Introduction
This study was designed to investigate the use of RONI (Risk of NEET Indicator) data, which is used to identify learners perceived as having an increased possibility of becoming NEET (Not in Education. Employment and Training), at school leaving age. Interview questions were designed to collate information on how RONI data was being used and manipulated within schools. The selected schools were all presented RONI data by their local authority (LA) for their current Year 7 (Y7) and Year 10 (Y10) learners.
The author specialised in working with disaffected and disengaged learners and felt that there was an inconsistency in the way that secondary educational establishments design and deliver mandatory academic curricula for learners that were consistently demonstrating disengagement and/or disaffection from their mainstream schooling. The author felt that a formalisation of a nationally recognised RONI data collection, that resulted in a learner being assigned a red/amber/green ‘RONI’ score, would be hugely beneficial to aid schools in implementing positive interventions and reducing the likelihood of the identified learners becoming NEET at school leaving age.
The intended outcome of this study was to establish if secondary educational establishments should be mandated to collect standardised RONI data to be published in national Ofsted statistics. Would this aid in enhancing disaffected/disengaged learners’ educational offers, further highlight the establishment’s learner demographics and aid in forming an additional progress measure? Ultimately, would this aid in reducing the number of Post 16 NEETs?
