Educational Pathways and Work Outcomes of Disabled Young People in England (RPG-2020-202) is a 36-month research project funded by the Leverhulme Trust (November 2020-November 2023). The project aims to provide novel evidence surrounding educational transitions and labour market outcomes of disabled young people in England, and to investigate the whole range of mechanisms through which adolescent disability is translated into social disadvantage. The ‘Educational Pathways and Work Outcomes of Disabled Young People in England Qualitative Longitudinal Study' is a part of this broader project, which began during March 2021 and involved the collection of qualitative interview-based data from disabled young people and their parents/guardians. The project focused specifically on the experiences of dyslexic, autistic and/or physically disabled young people. Data were collected in waves in order to capture the experiences of young people through their post-16 education transitions into work and further education. Wave 1 interviews were conducted with the young people at age 15-16 (prior/during GCSE examinations) and wave 2 interviews a year later when the young people had entered further education and were aged 16-17 years old.There is evidence that individuals who experience childhood or adult disability lag behind in educational and work outcomes. However, we still know very little surrounding the social processes and mechanisms behind these inequalities. This project aims to rectify this omission by focussing on educational and occupational pathways of disabled youth in contemporary England. By employing nationally representative longitudinal data and a longitudinal qualitative study of disabled young people, we seek to produce a novel conceptual framework for the sociological understanding of disability differentials in educational and occupational attainment, challenging perspectives that consider disadvantaged as a natural consequence of disability.

The study started in March 2021 as part of a broader research project that sought to delineate the structural barriers faced by disabled young people throughout their educational journeys and transitions to the labour market. The study consists of two waves of qualitative interviews with 35 disabled young people that were in the final year of compulsory secondary schooling in mainstream settings (Year 11, 15-16 years old) during Wave 1. Wave 1 was completed between March-August 2021 prior to/during GCSE examinations and Wave 2 was completed between April-October 2022. Wave 1 interviews focused on young people’s life histories, lived experiences of disability and educational journeys, while Wave 2 interviews explored continuity and changes experienced in post-GCSE transitions. The vast majority of interviews took place online/over the phone due to COVID-19 lockdown and social distancing measures that were in place during fieldwork. All interviews were made fully accessible, following consultation with participants about their needs and preferences. The study adopted an intersectional design, recruiting young people from different social class backgrounds and impairment/conditions. We assigned participants to three social class groups (high, middle, low) by using information on parental occupation, which was collected during a screening interview with participants and their parents/guardians. Our categorization aligns with the three-category National Statistics Socio-Economic Classification, which captures differences in employment relations and occupational conditions. We recruited autistic, dyslexic, and physically disabled young people. These impairment/conditions correspond to three areas of need specified by the Department of Education. Between waves 1 and 2, from October 2021 to January 2022, parents or legal guardians of the young people from wave 1 were also invited to take part in semi-structured interviews. The parental interviews focussed on further exploring any structural or interpersonal mechanisms which had contributed to disability or disadvantage for the young people throughout their education. Of the original sample, 27 parents or guardians took part in a parental interview.