Next Steps plays an important role in identifying what factors can influence children and young people’s chances in life.
Government, teachers, charities and others use what we learn from you to develop services and policies that help improve people’s education, development and wellbeing.
These pages list just a few of the things we’ve learned and how it’s helped make a difference.
By taking part in Next Steps, you’re helping make life better for people your age, as well as younger generations.
Researchers are using the data from the COVID-19 Survey for hundreds of research projects, looking into the impact of the pandemic on mental health, employment and finances, family responsibilities and access to healthcare.
Next Steps has helped shed light on the factors that influence young people’s performance at school. Most importantly, Next Steps has improved our understanding of how growing up in a disadvantaged home affects young people’s experiences at school.
Youth employment is a major concern facing UK society today. Next Steps has contributed significantly to our understanding of young people’s experiences of the labour market.
The support we get from our families not only affects our happiness, but it can also affect how we do at school. Next Steps has uncovered just how important our families and home life are.
Many people take risks for the first time as teenagers, such as drinking alcohol or smoking. Researchers have used Next Steps to understand more about which young people engage in risky behaviours.
Information from Next Steps has enabled researchers to carry out in-depth studies into the characteristics of bullying victims, and how they are affected.
Next Steps has helped shed light on the factors that influence young people’s performance at school. Find out more about what we've learned.
Visit our FAQs section for more information on privacy and data protection. You can also find out about taking part, keeping in touch and why you're unique.
Researchers found that 76 per cent of Next Steps study members who had done well in school exams at age 11 had applied for a university place by age 20. However, this dropped to 66 per cent for able children of less advantaged parents, compared to 85 per cent from more affluent homes.
