This report from education specialists Edurio and The Key has found that 1 in 10 pupils have missed school in the past six months because they felt unsafe. The report explores the feelings of safety amongst 70,000 English school pupils and the factors of influence, revealing the impact on school attendance.
The report, which looks at pupils across year groups, regions and other key demographics, found that whilst the majority of pupils reported feeling safe in school – 75% of all pupils surveyed – one quarter of pupils reported feeling not at all safe, not very safe, or only fairly safe.
Moreover, amongst those pupils who felt unsafe in school, one third (33%) reported that they felt unsafe many times during that period.
The report helps demonstrate the relationship between safety and attendance, with pupils who felt unsafe at school more likely to report they had missed school because they felt unsafe.
Seventeen per cent of pupils who felt unsafe in school reported a safety-related absence during the last six months compared to 6% of pupils who had safety-related absences recorded but say they feel safe in school. This shows the clear implications for pupil engagement with learning and the potential impact on pupil outcomes.