1. Vol 5.1 n www.teachingtimes.com
Education
Every Child Journal
34
Whether they are
disrupting lessons,
playing truant or simply
prefer to daydream,
young people who
have disengaged
from learning need
immediate attention,
or risk having their
life chances severely
curtailed. In her second
article on the subject,
Louise Kinnaird
looks at some of the
tried-and-tested ways
schools can combat
disengagement.
Engaging
thedisengaged
S
tatistics show us that academic achievement and the likelihood of pupils completing
or furthering their education are adversely affected if a child is disengaged from school
education.The outcomes at the end of secondary school reveal the impact of the level of
engagement a child has during the school years.
But it’s not just for the sake of grades that we should be concerned with a child’s disengagement
from school; research has shown that pupils’later economic success and long-term health and
wellbeing is closely tied to school engagement and as such,deserves to be treated alongside
academic achievement as an important schooling outcome.The 2013 figures from the Office for
National Statistics reveal that there are 1.09 million 16- to 24-year-olds not in education,employment
or training (NEETs) in the UK1
.This concerning number might suggest that something needs to be
done to address the reasons why children and young people leave education,before they leave.

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Disengagement – the facts
As we saw in my previous article,‘The rules of engagement’,disengagement is rarely down to one issue,
but a combination of risk factors or stressors that a child experiences.These can range from internal,
emotional and mental factors to wider contextual factors such as experiences in school,relationships with
teachers or peers and home life.High expectations and overwhelming feelings can also impact on a pupil’s
disengagement,as can a lack of expectation or challenge.
Maybe pupils feel frustrated,inadequate and confused,and each negative piece of feedback they receive
will compound the problem,giving them less motivation to do well,resulting in further disengagement.Low
self-esteem is certainly a significant barrier for students who can feel immobilised by a fear of failure – they
feel it is safer not to try at all than to risk embarrassment.Acts of arrogance and nonchalance often mask
deep-rooted insecurities.

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Research by NatCen on education
disengagement used statistical information from the
Longitudinal Study of Young People in England
to follow a nationally representative sample of
young people in Year 92
.The research identified
that those pupils in the category‘Disengaged from
school not education’represented 23 per cent and
‘Disengaged’represented 12 per cent.
The same study also showed that ethnicity and
social background were the most substantial factors
related to young people’s disengagement from
school.White males,whose fathers were in a routine
or manual occupation and whose mothers’level
of education was low,were most likely to become
‘disengaged’,although other groups of children,such
as those with SEN,are also more likely to become
disengaged.
Identifying disengagement
Ofsted define disaffected students as those who
display one or more of the following characteristics:
n They are regularly non-compliant,but not
aggressive or threatening,and cause repeated
low-level disruptions.
n They are regularly disruptive,challenging or
both,often recurring fixed-term exclusions.
n They are absent for 20 per cent or more of the
available school sessions in the year.
n They are quiet and withdrawn and uninterested
in most lessons.3
As stated by Ofsted,a disengaged child will not
necessarily be disruptive or draw attention to
himself; some forms of school disengagement are
less visible.Behaviour displayed by disengaged
girls may involve truancy,self-harm,or withdrawal
from participating in the class – all of which impacts
negatively on her education.
Children with these‘quieter’symptoms of
disengagement are less likely to be seen as a
problem because they are not disruptive,but it is
just as important they are identified because they
are more likely to be missed.Teachers face a real
challenge here – how do they know if pupils are
switched on to learning,or simply going through
the motions?
Another potential problem is that a teacher
may be unaware that a child’s disengagement is a
reflection of a bigger mental health problem.A lack
of training in mental health difficulties means that
pupil disengagement could be altogether missed or
worse,exacerbated.Teachers may blame themselves
for failing to engage all students,when the problem
lies with the child’s context rather than a teacher’s
ability to teach,which potentially makes the issue all
the more complex.

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“Disengaged young people have identified
some conditions which they felt would be
more conducive to their engagement with
learning including, clear instructions,
interactive teaching methods, social
learning and clear direction on how they
can improve.”
