One in four pupils 'disengage in move to secondary school'

One in four pupils in England "disengage" when they move up to secondary school, with enjoyment, trust and a sense of feeling safe declining sharply, according to a new report.

- Sally Weale

After a largely positive experience at primary school, where children report high levels of enjoyment, there is a "steep and lasting" drop in engagement after year 7 pupils transfer to secondary at the age of 11, the survey of 100,000 pupils in England reveals.

Girls are more likely to complain of feeling unsafe or worried, while pupils eligible for free school meals are more likely to report lower levels of trust, enjoyment and belonging - a gap that grows in secondary school.

The study, published today, says lower levels of engagement are linked to absenteeism - a key concern for government after Covid - with the top 25% most engaged secondary pupils 10 percentage points less likely to be persistently absent than those in the bottom 25%.