● Nearly 1 in 5 (17%) young people say school or college is a place where they don’t feel safe or welcome, this is particularly true for more vulnerable students; Special Educational Needs (SEN) students (28%), disabled students (30%) and students from C2DE backgrounds (21%)

● 1 in 5 (22%) say their experience at school or college has negatively affected their mental health and wellbeing, rising to 26% among girls and an alarming 36% among SEN pupils and 38% of disabled students.

● 2 in 5 (41%) say their school or college hasn’t listened to their worries or wellbeing concerns – rising to 63% for students with Special Educational Needs (SEN) and 45% among those from C2DE backgrounds*

● The majority (65%) of students support a new national student experience survey that all schools would be required to take part in (rising to 71% among ethnic minority students)

● 3 in 4 (75%) young people want a greater say in shaping what and how they learn

● More than 2 in 5 (43%) students say they have skipped school due to stress, anxiety or tiredness*

● Nearly 9 in 10 (88%) of young people would like to see action from their school or college to help them feel it is being more inclusive.

● Over a third (34%) of parents believe their child’s learning needs or preferences are not being met, and 28% say their child has felt excluded from school or college activities or learning*

Mission 44 – the foundation launched by Sir Lewis Hamilton to drive change so that every young person can thrive in school and access great careers in STEM – is calling for education system reform, as a new nationwide study reveals a stark and urgent need for the system to better support, listen to, and include young people; particularly those most vulnerable.

The polling, part of Mission 44’s Nothing Happens in Isolation campaign launched last year, comes amid growing concern about the record-high and rising rates of suspensions and exclusions in England’s schools, and when teachers and school staff are working hard in increasingly challenging environments.

Nearly 1 in 5 (17%) young people say school or college is a place where they don’t feel safe or welcome, this is particularly true for female students (20%), SEN students (28%) and disabled students (30%) who feel significantly less safe and welcome than their peers. Similarly students from lower socio-economic (C2DE) backgrounds (21%) are more likely to feel this way than those from ABC1 backgrounds (15%).

One of the most concerning findings is that 41% of young people say their school or college has not listened to or shown concern for their worries or wellbeing*. This figure rises to a concerning 63% among SEN pupils and 64% among those with disabilities - highlighting a need for better structures and capacity to ensure student voice is heard.

Inclusion and belonging in education is not felt equally by all students. While one in ten (10%) students overall feel their school does a poor job in providing an inclusive environment, this figure rises sharply among more vulnerable groups - to 17% of students with SEN and to 19% of disabled students.

Inclusion was described as creating an environment or place where everyone, no matter their background or who they are, feels welcome, valued, supported and respected.

Young people also worry about others being excluded at school. Two in five (41%) say they have been concerned that a fellow student could be treated unfairly or left out - something that rises to 59% of SEN students and 63% of those with disabilities*.

Communication between pupils and staff is also proving a barrier to inclusion. Almost one in three students (30%) say they do not feel comfortable speaking to school or college staff about how happy or not they are feeling. Meanwhile, three in four (75%) say they want more of a say in what and how they learn.

The toll on young people’s wellbeing is clear. One in five (22%) say their experience at school or college has negatively affected their mental health and wellbeing, rising to 26% among girls and an alarming 36% among SEN pupils and 38% of disabled students.

Many parents think that schools do not meet their children’s needs, despite the best efforts of schools

The concerns of young people are echoed by their parents. Over a third (34%) believe their child’s learning needs/preferences are not being met, and over a quarter (28%) say their child has felt excluded from school activities or learning*. Over three in four (78%) parents that watched the Netflix series Adolescence say it has impacted the way they view their child’s school experience as a result; around a third (31%) say it has made them more concerned about the potential issues their child might face at school and a quarter (25%) now want to know more about the experience their child has at school.

An overwhelming 94% of parents say an inclusive environment in their child’s school or college is important, and 76% support schools being required to take student experience into account when making decisions. Two-thirds (67%) would support the creation of a national student experience survey, with higher levels of support among ethnic minority parents (79%) than white parents (64%), and in London (76%). Support is also notably strong for the development of a national standard on inclusive learning, which is backed by 72% of parents.

Two thirds (68%) of parents support providing mentors for students at risk of exclusion, with 84% of young people also thinking this is a good idea. There is also strong support for giving students a greater say in their education, with 75% of young people wanting more input on what and how they learn.

88% of young people would like to see something more from their school or college to help them feel it is being more inclusive. The most popular suggestions were; to provide a safe space for students to talk about their emotions, experiences and worries (28%), the school or college regularly assessing/checking how happy students are and how students feel about their experience at school or college (27%) and increasing support for vulnerable students who need extra help - like those with additional/special needs, living in poverty, or at risk of discrimination (26%).

Mission 44 recognises that despite individual teacher’s best efforts, systemic change is needed to create a more inclusive school environment where every child can thrive, and is urging policymakers to support school leaders by acting on the findings and introducing:

● A National Framework for Inclusion

● An Annual National Student Experience Survey

● Targeted Funding for an Inclusive Workforce

● Mentorship Programmes for Students at Risk of Exclusion

Founder Sir Lewis Hamilton said:

“I remember the challenges I faced at school. I didn’t feel like my voice was heard, or that anyone wanted to look into the reasons why I was struggling so much. If they had, then perhaps my experience at school would have been very different. Instead, I was made to feel like I didn’t belong and that I didn’t matter. Today young people across the country, especially the most vulnerable students, are saying they feel the same way, and they need something to change. We need to listen and do all we can to ensure their experiences lead to the feeling of inclusion.”

Jason Arthur, CEO, Mission 44 available for comment:

“Through our Nothing Happens in Isolation campaign, we’re calling for urgent, joined-up action to address the real drivers of these issues: unmet needs, mental health challenges, discrimination, and poverty. Unfortunately there is no one silver bullet for this, but it must include listening to student voice and equipping schools with the tools they need to create inclusive environments for all.

“Our campaign is not about blaming teachers. We’re calling for systemic change so that every child can thrive and achieve in the classroom, we need a framework that outlines what good school inclusion is, a mechanism to hear young people’s experiences of school and what they need, a teaching workforce that reflects the communities they serve and more personalised support for vulnerable students.”

-ENDS-

Notes to Editors

Pepe Di’Iasio, General Secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders also available for comment.

About Mission 44

Launched by Seven Time Formula One World Champion Sir Lewis Hamilton in 2021, Mission 44 is a charity that is working to build a fairer, more inclusive future for young people around the world. The charity is driving change so that every young person can thrive in education and access great careers in STEM.

You can find out more about Mission 44’s Nothing Happens In Isolation campaign at www.preventingexclusions.com.

Opinium conducted an online survey of 3,021 nationally representative people aged 11-21 in Great Britain, and 2,009 nationally representative parents of children aged 11-18 who go to school or college.

* This is a combination of respondents selecting that this happens(ed) very often, frequently or sometimes.

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