Recent research has found that secondary school students – even those who had a largely positive time at primary school – experience a drop in enjoyment, trust and feelings of safety after year 7 (Jerrim, 2025).
Indeed, the researchers say that levels of engagement in education and school “drop dramatically” among pupils between the year 7 autumn and spring terms and “never fully recover”.
And while this is not unique to children in England, it is something which the report notes is particularly pronounced, “suggesting that disengagement is not just a symptom of age, but something atypical happening in our context”.
We know that nationally there are issues with attendance and reports of worsening behaviour, and concerns that the curriculum is too content-rich – all of which may play a part. But what can schools, teachers and support staff do locally to support students and build that vital relationship before they even start their secondary education?
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