Education data linkage

Combined Understanding Society and administrative education data allow analysis of educational trajectories and detailed information on outcomes in the context of detailed individual- and family-level background and attitudinal information.

Administrative education records are collected separately in each of the four countries of the UK. Education data from the English National Pupil Database (NPD) and the Scottish Government have been linked to the Study. Education linkage for Wales is underway and will be released separately.

Linked education data available for research

Understanding Society: Linked Education Administrative Datasets (National Pupil Database), England, 1995- 2018: Secure Access

• Access these data via the UK Data Service
• Read the user guide
• Explore the variables

Understanding Society: Waves 1-14, 2009-2023: Special Licence Access, School Codes

• Access these data via the UK Data Service

This Special Licence dataset contains the codes of children’s current schools and those of recent school leavers. These are the official codes used in school statistics, so researchers can merge in data on the quality of schools such as from school league tables, on school composition (by ethnicity, free school meal etc), on financial resources used in schools and on teachers.

Understanding Society: Linked Education Administrative Datasets (Scottish Education Data), Scotland, 2007-2018: Secure Access

• Access these data via the UK Data Service
• Read the user guide
• Explore the variables

Understanding Society: Waves 5 (2013/14), 11- 14 (2019-2023): Special Licence Access, Higher Education Codes

In Wave 5, adult respondents who finished higher education in 1995 or after at a UK institution were asked about the higher education establishment that they attended. This dataset contains the higher education institution identifiers for up to four higher education establishments per respondent. In Wave 11, data were re-gathered on the same basis. In Wave 12 respondents affected by incorrect data collection in Wave 11 were asked the same questions again and data were also collected from newly eligible participants. As well as the higher education institution identifiers the UK Provider Reference Number (UKPRN) of the establishment has also been included. 

• Access these data, via the UK Data Service
• Read the user guide