A study analysing around 70,000 pupils in more than 100 secondary schools has found that white children from low-income backgrounds are the most likely to be disengaged as they start year 7. On arrival, the group labelled LIWC scored 2.6 out of 10 for engagement, compared with 3.4 for disadvantaged Black pupils and 3.7 for disadvantaged Asian pupils. The Engagement Platform was used to measure engagement across several dimensions, including school enjoyment, behaviour, peer and teacher relationships, and effort, at multiple points in the year.

LIWC boys were more likely to rate themselves lower on effort and to undervalue their education, while LIWC girls recorded the lowest levels of enjoyment and sense of agency. The group posted 5.46 out of 10 for effort, the lowest among the groups studied; non-disadvantaged Asian pupils had the highest score at 7.66. LIWC also posted the lowest peer relationships score (5.6), with mixed-race pupils from low-income backgrounds recording the lowest teacher relationships score at 5.58.

Professor John Jerrim of University College London’s Social Research Institute and ImpactEd Group said the findings show the need to start looking earlier to improve outcomes for this group. He added: “For years we’ve focused in on the outcomes of low-income White children, but this data shows us that we need to look much earlier on. We are seeing that many LIWC are arriving in secondary school already less engaged than their peers and feeling disconnected from their education. By giving schools access to this data earlier, teachers and leaders can intervene before disengagement becomes poorer outcomes.” Earlier research by Jerrim also found that pupils’ enjoyment of school declines markedly in year 7. Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson has noted concerns about progress for children from white working-class backgrounds, and Star Academies has launched an inquiry into these outcomes. Jess Easton, director of The Engagement Platform, described the findings as a wake-up call, saying: “This research is a wake-up call, demonstrating that for some cohorts, the roots of disengagement start much earlier than we had anticipated.”