Longitudinal Education Outcomes (LEO) - Northern Ireland
The first release of the Longitudinal Education Outcomes Northern Ireland (LEO NI) dataset was made securely available to all accredited researchers in July 2026. This is a linked, de-identified database, comprising post-primary school data from the NI Department of Education linked to apprenticeships and further/higher education data from the NI Department for the Economy.
Phase 1: post-primary school data, apprenticeships and further/higher education data – securely available from July 2026
Phase 2: employment and earnings data from His Majesty's Revenue & Customs (HMRC) and benefits data from the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) and the Department for Communities (DfC)
Phase 3: Census data and Youth Justice Agency markers
The available data provides longitudinal, person‑level insight into NI learners’ progression through post‑primary schooling into further/higher education and apprenticeships. It also enables the analysis of transitions between key education stages and identification of patterns across learner characteristics and pathways.
Future enhancements to this dataset will be incorporated over two additional phases: Phase 2 aims to add employment and earnings data from HMRC and benefits data from the DWP and the DfC; and Phase 3 aims to add Census data and Youth Justice Agency markers.
Together, the three phases of delivery will create a richly linked, population‑level evidence base that enables researchers to study educational, economic and social outcomes over time, strengthening the capacity for informed decision‑making and targeted interventions across Northern Ireland.
