Frequently Asked Questions

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About the survey

Why is this survey taking place?

This major survey is following over 5,000 young people across England between 2021 and 2024 to help us understand how education, well-being and careers support can be improved for young people such as yourself.


Who is conducting the survey?

The survey is being conducted by Verian, an independent research agency, on behalf of King’s College London (KCL).

Verian is bound by the Market Research Society (MRS) Code of Conduct – a set of agreements that ensure research is conducted in an ethical and safe manner.

To find out more about Verian, please visit www.veriangroup.com.


How is the survey being funded?

This research is being funded by the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) which is part of UK Research and Innovation (UKRI). They are the UK’s largest organisation for funding research on economic and social issues.

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Taking part

Why am I being invited?

You were selected from the National Pupil Database to represent thousands of others like you in England who were in Year 11 in 2020/2021. Your participation will help us learn about the experiences and views of young people as they enter adult life.

The National Pupil Database is collected as part of the school census by the Department for Education. We were given permission by the Department for Education to use your details to contact you about the survey last year.

You took part in the survey in Summer 2021 as well as in either late 2022 or early 2023. We are asking you to take part in the survey again, to see if your attitudes and plans have changed and to find out what you have been doing.


I don't think this survey is relevant to me

We are interested in every young person regardless of their plans. Everyone’s views and experiences are valuable to us as they will help us to build a more complete picture of your cohort.


Who should I contact if I don't want to take part?

Participation is completely voluntary, and you are able to withdraw at any time. If you would like to withdraw from the study you can email Verian at , or call us on 0800 015 2476

Please be ready to provide your reference number, address and postcode. The reference number is located on the top of the letter /and or email you received.

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How do I complete the survey?

What do you need to do?

You can complete the survey online, and you will be able to access the survey on your computer, tablet or smartphone. You can log in using the log in details included on the letter/ and or email you received. As a thank you, you will be given a voucher immediately after completing the survey.

The survey will take around 25 minutes to complete depending on your answers.


What will I be asked about?

The questions you will be asked will seek to explore your attitudes to education and work, your plans for the future, and your values and aspirations. The questions will also collect demographic information about you such as your gender and family background.


Do I have to answer all the questions?

Answering the questions is voluntary. If you do not wish to answer any of the questions then you can select 'prefer not to say' to move to the next question.


Can I ask someone to help me fill in the survey?

If you need a friend, caregiver or a relative to help fill out the survey that is fine. But the answers should be about your experience only. If you can’t do the survey online for any reason, please get in touch with us using the contact details below and we will try to find another way for you to take part.


How can I claim my voucher?

Once you have completed the survey online, you will be shown a link to the ‘Merit’ website where you will be able to choose from a range of different shopping vouchers. If you have any questions about redeeming your voucher, you can get in touch with us on YourLife.YourFuture@veriangroup.com.


Will you be contacting me again?

We have now reached the end of this three-wave study but occasionally we need to speak to people again about the answers given in this survey. If you are happy to help us again then there may also be follow up research related to this study. However, if at any point you would prefer us not to contact you again, please do let us know using the contact details below, or at the end of the survey.

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Confidentiality and data protection

Is this survey confidential?

Yes, everything that you tell us in the survey will be treated in the strictest of confidence. Your answers and personal details will be kept private and will be stored securely by Verian. Your answers will be anonymous and will be combined with the responses from over 5,000 other young people. You will not receive any ‘junk mail’ as a result of taking part.


How will my data be stored and protected

Your data will be processed in accordance with the Data Protection Act 2018 and UK General Data Protection Legislation. Your data will be stored on Verian’s secure servers. If you would like more information about how your data will be processed and stored please contact Verian.

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What will happen to the results?

An anonymised version of the data (containing no information which identifies anybody who took part) will be given to researchers at King’s College London for them to conduct the analysis of the survey. They will write up the results of the research in internal and published reports and academic publications, such as journal articles, conference papers and presentations in which it will be impossible to identify anybody who took part. Additionally, the anonymised data will be published at the end of the project in the UK Data Archive; you can find out more about the archive at this link: www.data-archive.ac.uk

To better understand the data collected in the study, we would like to link information about you held by the Department for Education to your survey answers. This includes information about any courses or exams you have taken and the schools, colleges or training centres you have attended. It also includes information about your ethnicity, gender and free school meals eligibility, any special educational needs, whether you speak another language, any exclusions, and being in care.

We will ask for your permission to do this at the end of the survey. Whether you agree is entirely optional – it does not affect your participation in the rest of the study.

If you are happy for us to create this link, we will add information from your past records and those relating to your education up until you reach the age of 21. This information will only be used for research purposes and is confidential: this means that your name and address and the names of the schools, colleges or training centres you attended will not be included in the results.

You can withdraw permission at any time by contacting Verian on freephone 0800 015 2476 or email YourLife.YourFuture@veriangroup.com.

If you withdraw your permission, if information has already been added, it will continue to be used for research purposes, but no further information from your records will be added.


Contact us or change your contact details

If you have any further questions or concerns about the survey or have any issues completing the survey or if you would like to update your contact details you can email us at or call us on 0800 015 2476. Please have your reference number to hand which can be found on the top of the letters and emails you would have previously received about the survey.

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