Post-16 attendance and participation: an evaluation of attendance, participation and provider practice across Wales - government response

This thematic report is written in response to a request for advice from Medr on behalf of the Welsh Government in their remit letter to Estyn for 2025 to 2026. 

The report considers attendance and participation among full-time learners aged 16 to 19 in further education (FE) colleges and school sixth forms across Wales. Attendance is defined as the learner’s presence in a timetabled session, either in person or online.

The report found providers had begun to strengthen approaches to promoting attendance and highlighted a notable strength across most providers was the emergence and development of specialist support roles and the adoption of ‘team around the learner’ approaches. The report also found most providers recognised a strong relationship between attendance, participation and learner outcomes.

The review also found there is currently no consistent national approach to measuring or reporting post-16 attendance, and as a result attendance figures are not fully comparable across providers. In some cases, headline attendance data does not accurately reflect learners’ physical presence in lessons. These inconsistencies reduce the usefulness of attendance data for benchmarking, self-evaluation and improvement planning.

The report evaluates six key areas. Brief summaries of which are as follows:

Summary of attendance and participation rates

In most providers, learners attended around 80% of timetabled lessons, and a majority of providers reported gradual improvement over the past three years. However, in a minority of providers, attendance continues to be notably below pre-pandemic levels, with lowest attendance rates in compulsory skills and resit provision.

Common barriers to strong attendance

Across providers a wide range of causes of lower attendance were identified. In most providers, absence was attributed to a combination of interrelated factors, particularly well-being concerns and low resilience, as well as transport and financial barriers. Where transition to post-16 information was weaker, providers were also less able to identify learners at risk of poor attendance early enough.

Provider approaches to improving attendance

Providers were most effective in improving attendance where leaders set clear expectations for attendance and communicate these effectively. However, providers were less effective where leaders focus on headline attendance figures without analysing patterns in detail, do not utilise data effectively, and lack a clear distinction between physical presence and wider engagement.

Learner experiences of attendance and participation

Learners felt that attendance was influenced by a combination of factors, including how engaging and relevant lessons were, the quality of relationships with staff, timetabling concerns, transport issues, other commitments, well-being concerns, the availability of online resources and the clarity of attendance expectations. Practical barriers were of particular concern, and especially significant for those travelling long distances or accessing Welsh-medium provision across wide geographical areas.

Local authority support and oversight

Local authorities have a limited role in supporting post-16 attendance and are largely focused on transition and inclusion processes. A lack of consistent national attendance data also limits opportunities for benchmarking and sharing of effective practice. Local authority transport policies vary considerably across Wales. Arrangements for sharing attendance-related information and the availability and extent of wider support services also varies.

Impacts of attendance on learner outcomes

In most providers, regular attendance was associated with stronger attainment, better retention and improved progression. However, formal evaluation is underdeveloped in many providers, and some leaders did not analyse the relationship between attendance and outcomes systematically, limiting their ability to identify effective approaches in improving attendance, retention and learner outcomes over time.

Providers should: 

R1. strengthen their strategic approach to improving attendance, including making effective use of data to identify trends and causes of low attendance.

R2. distinguish clearly between learners’ physical attendance, authorised absence, and participation in other timetabled learning, including lessons delivered remotely, when recording attendance.

R3. set and share high expectations for in-person attendance for all learners.

R4. review curriculum design and timetabling in areas where attendance is consistently weaker to ensure that provision is relevant, accessible and supports high levels of attendance.

R5. work collaboratively with local authorities, other providers and agencies to improve the sharing of transition information about learners’ prior attendance, support needs and barriers to engagement.

Welsh Government response:

Providers have responsibility for monitoring learner attendance and engagement, and for identifying and responding to emerging support needs and barriers to engagement. 

The Welsh Government continues to meet with representatives from Colegau Cymru to consider how we can improve information sharing between schools and colleges. 

Welsh Government would expect any work taken forward to be developed collaboratively and in partnership with relevant stakeholders, including considering proportionality, delivery implications and the potential benefits to learners. 

