Latest news with #NationalFoundationforEducationalResearch
Yahoo
02-04-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
Teenagers in England typically have ‘worse socio-emotional skills'
Teenagers in England typically have worse socio-emotional skills than their peers in other countries, a report has suggested. The socio-emotional skills of pupils aged 15-16 in England are significantly weaker than many of their peers in comparator countries, according to the National Foundation for Educational Research (NFER). If left unaddressed, these weaknesses could have consequences for young people's future employability, the researchers have warned. The NFER study examines the socio-emotional skills of young people in England – based on scores of assertiveness, co-operation, curiosity, emotional control, empathy, persistence and stress resistance – compared to those of other countries that were part of a major international study. The 2022 Programme for International Student Assessment (Pisa), which is an Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) study, measured the socio-emotional skills of 15-year-olds in 31 countries. The NFER research, funded by the Nuffield Foundation, said: 'Young people in England typically have worse socio-emotional skills at the end of lower secondary school (age 15/16) than the OECD average, and inequalities in these skills are also greater in England than any other country in our data.' Researchers found that England ranks in the bottom ten countries of the countries that measured socio-emotional skills in the OECD study. The working paper added: 'Inequalities in children's socio-emotional skills are also higher in England than any other country in our data, which appears to be driven by large inequalities in children's emotional control, stress resistance, assertiveness and perseverance.' Researchers have suggested that the relatively poor socio-emotional skills of 15-16 year olds in England could be an indication that young people have lower Essential Employment Skills (EES) when they leave education than their peers across the OECD. The report also found that 15-16-year-olds in the UK typically have better maths, reading and science skills compared to their peers across OECD countries. But inequalities in these skills are 'marginally greater' in the UK and they have not narrowed over the past decade, it added. The study has called on the Government to explore what more it could do to incentivise schools to promote the development of children's socio-emotional skills – like communication and collaboration. It also called on the government to create a clear Early Years workforce strategy as it highlighted the importance of high-quality Early Childhood Education and Care (ECEC) for children's skill development. Jude Hillary, the programme's principal investigator and NFER's co-head of UK policy and practice, said: 'Socio-emotional skills are very important for young people's employment prospects as well as their life satisfaction and general wellbeing. 'This research suggests we need to do more, earlier in children's lives to support their social and emotional development and give them the best possible start. 'If we fail to prioritise these skills, we are potentially not just limiting individual wellbeing and potential – we are weakening the future workforce and economy of the UK.' The NFER report also called on the Government to consider introducing targeted funding for disadvantaged pupils in 16-19 education. Pepe Di'Iasio, general secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders (ASCL), said: 'Socio-emotional skills are important not just in the workplace but for forming strong and successful relationships in all areas of life, and the inequalities identified in this report are concerning. 'We agree that more needs to be done to support the social and emotional development of all children from a young age. 'Improving access to early years education is key to closing the disadvantage gap, and this will require an uplift in funding and staffing levels.' He added: 'We have long called for reform of the pupil premium to provide funding for disadvantaged 16 to 19 year-olds which matches that for younger pupils. 'Educational inequalities do not disappear at this age, and this should be reflected in funding levels to ensure schools and colleges are able to support all students as they prepare to enter the workplace or engage in further study.'
The Independent
02-04-2025
- Science
- The Independent
Teenagers in England typically have ‘worse socio-emotional skills'
Teenagers in England typically have worse socio-emotional skills than their peers in other countries, a report has suggested. The socio-emotional skills of pupils aged 15-16 in England are significantly weaker than many of their peers in comparator countries, according to the National Foundation for Educational Research (NFER). If left unaddressed, these weaknesses could have consequences for young people's future employability, the researchers have warned. The NFER study examines the socio-emotional skills of young people in England – based on scores of assertiveness, co-operation, curiosity, emotional control, empathy, persistence and stress resistance – compared to those of other countries that were part of a major international study. The 2022 Programme for International Student Assessment (Pisa), which is an Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) study, measured the socio-emotional skills of 15-year-olds in 31 countries. The NFER research, funded by the Nuffield Foundation, said: 'Young people in England typically have worse socio-emotional skills at the end of lower secondary