Publications

Outcomes for young people who experience multiple suspensions

A new report published by the Education Policy Institute, commissioned by Impetus, identifies a “suspension grades gap", with young people who experience even a single suspension, or temporary removal from secondary school, less likely to pass crucial GCSEs in English and maths.

March 2024

Applying an impact led theory of change to access and participation

Higher education providers are now in the process of developing their new access and participation plans, to meet regulatory requirements. We worked with one of the universities that took part in the first wave of this work, the University of Bath, to explore how a clearer understanding of their Theory of Change can lead to better programmes and better outcomes for people facing disadvantage. This paper sets out our lessons, both for universities preparing their plans, and for policymakers in the higher education sector.

January 2024

Listening to, and learning from, parents in the attendance crisis

Attendance in schools is in crisis, with profound consequences both for our education system and for society more widely. For decades, daily attendance at school - by every pupil, every day, throughout term time - has been part of the social contract between schools and families. This is no longer the case.

September 2023

The Future of Tutoring

This new research reveals that aside from its benefits for catching up on lost learning, tutoring can also support the post pandemic crisis of pupil mental health and attendance.

July 2023

Backing the best - Our charity partners 2023

At Impetus, we build sector-leading charities. We work shoulder-to-shoulder with them to help make them stronger, delivering better results year after year, to more young people from disadvantaged backgrounds.

June 2023

Catalysing Social and Emotional Learning in Schools in England: A policy and practice review

A new “state of the nation” report in partnership with the Centre for Education and Youth on social and emotional learning, which sets out what’s happening in practice and where we could go next.

December 2022

National Tutoring Programme: The missing middle

The central mission of the NTP – to reach pupils from disadvantaged backgrounds – risks being missed unless the Department for Education addresses key gaps in the programme.

October 2022

Youth Hubs - a blueprint for success

Impetus, together with our charity partner Resurgo, worked closely with the West Midlands Combined Authority, Department for Work and Pensions and local service providers to design a service that is truly beneficial to those it’s meant to reach. The process has given us unique insight into how Youth Hubs can add value to the employment landscape, taking into account local issues and challenges. We hope the resulting document can act as a blueprint for Youth Hubs design across the country and give a fighting chance to all young people who are ready to take the next step towards employment.

January 2022

Time well spent?

Examining the impact of the length of the school day on attainment

November 2021

Securing a place for young people in the nation’s economic recovery: Final recommendations from the Youth Employment Group (YEG)

The YEG recommends that clear objectives are set to monitor progress in supporting young people during the economic crisis and beyond.

September 2020

Youth Jobs Gap: The impact of English and maths

English and maths are often described as the most important subjects in education, but just how important are they? The ninth report in our Youth Jobs Gap series reveals for the first time the extent to which English and maths GCSEs lead to better outcomes for young people.

April 2020

Young, vulnerable, and increasing – why we need to start worrying more about youth unemployment

Written in partnership with the Youth Futures Foundation, this report looks at the trends and responses to youth employment since the last recession. It shows that those most likely to be out of work and education are some of the most vulnerable young people, and that the headline numbers overlook some pressing issues such as underemployment.

April 2020

Youth Jobs Gap: The Employment Gap in London

The eighth report in our Youth Jobs Gap series, this one focused on London, finds that the rate of young people out of education, employment and training in London is consistently higher than the national average. But it's not all bad news: young people from disadvantaged backgrounds in London are more than twice as likely to go onto higher education than their peers in other regions.

February 2020

Youth Jobs Gap: Benchmarking Resurgo

Benchmarking Resurgo shows that the issues raised in our Youth Jobs Gap series are not inevitable. Young people who take part in Resurgo's Spear Programme move into employment at twice the national rate, showing that Resurgo Spear gets more young people into work and gets them there quicker.

February 2020

Youth Jobs Gap: The long-term NEET population

In our Youth jobs Gap series, we have looked at NEET rates both nationally and regionally. This report looks longer-term, at what happens when a young person becomes NEET, and how this affects disadvantaged young people compared to their better-off peers.

September 2019

Youth Jobs Gap: The Employment Gap in the West Midlands

Our Youth Jobs Gap series looks at NEET rates, higher education, and apprenticeships across the country. Our reports also look at differences between regions and within regions. This fifth report looks at the West Midlands region.

July 2019

Youth Jobs Gap: The Employment Gap in the North West

The first three reports in the Youth Jobs Gap series have looked at NEET rates, higher education, and apprenticeships. These national reports have also looked at differences between regions – but differences within the regions are often greater than the differences between regions. This fourth report looks at the North West region – drilling down to the local authority area level, including the combined authority areas of Greater Manchester and the Liverpool City Region.

June 2019

Youth Jobs Gap: Apprenticeships

This Youth Jobs Gap report uses the Longitudinal Education Outcomes data to reveal how disadvantaged young people are accessing and progressing in apprenticeships, including differences between regions in England.

June 2019

Youth Jobs Gap: Higher Education

Higher Education is one of the most topical issues in politics, with the UK government’s post-18 education and funding review (the Augur review) due to report back imminently. For the first time, this Youth Jobs Gap report analyses the Longitudinal Educational Outcomes (LEO) data, showing the clearest picture of disadvantaged young people and their access to higher education to date, including differences between different regions in England.

