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As levels of young people not in education, employment or training (NEET) remain high in the UK, there is growing concern about processes of school disengagement. Drawing on quantitative and qualitative data, we explore some factors that lead young people to disengage from - and potentially re-engage with - schooling. The research employed a sequential design with a quantitative survey of students, followed by two rounds of interviews with a sub-sample of young people. Statistical analysis of our survey confirmed that, for our respondents, school engagement is mediated through perceptions of support. Through longitudinal qualitative data, we consider which sources of support appear to be most important for participants, how changes in perceptions of support affect levels of engagement and how these may change over time. We aim to contribute to the literature by showing that increasing perceptions of support can positively influence school engagement. Drawing on theories of social capital, we illustrate how complex and dynamic interplays between diffuse actors can provide access to differentiated resources, including economic, social and cultural capital, with varied outcomes for school engagement. We also show how fluid and dynamic processes of engagement and the interplay with support can provide opportunities for promoting positive educational outcomes.

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Early school leaving (ESL) as defined by the [European Union] EU refers to young people aged between 18 and 24 who have attained no higher than lower secondary education and who are not currently receiving any education or training. The [Reducing Early School Leaving in Europe] RESL.eu project aims to provide insights into the mechanisms and processes influencing a pupil's leaving school or training early. In addition, RESL.eu intends to identify and analyze the intervention and compensation measures that succeed in keeping pupils in education or training, in spite of their high risk of ESL, and ultimately, to disclose these insights and good practices to various audiences.

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