King's College London

The Policy Institute at King’s is evaluating whether a GCSE exam centre set up by the University of Exeter can help young people who are outside mainstream education to stay in education or training after 16, and avoid becoming NEET (not in education, employment or training). The evaluation is carried out in collaboration with TASO (Transforming Access and Student Outcomes in Higher Education) and University of Exeter, and is funded by the Cabinet Office’s Evaluation Accelerator Fund.

Thousands of young people in Devon and Cornwall are out of school, many because their special educational needs were not met. Without a school place, they often have no local option for sitting GCSEs, and families can face long journeys and high fees to take exams elsewhere. The Exeter Exam Centre, run by the University of Exeter, offers young people free GCSE exams in English and maths, including mock exams with feedback. It is a university-led partnership that aims to remove the financial and practical barriers that stop them progressing to post-16 education.

King’s will carry out a feasibility evaluation of the centre. Through interviews with participants, their parents and carers, and the staff and organisations involved, the evaluation aims to understand:

• the circumstances that led young people to be outside mainstream education,
• the impact of the exam centre on their lives, including their progression to further education and training
• the barriers and enablers young people face in accessing the centre,
• the challenges in setting up these exam centres

Findings will be published in spring 2027 to inform whether and how the model could be adopted elsewhere.