Tackling the NEET crisis: Why GCSEs matter

Every summer, thousands of 16-year-olds across the UK await their GCSE results. It’s the culmination of evenings and weekends of revision, years of hard work and their school life. It’s also a critical turning point that can shape a young person’s entire future – the grades that they receive will determine what opportunities are open to them in further study, training or work.

What is the NEET Crisis?

For anyone unfamiliar with the term, NEET stands for Not in Education, Employment, or Training. It describes young people aged 16 to 24 who, after leaving school, are not engaged with both the education system and the workforce.

When a young person becomes NEET, they miss out on crucial early work experience, skill-building, and personal development. Being NEET is not just a temporary pause; spending extended periods disengaged at this age creates a ‘scarring effect’ that can lead to long-term unemployment, lower lifetime earnings, and poorer mental health outcomes.

According to recent data from the Office for National Statistics (ONS), the UK is facing a growing crisis, with around 1 million young people currently classified as NEET: representing over 13% of all 16–24-year-olds.

Who is most at risk?

The NEET crisis does not affect all young people equally. Data from the Social Mobility Commission highlights a stark divide: young people from disadvantaged or lower working-class backgrounds are more than twice as likely to become NEET (22%) compared to their more advantaged peers (9%).

Why does this gap exist? Socio-economic disadvantage often compounds other barriers. Pupils facing disadvantage are statistically less likely to achieve foundational qualifications, more likely to experience learning disruptions, and often lack access to private tutoring or professional networks. 

Without intervention, these unequal starting lines at age 16 translate directly into higher NEET rates at age 18 and beyond. The Impetus Youth Jobs Gap report finds that each additional young person who becomes NEET costs the state an average of £244,000 over their lifetime. Implementing three key reforms to reduce NEET numbers would save up to £6bn for the government in the long-term, according to a new report.

The power of the gateway qualifications

So how do we stop young people from slipping into the NEET statistics in the first place? The answer often lies in the core foundations laid at secondary school: securing a pass in GCSE English and maths.

English and maths act as the baseline ‘currency’ for almost every future pathway in the UK. Achieving a grade 4 or above opens the door to A-Levels, T-Levels, vocational courses, and direct apprenticeships.

Without these pass grades, young people face immediate structural barriers:

• Course restrictions: Most colleges and apprenticeship providers require a minimum grade 4 in both subjects for entry onto Level 3 qualifications.
• Compulsory retakes: Pupils who do not pass must resit these exams alongside their post-16 studies, which can drain confidence and lead to further disengagement.
• Reduced employability: Basic literacy and numeracy are non-negotiable prerequisites for many entry level jobs, long-term career progression and financial independence.

Research confirms that qualifications act as a vital shield: every step up the qualification ladder significantly reduces a young person’s likelihood of becoming NEET. Indicators of NEET risk can emerge as early as Year 6, so early intervention is vital, too.

Closing the gap with targeted support

At Action Tutoring, we see firsthand that potential is equally distributed across the UK, but opportunity is not. A pupil struggling with algebra or essay structure isn’t lacking ambition; they often just lack the tailored, individual guidance needed to help the concept click.

This is where high-quality, small-group tutoring makes a transformative difference. By working closely with schools to deliver targeted academic support to pupils facing disadvantage, we give them the dedicated space and time to rebuild their academic confidence, master the curriculum, and secure those crucial pass grades.

Overcoming the NEET crisis isn’t about pushing every young person toward a traditional university degree. It is about ensuring every single young person leaves school with the core literacy and numeracy skills needed to choose their own future.

When we invest in helping a young person pass their GCSEs, we aren’t just improving exam statistics. We are giving them a foundation of confidence, opening doors to meaningful opportunities, and ensuring that no young person is left behind. 

GCSE Results Day is fast approaching! We’re excited to celebrate the incredible progress our pupils have made, changing their trajectories. Follow Action Tutoring for live updates, inspiring stories from our pupils and tutors, and expert insights on national attainment outcomes as the results unfold.

Get involved with our mission

Wrapping up a sensational season of fundraisers

We have been so proud to be supported by incredible fundraisers across the nation once again this year. From running to rowing and beyond, our dedicated supporters have been raising crucial funds to help us tackle educational inequality and disrupt the cycle of poverty.

Read on to join us in celebrating these achievements and feel inspired!

10k and half marathon magic

Our spring events season kicked off in April this year with the London Landmarks Half Marathon, followed by Action Tutoring being proudly represented in the Great Birmingham 10k and Half Marathon, Hackney Half, Great Manchester 10k and Saucony London 10k.

Volunteer raises over £10,000 for Action Tutoring

For the third consecutive year, Johnny laced up his trainers and joined thousands of runners on the streets of Birmingham for the Great 10k Run.

Having been an Action Tutoring volunteer tutor himself, Johnny understands first hand the impact a one hour session can have on our pupils, inspiring him to push himself year on year by taking on this challenge.

On race day the last two kilometres were an uphill battle, but the generosity of his donors gave Johnny the motivation needed to make it across the finish line!

Over the past three years, Johnny has raised an outstanding £10,290.50 with gift aid in aid of our work.

