Acting on the Engagement Gap

Acting on the Engagement Gap

Earlier this year, the Mind the Engagement Gap study sparked a national conversation about pupil experience. The findings were stark: engagement drops sharply as pupils move from primary to secondary school, with Year 7 and Year 8 showing the steepest decline. Now, a new companion report, Acting on the Engagement Gap, explores how schools are responding and using TEP data locally, to drive engagement and outcomes.  

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Why Engagement Matters

Engagement isn’t just a “nice to have”. It’s a lead indicator of success. When engagement falls, attendance, attainment and wellbeing often follow. For staff, low engagement signals retention risks. Schools that track engagement regularly can act early, not react late.

Five Key Themes from the Research:

The Mind the Engagement Gap study revealed the following:

1. Engagement is a lead indicator: Drops in engagement often precede declines in pupil attendance, attainment, and wellbeing, as well as employee retention — making engagement a powerful predictive measure for schools. Tracking it regularly allows leaders to act early, not react late.  

2. Transition matters: The sharp decline in engagement between Year 6 and Year 8 highlights how vulnerable pupils are during the move to secondary school. Schools that invest in continuity of relationships, culture, and belonging during this phase can successfully reverse the trend.

3. Safety and trust are unevenly felt: Differences by gender and school phase show that not all pupils experience school as a safe or trusting environment.  

4. Relationships drive outcomes: Engagement and behaviour outcomes are consistently higher in schools where pupils feel known, valued, and listened to. Investing in the quality of adult — pupil relationships, and creating time for relational practice, is a highly effective lever for driving improvement.  

5. Enjoyment isn’t optional: Schools that embed joy, through curriculum, culture, and celebration, see measurable gains in engagement and pupil confidence.

Insights from the Research Cohort

Drawing on examples from across the Research Commission on Engagement and Lead Indicators (RCELI) cohort, below, we highlight some of the emerging patterns and practices that are contributing to stronger pupil experience:

• Wade Deacon High School extended transition beyond September, prioritising relationships and proactive family engagement.

• Clayton-le-Moors Primary teaches equity vs equality, helping pupils understand why different support matters.

• Foxfield Primary introduced joy as a deliberate strategy — inflatables day, talent shows — boosting enjoyment scores above national benchmarks.

• Rockliffe Manor Primary handed ownership to pupils, letting them co-design solutions and see their voice lead to real change.

From Data to Action

Based on insights from the Research Cohort, effective use of engagement data shares the following features:

• Curiosity over defensiveness: Leaders who approach challenging data with genuine interest in understanding create conditions for improvement,  

• Stakeholder involvement: Including pupils, staff, and families in interpreting data generates better insights and stronger buy-in,

• Look for disconnects: Gaps between different perspectives (staff/pupil, leader/teacher) often reveal the most important learning,  

• Celebrate and challenge: Data can affirm strengths whilst revealing surprising areas for growth,  

• Targeted action: Specific data points can drive focused interventions with measurable impact,  

• Patience with complexity: Understanding data takes time — rushing to solutions often misses deeper insights.

Read about the schools Acting on the Engagement Gap on the TEP website.

If you have any questions about our work or would like to discuss how we can support your organisation, please get in touch.

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