Research and analysis

Our Future: information for participants

Details about the Our Future study of young people in England, including news of findings, our data security policy and contact information.

Applies to England

Documents

Our Future news: edition 3

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If you use assistive technology (such as a screen reader) and need a version of this document in a more accessible format, please email alternative.formats@education.gov.uk. Please tell us what format you need. It will help us if you say what assistive technology you use.

Our Future news: edition 2

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Our Future news: edition 1

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If you use assistive technology (such as a screen reader) and need a version of this document in a more accessible format, please email alternative.formats@education.gov.uk. Please tell us what format you need. It will help us if you say what assistive technology you use.

Privacy notice for the Our Future longitudinal study

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Details

Our Future is an annual, ‘longitudinal survey’ (data gathered about the same group of people over a long period of time) run by the Department for Education to help create better services for young people.

It follows a group of about 13,000 young people from ages 13 to 14 (year 9) in 2013 to ages 19 to 20 in 2019.

The study looks into young people’s:

  • attitudes to school, family and the labour market
  • future plans
  • personal characteristics
  • academic achievement
  • family background and relationships

The ‘Our Future news’ documents are for participants and summarise each year’s findings so far.

The ‘data linking and security’ guide is for parents or guardians of participants. It explains what personal information we use in the study.

The privacy notice explains how we handle any personal data we receive.

TNS BMRB and GfK are the research organisations carrying out the interviews. The fourth year of interviews will take place later in 2016.

Updating your details

If you’re involved in the study, please let TNS BMRB know if you’ve:

  • moved house
  • changed your phone number or email address

Email: ourfuture@tns-bmrb.co.uk

Telephone: 0800 015 4492

Previous longitudinal study

This is our second longitudinal study of young people in England. We ran Next Steps from 2004 to 2010. The young people we surveyed were aged 13 to 14 in 2004 and aged 19 to 20 in 2010.

The statistical findings from Next Steps are available.

Published 25 March 2014
Last updated 4 March 2016 + show all updates
  1. Updated the ‘data linking and security’ guide to explain why we now add information held by other departments and agencies to the information that we collect in the study.

  2. First published.