Improving attainment among disadvantaged students in the FE and adult learning sector - An evidence review

Sep 14, 2026

The evidence review examines how attainment can be improved for disadvantaged learners in the further education (FE) and adult learning sector, focusing on social mobility outcomes across England and other countries. It synthesizes 63 studies across four countries, highlighting which intervention types show positive effects, where impacts are marginal, and why some improvements may not persist long term. The review also assesses policy and delivery challenges, evidence quality, and cost-effectiveness evidence gaps for specific disadvantaged groups.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages71

Reading Time2 h 59 min

AccessFree to download

Contents

Executive Summary

Key findings

Policy challenges

Introduction

Policy context

Aims of the review

Methods

Quality and nature of the evidence

How effective are the interventions?

What types of approaches are likely to be effective?

What works for whom?

Cost-effectiveness

Delivering interventions

Annex 1: The evidence

Improving attainmentImproving attainmentamong disadvantagedamong disadvantagedstudents in the FE andstudents in the FE andadult learning sectoradult learning sectorAn evidence reviewResearch reportJanuary 2020 About the Commission The Social Mobility Commission is an independent advisory non-departmental public body establishedunder the Life Chances Act 2010 as modified by the Welfare Reform and Work Act 2016.It has a duty toassess progress in improving social mobility in the UK and to promote social mobility in England. The Commission board comprises: ·Dame Martina Milburn (Chair) ·Alastair da Costa,Chair of Capital City College Group ● Farrah Storr,Editor-in-chief,Elle ·Harvey Matthewson,Aviation Activity Officer at Aerobility and Volunteer ·Jessica Oghenegweke,Broadcast and Digital Coordinator at The Roundhouse ·Jody Walker,Senior Vice President at TJX Europe (TK Maxx and Home Sense in the UK) ·Liz Williams,Group Director of Digital Society at BT ·Pippa Dunn,Founder of Broody,helping entrepreneurs and start ups · Saeed Atcha,Chief Executive Officer of Youth Leads UK ·Sam Friedman,Associate Professor in Sociology at London School of Economics ·Sammy Wright,Vice Principal of Southmoor Academy,Sunderland ·Sandra Wallace,Joint Managing Director Europe at DLA Piper ·Steven Cooper,Chief Executive Officer C.Hoare &Co LEARNING ANDWORK INSTITUTE Learning and Work Institute is an independent policy,research and development organisation dedicated tolifelong learning,full employment and inclusion.We research what works,develop new ways of thinkingand implement new approaches.Working with partners,we transform people's experiences of learning andemployment.What we do benefits individuals,families,communities and the wider economy. Improving attainment among disadvantaged students in the FE and adult learning sector:An evidence review Contents 2Key findings245Policy challenges Executive Summary Introduction Policy context 5 Developments in government policy68Aims of the review8Methods8Quality and nature of the evidence1017How effective are the interventions?17What types of approaches are likely to be effective?22What works for whom?27Cost-effectiveness30Delivering interventions3137Annex 1:The evidence39 The review The findings Conclusions # Executive Summary The Further Education and adult learning sector(FE sector)plays an important role in improvingsocio-economic outcomes and supporting social mobility.Individuals from disadvantagedbackgrounds are significantly less likely to participate in learning or training and tend to havelower attainment but more likely to participate in FE and adult learning compared to other post-16 routes.For government reforms designed to increase adult learning to be effective and foroutcomes to improve,it is crucial to develop the evidence on what works and share knowledgeand best practice.Yet there has been relatively limited activity focussed on bringing together theevidence on what works to improve outcomes in the sector.This report aims to help fill this gapby reviewing and mapping the evidence on what works to improve attainment for disadvantagedstudents in the FE sector. # Key findings ·The review found 63 studies across four countries,nine of which are from England.Fifty-two of the studies are rated as 'high quality'of evidence.This contrasts with the evidencein the education sector (3-18 years)given it is anticipated that more than 3,000 studieswill be included in Education Endowment Foundation's new teaching and learning toolkit. ·Programmes¹designed to improve attainment among disadvantaged students can havea positive impact but some appear to only have marginal effects or no impact.Whilesome research shows that programmes can significantly improve attainment (e.g.obtaining a Level 2 qualification),other studies found the improvement to be modest.This indicates that the programmes are only slightly more effective than 'business asu

FAQs

What is the purpose of the review for the FE and adult learning sector?

The review maps and reviews evidence on what works to improve attainment for disadvantaged students in the FE sector, helping support effective government reforms and sharing best practice.

How many studies does the review include and where are they from?

The review found 63 studies across four countries, with nine studies from England, and 52 rated as high quality evidence.

Which intervention types are suggested to be most effective?

The review indicates the most effective programmes tend to provide comprehensive support and integrate with course curriculum, such as embedding basic skills within a vocational pathway.

Sep 14, 2026

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