Action Tutoring staff in action

We are thrilled to have been represented by volunteers, corporate partners and Action Tutoring’s very own staff members! Sarah, Interim CEO, and Kate, Fundraising Manager, challenged themselves to the Saucony London 10k race in July. Here’s what Kate had to say about the experience:

“It was a hot day and lots of focus on keeping hydrated but it was a lot of fun and the crowd kept us all motivated! It was lovely to see the sights of London in a different way too, especially running past Big Ben and over Westminster Bridge, and I also welcomed the sight of the fire brigade who were providing a much needed fire hose shower to cool down at around 8k!” 

Nich’s royal ride!

In June, Action Tutoring’s former Director of Operations and Finance Nich challenged himself to an epic bicycle ride around King Alfred’s Way: a 217-mile (350km) off-road loop through the historic heart of Wessex. He battled gravel and mud but neither the ghosts of Anglo-Saxon warriors or a badly-timed puncture could stop him crossing the finish line! Nich has raised phenomenal funds for disadvantaged pupils across the country year after year.

The return of the dragon boat race

For the second consecutive year, WSP’s Manchester Team headed to Salford Quays to take part in the UK Chinese Dragon Boat Festival! Action Tutoring staff member Elsie went along to cheer the team on and shared:

“The day was a great success down at the Dragon Boat Race on Salford Quays. Despite the windy and chilly conditions, our fab team of 11 WSP staff powered through, racing in two heats and finishing 19th out of 42 teams, raising over £1,000 for AT!

Spirits and morale were high throughout the day, and the atmosphere from the side lines was incredible. A huge thank you to everyone who rowed, cheered and donated!”

Thank you

We are truly grateful for all the ways in which our kind supporters have championed our cause and we’re looking forward to another season of exciting events this autumn!

Subscribe to our newsletter below to be the first to hear about upcoming fundraising opportunities.

Five things we’re celebrating at the end of term

As another incredible academic year draws to a close at Action Tutoring, we are taking the opportunity to look back on all of the successes of the past school year. This year has been our busiest to date, with our partnership with the Education Endowment Foundation (EEF) resulting in the number of pupils our tutors have supported being our highest yet. We want to say a humongous thank you to all of our dedicated tutors for their hard work this year and wish them a fantastic and well-deserved summer. 

Five things we’re celebrating:

1. Our incredible stats this year!

We are extremely proud to share that this academic year we have:

• Worked alongside 1,969 dedicated tutors to provide 27,005 hours of tutoring to our pupils – that’s 1,125 days or 3 years and 29 days worth of tutoring time collectively delivered! 
• This staggering amount of tutoring hours has resulted in just shy of 6,000 pupils receiving our support in English or maths this year, an incredible feat!
• 71% of the pupils we worked with this year are eligible for Pupil Premium, which is 6% over our target of 65%.

2. Our fantastic volunteers

This year, we have welcomed 1,192 new volunteer tutors to the AT community! That alone is something to celebrate. Our total of 1,969 tutors have worked tirelessly to deliver high-quality tutoring sessions in English and maths (or both) to pupils across England. We truly have volunteers spanning the length and breadth of the UK, from Inverurie in Scotland down to Penzance in Cornwall and everywhere in between.

As term draws to a close, volunteers have been invited to celebrate their efforts at regional tutor socials, taking part in activities such as bowling, a picnic in the park and a pub quiz! 

Additionally, this academic year has seen some incredible volunteer fundraising support too. From six dare skywalkers who walked 47 metres above the Tottenham Hotspur pitch, raising over £1,600, to a team of 11 staff from WSP Manchester who took part in a Dragon Boat Race at Salford Quays raising over £1,000 for Action Tutoring. Thank you to all volunteers and those who donated!  

3. Our Impact Report

Our 24-25 Impact Report looks at how our pupils did last academic year. Most notably, our Year 6 pupils completely closed the attainment gap in reading, reaching national standards at the exact same rate as their non-disadvantaged peers.

Meanwhile, the GCSE pupils we worked with finished their exams being 13% more likely to pass maths and 10% more likely to pass English than disadvantaged peers nationally. We are already excited to see the results that this year’s cohort will bring!

4. Maro Itoje visit

Back in March, England rugby captain, and founder of The Pearl Fund, Maro Itoje visited two programmes running at primary schools in London to witness first-hand from the pupils about how much their weekly maths and English tutoring sessions mean to them. The pupils at both schools were delighted with their celebrity visit and it sounded like Maro had a great time too.

Maro shared his ‘deep gratitude’ to Action Tutoring in a letter to the team, noting that “what stood out the most was the commitment and care shown [by all]…working tirelessly to afford better outcomes for such a bright and talented [group of] young people.”  

5. Last but not least, our pupils!

We want to celebrate the hard work of all 5,952 pupils who have received tutoring this academic year. Alongside their tutors, pupils have shown commitment and enthusiasm for attending sessions each week, sometimes before or after school hours and it is time to thank them for this.

Over the last few weeks, Programme Coordinators have been running end-of-programme celebrations involving lots of well-earned cake, certificates and praise. Pupils have been reflecting on their achievements with their tutor using our reflection templates. As one Year 6 pupil put it:

Thank you to all of our tutors, pupils, teachers and parents who have supported us this year. We can’t wait to see what next academic year brings!