school (age 15/16) than the OECD average, and inequalities in these skills are also greater in England than any other country in our data.' Researchers found that England ranks in the bottom ten countries of the countries that measured socio-emotional skills in the OECD study. The working paper added: 'Inequalities in children's socio-emotional skills are also higher in England than any other country in our data, which appears to be driven by large inequalities in children's emotional control, stress resistance, assertiveness and perseverance.' Researchers have suggested that the relatively poor socio-emotional skills of 15-16 year olds in England could be an indication that young people have lower Essential Employment Skills (EES) when they leave education than their peers across the OECD. The report also found that 15-16-year-olds in the UK typically have better maths, reading and science skills compared to their peers across OECD countries. But inequalities in these skills are 'marginally greater' in the UK and they have not narrowed over the past decade, it added. The study has called on the Government to explore what more it could do to incentivise schools to promote the development of children's socio-emotional skills – like communication and collaboration. It also called on the government to create a clear Early Years workforce strategy as it highlighted the importance of high-quality Early Childhood Education and Care (ECEC) for children's skill development. Jude Hillary, the programme's principal investigator and NFER's co-head of UK policy and practice, said: 'Socio-emotional skills are very important for young people's employment prospects as well as their life satisfaction and general wellbeing. 'This research suggests we need to do more, earlier in children's lives to support their social and emotional development and give them the best possible start. 'If we fail to prioritise these skills, we are potentially not just limiting individual wellbeing and potential – we are weakening the future workforce and economy of the UK.' The NFER report also called on the Government to consider introducing targeted funding for disadvantaged pupils in 16-19 education. Pepe Di'Iasio, general secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders (ASCL), said: 'Socio-emotional skills are important not just in the workplace but for forming strong and successful relationships in all areas of life, and the inequalities identified in this report are concerning. 'We agree that more needs to be done to support the social and emotional development of all children from a young age. 'Improving access to early years education is key to closing the disadvantage gap, and this will require an uplift in funding and staffing levels.' He added: 'We have long called for reform of the pupil premium to provide funding for disadvantaged 16 to 19 year-olds which matches that for younger pupils. 'Educational inequalities do not disappear at this age, and this should be reflected in funding levels to ensure schools and colleges are able to support all students as they prepare to enter the workplace or engage in further study.'
Telegraph
27-03-2025
- Health
- Telegraph
Schools reward pupils with iPads and bikes for turning up to lessons
Schools are giving pupils iPads and bicycles as a reward for turning up to lessons, a report has found. The National Foundation for Educational Research (NFER) found schoolchildren are receiving incentives including pizza parties, school trips and prize draws as headteachers try to tackle high absence rates. Earlier this month, it emerged pupils are missing an extra 4.7 million school days every term after the pandemic caused truancy rates to soar. A record number of pupils are missing more than half of lessons, Department for Education statistics revealed last week. The report, based on interviews with staff and pupils at nine secondary schools and survey responses from 600 secondary teachers, said schools that combined reward with sanctions had seen 'higher pupil engagement' with attendance policies as children felt motivated to attend. Incentives in schools for high attendance included prize draws – with rewards such as bikes and iPads – and pizza parties. In some schools, pupils who did not attend regularly were banned from attending the Year 11 prom or trips. The report advised headteachers to pursue 'individualised' approaches to improve attendance. This could include ensuring that attendance and behaviour policies 'prioritise encouragement and support over sanctions,' it added. The study suggests illness, mental health issues were partly to blame but some parents were choosing to take their children with them on holiday during term-time. Prioritise 'encouraging' Matt Walker, NFER senior research manager and co-author of the report, said: 'Attendance is strongly linked to educational outcomes, so it's concerning that absence rates remain high. 'The study responses suggest schools should consider prioritising encouraging and individualised approaches in addition to punitive sanctions.' Paul Whiteman, general secretary at school leaders' union NAHT, said: 'These findings echo what school leaders tell us about the severe limitations of parental fines in improving pupil attendance. 'Absence most often reflects issues beyond the school gate, like mental health challenges and poverty, and clearly identifying and being able to support families to address these issues is far more effective.' He added: 'If the link between absence and term-time holidays is to be broken, the only sustainable solution is government action to prevent travel firms unfairly hiking prices during school holidays.'
