Research and analysis

Parent, pupil and learner voice: February 2024

Published 27 September 2024

Applies to England

1. Introduction

The Department for Education (DfE) commissioned Verian (formerly known as Kantar Public) to recruit and maintain a panel of Parents, Pupils and Learners in England, known as the Parent, Pupil and Learner Voice (PPLV). The PPLV is designed to collect robust evidence to help the Department for Education understand the perspectives of parents, carers, pupils, and learners. This allows us to make more effective policy. The PPLV works as a series of short surveys across the academic year, covering a range of new and longstanding policy issues. This report is about the findings from the February 2024 survey wave of the Parent, Pupil and Learner Voice.

This research report was written before the new UK government took office on 5 July 2024. As a result, the content may not reflect current government policy.

1.1 Methodology

The PPLV survey is answered by secondary school pupils (years 7 to 13), learners in further education colleges (years 12 to 13), and parents of primary, secondary, and special school pupils (years 1 to 11) who have agreed to participate in short, regular research surveys on topical education issues. We select parents and pupils randomly using records from the National Pupil Database (NPD) and invite them to take part in an online survey. We select learners from the Individualised Learner Record (ILR). For the first survey of the academic year, we send invitation letters to households. For other surveys in that same academic year, we send the invitation by email and text message to the parents, pupils and learners who agreed to join the panel in the first survey.

We conducted the survey between 28 February and 11 March. The respondents were:

• 944 parents of primary school pupils
• 841 parents of secondary school pupils
• 566 parents of special school pupils
• 1458 secondary school pupils in years 7 to 11
• 2416 pupils and learners in years 12 and 13

The topics included in the survey are related to a variety of policy areas that teams in DfE are working on. Policy teams submit questions for inclusion in the survey and use the results to help inform policy development in the areas they work on. This report summarises findings for each topic covered.

Unless otherwise stated, when we refer to the ‘average’, we are reporting the arithmetic mean. Complete findings can be found in the published data tables, which include more detail on how different groups answered each question.

The report makes some comparisons to previous surveys conducted in previous academic years, for example the Parent, Pupil and Learner Panel Omnibus surveys for 2022 to 2023. These comparisons are helpful to understand how trends may be changing. However, the survey methodology changes over time and so comparisons to previous years are not as reliable as survey findings within each academic year. We introduced special school parents to the PPLV in the 2023/24 academic year, so comparisons with previous years do not include this group.

Further information on the survey methodology is available in the accompanying technical report:

Download the ‘Parent, Pupil and Learner Voice Technical Report 2023 to 2024’ (PDF, SIZE KB)

1.2 Banding for percentages

We use a consistent banding system for describing percentages, as follows:

• Very few - 0% to 10%
• A small minority - 11% to 32%
• A minority - 33% to 47%
• About half - 48% to 52%
• A majority - 53% to 66%
• A large majority - 67% to 89%
• Almost all - 90% to 100%

We do not describe 0% and 100% as ‘none’ and ‘all’ because figure rounding may mean this is not accurate. For instance, 100% may be 99.6% of respondents, rounded to the nearest whole number.

1.3 Topics covered in this survey

The survey included questions about:

• future study plans
• artificial intelligence
• wraparound childcare
• experiences of supply teaching
• careers in childcare
• confidence in school SEND support
• access to SEND support

2. Future study plans

We asked pupils in years 11 and 12 how likely they are to consider studying a range of qualifications after they finish at school or college (Figure 1).

The qualifications that the largest proportion of pupils and learners in years 11 and 12 said they were very likely or fairly likely to consider studying were an undergraduate degree (53%) and an apprenticeship (50%).

The qualifications that the smallest proportion said they were likely to consider studying were a traineeship (23%) and a Higher Technical Qualification (HTQ) (16%).

Similarly, we asked pupils in year 13 which qualifications they were planning to study after they finish at school or college (Figure 2).

The qualifications that pupils and learners in year 13 were most commonly and least commonly planning on, or considering, studying were the same as those that pupils and learners in years 11 and 12 said they were most likely to study.

