This research was conducted by the Department for Education (DfE) to explore the models, uses and perceived outcomes of in-school support units within mainstream schools in England. Ten mainstream secondary schools across England, including 12 members of school staff, were interviewed by DfE social researchers to understand the purpose, use and…

An increasing body of literature continues to highlight the relationship between our connection with nature and the positive effects on our physical health and psychological well-being as well as enhancing our motivations and engagements within learning contexts. However, with more time being spent indoors and free time increasingly structured by…

This study investigates the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on pupils and the potential value of outdoor learning (OL) as a strategy to overcome some of the challenges educators face in helping their pupils get 'back on track'. Interviews with nine primary school staff in the South West of England explored the impact of the pandemic on pupil…

This paper uses Rittel and Webber's categorisation of "wicked problems" in order to interrupt discourses around school behaviour. Each of the 10 characteristics suggested by Rittel and Webber are examined using the English education system as a vehicle by which to consider and interrogate their complexity. This endeavour is crucial as…

This article draws on data from a specially commissioned representative survey, which elicited responses from 7691 teachers in primary and secondary schools in England, to examine how teachers perceive young people's engagement with a variety of different conspiracy theories in school settings and how they respond to them. Approximately 40% of…

Using newly released detailed data on absence from school, we find a 'Friday effect'--children are much less likely to attend schools in England on Fridays. We use daily level data across the whole of England and find that this pattern holds for different schools and for different types of absence, including illness-related authorised and…

Bullying remains a serious problem in schools in England and internationally despite the plethora of research, interventions and policies which aim to address it. The majority of research and interventions are based on a traditional approach where school bullying is constructed as involving a clear imbalance of power between individuals. Recently,…

The acquisition of the competencies of sustainability literacy through education requires an understanding of how sustainability literacy is shaped. In this connection, in the current study, the interaction between the following dimensions of sustainability literacy was investigated; SA (sustainability attitude), SB (sustainability behavior) and…

The positive promotion of social and emotional wellbeing in schools can be seen as a means to lessen the impact of social difficulties and behavioral problems on educational engagement. This study employed a multicomponent, whole school approach to promoting positive social and emotional wellbeing. School personnel identified nine primary Key…

This paper examines and compares national policies on school exclusion, using a specific framework for public policy analysis developed by Carol Bacchi [(2009). Analysing policy: What's the problem represented to be? Frenchs Forest: Pearson]. This framework is known as 'What's the problem represented to be?' or 'WPR'. Bacchi's framework has been…

In recent years significant research attention has focused on the problem of student violence in schools and, to a lesser extent, on its relationship to gender-based violence. However, student violence towards teaching assistants has not been studied, despite evidence suggesting that teaching assistants are at significantly more risk from student…

This study investigated whether support from teachers could serve as a protective factor and reduce disproportionality in problematic behavior. Data from the CILS4EU project on 14-year-old European students were used (N = 18,308). Students reported on their social background (parental resources, migrant background and adverse family risks),…

Over the past five years, school exclusions have increased in the UK and have become an accepted method of behaviour management. One way of excluding children from mainstream education is through the use of isolation room punishment where children are removed from their classroom and placed in a designated area away from their peers. Isolation…

School can be challenging for autistic girls who are at risk of internalised anxiety which can ultimately lead to school avoidance. Low attendance is acknowledged as negatively impacting educational attainment and exacerbating mental health difficulties. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with three autistic girls aged 13-15 years from…

Unfavorable test-taking behaviors, such as speededness and disengagement, have long been a validity concern for large-scale low-stakes assessments. Understanding the presence and extent of such behaviors is important for ensuring the validity of inferences based on test scores. This study examined test-taking behaviors using item response time…