Adela Kay, Assistant Headteacher at Aspire Virtual School, has conducted in-depth research on a variety of pressing issues affecting children and young people within our community.

For March’s research, Adela explores a range of issues affecting children and young people, including unauthorised absence patterns, the impact of academic pressure on adolescent mental health, outcomes for disadvantaged high-achieving pupils, the role of youth work in improving attendance, internal exclusion and lost learning, educational transitions, early years development, updates to the Healthy Child Programme, and approaches to ordinarily available and inclusive provision.

Below you’ll find summaries and links to the latest research and reports relevant to our work with children and families.

Unauthorised Absence

This data analysis is quite interesting. What it highlights is that particularly at secondary level the number of unauthorised absences disproportionately sit with a small number of repeatedly absent pupils.

1.7% of the total 3.5% of unauthorised absences were from individuals who had more than 15 incidences of unauthorised absence. In contrast, at primary the inverse was true with single sessions making up the same proportion as those with 15 or more sessions.

I suspect this data tells us what we already know about the current state of unauthorised absence, but whilst conjecture is useful it is helpful to see the statistics supporting this evidence. Furthermore, as expected, vulnerable groups (SEND and FSM6) were disproportionately represented. I suspect if they reported on it EVERCIN would be similarly disproportionately evidenced, but the data for them does not come out until the end of April.

📌 Read here: Understanding unauthorised absence – FFT Education Datalab

 

Adolescent Depressive Symptoms and Academic Pressure

UCL has published a research piece in the Lancet using data from the Avon Longitudinal Study. It found that higher perceived academic pressure at age 15 is associated with increased depressive symptoms from ages 16 to 22 and a higher risk of self-harm up to age 24.

This remained true even after adjusting for prior mental health, attainment, socioeconomic factors, and bullying. The association with depression was strongest in mid-adolescence but persisted into early adulthood, while the self-harm association remained stable over time.

The findings suggest academic pressure is a modifiable risk factor for adolescent mental health difficulties, supporting the case for whole-school approaches—alongside family and policy-level actions—to reduce excessive academic pressure and promote wellbeing.

Those social workers on this mailing list will be aware that the Virtual School have produced a coping booklet to support our young people who are experiencing exam pressures and stress.

📌 Read here: Academic pressure linked to increased risk of depression in teens

 

Longitudinal Study on Outcomes of the G&T Programme

FFT and the Nuffield Foundation have published initial findings from their project investigating outcomes of initially high-achieving disadvantaged children.

These findings show that in the initial identification children from socio-economically advantaged homes were 19% more likely to be identified, and even after taking KS2 results into account the socio-economic gap remained 6%.

For me, the interesting element of this data is the longitudinal look at outcomes for this cohort, because in education we are really talking about futures and what results will mean for their lives.

The G&T scheme was associated with a 7% increase in the chances of attending a Russell Group university, but this was only 2% for disadvantaged children compared to a 10% advantage for the most socio-economically advantaged pupils.

The paper calls into question the effectiveness of the programme and whether it achieved its aims. However, it does call for a new G&T programme better targeted at disadvantaged high achievers.

📌 Read here: The education and labour market outcomes of England’s gifted and talented children – FFT Education Datalab

 

Can Youth Work Promote School Attendance?

The youth charity OnSide has published a report on the role of youth work in tackling school absence in the UK. The charity commissioned King’s College London to evaluate the impact of their Youth Zones.

The evaluation compared 8- to 19-year-olds who regularly attended a Youth Zone with a matched group of non-participants. Key findings show regular Youth Zone attendance reduced unauthorised absence by 21% in 2024, with the strongest improvements seen among severely absent and disadvantaged young people.

Although I do wonder whether if you are proactive enough to attend a youth club you are also probably proactive enough to attend school. What would be better would be to show how attendance at youth zones improves attendance for those who have previously been poor attendees.

Within the Virtual School we pay for Future Youth Zone and Vibe membership for our young people. Perhaps what this work indicates most clearly is that feeling part of a community improves engagement with other communities you are associated with.

📌 Read here: OnSide Education Research Report

 

Transitions

As we go into the summer term and preparation for September begins, I have also been looking again at transitions, particularly from primary to secondary but also KS4 to KS5 and pre-school to Reception.

Earlier in the year I attended a transitions conference which explored the development of a national transition approach. The National Association of Virtual School Heads have also published research on the transition from primary to secondary for children in care.

📌 Read here : NAVSH Research Programme

Early Years

This is a guide which I would like to share more widely with parents and social workers to support home-based developmental activities.

I particularly like the focus on joy, and with that I would personally include excitement. It is also focused on actions rather than things, so it does not require lots of expensive equipment. I think it is bright, engaging, and worth sharing if you think a family would benefit.

📌 Read here: Play Matters Parents Guide 

 

Healthy Child Programme Guidance

The Healthy Child Programme: ages 0–19 high-impact area framework has also been updated. The high impact areas for school nurses are now:

• Physical health

• Mental and emotional wellbeing

• Supporting children and young people with additional needs

• Keeping children and young people safe and well

• Supporting transitions

I think this mirrors the wider policy landscape we have discussed elsewhere but it may be worth schools knowing the focus from a health point of view for the school nursing and health visiting teams.

📌 Read here: Healthy child programme: ages 0 to 19 high-impact area framework – GOV.UK

 

Ordinarily Available and Inclusive Provision

I feel a little conflicted about including this article partly because we already have strong SEMH guidance and inclusion work locally. However, I always like to look at what other areas are doing.

I found some interesting work in Greater Manchester, particularly guidance around Ordinarily Available and Inclusive Provision. The phrase “ordinarily available” feels like a clear expectation of what schools should be able to deliver without additional support.

It includes sections on culture and environment, curriculum and assessment, but I particularly liked the partnership section which focuses on relationships with both children and families.

📌 Read here: Ordinarily Available and Inclusive Provision – Greater Manchester guidance

 

Best wishes,

Adela