The Independent
27-03-2025
- The Independent
Pupils rewarded with iPads, bikes and pizza parties for good attendance
Schools are offering rewards including iPads and bikes to children to boost attendance, a report has suggested. Pupils are being given incentives, such as pizza parties and school trips, and are being entered into prize draws to tackle absences, according to the National Foundation for Educational Research (NFER) report. School leaders should prioritise encouraging and 'individualised' approaches to increase attendance and create 'a sense of belonging', the NFER has said. This could include ensuring that attendance and behaviour policies 'prioritise encouragement and support over sanctions,' the paper said. It comes as recent Government figures revealed that the number of pupils classed as 'severely absent' in England reached a record high last year. Department for Education (DfE) data last week found that the number of unauthorised pupil absences from schools in England increased last year. The NFER study – which explores interviews with staff and pupils from nine secondary schools and survey responses from more than 600 secondary school teachers and leaders – found pupils in sanctions-led schools were more likely to perceive attendance policies as 'punitive and unfair'. It said schools that combined reward with sanctions had seen 'higher pupil engagement' with attendance policies as children felt motivated to attend. Incentives in schools for high attendance included prize draws – with rewards such as bikes and iPads – and pizza parties. In some schools, high attendance was a key criterion for being allowed to attend Year 11 prom or trips, the report said. Earlier this month, Pepe Di'Iasio, general secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders (ASCL), said school had become 'optional' for some families since the Covid-19 pandemic and he suggested that the 'blunt instrument' of fines for unauthorised absences was not reversing the trend. The former Conservative government announced plans to raise fines for pupil absences in February last year, to boost attendance since the pandemic. In September, school absence fines in England rose from £60 to £80, and a parent who receives a second fine for the same child within a three-year period will now receive a £160 fine. The NFER study suggests that illness, mental health issues and term-time holidays were primary reasons for pupil absence in the participating schools. It has called on school leaders to work closely with parents to understand the barriers to attendance. This could include workshops and home visits. The NFER has also called on policymakers to increase funding for attendance and pastoral support to help schools. Matt Walker, NFER senior research manager and co-author of the report, said: 'Attendance is strongly linked to educational outcomes, so it's concerning that absence rates remain high. 'The study responses suggest schools should consider prioritising encouraging and individualised approaches in addition to punitive sanctions.' Mr Di'Iasio said: 'We agree that a one-size-fits-all approach is not the way forward, and school leaders must be free to tailor policies to the needs and characteristics of their cohort. 'Appropriate rewards and sanctions have their part to play, but individualised support that quickly identifies why a pupil is absent from school, and helps them to return to the classroom as soon as possible, can be hugely effective.' He added: 'There needs to be a strategic response from the government to the growing problem of pupil absence, and schools must be provided with the tools they need to tackle this.' Paul Whiteman, general secretary at school leaders' union NAHT, said: 'These findings echo what school leaders tell us about the severe limitations of parental fines in improving pupil attendance. 'Absence most often reflects issues beyond the school gate, like mental health challenges and poverty, and clearly identifying and being able to support families to address these issues is far more effective.' He added: 'If the link between absence and term-time holidays is to be broken, the only sustainable solution is government action to prevent travel firms unfairly hiking prices during school holidays.'
The Guardian
27-03-2025
- General
- The Guardian
Pizzas, iPads and praise stamps: pupils reap rewards for attending school
Pizza parties and iPads are being offered to pupils as incentives to improve school attendance, according to a new report which says sanctions alone are less likely to work. While some schools in England are using fines, detentions and letters home to crack down on absence, others prefer a rewards-based approach, with prize draws for bikes and iPads, trips and 'praise stamps' which pupils collect then trade in for chocolates or stationery. Another incentive being used is a ticket for the school prom for pupils in year 11, with attendance a key criterion for being allowed to attend. The study by the National Foundation for Educational Research (NFER) found schools that combined rewards with sanctions reported seeing higher pupil engagement with attendance policies. 'Pupils in these schools appeared to be motivated to attend, as they saw a tangible benefit to doing so,' the report said. 'In contrast, those in sanctions-led schools were more likely to perceive attendance policies as punitive and unfair, particularly if they felt their absences were due to circumstances beyond their control.' School absence has been a key concern for the government since attendance plummeted after the disruption caused by the pandemic. According to the NFER study, illness, mental health challenges and term-time holidays were common causes of absence. Latest figures published by the Department for Education revealed the number of pupils who were 'severely absent' in England reached a record high last year and unauthorised absences also increased in total. The education secretary, Bridget Phillipson, has backed the use of parental fines for non-attendance, which increased from £60 to £80 in September, but in an interview with the Guardian, the actor Anna Maxwell Martin described them as 'cruel and idiotic'. Matt Walker, NFER senior research manager and co-author of the report, said: 'Attendance is strongly linked to educational outcomes, so it's concerning that absence rates remain high. 'The study responses suggest schools should consider prioritising encouraging and individualised approaches in addition to punitive sanctions.' The study, Voices from the Classroom – understanding how secondary schools support pupils returning from absence, is based on a survey of 600 secondary school teachers and leaders in England, as well as face-to-face interviews with staff and pupils in nine state-funded secondary schools. Daniel Kebede, the general secretary of the National Education Union, said: 'The message is clear: fines, punitive action and bribery are not working. 'More students are struggling with anxiety and unmet SEND [special educational needs and disabilities] needs leading to increased absence, and fewer are getting the individual support, specialist input and pastoral backup they need to return to and remain in school.' Pepe Di'Iasio, the general secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders, said: 'Appropriate rewards and sanctions have their part to play, but individualised support that quickly identifies why a pupil is absent from school, and helps them to return to the classroom as soon as possible, can be hugely effective.' Paul Whiteman, the general secretary of the National Association of Head Teachers, said: 'These findings echo what school leaders tell us about the severe limitations of parental fines in improving pupil attendance.'