What do young people think?
One recent study offers insights as to how young
people experience their disengagement from
school.Interviews were carried out with 65
disengaged young people aged between 14 and
19,including pupils who attended school but had
given up trying,pupils who were in school but
played truant and pupils who spent some time in
alternative provision.4
The interviews found that young people did
acknowledge responsibility,to some degree,for
their estrangement from learning and school.
Some reported not trying enough,being‘moody’
or having difficulties with controlling their anger.
The majority,however,blamed school and its
demands,including lesson structure and relations
with teachers and other adults in school.Three
quarters of the students talked of being bored in
the classroom.Disengaged young people have
identified some conditions which they felt would be
more conducive to their engagement with learning,
including clear instructions,interactive teaching
methods,social learning and clear direction on how
they can improve.
Experts agree that engagement is not a fixed
problem; it entails attitudes and behaviours that can
be positively affected by teachers and parents,and
shaped by school policy and practice.Exceptional
schools can make up for grave disadvantages faced
by young people to combat disengagement.
What can schools do?
In 2008,Ofsted carried out a survey of 29 secondary
schools to identify good practice in re-engaging
disaffected students.5
The report identified a
number of characteristics of schools that were most
successful in helping students to re-engage with
learning:
1. The headteacher and senior staff gave a clear
message that the school was responsible for
meeting the needs of all students.They provided
role models to staff in dealing with difficult and
disaffected students.They showed that they
valued these students and wanted them to stay
in school.The involvement of senior staff with
the more difficult students helped to convey
to them and their families that the school was
committed to them.
2. The schools were consistent in dealing with the
students,communicating with their families
and using rewards and sanctions.This promoted
positive relationships and made it easier to
manage the students’behaviour.Policies and
procedures were used most consistently when
staff had been closely involved in developing
them.This made teachers feel that senior staff
valued their opinions and supported them.As
a result,they were prepared to go the extra
mile to help individual students; they,in turn,
appreciated the extra support.Students and
their families recognised this and related
positively to staff who supported them.
3. Staff understood the dangers of labelling
students and were prepared to give them a
fresh start wherever possible.This had a positive
impact on students’attitudes and those of their
parents and carers.
4. The staff were sufficiently self-confident to
examine their own practice and to make
adaptations to meet students’needs.They
understood the importance of compromise,
but still maintained high expectations and
standards.
5. Although the schools recognised that a
student’s disengagement had the potential to
influence others,they focused on the causes of
disaffection rather than its effects.As a result,
they were better able to meet the needs of
individuals.
6. The schools used quantitative and qualitative
data to keep track of students.They were
extremely watchful of students’academic
progress and personal and social development.
Interventions were well timed and very often

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successful.Where appropriate,the common
assessment framework was used to identify
students’additional needs.
7. The schools gathered data through the views
of students,parents and carers to identify
what they did and did not value.Four of the
schools used student-attitude questionnaires
as diagnostic tools to determine the most
appropriate forms of intervention.
8. Schools identified a close partnership with
parents or carers as fundamental to re-engaging
students and keeping them on track.They
took the lead in working closely with relevant
agencies,including educational psychologists,
social services departments,the education
welfare service,the local authority’s behaviour
team and the staff from the Connexions service.
9. Adult mentors and coaches provided one-to-
one support outside the classroom as well as
in lessons.Students also received support from
fellow students who acted as peer mentors or
‘buddies’.
10. All the schools in the survey adapted the
curriculum to meet the specific needs of their
students.At Key Stage 3,this most commonly
involved the use of carefully chosen reading
schemes,nurture groups,quality circle time and
materials relating to the social and emotional
aspects of learning.
Ofsted also identified three common factors that
worked against the re-engagement of disaffected
students:
n unwillingness on the part of parents to work
with the school and,in some cases,collusion
with the students against the school
n external influences and attractions that were
more compelling for the students than school,
such as gangs,criminal activity and drug-taking
n weaknesses in the provision made by the
schools and other services for their students.
