In November 2024, Mission 44 launched its first-ever public policy campaign, Nothing Happens In Isolation, calling for urgent, coordinated action to build an inclusive education system where every child feels safe, heard, and able to thrive.

The campaign marked a pivotal moment for the organisation and led to a meeting at 10 Downing Street with the Prime Minister and Secretary of State for Education. Following that meeting, the Government committed to taking action on inclusive education reform.

Today marks an important first step in delivering on those commitments, with the publication of new pupil experience data. While there is much more still to come, this release reflects early progress and the start of greater transparency around children’s experiences in school.

Read our CEO, Jason Arthur’s statement below:

“We welcome the publication of this important data. It is a unique insight into what children are thinking and feeling at school. When we met the Prime Minister earlier this year, one of Sir Lewis Hamilton’s key asks was for better data on pupils’ experiences of life at school – so this marks a positive step forward.

“However, these stark statistics highlight the pressing need to make schools more inclusive to all children. More than a quarter of pupils – roughly seven in every classroom – say they are ‘not very’ or ‘not at all’ motivated to learn, and only 57% feel there is often or always an adult in school who ‘really cares’ about them.

“Pupils eligible for free school meals consistently report worse experiences across the board. The data still isn’t detailed enough to fully understand how children from different backgrounds and ethnicities are affected or how that experience directly impacts their chances of accessing employment, further education or training.

“When we met with the Prime Minister, the Government committed to developing a national Pupil Engagement Framework to provide schools with clear guidance on how to foster inclusive, supportive environments for every child – work we are now supporting. But this framework must directly address the issues highlighted in this data, and schools must receive the guidance, resources and support needed to put its recommendations into action.

“Mission 44 has had conversations with hundreds of young people, teachers and education leaders through our ‘Ambitious About Inclusion’ series of events over the last year. Their message is clear: if we want to tackle rising absence, exclusions and suspensions, every child must feel they belong in school, safe and cared for.

“That is the future we are determined to help build.”