Integration through education

Early school leaving in Europe fell from 16.9% in 2002 to 9.3% in 2024. But averages hide deep gaps: children living in poverty, children with a migration history and Roma and Traveller children are still far more likely to fall behind or leave school early. These persistent inequalities raise an important question: how can schools create the conditions for all children to participate, learn and thrive? 

In the Horizon Europe project SCIREARLY, we studied 20 schools in 11 countries that serve disadvantaged and highly diverse communities, including migrant, refugee and Roma families, and that had improved achievement, attendance or inclusion. Around 800 students, teachers, families and community members shared their experiences with us.

Six dimensions of success

These schools share six dimensions: engaging and inclusive classroom practices; positive staff–student relationships; positive peer relationships; supportive leadership; accessible guidance, counselling and wellbeing support; and strong ties with families and the community. No single programme covered all six. Each school combined practices that fitted its context.

First, diversity is treated as a resource, not a deficit. In a Danish school, translanguaging lets pupils use their whole linguistic repertoire to learn. As one teacher put it: “If you take away people’s language, or devalue it, it affects self-confidence and sense of belonging.” In Ireland, teachers worked to show children that speaking a second language is a strength, not a weakness. 

Second, integration happens through interaction. In Spain, Interactive Groups bring diverse pupils together in small groups, each guided by an adult, often a family member or volunteer. Teachers described “real inclusion” of children who would otherwise stay on the margins. In a Danish classroom, we watched a Ukrainian boy, silent with his hood pulled up, slowly drawn into a game by an Arabic-speaking classmate until they were laughing together without sharing a word.

Third, schools do not have to do it alone. Successful schools built trust with families, including those unfamiliar with the school system or wary of authority. An Irish principal described sitting on the floor drinking tea with a Kurdish refugee family to understand why the children were missing school. In Spain, involving mothers in classroom activities also opened new opportunities for communication and trust between families and teachers. Multi-professional teams of social workers, psychologists, second-language teachers and counsellors helped identify needs early.
 

From good practice to systems

Seen through the lens of social capital, these schools create opportunities for connection: between children of different backgrounds, between families and teachers, and across professional groups. Importantly, they recognise and build on the knowledge, experiences and resources that children and families already bring. For students experiencing disadvantage, the problem is rarely having the “wrong” kind of social capital, but too few opportunities to build the relationships and access the resources that support educational success.

These connections do not emerge by chance. They depend on how schools organise learning, support their staff, engage families and respond to students' diverse needs. Our findings therefore point towards a whole-school approach, where inclusive and dialogic pedagogies, supportive relationships, leadership and community partnerships work together.

For educational practice and policy, the message is clear: promoting integration requires more than targeted support for individual students. It means creating learning environments that combine high expectations and meaningful participation with the relationships and resources every child needs to thrive.