New research highlights the gap between feeling a sense of belonging at school and looking forward to attending. In this article, we explore what this means for young people, families and schools, and how a different approach to education can help.
A young person can have friends at school, get along with their teachers and feel part of the school community, yet still find attending lessons, keeping up with work or coping with the school environment overwhelming.
New findings from the Department for Education-funded Growing Up in the 2020s study highlight why we need to look beyond attendance alone to understand how young people are experiencing education.
The study involves 8,000 Year 8 students, their families, and teachers, and the latest research found that 63% of students participating in the study reported a sense of belonging at school, but only 36% said they often or always looked forward to going.
These findings raise important questions for parents, teachers and education providers. What makes school difficult for some young people, even when they feel connected to it? And how can we help those who are struggling to remain engaged with learning?
Why do young people disengage from education?
At Nisai Learning, we see that disengagement is rarely caused by a lack of ability, ambition or potential.
More often, young people experience barriers that make accessing education consistently difficult. These can include:
- Anxiety and emotional wellbeing needs
- Special educational needs and disabilities
- Long-term illness or medical needs
- Low confidence following an extended absence
- Sensory or social pressures within a physical school environment
- Previous negative experiences of education
- Difficulty rebuilding routines and positive learning habits
Among Nisai learners, 98% have previously experienced a barrier to learning, 87% experience multiple barriers and 69% face emotional or mental health difficulties.
What we have learnt is simple:
When you change how education is accessed, you can change how education is experienced.
For schools, this means looking beyond whether a pupil is physically able to attend a conventional classroom. The more useful question is whether the pathway gives every young person a realistic opportunity to participate, make progress and rebuild their relationship with learning.
Explore online education for schools and local authorities
Learner engagement is more than attendance
Traditional attendance figures only tell part of the story.
A pupil can be physically present in a classroom but remain disconnected from lessons, relationships and their own learning. Equally, a young person who has struggled with school attendance can become highly engaged when provided with the right environment, pathway and support.
Meaningful learner engagement can include:
- Attending lessons consistently
- Communicating with teachers and support staff
- Asking and answering questions
- Completing activities and assignments
- Developing positive learning routines
- Building confidence and independence
- Making measurable academic or personal progress
This is why Nisai Learning looks beyond attendance alone. By monitoring attendance, communication and active participation, schools can gain a clearer picture of whether learners are genuinely reconnecting with education.
For learners who previously struggled to engage, Nisai Learning reports:
- Average attendance increasing from 26% to 74%
- 84% teacher-assessed engagement among students on long-term programmes
- Learners being 3.3 times more likely to succeed when online education is combined with mentoring
- 91% successfully reintegrating into mainstream education or progressing into further education, employment or training
These outcomes demonstrate the value of treating attendance as one part of a wider engagement journey, rather than the only measure of success.
Discover Nisai Learning’s alternative provision
Visit Nisai Learning’s schools and local authorities page to see our attendance, mentoring and progression outcomes.
Why personalised learning pathways matter
The reasons pupils disengage are rarely identical, so the pathway back into learning cannot be identical either.
Some learners need flexibility around anxiety, health or emotional wellbeing. Others need help rebuilding confidence after an extended period away from education. Some benefit from smaller classes and reduced sensory demands, while others need consistent support from a trusted adult.
A personalised pathway can adjust elements such as:
- The number of subjects being studied
- The pace and structure of learning
- Lesson times and timetable expectations
- Class size and methods of communication
- Academic and non-academic provision
- Pastoral and wellbeing support
- Mentoring and personal development
- Reintegration or progression goals
Nisai Learning provides live, teacher-led lessons, small classes, personalised support and structured online education for learners who need a different route. Provision can support short-term continuity, longer-term study, reintegration or progression into further education, training and employment.
Personalisation does not mean lowering expectations. It means creating the conditions in which a learner can access those expectations and work towards meaningful outcomes.
Learn more about personalised online schooling
How mentoring supports student engagement
Academic flexibility can remove practical barriers to learning, but many pupils also need support to rebuild confidence, motivation and trust.
This is where student mentoring can play a critical role.
A consistent mentoring relationship gives a young person space to discuss challenges, recognise their strengths and set achievable goals. Over time, this can help learners develop:
- Confidence and self-belief
- Resilience and emotional awareness
- Communication skills
- Independence
- Motivation
- Problem-solving strategies
- Positive learning habits
- Readiness for their next stage
Mentoring is particularly valuable when disengagement has developed over time. Rather than focusing only on missed lessons or incomplete work, a mentor can help the learner understand what is getting in the way and identify manageable steps forward.
Nisai Learning’s bespoke mentoring programmes provide dedicated support alongside education and are shaped around each learner’s circumstances, aspirations and areas of need.
Explore student mentoring at Nisai Learning
Supporting SEND, mental health and wellbeing
For pupils with SEND, an Education, Health and Care Plan (ECHP), anxiety or other wellbeing needs, the traditional school environment may present additional barriers.
Noise, crowded spaces, travel, social pressures and the pace of the school day can all affect a young person’s ability to participate. A structured online setting can reduce some of these pressures while maintaining access to live teaching, feedback, routines and relationships.
Schools should continue to set clear expectations, monitor progress and review provision regularly. However, greater flexibility can give pupils the stability they need to begin engaging again.
For learners with SEND or an EHCP, provision should be aligned with agreed outcomes and individual support requirements. Nisai Learning works with schools, local authorities and families to deliver flexible education for young people with a range of additional needs.
Find out about Nisai Learning’s SEND and EHCP support
What does meaningful engagement look like in your setting?
For school leaders, the report findings raise several useful questions:
- Are attendance figures showing the full picture?
- How does the school identify pupils who are present but disengaged?
- What opportunities do learners have to communicate how they experience school?
- Are interventions addressing the causes of disengagement or only its visible symptoms?
- Could a flexible or blended pathway prevent further absence?
- How are wellbeing, communication and active participation measured?
- What would successful reintegration or progression look like for each learner?
Whether you are supporting an individual pupil who has stopped engaging, or reviewing alternative provision across a school or trust, the central challenge remains the same:
How can we help more young people reconnect with education in a meaningful and sustainable way?
Build a flexible pathway for your learners
Nisai Learning works with schools and local authorities to provide flexible, teacher-led online education, personalised learning pathways and mentoring support.
Provision can be used to support individual subjects, educational continuity, alternative provision, gradual reintegration or longer-term progression. The starting point is understanding the learner’s barriers, strengths and intended outcomes.
Talk to Nisai Learning about improving learner engagement.