The most common qualifications that pupils and learners in year 13 were planning to study or considering studying were an undergraduate degree (66%) or an apprenticeship (38%), while the least common qualifications were a traineeship (17%) or an HTQ (6%).

We also asked pupils and learners in year 12 and 13 how likely they were to start a higher education course after the age of 25 (Figure 3).

A small minority of pupils and learners (20%) thought it was very likely or fairly likely that they would start a higher education course after the age of 25, while 45% thought it was not very likely or not at all likely.

2.1 Awareness of Higher Technical Qualifications (HTQs)

We asked pupils and learners in years 11 to 13 and parents of secondary school pupils how much they knew about HTQs (Figure 4).

The majority of pupils and learners in years 11 to 13 (65%) and parents of secondary school pupils (60%) had never heard of HTQs. A small minority of parents (19%) and of pupils and learners (15%) said they knew a lot or a little about them.

2.2 Higher education priorities

We asked pupils and learners in years 12 and 13, except those who are not looking to take a qualification after they leave school or college, about their most important considerations when choosing what course to study (Figure 5).

The majority of pupils said that interest in the subject (65%) or the career the course could lead to (63%) were one of their top three considerations. Pupils and learners also commonly selected potential future earnings (35%) and the skills they would develop by taking the course (35%) as one of their top considerations.

2.3 Short courses

We asked pupils and learners in years 12 and 13 whether they had heard of short courses, and whether they had considered studying one (Figure 6).

About half of pupils and learners in year 12 and 13 (49%) were not aware that short courses existed. A small minority were aware that short courses existed but did not consider studying one (32%). Very few pupils had considered studying a short course but did not apply (9%) or had applied for a short course (3%).

We asked those who had heard of short courses but had not applied for one why they had not applied or considered applying (Figure 7).

The most commonly selected reasons were that they wanted to study a different course (37%), they did not think it would help their future career or develop their skills (34%) and that short courses do not provide a qualification (25%).

3. Artificial intelligence

We asked parents how they felt about teachers using artificial intelligence (AI) tools, such as ChatGPT, for different school tasks (Figure 8).

Parent attitudes towards teachers using AI tools were mixed.

More parents felt positive (50%) than felt negative (17%) about teachers using AI for career support. Similarly, more parents felt positive (45%) than felt negative (26%) about teachers using AI for creating lessons and curriculum content, and more felt positive (43%) than felt negative (29%) about teachers using AI for homework support or tutoring.

In contrast, more parents felt negative (46%) than felt positive (31%) about teachers using AI for assessment, marking and feedback.

3.1 Pupil use of AI for school work

We asked parents how they felt about their child using AI for school work (Figure 9).

Slightly more parents felt negative (38%) than felt positive (31%) about their child using AI for school work.

A small minority of pupils and learners (28%) said they had used AI tools in school lessons and/or for homework. The proportion of pupils and learners who have used AI in their school work is higher than in April 2023, when 14% said they had used AI for school work.

We asked pupils and learners how often they use AI for school work (Figure 10).

A large majority of pupils and learners (1%) have never used AI in their school lessons and/or for homework. Very few pupils said they use AI for school work every day (1%), at least once a week (25%), at least once a month (26%), or at least once a term (20%).

4. Wraparound childcare

We asked parents of primary and special school pupils whether their child has attended wraparound childcare since January 2024 (Figure 11).

A minority (36%) said their child had attended wraparound childcare, made up of those who said their child had only attended after school childcare (16%), only attended before school childcare (6%), and attended both before and after school childcare (14%).

We asked the parents who said their child has attended wraparound childcare since January 2024 why they had used this provision (Figure 12).

The most common reasons were to allow the parent or others in their household to work or seek work (76%), their child enjoying wraparound childcare (35%), and for their child’s development or enrichment (28%).

4.1 Sufficiency of wraparound childcare

We asked parents of primary and special school pupils whether their need for before and after school childcare was currently being met (Figure 13).

