We need to intervene earlier – before young people disengage, we must teach them how to learn

By Dr Tej Samani

When the ONS publishes its next figures on young people not in education, employment or training on 26 November, attention will turn to how we help them back. We should also ask what happens earlier, while they are still in school. Have we taught them how to learn?

We tell children to concentrate, revise and try harder. But those instructions assume they know what to do. A pupil can spend an evening looking at a textbook without knowing how to check whether anything has gone in. More time spent struggling does not necessarily produce better understanding.

I attended three schools by the time I was 16. That experience shapes the question I bring to my work today: what are we missing when a young person struggles to engage? Behaviour needs addressing, but it should also prompt curiosity about what a pupil finds difficult and whether they have the tools to make progress.

Repeated difficulty can change how a child sees themselves. “I don’t understand this” becomes “I’m no good at this”, then “there is no point trying”. We need to recognise that possibility before withdrawal becomes entrenched. Asking for greater effort is inadequate if we cannot explain what the pupil could do differently.

Young people become NEET for many reasons. Ill health, unmet special educational needs, caring responsibilities and barriers to employment all require attention. Teaching learning skills cannot remove those barriers. It is, however, an opportunity to help pupils experience progress before they leave education, rather than waiting until they have disengaged.

Teaching children how to learn should be an explicit part of education. This means showing them how to approach an unfamiliar task, decide where to begin and notice when they have lost their way. It also means helping them recognise when they need assistance and giving them language to ask for it.

A teacher might demonstrate how to break an essay question into manageable steps, explaining their thinking as they go. During revision, pupils could close their notes, attempt to recall an explanation and then check what they missed. Afterwards, the discussion should include which approach helped and what needs further practice.

These routines belong within subject teaching. A pupil needs to see how a strategy applies to the mathematics problem or history source in front of them. Teachers already do much of this work. The challenge is making it consistent, with time, training and opportunities to share effective practice.

We must also pay attention to the conditions in which learning happens. A pupil who is anxious or overwhelmed may struggle to begin, even with clear instructions. A conversation about where they became stuck can be more useful than another reminder to focus. Learning strategies should sit alongside appropriate pastoral and specialist support.

For policymakers, this raises a practical question about attendance. Getting pupils through the door matters, but presence alone tells us little about their participation. Are they attempting work, checking their understanding and seeking help? Do they believe improvement is possible? These questions should inform support alongside attendance and attainment information.

Local authorities, academy trusts and schools could build these conversations into existing work on disengagement and transitions. When a pupil moves into college or training, useful information includes what helps them start a task and how they respond to difficulty. Support should help the receiving setting build on what already works.

We should ask pupils directly, too. Can they explain how they revise? What do they do when they cannot answer a question? Whom would they approach for help? Their answers can reveal gaps that a completed worksheet or attendance record may conceal, giving adults a clearer starting point for support.

Any investment needs evaluation. Schools and commissioners should look for changes in pupils’ ability to work independently, alongside their engagement and progress. We should test whether support helps different groups and adapt it where necessary. A confident presentation or enthusiastic testimonial cannot tell us whether an approach will prevent later disengagement.

The forthcoming figures will demand a response to young people already outside education and employment. Alongside that response, we need an earlier commitment: every child should leave school with practical ways to tackle something they do not yet understand. We cannot keep asking pupils to try harder without teaching them how to take the next step.

If you would like more information on learning skills, you can find some practical blogs to support learning at www.drtej.co.uk

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Dr. Tej Samani is an Honorary Research Fellow at The University of Sussex, a learning coach and author of The Learning Code (publishing Jan 2027). www.drtej.co.uk