The prevention of NEETs (not in education, employment or training) is a critical national priority and a key feature of the recent skills white paper.
Having a shared responsibility to support our most disadvantaged learners has always been central to our mission.
However, the scale of the challenge is significant. Nationally, nearly one million 16 to 24-year olds are NEET. But in Surrey, there are signs of improvement which we believe is due to better and more timely destination tracking.
In October, 12.5 per cent of our young people were NEET or ‘not known’, compared to 15.7 per cent in the South East and 13 per cent in England.
Our data shows RONI (risk of NEET indicators) scoring applied to all year 11 settings and the electively home educated, so we have a clear oversight of emerging risk. This ensures the best possible chance of a successful post-16 transition.
Surrey’s post-16 phase council brings together senior leaders from Surrey County Council and FE providers for proactive intervention, with distinct areas to our collaborative work. They include:
Understanding root causes
Work is carried out in primary and secondary schools to identify risk early, so intervention strategies can be deployed. This includes mentoring support and using the RONI score.
Surrey County Council defines ‘high-risk cohorts’as those presenting with severe absence (less than 70 per cent attendance) in schools.
Socioeconomic vulnerability is also used to indicate risk. Nearly 60 per cent of those deemed at risk of becoming NEET receive free school meals. Over 40 per cent have a child in need (CiN) or child protection plan, and 28 per cent have parents with mental health concerns.
The here and now in FE
For those young people who are already over 16, our focus is on maximising learner engagement through comprehensive support, which involves:
• Understanding individual circumstances.
• Collaborating with partners and support services to provide wraparound support.
• Offering creative and flexible approaches to learning, such as bespoke timetables, mentoring and coaching, thus creating a sense of belonging for every learner. Ultimately, this should maximise learner engagement.
These distinct areas need to intersect to be wholly effective. At the Post-16 Phase Council, we are collectively committing to the early exchange of data. FE colleges need early, actionable data from schools to analyse pupils who risk becoming NEET to ensure a seamless transition and immediate support.
What makes the SurreyFE approach to NEETs different is our strong partnerships with stakeholders – our council, the High Sheriff of Surrey, sixth-form colleges, charities and others – in this NEET prevention work.
Gaining momentum
SurreyFE is in the early stages of launching a careers and NEETs engagement programme that will initially focus on the occupational pathways of construction and health and social care. It will target pupils in years 10 to 12 and young adults at risk of disengagement by providing taster events, employer-led career days and mentoring and progression pathways.
We have high aspirations for our learners. By enhancing our engagement tools and focusing on clear progression routes, we are confident our SurreyFE collaboration will have a big part to play in NEET prevention in the county.
Our collective ambition remains resolute: to ensure no young person is left behind.But the NEETs challenge is complex and requires system-wide innovation.
We are committed to achieving a step-change in prevention across the region. We now issue a clear call to action to our partners across the sector: please share your most impactful and innovative approaches, strategies, or interventions that have demonstrably reduced NEET numbers.
By pooling our collective expertise and proven practices we can significantly accelerate our impact and realise our high aspirations for every learner.
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