May 2019

Youth Jobs Gap: Establishing the Employment Gap

This first report from Impetus' Youth Jobs Gap series shows that there is an employment gap between disadvantaged young people and their better-off peers. This report draws on newly available government data to explore the employment outcomes of young people in England.

April 2019

Youth Jobs Gap: Methodology

The Youth Jobs Gap research series uses new Longitudinal Education Outcomes (LEO) data to present new insights into disadvantaged young people’s transition from compulsory education into employment. The technical details in this document are important to fully understand how we've used LEO for the Youth Jobs Gap series.

April 2019

Understanding & Sharing What Works: A Profile of Impetus-PEF

The Center for Effective Philanthropy draws out what works about our Driving Impact approach to working with charities.

November 2018

Invested in Empathetic Challenge: A Profile of Impetus-PEF

In the first independent case study written about Impetus, Leap of Reason commends both our methods and approach to making charities more effective.

September 2017

Youth Jobs Index 2017

Progress in tackling youth unemployment has ground to a halt. Our second Youth Jobs Index has found that the number of young people spending over a year not earning or learning has increased.

June 2017

Life After School: Confronting the crisis

This report reveals the failure to give young people who fail their English and maths GCSEs the first time around with a second chance to succeed – irrespective of their background or their provider. Part of our Life After School campaign.

March 2017

Driving Impact: helping charities transform the lives of disadvantaged young people

Charities do good work, but there’s room for improvement. Our Driving Impact paper shares what we’ve learnt from our charities about impact. This is a guide for funders, commissioners and charities to deliver impactful programmes for young people.

October 2016

Anxiety and Accountability – Impact Leadership in the Youth Sector

It’s tough at the top – whatever sector you’re in. But in the social sector, including the youth sector, there are some distinct challenges for leaders. Jenny North, former Director of Policy & Strategy at Impetus, shares her thoughts on impact leadership in this publication – part of the 'Evidence and Impact' essay collection from The Centre for Youth Impact.

July 2016

New insights into improving outcomes for at risk youth: the Newcastle experience

In Newcastle, young people in care are more likely not to be in education, employment or training (NEET) by 19. Part of our Life After School campaign, this research shows that having good GCSEs helps to prevent young people becoming NEET.

June 2016

Youth Jobs Index 2016

More than a million young people are spending six months or more not earning or learning. This has a knock-on effect for the rest of their lives, reducing their choices and prospects.

May 2016

The road most travelled? The 16-19 journey through education and training

This report reveals the journey of 16-19 year olds through education and training: who they are, how they perform, and where they go. Part of our Life After School campaign.

March 2016

Delivering the promise of social outcomes: the role of the performance analyst

Organisations working with young people often mean well. But do they do well? This report is about performance management and features organisations who’ve used their data to help leaders make decisions, managers support their staff and service delivery teams to improve the lives of the young people.

February 2015

Out of sight: how we lost track of thousands of NEETs and how we can transform their prospects

The government has lost track of over 150,000 young people aged 16-18 in England. For those not in education, employment or training this means they can’t get the support they need. This report highlights that the government’s published statistics don’t show the full picture.

December 2014

Ending the NEET crisis for good: a blueprint for the next prime minister

The large number of young people not in education, employment or training (NEETs), has been a problem for over a decade. This report provides the case and details of a five-year strategy to ‘make NEETs history’.

October 2014

Building capacity for impact: a report on the capacities needed by the social sector to deliver the aims of the social investment market

Organisations that change young people’s lives – that make a reliable, consistent and predictable impact, have largely been neglected in the social investment sector. This report can help organisations build their capacity to create social change.

September 2014

Ready for Work

Careers services are fractured. What do employers look for? This report uses employers to identify six vital capabilities for young people to be ready for work. It gives service providers, employers, funders and policymakers information to inform their service design and investment decisions.

September 2014

Digging deeper: why white working class boys underachieve and what can be done about it

White British boys on free school meals are the lowest performing group at GCSE. Our charities reflect on their experience with white working class boys, the barriers they face, the successful methods to reach them and whether they can be used by schools.

June 2014

London: a tale of two cities – addressing the youth employment challenge

The youth unemployment rate in London is significantly higher than the national average. Current policies are not doing enough to tackle the root causes of youth unemployment – this report highlights the causes and what needs to be done.

April 2014

The geography of youth unemployment: a route map for change

Young people who leave school with no more than GCSEs are more than twice as likely to be unemployed. This report maps youth unemployment across the UK and the barriers that prevent young people from moving to cities where they have more chance of finding entry-level work.

April 2014

Make NEETs history in 2014

Young people not in education, employment or training (NEET) is a major problem in Britain – and it’s not going away on its own. This report analyses the drivers and impact of being NEET and provides steps that the government should take to solve the crisis.

January 2014

The road less travelled: improving the apprenticeship pathway for young people

Social care is an example of a growing sector with significant skill demands. More high quality apprenticeships could offer young people a strong vocational alternative to academic routes into work.

November 2013

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