Peer relationships and school mobility in England

This paper examines the relationship between pupils’ peer relationships and subsequent school mobility. Using large-scale longitudinal data from The Engagement Platform (TEP), the study follows 48,146 pupils in Years 3 to 10 across 109 schools in England. We estimate logistic regression models with school fixed effects and rich controls for pupil demographics, attitudes to education, relationships with teachers, school climate and attendance. The results reveal a strong and robust association between poorer peer relationships and an increased likelihood of changing school. Pupils reporting poor peer relationships are around twice as likely to move school as those with very good peer relationships. This association is consistent across gender and across primary and secondary phases. The relationship appears broadly linear, although having exceptional rather than very good peer relationships offer little additional reduction in mobility risk. These findings are replicated using a smaller, independent sample from the United Arab Emirates. Overall, the study highlights peer relationships as a key predictor of school mobility, with important implications for early identification of peer difficulties, pastoral support and interventions aimed at improving peer dynamics.