Councils across England are being put on notice by Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson, who is writing to every local authority setting out expectations for tracking vulnerable teenagers more closely.

The move follows new figures showing 32,100 so-called ‘Phantom NEETs’ – young people whose education, employment or training status is unknown to their council.

Existing data shows that participation in education and apprenticeships ranges massively across the country, from 71.8% to 94.2%.

The gap varies sharply between areas: North Lincolnshire Council said it had no information on almost half of its 16- and 17-year-olds, while only four councils could account for every young person in their patch.

To help close the gap, ministers are rolling out a new ‘Risk of NEET Indicator,’ using data such as school attendance, special educational needs and care history to flag teenagers who may need support before they fall through the cracks, backed by fresh guidance for schools and colleges.

The Education Secretary will also write to the 26 worst-performing councils, who do not know the activities of 3% or more of their teenagers, to tell them to draw up improvement plans over the next six months.

‘Accurate, timely tracking is not a box-ticking exercise, it’s the difference between a young person getting support early or falling through the cracks entirely. While local authorities do incredibly difficult work, often against real constraints, it’s not consistent enough,’ said Phillipson.

‘We’re supporting councils to intervene early to help, as part of our new deal for young people, to ensure they realise their potential through worthwhile training and stable careers.’