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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.
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 when 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 which grows throughout secondary school.
The study, published on Tuesday, 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%.
It also finds that primary school pupils are more likely to have a greater sense of agency and believe hard work at school will lead to success compared with secondary pupils, scoring 8.4 out of 10 compared with 6.8 for older students.
The research tracked how pupil engagement changed across the 2024–25 academic year and found pupils’ average school enjoyment score drops from about 6.0 in year 6 to 3.8 in year 7, which then falls further to 3.2 in year 8. A sense of feeling safe falls from 7.2 in year 7 to 5.9 in year 9 among female pupils, compared with a decline from 7.4 to 6.6 for male pupils.
Almost every country with available data sees a decline in engagement as children advance through school, but the report says it is more pronounced in England, “suggesting that disengagement is not just a symptom of age, but something atypical happening in our context”.
The findings come from the Research Commission on Engagement and Lead Indicators (RCELI), led by the ImpactEd group in partnership with the Association of School and College Leaders (ASCL), the Confederation of School Trusts (CST), and other education organisations.
The commission chair, Sue John, said: “It is crucial that we identify the points at which pupils are starting to disengage with school, so that we can intervene to stop a disconnection leading to non-attendance and poorer outcomes.
“This research provides rich and nuanced insights into pupil engagement at a school and classroom level, which will enable leaders to act fast and understand more complex dynamics in their schools, such as what is happening at age 11 for different pupil groups.”
Margaret Mulholland, Special educational needs and disabilities (Send) and inclusion specialist at the ASCL, said: “The transition between primary and secondary school is a hugely important stage of a child’s education.
“It can also be an unsettling time where issues with anxiety and behaviour can arise. As this study shows, a drop in engagement during this period can be hugely detrimental to a pupil’s wellbeing and attainment.”
Leora Cruddas, chief executive of the CST, added: “There are many factors beyond schools which may be contributing to this picture. We need to delve deeper into what the factors are that are driving this disengagement and how we might reconnect these pupils with schooling.”
