Explore 
Access the main survey data 
Morag Henderson
Professor of Sociology and Principal Investigator of Next Steps
Email: morag.henderson@ucl.ac.uk
On this page:
Next Steps is a national cohort study following the lives of around 16,000 people in England, born in 1989-90, since they were in secondary school.
The study collects information about education and employment, economic circumstances, family life, physical and emotional health and wellbeing, social participation and attitudes.
Next Steps began in 2004 when the participants were aged 13-14, with an original sample of 15,770 recruited through schools. It was originally managed by the UK Department for Education and known as the Longitudinal Study of Young People in England (LSYPE).
Since 2015, Next Steps has been managed by the UCL Centre for Longitudinal Studies and funded by the Economic and Social Research Council.
If you are a Next Steps participant, please visit the Next Steps website.
Introduction to Next Steps
Get started with CLS' millennial cohort study, Next Steps.
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The target population for the study was young people who were in Year 9 in English state and independent schools and pupil referral units in February 2004. Cohort members were born between 1 September 1989 and 31 August 1990.
The sample design considered schools the primary sampling unit, with deprived schools being over-sampled by 50 per cent. Of 892 selected schools, 647 state and independent secondary schools as well as pupil referral units participated in the study.
Within selected schools, pupils from minority ethnic groups (Indian, Pakistani, Bangladeshi, Black African, Black Caribbean, and Mixed) were over-sampled to provide sufficient base sizes for analysis. The school and pupil selection approach ensured that, within a deprivation band and ethnic group, pupils had an equal probability of selection.
The issued sample for the Age 14 Sweep was approximately 21,000 young people. A total of 15,770 households were interviewed in that initial sweep, representing 74 per cent of the target sample. For the Age 17 Sweep, 352 Black Caribbean and Black African pupils, selected from the original schools sample, were added to the sample taking the total number of cohort members who had taken part in the study up to 16,122.
From ages 15-20, the target sample consisted of cohort members who had participated at the previous sweep. From the Age 25 Sweep onwards, the target sample was all cohort members who had ever taken part in the study.
Cohort profile
Fang-Wei Wu, A., Henderson, M., Brown, M., Adali, T., Silverwood, R. J., Peycheva, D. and Calderwood, L. (2024). ‘Cohort Profile: Next Steps—the longitudinal study of people in England born in 1989–90’, International Journal of Epidemiology, 53(6), doi: 10.1093/ije/dyae152.
Explore
Find a range of tools and resources to help you explore Next Steps data at each sweep.
Access the main survey data
Most Next Steps data are available for free via the UK Data Service [SN 2000030].
Access specialised data
Linked administrative records, genetic, geospatial and other specialised data are available from other public data repositories or directly from CLS.
CLS provides expert training for Next Steps data users of all experience levels. Check out all the webinars available on our YouTube channel.
Next Steps at age 32: explore the new data (2025)
In this webinar, explore the new data available from Next Steps, learn why this national cohort study of millennials is such a valuable research resource and discover some of the first findings at age 32.
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Cross-cohort comparative analysis in the British cohort studies (2024)
This webinar discusses the challenges of cross-study comparative research and possible solutions.
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Introduction to longitudinal data: structure and visualisation (2023)
This two hour session gives an overview of the tools and strategies available to manage and visualise longitudinal cohort studies.
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Covid-19 Surveys
Data are available from three surveys carried out during the pandemic with Next Steps and four other cohort studies.
Genetic data and biological samples
Genotyped data from over 1,500 Next Steps cohort members, obtained from biological samples collected at age 32, are available for research.
Geospatial data
A range of geospatial data can be linked to Next Steps survey data using cohort members’ location information. Examples include data on local amenities, such as green space or fast food restaurants, and information on pollution and the weather.
Linked administrative data
Researchers can access administrative health and education data linked to Next Steps survey data. These include Hospital Episode Statistics, National Pupil Database data for Key Stages 2-5 and school level data, Individualised Learner Records, and Student Loans Company information.
Morag Henderson
Professor of Sociology and Principal Investigator of Next Steps
Email: morag.henderson@ucl.ac.uk
Dr Henderson’s main area of research is inequalities across the life course. More specifically she examines patterns in educational attainment, bullying and wellbeing. Morag oversees all aspects of CLS’s work on Next Steps, and leads on the strategic and scientific direction of the study.
Centre for Longitudinal Studies
UCL Social Research Institute
20 Bedford Way
London WC1H 0AL
Email: clsdata@ucl.ac.uk