It is helpful for schools to understand these factors,
as they can then take steps to avoid these scenarios.
Does it work?
The good practice carried out by these
schools resulted in a number of indicators that
demonstrated the effectiveness of their strategies to
re-engage students.These included:
n improvements in students’attitudes,attendance
and achievement
n reductions in referrals,detentions and exclusions
n improvements in the speed with which students
settled into school routines
n students’increased engagement in lessons
and a rise in the number of students receiving
awards for their performance
n improved motivation of students at Key Stage 4
as a result of participating in courses delivered
off site
n increases in the number of students progressing
to higher levels of education after the age of 16
and increases in the number of school leavers in
education,employment or training
n increases in the number of students
contributing positively to the school
n increased attendance by parents and carers at
out-of-school activities
n positive responses from students,parents and carers
to questionnaires,attitude surveys and interviews,
and positive informal feedback from parents
n positive feedback from teachers and other
professionals
n reductions in the number of complaints from
the community.
Ofsted acknowledges that re-engaging disaffected
students is not an easy task and it had taken time for
the schools surveyed to develop their expertise in
this area.They said:‘Many of the critical components
in re-engaging disaffected students relied on factors
such as the extent to which staff were prepared to
go the extra mile for students,partnership working
with parents and carers,flexibility in meeting
students’needs,and a readiness to compromise.’

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Improving leadership for re-engagement
In 2013,Ofsted published Unseen children:access and achievement 20 years on6
.It
recognised improving leadership as a means of improving pupil engagement.Good
school leadership is recognised as a fundamental aspect of pupil engagement,indeed of
any effective organisation,but Ofsted found much variation across the country as to the
quality of leadership and management in schools.It did,however,identify some examples
of good practice.
The importance of high quality
teaching
The Ofsted review stated that there is much
variability in the quality of education and outcomes
across different local authorities and between
schools serving the most and least deprived
communities.High quality teaching is especially
important for pupils’re-engagement and can
make a crucial difference to pupils’learning and
achievement.
Ofsted’s Annual Report for 2011/2012 highlights
the features of the most and least successful
teaching seen during inspections.The characteristics
of outstanding teaching include:
n excellent leadership of behaviour and attitudes
to learning
n lessons that challenge pupils according to their
needs and abilities
n frequent and purposeful opportunities to learn
independently
n teachers’excellent subject knowledge and use
of questioning
n highly effective feedback to pupils.7
A recent study of the GCSE examination results for
7,305 pupils in England found that being taught
over a two-year course by a high quality teacher
adds 0.565 of a GCSE point per subject.8
The same
student can score significantly different marks in
different subjects as a result of different teacher
quality.
Importantly,this study also found that
family background in itself is not a barrier to
achievement,although a review of international
and UK research concluded that the effects of
high quality teaching are especially significant for
pupils from disadvantaged backgrounds:‘Over a
school year,these pupils can gain 1.5 years’worth
of learning with very effective teachers,compared
Case study: Leadership that meets the needs of pupils
At one school,a well-qualified leader was appointed to reshape the intervention programme as part of the school’s drive
to raise achievement and close gaps.Previous interventions had not been successful because they had been delivered by
non-specialists and their timing,at the end of the school day,had failed to reach those pupils who needed the support
most.The school leader made the decision to change the way support is delivered,focusing primarily on English and
mathematics.
Pupils making slow progress now receive one-to-one tuition and mentoring by subject specialists during the
school day.The head of department designs an individual learning plan for each pupil,clearly identifying the skills or
knowledge the pupil needs to improve.The tutor then plans a series of intensive lessons that address these weaknesses.
Mentors provide additional support for families where the pupil’s attitudes or behaviours have presented concerns.The
effectiveness of the programme is rigorously checked by leaders,who monitor its impact on pupils’academic performance.

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with 0.5 years with poorly performing teachers’.9
This would suggest that in some cases,namely for
disadvantaged pupils,the difference between a
good teacher and a bad teacher is a whole year’s
learning.
