What's the latest?
The DfE has launched a consultation on its proposals to improve 16-19 performance measures.
The changes are designed to make 16-19 performance measures more consistent, and account for the outcomes of all learners (currently, vocational and technical qualifications must meet specific criteria to count towards some measures).
Respond to the consultation
You can respond via the government's consultation webpage, where you'll find the consultation document with all the proposals set out in detail. The deadline for responses is 21 July 2026.
We've outlined the main proposals below:
Headline retention measure to be replaced from autumn 2026
The consultation sets out a proposal for a single retention measure.
The DfE proposes it will stop publishing:
Instead, it will publish a retained and assessed measure as a single headline measure, showing the percentage of students who are retained to the