Understanding persistent school absence through young people’s voices

The ‘why’

Following the Covid-19 pandemic, it was widely expected that school attendance levels would gradually recover. However, many young people have not returned to consistent attendance. Persistent absence remains a significant challenge in the UK education system.

An inquiry by the Education Committee into persistent absence among disadvantaged pupils highlighted the need for a deeper understanding of the reasons behind school absence to better support young people in returning to education.

As part of a project exploring the health and socioeconomic inequalities associated with persistent school absence using routine data, we wanted to ensure that young people’s perspectives were central to the conversation. We asked young people themselves: why might children and young people find it hard to go to school?

These discussions formed the basis of a co-created animation designed to raise awareness and build understanding of the challenges some young people face in attending school.

The ‘who’

We worked with a small group of young people from Step Out Mentoring in London, all of whom have experience of difficulties with school, to co-create an animated video that raises awareness and understanding of why some young people struggle to attend school.

The ‘how’

Across two in-person workshops, five young people aged 14-16 years, a youth worker, a public engagement facilitator (Esta Orchard, Imperial College London), and a researcher (Dr Hanna Creese) discussed young people's experiences of and feelings towards school.

To create a relaxed environment, we began with a playdough icebreaker activity. We then used Jenga blocks as a creative tool for young people to write down their ideas about why attending school can be difficult. As a team, we grouped common ideas of why young people might find it hard to go to school into themes. The young people highlighted six themes:

• Mental health
• Bullying
• Gangs/community violence
• Problems at home
• Young carer responsibilities
• Physical health and disability.

These themes became the foundation of the animation script.

Our illustrator translated the themes into a storyboard, which the young people reviewed and provided feedback on. Each participant then chose one theme and recorded a short voice segment describing it in their own words. 

Once the script and storyboard were finalised, Mister Munro Animation & Illustration produced the animation, incorporating the recordings along with sound effects.

Successes

The animation has been positively received by educators and researchers. Through existing connections with primary and secondary schools in the UK, there are plans to screen the video as a discussion tool in classrooms.

The aim is to encourage pupils to reflect on and discuss young people’s experiences of school, including the challenges that can lead to persistent absence.

Lessons learned

• Foster communication: Icebreakers can play an important role in helping young people feel comfortable and encouraging open discussion, establishing a group agreement at the beginning of each session, emphasising listening, respect, and valuing everyone’s opinions, helping to build trust and reduce initial hesitation. 
• Be flexible: True co-creation requires flexibility. Researchers need to allow young people to guide conversation and shape the outcomes. It was particularly valuable that our illustrator could respond quickly to suggestions and incorporate the young people’s feedback into the storyboard.
• Develop relationships: Public engagement benefits researchers by bringing real-world perspectives into research. However, meaningful engagement requires reciprocity. Participants should feel valued beyond the immediate needs of the project. When planning engagement activities, it is important to consider what you are giving back to the community and how long-term relationships and mutual benefits can be sustained.