Building positive relationships
It is recognised that establishing good relationships
is the most important part of the process,and
most research agrees that ensuring teachers and
mentors are matched carefully with pupils helps
Case study: Working closely with parents
Ofsted’s Unseen children – access and achievement 20 years on gives the example of one school in which,prior to
their children entering the EYFS,a member of staff visits parents at home in order to understand the child’s home
circumstances.Having identified weaknesses in communication and language as a general issue,the school helps parents
support their children to develop these crucial skills with the school’s own approaches.
Both the school and parents report that the programme has improved children’s behaviour and attitudes to learning,
which has enabled them to make better progress.The school actively encourages parents and carers to become involved
in their children’s education.As a result,parents are now much better placed to help their children and achievement has
risen throughout the school.
Case study: Giving pupils responsibility
One report published in School Leadership Today,Aiming high with disengaged students,looks at using sport as a means
to re-engage previously disengaged pupils at Ashton-on-Mersey School11
.The report highlights a number of strategies
that have worked,such as offering positions of responsibility to disengaged pupils,allowing the pupils influence on their
curriculum and giving pupils something positive to channel their energy into.
Case study: Using the arts
Josie Maitland,a drama teacher at Angmering School in West Sussex,reported in the Guardian how she created an
intervention programme called Inspire,which consisted of art,photography,drama and music workshops tailored to
the needs of a specific group of Year 8 and 9 boys and girls12
.The project offers pupils creative skills such as lyric writing,
graffiti stencil-making or photo editing,alongside helping them to develop key personal qualities such as trust,social
relationships,organisation and self-motivation.Each unit culminates in an exhibition or event organised and run by the
students,which has proven to be a powerful catalyst for change.
The results of the Inspire project have been very positive.In the first cohort,for example,50 per cent of students had
an attendance below 85 per cent,but at the end of the course,80 per cent of the students had an attendance of above
90 per cent.By the end of the programme,seven out of eight pupils had significantly decreased their bad behaviour,with
staff reports of‘nicer students’and‘better attitudes’,and students‘feeling more confident’or‘more focused’.
The programme has since delivered both a sports and a creative writing themed unit,and is fast becoming both
cross-curricular and a collaborative way for staff to share best practice.
Josie Maitland says:‘If the content of the lesson is pitched at the right level for the student,if they can grasp the
concept and are interested by it,the head is engaged.Our next job is to coat the learning experience in emotion.By
building a relationship of trust,mutual respect and security,we encourage the student to feel confident,valued,energised,
and wanting and needing to learn in order to achieve a real and tangible goal.By instilling confidence,employing a
playful,no fear of failure,laddered experience,where the student falls in love with the process of learning,and sees that
getting it wrong is actually a vital part of getting it right.’
build relationships and provides consistency in re-
engagement strategies.
There is also an importance in establishing good
working relationships with partner organisations
and parents.Ofsted have said that engaging
closely with parents and raising their awareness
of what can be achieved is an essential aspect of
improving pupils’engagement.Recent research by
the Joseph Rowntree Foundation too emphasises
the importance of parental involvement in children’s
education as a causal influence on children’s school
readiness and subsequent attainment.10

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References
1. Office for National Statistics (2013). Statistical bulletin: Young
People Not in Education, Employment or Training (NEET), May
2013. [online] Available at: <www.ons.gov.uk/ons/rel/lms/young-
people-not-in-education--employment-or-training--neets-/may-
2013/statistical-bulletin.html> [Accessed 18/02/2015].
2. Ross, A. (2009). Disengagement from education among 14
to 16-year-olds. National Centre for Social Research. [online]
Available at: <www.natcen.ac.uk/our-research/research/
disengagement-from-education-among-14-to-16-year-olds>
[Accessed 18/02/2015].
3. Ofsted (2008). Good practice in re-engaging disaffected and
reluctant students in secondary schools. [online] Available
at: <dera.ioe.ac.uk/9213/1/Good%20practice%20in%20re-
engaging%20disaffected%20and%20reluctant%20students%20
in%20secondary%20schools.pdf> [Accessed 18/02/2015].
