A Whole School Approach To Tackling Early School Leaving
A practical Erasmus+ course for educational professionals who want to understand early school leaving, identify students at risk, and develop whole-school prevention and intervention strategies.
Course Description
Early school leaving remains one of the most significant challenges facing educational systems across Europe. Students who leave education prematurely often face increased risks of unemployment, social exclusion, and reduced life opportunities. A successful response requires the involvement of the entire school community, including teachers, school leaders, support staff, families, and external stakeholders. This course is designed to help educational professionals understand the complex factors contributing to early school leaving and develop a whole-school approach to prevention and intervention.
Participants will explore the social, emotional, academic, economic, and institutional factors that influence student disengagement. Through collaborative activities, case studies, and the exchange of international experiences, participants will learn how to identify early warning signs, strengthen school-family cooperation, promote student engagement, and develop coordinated strategies that support student retention and success. The course provides practical tools that can be adapted and implemented at classroom, school, and community levels.
Methodology
The course follows a collaborative and practice-oriented methodology that combines theoretical understanding with real-world application. Participants will engage in expert presentations, case study analysis, group discussions, collaborative workshops, problem-solving activities, peer-learning sessions, reflective practice, and action-planning exercises. Teachers and school professionals will analyse authentic school scenarios, evaluate intervention strategies, and develop whole-school prevention plans adapted to their own educational contexts. The methodology promotes active participation, international exchange of experiences, and the practical transfer of learning outcomes into everyday educational practice.
By the end of the course, participants will be able to:
- Understand the main causes and consequences of early school leaving.
- Identify risk factors associated with student disengagement and dropout.
- Recognize early warning signs of absenteeism and school disengagement.
- Analyse the influence of family, community, and socio-economic factors on student retention.
- Apply whole-school strategies that promote participation, belonging, and inclusion.
- Strengthen communication and cooperation between schools, families, and external stakeholders.
- Develop intervention measures for students at risk of leaving school.
- Design prevention plans that involve the entire educational community.
- Promote supportive learning environments that encourage persistence and achievement.
- Develop approaches that strengthen the connection between education and future employment opportunities.
- Share and implement good practices from different European educational contexts.
Available Dates & Locations
5-Day Training Programme
Understanding Early School Leaving
Topics
- Defining early school leaving and its impact.
- European trends and current challenges.
- Factors contributing to school disengagement.
- The importance of a whole-school approach.
Tasks
- Ice-breaking and networking activities.
- Analysis of participants’ school realities.
- Group discussion on causes of early school leaving.
- Case study analysis of student dropout scenarios.
- Mapping school-level challenges and needs.
Identifying Risk Factors and Early Warning Signs
Topics
- Academic, social, emotional, and economic factors.
- Vulnerable student groups.
- Attendance, behaviour, and achievement indicators.
- Monitoring systems and early detection.
Tasks
- Student profile analysis workshop.
- Group work on identifying warning signs.
- Comparative analysis of national contexts.
- Designing an early identification framework.
- Reflection on current school practices.
Building Student Engagement and Belonging
Topics
- Motivation and student participation.
- Inclusive teaching practices.
- Positive school climate.
- Student voice and participation.
Tasks
- Workshop on engagement strategies.
- Development of inclusive classroom activities.
- Group planning for student support initiatives.
- Peer review of engagement strategies.
- Designing school-based participation projects.
Strengthening School, Family and Community Partnerships
Topics
- Family engagement strategies.
- Community involvement in education.
- Multi-agency cooperation.
- Supporting at-risk students through partnerships.
Tasks
- Role-playing parent-school communication scenarios.
- Designing family engagement action plans.
- Collaborative mapping of community resources.
- Problem-solving activities based on real cases.
- Development of partnership strategies.
Creating a Whole-School Prevention Plan
Topics
- Prevention, intervention, and compensation measures.
- Building sustainable retention policies.
- School improvement planning.
- Monitoring and evaluation.
Tasks
- Development of a Whole-School Early School Leaving Prevention Plan.
- Presentation and peer review of action plans.
- Reflection on implementation challenges.
- Exchange of European good practices.
- Course evaluation and certification ceremony.
Objectives of the Mobility Experience
- To increase awareness of the causes and consequences of early school leaving.
- To strengthen participants’ capacity to identify students at risk.
- To develop effective whole-school prevention and intervention strategies.
- To improve cooperation between schools, families, and local communities.
- To promote inclusive and supportive learning environments.
- To exchange European good practices for reducing dropout rates.
- To support the development of institutional retention policies.
- To strengthen international collaboration among educational professionals.
- To contribute to improving educational inclusion, participation, and student success.
Type of Certification Awarded
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