在 16 至 19 岁阶段,督学期望学校领导层了解并能够解释本校的去向分布——包括其中的薄弱环节。
Sixth forms additionally use the data for viability planning: low sustained education rates among Year 13 leavers may signal that students are being pushed towards courses they do not want, or that the school lacks credible apprenticeship and employment links.
高中部还会利用这些数据做存续规划:十三年级离校生持续教育率偏低,可能意味着学生被推向并非志愿的课程,或学校缺乏可信的学徒制与就业渠道。
9. How Students, Parents and Universities Should Read It | 学生、家长与大学应如何解读
For a family choosing a UK sixth form or college, destination data answers questions that prospectuses cannot. Do leavers actually go to university, and to which kind? How many enter apprenticeships, and at what level? What proportion of the cohort becomes NEET?
对于正在选择英国高中部或学院的家庭而言,毕业去向数据能回答招生简章无法回答的问题:毕业生真的升入大学了吗?升入的是哪一类大学?有多少人进入学徒制,级别如何?队列中有多大比例成为 NEET?
For a university admissions office, published destination measures are rarely used to assess individual applicants. Universities work with their own applicant data, UCAS End of Cycle statistics, and school context information supplied through the admissions process. Where destination data does matter to universities is in partnership work, widening participation targeting and contextual admissions research.
对大学招生办而言,已发布的毕业去向指标很少用于评估个体申请者。大学依靠自身的申请人数据、UCAS 年度周期末统计,以及申请过程中提供的学校背景信息。毕业去向数据对大学真正有价值的地方,在于合作办学、扩大参与(widening participation)定向与情境化招生研究。
For international students applying from outside the UK, the most useful comparison is between schools operating in the same system. Comparing a British curriculum school in Asia with a state comprehensive in England is statistically meaningless; comparing two schools with similar intakes in the same city is meaningful.
对于从英国境外申请的国际学生而言,最有价值的比较是在同一体系内运作的学校之间进行。把亚洲的英式课程学校与英格兰的公立综合学校相比在统计上没有意义;比较同一城市中招生基础相似的两所学校才有意义。
10. Common Misreadings and Pitfalls | 常见误读与陷阱
Several recurring mistakes make destination data appear more decisive than it is.
有几种反复出现的错误,会让毕业去向数据看起来比实际更具决定性。
- Confusing achievement with destination. A school with excellent GCSE results can still have weak destination data if its students drift after Year 11. | 把成绩与去向混为一谈。GCSE 成绩优异的学校,如果学生在十一年级后流失,其去向数据仍可能偏弱。
- Treating NEET as unemployment. NEET includes people who are not seeking work and whose records are simply unmatched. | 把 NEET 等同于失业。NEET 包含未求职者,以及记录无法匹配的人。
- Ignoring intake. Schools serving highly disadvantaged or high-SEND intakes face structurally different destination patterns. | 忽视招生基础。服务高度弱势或高 SEND 比例生源的学校,其去向分布存在结构性差异。
- Assuming causation. Destination data describes outcomes; it does not prove what caused them. | 假定因果关系。去向数据描述的是结果,而非证明结果由何造成。
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