Implemented ten years ago in England, the Raising of the Participation Age (RPA) placed a duty on young people to remain in learning (although not confined to staying on at school) until their 18th birthday.

This report presents the findings from a research project examining the design, implementation and impact of the RPA on participation, retention and achievements in post-16 learning and subsequent labour market outcomes. Going beyond pure impact evaluation, the researchers explore the design of the policy from conception through to implementation and assess the extent to which it has achieved its objectives.

This project was funded by the Nuffield Foundation.

Authors: Prof Matt Dickson, Prof Sue Maguire, Dr Maria Jose Ventura Alfaro, Dr Andrea Laczik, Dr Dana Dabbous, Olly Newton and Dave Thomson.

An accompanying policy brief summarises key findings and recommendations.