4. Lumby, J. (2013). Education isn’t working for us – Listening
to disengaged young people. [online] Available at: <www.
bera.ac.uk/wp-content/uploads/2014/01/Insights-5-Educ-Isnt-
Working-v1.pdf> [Accessed 18/02/2015].
5. Ofsted (2008). Op cit.
6. Ofsted (2013). Unseen children – access and achievement
20 years on. [online] Available at: <www.gov.uk/government/
publications/unseen-children-access-and-achievement-20-years-
on> [Accessed 19/02/2015]
7. Ofsted (2012). Ofsted Annual Report - 2011/12. [online] Available
at: <www.gov.uk/government/publications/the-annual-report-of-
her-majestys-chief-inspector-of-education-childrens-services-and-
skills-201112> [Accessed 19/02/2015].
8. Ofsted (2013). Op cit.
9. The Sutton Trust (2011). Improving the impact of teachers on
pupil achievement in the UK – interim findings. [online] Available
at: <www.suttontrust.com/researcharchive/improving-impact-
teachers-pupil-achievement-uk-interim-findings/> [Accessed
19/02/2015].
10. Gorard, S., Huat See, B. and Davies, P. (2012). The impact
of attitudes and aspirations on educational attainment and
participation. Joseph Rowntree Foundation. [online] Available at:
<www.jrf.org.uk/sites/files/jrf/education-young-people-parents-full.
pdf> [Accessed 19/02/2015].
11. Andrews, C. (2005). Aiming high with disengaged students.
Managing Schools Today (now School Leadership Today), vol.
14(5), pp.23-25.
12. Maitland, J. (2013) The Inspire project: using the arts to reach out
to disengaged students. The Guardian [online], July 11. Available
at: <www.theguardian.com/teacher-network/teacher-blog/2013/
jul/11/inspire-disengaged-students-teaching> [Accessed
19/02/2015].
Knowledge trails
1. Standing together – Mentoring is often trotted out as a catch-all solution
to re-engaging disadvantaged young people. But it will only work if
practice is founded on careful principles and best practice. Chris Parker
reports on a success story in Sutton.
library.teachingtimes.com/articles/standingtogether
2. Motivation through sport – Inspiring children and young people
to improve their behaviour, concentration and achievement is a key
challenge for schools, but one initiative in St. Helens is using physical
activities to get vulnerable students back on track.
library.teachingtimes.com/articles/behaviour-achievement-
improvement-outdoor-activities
3. A NEET solution for primary schools – By the time a young person
is NEET, it may be too late to help them. Annette Jones introduces an
exciting project aiming to tackle disengagement from education at its
roots by targeting children in primary school.
library.teachingtimes.com/articles/aneetsolutionforprimaryschools
No one-size-fits-all solution
Many disengaged pupils will have a range of complex problems
and need a great deal of support.But whether the pupil is simply
‘dreamy’or finds some aspects of school uninteresting,or whether
his disengagement speaks of a more concerning aspect of home
life,a specific SEN or a lack of confidence,schools are faced with
the challenge of identifying and addressing each child’s individual
circumstances and dealing with them appropriately,while at the same
time offering a balance of boundaries and clear expectations,along
with flexibility,showing interest in the student as a‘whole person’and
differentiating the solution.
This might mean tailoring subjects so that pupils are engaged in
learning opportunities involving real-world scenarios,and then helping
to develop a belief in what these pupils can realistically accomplish.It
might mean tapping into a disengaged pupil’s love of sport to teach
maths,or ensuring that a pupil keen on IT has the opportunity to learn
practical skills for the workplace,such as website or app development.
It’s a tough task for schools,but when it comes to re-engaging the
disengaged,it’s important that we recognise there is simply no solution
that will work for all.Schools need to ensure appropriate,timely and
tailored interventions to have any impact on shaping the futures
of these young people.The very best early years providers,schools
and colleges can make an enormous difference to the life chances of
children and young people,often providing crucial support where
elsewhere it might be lacking.
Louise Kinnaird is a freelance writer,specialising in child
development and psychology.