Medr should: 

R6. work with the sector to standardise expectations for recording and reporting post-16 attendance and participation, including common definitions, attendance codes and reporting arrangements, to support consistent application of provider attendance policies, including expectations relating to EMA eligibility and payments. 

R7. work with Welsh Government and providers to publish national post-16 attendance data to support benchmarking, evaluation and continuous improvement.

R8. facilitate sector-wide sharing of effective practice, particularly around data use, pastoral support and approaches linking attendance, well-being and engagement.

Welsh Government response:

Medr has a role in providing leadership, promoting collaboration and coherence across the tertiary education sector, and driving continuous improvements for learners. 

Welsh Government would expect any work taken forward to be developed in partnership with providers and other key stakeholders, including considering proportionality, delivery implication and the potential benefits to learners.

Welsh Government should: 

R9. work with Medr to review transport and financial support arrangements that affect access to post-16 provision, particularly across local authority boundaries and in Welsh-medium education.

R10. work with Medr and providers to publish national post-16 attendance data to support benchmarking, evaluation and continuous improvement.

Welsh Government response:

R9. We recognise the important role that transport and financial support arrangements play in enabling equitable access to post-16 education and training opportunities. 

We will continue to invest in the Young Persons Fare Scheme to support the affordability of transport for young people and will draw on evidence from its evaluation to strengthen our understanding of the role that affordable public transport can play in supporting participation in post-16 education and training. 

We will work with Medr, FE institutions, local authorities, Transport for Wales and other key delivery partners to consider how transport interventions and networks can better enable access to post-16 provision. The Bus Reform Programme provides a significant opportunity to engage directly with further education providers and learners to help shape integrated public transport networks that support access to education and training opportunities across Wales, particularly where learners travel across local authority boundaries or to access Welsh-medium provision. This work will form part of our wider programme of continuous improvement of learner travel arrangements and will be informed by stakeholder engagement, evidence gathered through our ongoing work with the sector, and consideration of barriers experienced by learners and families.

For the 2026 to 2027 academic year, the EMA household income thresholds have been increased, enabling around 1,500 additional young people to qualify for support. We will keep the EMA thresholds under review and work closely with partners and stakeholders to ensure all eligible learners are aware of and apply for EMA.

R10. Welsh Government will work with Medr and providers to consider the feasibility, benefits and practical implications of establishing national attendance datasets and reporting arrangements that support benchmarking, self-evaluation and continuous improvement while minimising unnecessary burden on providers. 

Local authorities should:

R11. work with schools, colleges, other local authorities and partners to improve transition information-sharing and address barriers to attendance, particularly in relation to transport issues.

Welsh Government response:

Welsh Government welcomes Recommendation 11. The transition from compulsory education to post-16 education and training is a pivotal point in a young person’s learning journey when they make important decisions about where and how they will continue their education, including whether to study through the medium of Welsh. Learners will need access to timely, up-to-date information, advice and guidance about transport options when choosing their post-16 studies and collaborative working between schools, colleges and local authorities is necessary to support this.

Post-16 planning is a core component of the 14 to 16 learner entitlement, and all schools should ensure learners are fully advised and able to make informed decisions about their post-16 transitions including having sufficient information around the options available at further education institutions and other post-16 providers. 

Supported by £1.135m of Welsh Government funding (allocated to colleges by Medr), full-time Junior Apprenticeships are having a positive impact on learners at risk of disengaging by giving learners aged 14 to 16 hands-on vocational experience in a college setting. From 2027, the introduction of VCSEs will enhance awareness of vocational pathways and employments sections. Whilst they are designed to be deliverable within school settings, their introduction provides an opportunity for schools and colleges to work collaboratively to deliver engaging vocational learning. 

The Welsh Government continues to meet with representatives from Colegau Cymru to consider how we can improve information sharing between schools and colleges. For example, the government is currently working with Qualifications Wales, the Learner Record Service and WJEC to ensure colleges have access to modular examination results data to help with onboarding new learners from Autumn 2027. 

The full report can be accessed on Estyn’s website, and was published on 1 October 2026.