ONS Data Challenge 2025 To Boost Curriculum For 16-18 Year Old Students With Real Data

The Office for National Statistics (ONS) is launching an innovative competition to help develop critical data skills in the classroom for students aged 16-18 years old.

Teachers in England and Wales now have an exciting opportunity to enhance their classes with the launch of the ONS Data Challenge 2025. This new competition, which starts on September 30, is for students aged 16 to 18 and gives them the chance to work with real data while learning important skills for their future.

ONS Data Challenge 2025

The ONS Data Challenge aligns with many subjects in the school curriculum, including business studies, geography, maths and sociology. Students will have the opportunity to collect their own data and work on projects that address important challenges for society. They’ll work to solve problems and make suggestions that could help improve life for people in their local area or across the country.

“This challenge provides students with invaluable hands-on experience of working with data,” says ONS Director Mary Gregory. “This will give young people the opportunity to see how data drives positive change and supports informed decision-making at every level.” 

Why Teachers and Educators Should Take Part

The challenge fits easily into current lessons while helping students develop skills including critical thinking, problem-solving and understanding data. Students can work alone or in groups of up to four people, so it works for different classroom situations.

Upon registering, teachers will get all the support materials they need to help them succeed, even if they haven’t worked with data analysis before.

How the ONS Competition Works

Students have until November 7 2025 to submit their work. There will be one winner for each subject, plus an overall winner. All will receive a winner’s certificate; a personal statement from an expert to help with university applications; and their work promoted on the ONS website and social media. 

Teachers who REGISTER NOW will receive a resource pack with everything they need to launch their students on this exciting data journey. 

The ONS Data Challenge represents a unique opportunity to bring contemporary relevance to classroom learning whilst preparing students for an increasingly data-driven world.