The majority of parents of primary and special school pupils (60%) who required before school childcare agreed or strongly agreed that their need for before school childcare was being met. A small minority (17%) disagreed or strongly disagreed.

Similarly, the majority of parents of primary and special school pupils (60%) who required after school childcare agreed or strongly agreed that their need was being met, while a small minority (18%) disagreed or strongly disagreed.

We asked the parents who disagreed that their wraparound childcare needs were being met why this was (Figure 14).

The most common reasons given were that the hours are unsuitable (38%), that it is not available during school holidays (24%), that it is too expensive (24%) and that there was another reason not given in the survey options (30%).

4.2 Impact of wraparound childcare availability on working patterns

A small minority of parents of primary and special school pupils (24%) said that the availability of wraparound childcare has affected the work pattern or hours of work of those in their household during term time. We asked these parents how the working patterns in their household had been affected (Figure 15).

The most common reasons were that they or others in their household work fewer hours than they want to (36%), they work different hours than they want to (27%), or they work fewer days than they want to (23%).

We asked all parents of primary and special school pupils if increased availability of wraparound childcare between 8am and 6pm would affect the decisions around the working patterns of those in the household. The most common response (40%) was that it would not affect working patterns in their household. A small minority (16%) said they or others in their household would work more hours, while very few said that they or others in their household would take up paid employment (8%) or that they or others in their household work more days (8%).

5. Careers in childcare

We asked pupils and learners in years 10 to 13 how likely they are to consider a career in early years and childcare (Figure 16).

A large majority (73%) said they were not likely to consider a career in early years or childcare, while a small minority (20%) said they were likely to consider it.

We asked those who said they were not likely to consider a career in early years and childcare why this was (Figure 17).

The most common reasons were that it does not interest them (81%) and that the pay is not high enough (40%).

We asked all pupils and learners in years 10 to 13 to what extent they agree or disagree with a range of statements regarding careers in early years and childcare (Figure 18).

A small minority of pupils and learners in years 10 to 13 (12%) agreed that a career in childcare is easy, while about half disagreed (52%).

A minority of pupils and learners (38%) agreed that a career in childcare is fun, while a similar proportion (40%) neither agreed nor disagreed. A small minority of pupils disagreed (14%).

Very few pupils and learners (8%) agreed that a career in childcare is well paid, while about half (49%) disagreed.

A small minority of pupils and learners agreed that a career in childcare is for people like them (16%), while a minority (47%) disagreed.

Across all four attitudes, results were similar to the last time we asked these questions in March 2023.

5.1 Advice on careers in childcare

A small minority of pupils and learners in years 10 to 13 (26%) said they had received information, advice, or guidance on working in early years and childcare. We asked them how useful this information, advice or guidance had been (Figure 19).

A large majority of pupils and learners (79%) who had received information, advice, or guidance said this had been useful. A small minority (17%) said it had not been useful. These results were similar to last time we asked this question in March 2023, when 76% said the guidance had been useful and 16% said it had not been useful.

We asked pupils and learners who said they were likely to consider a career in childcare where they would go for advice about working in early years and childcare (Figure 20).

About half of pupils and learners (50%) said they would seek advice from parents, guardians, and/or other relatives. A minority said they would seek advice from teachers (43%) or from someone already working in childcare (41%).

6. Experiences of supply teaching

We asked pupils in years 7 to 13 how often they had been taught by a supply teacher since January 2024 (Figure 21).

A large majority of pupils (85%) said they had been taught by a supply teacher this term, made up of those who said this happened less than one day a week (39%), one or two days a week (38%), and every day or most days (8%).

We asked pupils in Key Stage 3 (KS3) which subject(s) they had been taught by a supply teacher in since January 2024 (Figure 22).

About half of pupils in KS3 (51%) said they had been taught by a supply teacher in an English lesson since January 2024. A minority also said they had been taught by a supply teacher in science (44%), art, music, or drama (36%), and maths (35%).

