Qualification levels of disadvantaged and non-disadvantaged KS5 leavers in London (2020/21)
In 2020/21, the majority of London’s KS5 school leavers of both disadvantaged (68%) and non-disadvantaged (76%) backgrounds had Level 3 qualifications (e.g. A-levels).
This is in contrast to the rest of England. A lower proportion (73%) of non-disadvantaged KS5 school leavers had Level 3 qualifications, while only 52% of disadvantaged KS5 school leavers had a Level 3 qualification.
According to the Department for Education, students are considered disadvantaged in Year 11 and attract pupil premium funding if they are eligible for free school meals at any point in the last six years, have been looked after by the local authority, or have been adopted from care.