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Strong relationships with school staff and a sense of belonging at school can protect teenagers鈥� mental wellbeing and help reduce absences, according to new findings from The University of Manchester鈥檚 #BeeWell programme. The large-scale study shows that while poor mental health can drive disengagement from school, positive day-to-day school experiences play a critical role in protecting young people.   

About the study  

The researchers tracked more than 25,000 students from Year 8 to Year 10 (age 12/13 to 14/15) across 154 secondary schools in England, using attendance records as well as three years of data from the #BeeWell programme. #BeeWell is a collaboration between The University of Manchester, The Gregson Family Foundation and Anna Freud who, together with the Greater 91直播 Combined Authority (GMCA), launched the programme in 2019.  

The study found that students who felt more connected to their school and had stronger relationships with staff experienced fewer emotional difficulties (e.g., worry, low mood) over time, while also supporting better attendance. The findings suggest schools should prioritise students鈥� experiences of connection and support, rather than focusing on attendance alone.  

At the same time, increases in emotional difficulties were shown to predict later declines in school belonging and relationships with staff 鈥� which suggests that poor mental health can gradually erode students鈥� connection to school.  

How are mental health and school experiences linked?  

The study identified a clear pattern in which mental health and school experiences influence one another over time.  When young people experienced increased emotional distress, they were more likely to feel less connected to their school and report weaker relationships with staff in the following year. For some students, particularly girls, worsening mental health also predicted increased absence from school.  However, positive school experiences worked in the opposite direction, helping to protect later mental health.  

Why do relationships with staff and belonging matter?  

The findings show that supportive relationships and a sense of belonging are not just associated with better mental health - they can actively protect it.  For boys, stronger relationships with school staff drove later reductions in emotional difficulties. For girls, feeling a strong sense of belonging to the school community played a particularly important protective role.  

Does attendance improve mental health?  

The study found no evidence that simply improving attendance leads to better mental health.  While attendance is often used as a key indicator of student wellbeing, the findings suggest it is more a signal of underlying difficulties than a direct driver of mental health outcomes. In contrast, students鈥� subjective experiences of school were much more strongly linked to changes in their wellbeing. 

 What are the implications for schools?  

The researchers say the findings point to the importance of strengthening everyday school experiences, and with the GMCA are working with the GM Local Action Attendance Alliance to develop a whole system response to attendance challenges facing schools  This includes building supportive relationships between staff and students, fostering a sense of belonging across the school community, and identifying emotional difficulties early before they lead to disengagement.  

Researcher quotes  

鈥淥ur findings show that how young people experience school on a day-to-day basis really matters,鈥� said Dr Qiqi Cheng, lead author of the study. 鈥淲hile schools rightly focus on making progress on attendance, what happens once pupils are inside the school gates is equally crucial."

Professor Neil Humphrey, academic lead of #BeeWell, said: 鈥淎ttendance matters, but these findings show that it should not be viewed in isolation. Young people also need to feel that they belong, that they are noticed, and that they have supportive relationships with adults in school. Through #BeeWell, we are working with partners across Greater 91直播 to ensure that responses to attendance challenges also support young people鈥檚 mental wellbeing 

Publication details  

This research was published in the Journal of the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry.   

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