Student Engagement

There’s a lot of noise at the moment about white working‑class children being “failed” by the UK education system. And while there is some truth in that, the reality is a bit more complex than the headlines suggest. Yes, the data shows that disadvantaged white pupils — often measured by eligibility for free school meals — tend to have some of the lowest academic outcomes. For instance, only around 36% achieve expected GCSE passes in English and Maths, compared to about 72% of

Attendance has become yet another data stream placed under the microscope. In my time working in mainstream education, it was constantly pushed as an area to improve – and rightly so. But what always struck me was the limited time, if any, dedicated to understanding why attendance was an issue in the first place. I’ve also seen mainstream settings quietly lower their “minimum expected attendance” figures just to meet criteria. And let’s be honest: how is that helping anyone?