ABSTRACT
In this chapter, we explore how teachers and other professionals working in schools can reduce disaffection and increase school engagement among children and young people. It has been suggested that engagement with school has a protective role to play in relation to children and young people’s health, particularly with regard to promoting emotional well-being and reducing smoking and drug use (West, 2006; Carter et al., 2007; Fletcher et al., 2009). For the purposes of this chapter, we focus particularly on the ways that schools in England have been moving towards supporting the engagement of pupils. Our perspective derives from being involved with and taking a lead in the National Strategies in England. These are professional development programmes for school improvement which include embedding good practice and building local capacity to achieve a sustainable basis for continued improvement in local authorities, schools and settings.
