CLOSER Discovery

This was the first follow-up sweep, and the broad intention of the study was to map cohort members' journeys from compulsory schooling to university, training and, ultimately, entry into the labour market. The survey content focused on educational experiences, attitudes to school and involvement in education, expectations and aspirations, as well as on aspects of cohort members' lives including risky-, crime- and anti-social behaviours, health and wellbeing. Wherever possible, interviewers were assigned to the same households they had interviewed at Sweep 1. In total the interview consisted of five modules.

The sample member completed one module - the young person interview, which lasted approximately 35 minutes. Adult interviews were also completed for household information, the main parent interview, second parent interview and child history. These lasted approximately 35 minutes altogether.

As at Sweep 1, the main parent was defined as the parent most involved in the young person's education, whilst the second parent was defined as an adult other than the main parent who had a parental relationship to the young person (i.e. a natural, step, adoptive or foster parent). Of the 15,678 young people issued at sweep 2 the survey reached 13,539 households (86%) in England.

Study website: www.cls.ucl.ac.uk/cls-studies/next-steps-age-15-sweep

England