Belonging at school: A third of students aren’t connecting at school

New data reveals what school leaders have long suspected - the inclusion crisis is as difficult as it ever has been. Yes Futures’ CEO Ali Jaffer explains why building a culture of belonging at school is critical to young peoples’ future development and success.

More than a third of young people do not feel a sense of belonging at school, according to a new report commissioned by the Department for Education (DfE).

This will come as little surprise to those of us who work closely with young people and is a key reason why coaching like ours is in such high demand. 

Growing Up in the 2020s is an ongoing study that tracks the experiences of young people in England from age 12 and 13 into early adulthood. 

The project was commissioned by the DfE and led by Anna Freud in partnership with University College London and Ipsos to inform policies that affect services for families and young people. 

Starting in 2025, the project surveys a representative group of students annually to understand their experiences of education, their wellbeing and their hopes for the future.

The findings indicate that schools are facing an issue which can’t be solved within the classroom alone: that the pupils who need the most support are feeling left behind.

Key findings from the latest survey

Data from the latest survey show a mixed picture; 94% of young people said they felt neutral or happy with life overall, while 98% felt neutral or happy with their family relationships. 

There were some causes for concern, however: 

• Only 63% of young people reported a sense of belonging at school, meaning that 37% (more than a third) did not. 

• Among those who had experienced bullying, only 31% felt confident that school staff knew it was happening. 

• 25% met the screening criteria for a probable mental health disorder.

• Nearly one in five met the threshold for persistent absence from school.

In addition, young people eligible for free school meals and those receiving SEN provision tended to report less favourable experiences across their health, wellbeing, relationships and education.

• 36% of young people eligible for free school meals met the criteria for a probable mental health disorder, compared with 20% of other young people.

• 32% of pupils eligible for free school meals met the threshold for persistent absence, compared with 13% of pupils who were not eligible.

• 54% of young people receiving SEN provision felt that they belonged at school, compared with 66% of those without SEN provision.

Building a culture of belonging

There are several issues to unpack here, but young people’s sense of belonging is particularly important, because it impacts their experience of life now, and their chances of success in the future. If a young person doesn’t feel that they belong, they are more likely to be absent, and even if they are present, they are less likely to take advantage of the academic and extra-curricular opportunities on offer to them.

Ultimately, there’s a symbiotic relationship between their sense of belonging and their mental wellbeing. 

Our experience suggests belonging is built and strengthened through repeated positive personal connections. There are several touchpoints through which young people can experience those connections: via peers their own age, older pupils,  teachers, and other adults around them.

These repeated positive human to human experiences/engagements in school are ultimately what make people feel like they belong. This is why coaching in schools can be so transformative. 

While teachers can offer encouragement, the benefit of having a professional coach is two-fold: young people have a dedicated space in which to explore their skills and abilities in a small group or 1:1 setting, and they get an outside perspective from another adult with lived experience. 

Coaching builds self-belief and the process itself allows young people to build positive personal connections with adults.  

This is especially important for those who face additional challenges and may be more susceptible to the issues listed in the report.

Coaching for success

Yes Futures’ year-long personal development programmes delivered through schools to empower 9–19-year-olds to develop essential skills and feel prepared for the future. 

As part of the process, we track and support students’ sense of belonging at school. This means that schools who partner with us can accurately measure and continue to build on their students’ progress in this critical area. 

Having a trusted partner in Yes Futures is something our schools tell us they value, because a school’s culture extends beyond the school walls.

Young people are shaped by what happens at school, and carry it throughout their childhoods and often beyond. 

Growing Up in the 2020s will continue to follow students during years 9, 11 and 12 and we’re interested to see what the data shows as the young people they’re following mature and grow. 

For Yes Futures schools, however, we already know the positive impact that coaching is having on the students, and we’ll continue to work hard to ensure as many schools as possible can benefit from the support we offer.

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