POST-SECONDARY SCHOOL TYPE AND ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT* by ELENA MESCHI University Ca’ Foscari, Venice ANNA VIGNOLES University of Cambridge and ROBERT CASSEN London School of Economics The Further Education (FE) sector has been the Cinderella of English education, attracting less research, despite the large number of students who attend FE colleges. We ask whether the post-16 institution attended by the pupil, i.e. FE college or school-based provision, influences pupils’ final achievement and whether the gain in pupil achievement at A level is greater in FE colleges as compared with school-based provision. Allow- ing for the fact that FE colleges admit more disadvantaged pupils, those who attend an FE college do marginally less well at A level. Sixth form colleges have significantly higher value-added, particularly for higher achieving pupils. 1 INTRODUCTION England has historically had a stratified education system, with a clear demarcation between the academic and vocational routes through education post-16. At age 16, when compulsory schooling ends in England, students have a choice of different institutions in which to continue their studies. Specifically students can opt to stay in a school and study in what is known as the ‘sixth form’, i.e. years 12 and 13 of the school system. Most of these students will be studying national Advanced Level examinations (known as A levels) that are generally taken at age 17/18 and are the major qualifica- tion for entry to university. Alternatively after the age of 16 students can attend a separate sixth form college: these colleges cater for 16- to 18-year- olds who are largely taking A levels. Yet another alternative is a Further Education (FE) college. FE colleges cater to a broader range of students of all ages, offering both academic and vocational post-compulsory (post-16) education. In this paper we consider the relative progress made by students pursuing the academic route (A levels) in these different types of post-16 institution, with a particular emphasis on the progress made by students in FE colleges. * Manuscript received 14.10.10; final version received 14.12.12. The Manchester School Vol 82 No. 2 183–201 March 2014 doi: 10.1111/manc.12006 © 2013 John Wiley & Sons Ltd and The University of Manchester 183