Longitudinal Education Outcomes Northern Ireland (LEO NI)
The Longitudinal Education Outcomes Northern Ireland (LEO NI) dataset is a de-identified, linked administrative dataset that brings together education, training and apprenticeship data from across Northern Ireland government.
LEO NI has been developed through a partnership between the Department of Education (DE), the Department for the Economy (DfE), and the Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency (NISRA) Research Support Unit (RSU).
The dataset enables researchers to examine educational pathways and outcomes over time, from post-primary education through further education, higher education, training and apprenticeships. It has been designed to support research that delivers public benefit and informs policy development.
LEO NI contains information relating to:
- Post-primary and special school pupils aged 14 years and over who appeared in at least one School Census between 2016/17 and 2023/24 (referred to as the enhanced All Pupil Spine (APS)
- learners participating in further education, higher education, training and apprenticeship programmes from 2017/18 to 2023/24, including those who do not appear in the school population.
The combined populations are referred to as the All Person Spine (AperS). Both these spines underpin the LEO NI.
The LEO NI was developed by Department of Education, Department for the Economy and the Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency (NISRA) Research Support Unit.
Separate Longitudinal Education Outcomes datasets are also available for England and Scotland.
Component datasets and linkage
The dataset includes seven tables, all of which are linkable using the common LEO_ID variable. Only pupils who are present in the enhanced APS and or the APerS are included in the LEO NI. These two spines facilitate the linkage. Some pupils will not appear in the Attendance table, the School Leavers Survey table or the Exams database and not every learner will appear in the APerS.
| Timeframe | Department of Education (DE): School Census (2016/17–2023/24); Attendance Data (2016/17–2023/24*); School Leavers Survey (2016/17–2023/24); Exams Database (2018/19–2023/24). *Attendance data for 2022/23 is unavailable due to Action Short of Strike (ASOS). Department for the Economy (DfE): Training for Success, Skills for Life and Work and ApprenticeshipsNI (2017/18-2023/24); Further Education (2017/18–2023/24); Higher Education (2017/18–2022/23) |
|---|---|
| Update Frequency | Every two years |
| Population | Pupils and learners aged 14+ |
| Coverage | Northern Ireland domiciled |
| Size | 541,790 |
.
Examples of research questions
- How does school attendance affect educational attainment and later progression to further education, higher education, training or apprenticeships?
- What are the educational and progression outcomes for disadvantaged pupils, including those entitled to Free School Meals, pupils with Special Educational Needs, and care-experienced children?
- Which pupil characteristics and school experiences are most strongly associated with progression to higher education, apprenticeships or further education?
- How effective are further education colleges, apprenticeships and training programmes in supporting learners to achieve qualifications and progress to higher levels of study?
- To what extent do post-16 education and training pathways improve equality of opportunity and social mobility across Northern Ireland?
- How do educational participation, attainment and progression outcomes vary across different regions, communities and demographic groups?
Core documentation
Other supporting resources
| Resource | Description |
|---|---|
| Synthetic data | Under development. Please contact rsu@nisra.gov.uk. |
| School Census | Information about the School Census |
| School Leavers Survey | Information about the School Leavers Survey |
| Training for Success | Information on Training for Success |
| Skills for Life and Work | Information on Skills for Life and Work |
| ApprenticeshipsNI | Information on Apprenticeships |
| Further Education Sector Activity | Information on Further Education |
| Qualifications gained at UK Higher Education Institutions | Information on Higher Education |
Accessing the data
1. Apply to become an accredited researcher under the Digital Economy Act 2017
- Complete the application form through the ONS Research Accreditation Service. Contact srs.customer.support@ons.gov.uk with any questions.
2. Apply to access the LEO NI. Further information on how to apply for approval is available on the NISRA Research Support Unit page
Access the data securely via the NISRA Secure Environment or the ONS Secure Research Service
- NISRA Secure Environment in Colby House – Contact RSU at rsu@nisra.gov.uk to request access to the Secure Room.
- Safe Rooms – based in the ONS offices in Titchfield and Newport, open Monday-Friday, 9.00-16.00.
- SafePod Network – a small, self-contained secure room with a single workstation.
- Assured Organisational Connectivity – the ability to access the ONS Secure Research Service from your office. Check what arrangements your institution already has or can put in place.
Further information on how to apply for approval is available on the NISRA Research Support Unit page or by contacting rsu@nisra.gov.uk.
Find out more
More information is available from the Education Outcomes Linkage 2018/19-2021/22 webpage on the NISRA website.
