News

Improving school attendance remains one of the biggest challenges facing schools across England. Although national attendance figures have improved since the pandemic, persistent absence continues to affect thousands of pupils and has a direct impact on learning, well-being, and future outcomes.

For school leaders, the question is becoming less about how do we improve attendance statistics? and more about what prevents some pupils from attending in the first place?

At Strategy Education, we work with schools across the UK and understand that poor attendance is rarely caused by a single issue. Family circumstances, mental health, SEND, anxiety and a pupil’s sense of belonging can all influence whether they feel able to come to school each day.

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The debate around smartphones in schools has intensified as the Government moves to make schools phone-free from June 2026 (DfE). At the same time, ministers are reportedly considering further measures that could restrict smartphone ownership for under-16s, following the lead of countries such as Australia.

Supporters believe these changes will improve behaviour, reduce distractions and help protect young people’s mental health. However, others argue that while limiting smartphone use during the school day may bring benefits, schools also have a responsibility to teach pupils how to use technology safely and responsibly.

At Strategy Education, we believe both perspectives raise important questions about how schools can best prepare young people for the future.

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Work scrutiny has long been a feature of school improvement. Whether it’s called a book look, work sampling exercise or learning review, the principle is the same: looking at pupils’ work to understand what is really happening in classrooms.

Done well, work scrutiny can provide valuable insights into curriculum delivery, pupil progress and teaching effectiveness. Done poorly, it can become little more than a search for neat presentation or evidence of compliance.

At Strategy Education, we work with schools across the country and regularly hear leaders discussing how to gather meaningful evidence without creating unnecessary workload. One of the most effective ways to achieve this is by rethinking what work scrutiny is actually trying to achieve.

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When schools look to improve outcomes, it’s tempting to focus on major initiatives, new programmes or whole-school reforms. Yet some of the most meaningful improvements in teaching come from much smaller changes, such as the everyday decisions teachers make dozens of times during a lesson.

From how we ask questions to how we respond to mistakes, these seemingly minor interactions can shape student confidence, participation and learning far more than we sometimes realise.

At Strategy Education, we regularly work with schools focused on improving both outcomes and classroom culture. One of the most encouraging messages from recent educational research is that teachers do not always need to overhaul their practice. Sometimes, refining small habits can make a significant difference.

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Seeing School Through Different Eyes

Walk through any school and ask a simple question about behaviour, workload or wellbeing, and you’ll often hear very different answers depending on who you ask. A school leader may feel systems are working well. A classroom teacher may feel stretched and overwhelmed. A student may experience the same environment in a completely different way again.

None of those perspectives are necessarily wrong. They are shaped by experience, responsibility and daily reality. That’s why perspective matters so much in schools.

At Strategy Education, we work with teachers, leaders and support staff across a wide range of settings, and one thing becomes clear very quickly: schools function best when people actively try to understand experiences beyond their own role.

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What Actually Improves Engagement and Learning?

In many schools, student voice has become part of the furniture: suggestion boxes, school councils, and surveys are common. But how often do students feel genuinely heard? And more importantly, does traditional student voice actually lead to meaningful change in the classroom?

There’s a growing conversation about moving beyond simply listening to students and giving them real, structured choice in their learning and school experience. This shift from passive voice to active choice can boost motivation, strengthen relationships, and support better behaviour and outcomes, without undermining teacher authority or adding to workload.

For Early Career Teachers especially, finding the right balance here can make a big difference. Giving students appropriate agency helps reduce disengagement and low-level disruption, while still maintaining clear boundaries and high expectations.

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How to Make it Quick, Useful and Workload-Friendly

Live feedback (also known as live marking) is one of the most widely discussed ways to reduce written marking. But done poorly, it can still add to your workload rather than reduce it. The secret lies in designing feedback that students can actually use straight away, turning it from teacher effort into genuine student action.

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Smart Strategies That Actually Make Life Easier

Are you feeling the pressure to “do more adaptive teaching” on top of everything else? Many teachers and school leaders are. The good news is that effective adaptive teaching doesn’t have to mean extra worksheets, three different versions of every task, or more evening planning. When done well, it can actually reduce workload while improving outcomes for all pupils.

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As a teacher, you already juggle so much, like planning, marking, behaviour, and differentiation. But one small decision you make before students even walk in can quietly lift the pressure: where everyone sits.

A well-thought-out seating plan isn’t just about keeping order or learning names. It’s a daily ally that shapes how focused students stay, how easily you can spot who needs help, and how naturally participation flows. Done right, it cuts down low-level disruptions, speeds up your interventions, and lets you teach rather than constantly manage. For Early Career Teachers, especially, a solid seating setup can be a gamechanger. It gives you quicker control and more breathing space to focus on building relationships and delivering great lessons.

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