Research and analysis

School belonging and attainment at key stage 4

An analysis of linked survey and administrative data about the relationship between school belonging and the attainment of 16-year-olds in England.

• From: Department for Education
• Published: 19 August 2026

Applies to England

Documents

School belonging and attainment at key stage 4: linked data study

Ref: ISBN 978-1-83870-811-5, RR1645

PDF, 886 KB, 48 pages

Details

The report draws on:

• survey data from the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development’s Programme for International Student Assessment 2022
• linked longitudinal data from the National Pupil Database

Its aims were to:

• examine differences in school belonging and bullying across pupil groups
• assess the extent to which these factors contribute to differences in attainment beyond background characteristics and prior achievement

Published 19 August 2026