Student Premium Coalition

Young people from disadvantaged backgrounds face a sharp drop in targeted support at age 16 – just as they face a critical transition and defining moment in education. We are calling on the Government to introduce a 16–19 Student Premium, modelled on the Pupil Premium, to ensure disadvantaged students are supported through to successful progression into further study, training or work.

Read our proposal

The problem: the funding cliff edge at age 16

Disadvantage doesn’t end at 16, but targeted funding for supporting engagement, attainment and progression does. 

Young people from disadvantaged backgrounds face significant, compounding barriers in education. By the end of 16–19 education, they are over three grades behind their peers across their best three subjects, with even larger gaps for those in long‑term poverty.  

The final two years of compulsory participation in education and training are crucial for ensuring that these young people gain the qualifications and skills they need to access opportunities for further study, training and work – and to prevent the most vulnerable students from becoming NEET (not in education, employment or training). 

Yet the Pupil Premium grant – ringfenced funding for improving the educational outcomes of young people facing disadvantage – ends right before this crucial stage, contributing to a drop of nearly £1000 in funding per student as they enter post-16 study. This creates a damaging discontinuity in support at a moment when young people are preparing for high-stakes transitions and are most vulnerable to disengagement. 

Young people with low qualification levels are

75% more likely

to be NEET.

Lacking a standard pass in GCSE English and maths is the

single biggest

shared characteristic of young people who are long‑term NEET

Young people eligible for Free School Meals (FSM) are

3 times less likely

to attend university than their more advantaged peers.

Why a Student Premium? 

Following the introduction of the Pupil Premium, the proportion of school leaders reporting a focus on additional support for pupils facing disadvantage rose from 57% to 94%. The attainment gap narrowed at both key stage 2 and key stage 4, and did not widen again until the pandemic. Under the current system, the sharp break in targeted provision at age 16 risks undermining the value of that earlier investment. 

Late adolescence is a key window for learning, and there is a growing body of evidence on what works to drive attainment at this stage. By enabling colleges and sixth forms to implement evidence‑based interventions that boost engagement, attainment and progression, a Student Premium would support Government ambitions to widen opportunity by narrowing the attainment gap, reducing NEET rates, and enhancing young people’s qualifications and skills at the final bridge to the labour market. 

What we’re calling for…

The Student Premium Coalition is calling on the Government to introduce a 16–19 Student Premium as part of the 2027 Spending Review. The Student Premium should:

  • Be additional to existing post‑16 funding.
  • Be targeted at students who are, or have been, eligible for free school meals.
  • Be modelled on the Pupil Premium in scale and design (estimated at around £430m per year from 2027/28).
  • Support colleges, sixth forms and training providers to deliver evidence‑based interventions that improve attainment, attendance and progression.
Read our proposal
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13

Stay up to date with the Student Premium Coalition

Want to get involved with the campaign or stay up to date with our progress? Fill out this short form to receive campaign updates and information on how you can support: 

Stay in touch

You can also contact the coalition directly by reaching out to Connie Lawfull on connie.lawfull@getfurther.org.uk

“Young people consistently tell me how much they value education, yet many 16 and 17‑year‑olds face real challenges continuing their studies, including caring responsibilities and the need to work alongside learning. That is why my recent College Census urged the government to expand Pupil Premium funding to 16 and 17‑year‑olds”
Dame Rachel de Souza DBEChildren’s Commissioner for England
Dame Rachel de Souza DBE
“The lack of a Student Premium from age 16 is one of the great injustices of our education system. It is a national scandal that support for young people from under-resourced backgrounds falls away during the very years that so profoundly shape their life chances.”
Lee Elliot Major OBEProfessor of Social Mobility at the University of Exeter
Lee Elliot Major OBE
“At Get Further, we see firsthand how tailored one-to-one and small group tutoring helps those over the age of 16 to build confidence, develop skills and gain the qualifications they need to progress - including those who have previously struggled in school. Yet colleges and sixth forms lack the funding to provide this vital support to young people from disadvantaged backgrounds at scale. A Student Premium is long overdue and would play a crucial role in reducing NEET rates and helping more young people achieve lifelong success.”
Sarah WaiteCEO and Founder of Get Further
Sarah Waite
"With nearly a million young people not in education, employment, or training (NEET), the post-16 phase is a crucial juncture for preventing youth unemployment. Young people are required to stay in education or training until 18, and policymakers should give these formative young adult years the same focus as the rest of compulsory education."
Susannah HardymanCEO of Impetus
Susannah Hardyman
“At The Brilliant Club, we see at first-hand how enriching learning experiences can transform young people’s academic attainment, confidence, and self-belief. A post-16 Student Premium would introduce vital investment to ensure that those from less advantaged backgrounds are not locked out of these opportunities at a crucial stage of their education, helping to give them a fair chance to progress to leading universities and enter rewarding employment”.
Susie WhighamCEO of The Brilliant Club
Susie Whigham
“Disadvantaged students don’t stop needing support the moment they finish their GCSEs, yet that’s exactly when funding falls away. A 16-19 Student Premium would help schools, colleges and sixth forms keep young people engaged, support achievement in English and maths, and reduce the risk of students becoming NEET."
Pepe Di’IasioGeneral Secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders
Pepe Di’Iasio
“Introducing a post-16 Student Premium would ensure that disadvantaged students continue to receive the help and support they need when they enter sixth form education. This targeted, additional investment would make a real difference and help to reduce the number of disadvantaged young people that disengage from education after the age of 16.”
Bill WatkinChief Executive of the Sixth Form Colleges Association
Bill Watkin
"Currently, young people eligible for free school meals are three times less likely to attend university than their advantaged peers. Funding for targeted interventions would support progression to higher level study and ensure that the most talented students are able to access universities, not just those with the most wealth and resources.”
Anna SearleCEO of The Access Project
Anna Searle

News from the coalition

Read about our campaign launch in The Guardian.

Read out campaign launch press release in full.

FE Week: We can’t tackle NEET numbers without fixing 16-19 funding.

For press or other enquiries, please reach out to Connie Lawfull (External Relations Manager, Get Further) on connie.lawfull@getfurther.org.uk.