We also asked pupils in Key Stage 4 (KS4) which subject(s) they had been taught by a supply teacher in since January 2024 (Figure 23).

About half of pupils in KS4 said they had been taught by a supply teacher in a science lesson (52%) or an English lesson (48%) since January 2024. A minority (39%) said they had been taught by a supply teacher in maths.

6.1 Impact of supply teaching on lessons

We asked pupils who had been taught by a supply teacher since January 2024 how their most recent lesson taught by a supply teacher compared to those taught by their usual teacher.

The majority of pupils (53%) found it harder to learn the subject content in this lesson compared to lessons taught by their usual teacher. A small minority found it easier (20%) or found no difference (22%).

A large majority of pupils (72%) said that behaviour had been worse in this lesson compared to lessons with their normal teacher. A small minority (19%) said there was no difference in behaviour, and very few (7%) said behaviour was better.

The majority of pupils (58%) said they were less motivated compared to lessons with their normal teacher. A small minority said they were more motivated (12%) or said there was no difference (27%).

7. Confidence in school SEND support

We asked parents of pupils with SEND how confident they feel that their child’s school is able to support their child’s special educational needs or disability (Figure 25).

The majority (57%) were confident that their child’s school is able to support their child’s special educational needs or disability. A minority (35%) said they were not confident. Parent confidence was lower than in December 2023, when 64% said they were confident.

We also asked parents of pupils with SEND how useful they found the support their child receives.

The majority of parents of pupils with SEND (55%) said the support their child receives has been useful in supporting their child’s special educational need or disability. A small minority (29%) said the support was not useful. A lower proportion of parents said the support has been useful compared to in December 2023, when 63% said the support was useful.

8. Access to SEND support

We asked parents of pupils with SEND whether their child requires specialist support (Figure 27).

The most commonly required support types were mental health support (28%), speech and language therapy (17%) and another type of support not given in the survey options (26%). These were also the most commonly required support types in December 2023.

For those whose child required specialist support, we asked whether their child had received this support since the start of the school year (Figure 28).

A large majority of parents said their child received the medical support (87%), social service support (77%), physiotherapy (76%) and occupational therapy (68%) that they required.

Across all support types, at least half of parents reported that their child received the support they required.

A higher proportion of pupils were receiving required support from an occupational therapist compared to December 2023, when 63% of pupils who required this support were receiving it. A lower proportion of pupils were receiving the physiotherapy they required (76% compared to 85% in December 2023) and the mental health support they required (52% compared to 64%).

We asked parents who said their child required specialist SEND support, but were not currently receiving it, why their child was unable to access it (Figure 29).

The most common reasons were that there are no support staff (e.g., therapists) available at their child’s school (35%), that their child is currently on the waiting list (33%), and that there is another reason not covered in the survey responses (18%).

9. Glossary of terms

SEND – Special Educational Needs and Disability. A child or young person has SEND if they have a learning difficulty or disability which calls for special educational provision to be made for them. A child of compulsory school age or a young person has a learning difficulty or disability if they:

• have a significantly greater difficulty in learning than the majority of others of the same age, or
• have a disability which prevents or hinders them from making use of facilities of a kind generally provided for others of the same age in mainstream schools or mainstream post-16 institutions. Many children and young people who have SEND may also have a disability under the Equality Act 2010 – that is ‘…a physical or mental impairment which has a long-term and substantial adverse effect on their ability to carry out normal day-to-day activities’. Where a disabled child or young person requires special educational provision, they will also be covered by the SEND definition. For more detail, please see the SEND Code of Practice.

Special schools. Special schools are those that provide an education for children with a special educational need or disability. Special schools with pupils aged 11 and older can specialise in one of the four areas of special educational needs:

• communication and interaction
• cognition and learning
• social, emotional, and mental health
• sensory and physical needs Schools can further specialise within these categories to reflect the special needs they help with, for example Autistic spectrum disorders, visual impairment, or speech, language, and communication needs (SLCN).