At The Springfields Academy we work from a simple but important truth: young people get only one real opportunity to springboard into life beyond school For too many across the country, that springboard is beginning to crack. The recently published review by Alan Milburn offers a stark warning. It highlights a sharp rise in the number of young people who are NEET (not in education, employment or training) and points to a deepening “generational fault line”. The prospect of a “lost generation” is no longer rhetorical. It is a very real risk. As a special school for autistic pupils, our mission at Springfields is clear: to ensure that our students defy these national trends and move successfully into adulthood, equipped to lead independent and fulfilling lives. That mission feels more pressing than ever. The 2024 Buckland review of autism employment laid bare a grave inequality. It found just three in 10 autistic adults are in employment, compared with five in 10 disabled people overall and eight in 10 non-disabled people. Milburn’s review underscores this gap further. It shows that the proportion of NEET young people reporting a disability has more than doubled in a decade, rising from 21 per cent in 2013-14 to 45 per cent in 2024. Against this backdrop, we are proud, though not complacent, that Springfields, part of Reach South Academy Trust, has sustained a 0 per cent NEET rate post-16 for six consecutive years. We maintain contact with families, education providers and employers for up to three years after students leave, monitoring their engagement, progress and integration into their chosen destination. Strong alumni network This information is recorded and tracked to ensure that post-school placements remain successful and sustainable, with support provided where required. The school also benefits from a strong alumni network, with former students regularly returning to share their experiences and volunteer with us. This achievement is the result of deliberate effort. It stems from a carefully designed personal development curriculum, accessed by every pupil from ages four to 16 and afforded equal status with academic subjects. This is where the national conversation must now shift. Our personal development curriculum is built around five core strands: PSHE, careers, preparation for adulthood, wellbeing and enrichment. Each strand follows a progressive framework, but their purpose is not merely to lead to qualifications – it is to build capability and functionality. Pupils engage at their own level of challenge, gaining skills they can use in real life. Central to this is wellbeing. Milburn’s review highlights that a young person with a mental health condition is now three times more likely to become NEET than their peers. This is why wellbeing cannot be left to chance. At Springfields, it is explicitly taught and practised. Pupils learn what positive mental health looks like and develop practical strategies to maintain it, skills that are just as vital as literacy or numeracy. Alongside this sits preparation for adulthood and PSHE, where pupils develop the building blocks of independence – understanding their “social self”, managing personal care and health, staying safe, navigating travel, building routines and engaging in leisure. These are not “soft” skills; they are life skills. Without them, qualifications alone are not enough to sustain participation in education, employment or training. This is one area where specialist settings often lead the way – but it should not be confined to them. If we are serious about tackling the NEET crisis, these elements must be embedded across all education settings. Careers education Careers education is another critical piece of the puzzle. At Springfields, we consistently achieve 100 per cent of the Gatsby benchmarks, but more importantly, we bring careers learning to life. Pupils take on real roles within school – receptionists, kitchen assistants, site maintenance team members – and access work experiences and encounters, from local cafés to Amazon. The centrepiece of this work is our annual “futures fair”. It brings together pupils, families, staff, employers and training providers who are committed to supporting neurodivergent learners into employment. The impact is tangible. Pupils engage confidently, try practical activities, and begin to visualise their futures. Crucially, future planning is not a standalone event, it is woven throughout the curriculum, aligned with education, health and care plan outcomes, and reinforced across subjects. It becomes part of a coherent, purposeful journey rather than a last-minute conversation. If we are to prevent NEET levels rising, incremental change will not be enough. What is required is a systemic shift in how we define and deliver education. We must invest in personal development with the same credibility as academic attainment. Schools’ accountability for personal development outcomes should have the same weighting as academic ones. We must ensure that every young person learns not just how to pass exams, but how to live independently, build relationships, contribute to their communities and manage their wellbeing. The goal of education is not just achievement, it is participation. When young people are equipped to participate fully in society, they do more than avoid becoming NEET. They thrive. They belong. They contribute. That is not just an educational outcome. It is a societal imperative.