#14 Why every primary headteacher should read this APPG report—and what it means for your school

Understanding the wider forces that shape children’s lives — and the role schools must play in responding.

The Loss of the Love of Learning report, published by the Education APPG (July 2025), is not your typical parliamentary read. It’s honest. It’s wide-ranging. And it puts into words what many of us in primary leadership have been feeling for years: that something important is slipping through our fingers—and we don’t have the tools (or time) to catch it.

This isn’t a report to skim. It’s one to sit with, talk about, and use. Here's a summary through the lens of the four modules, with direct page references so you can find and quote the evidence that really matters in your context.

Module 1: The Current Landscape of Engagement in Education

Pages 3–10

There’s no dancing around it: the data is grim. Only 11% of pupils reported enjoying school “every day”, while 17% said they “never” enjoy it (p. 3). Nearly 1 in 5 children routinely dislikes school. As the report says, “that should give us pause” (p. 3).

Persistent absence? Up.
Elective home education? Increasing—with mental health and SEND support failures as key drivers (p. 4).
Disengagement? Evident in pupils and staff alike.

“Over 90% of teachers had considered leaving the sector in the last 12 months” (p. 5).
“When nearly one in five children routinely dislikes school, it should give us pause” (p. 3).

Behavioural challenges are rising too, with 7 minutes of every 30-minute lesson lost to misbehaviour (p. 5). This is more than a pastoral concern—it’s a curriculum access issue.

Bullying, too, is on the rise. And with 26% of pupils affected, often online, the report notes:

“When bullying occurs, it creates an environment where not all children feel they belong or are comfortable taking risks.” (p. 6)

Heads know these stories. We see the quiet withdrawals, the sharp words, the increasing number of safeguarding notes. This section names it clearly.

Module 2: Curriculum Design and Engagement

Pages 11–16

If you’ve ever heard a child say “what’s the point?”—this section explains why.

The curriculum is described as:

“A mile wide and an inch deep” (p. 11)
“Crammed with objectives, leaving limited room for digression or depth” (p. 11)

There’s a real focus on what’s been squeezed out: creative subjects, outdoor learning, agency. The decline in residential trips, for example—from 4.6 to 2.9 days on average—is one tangible loss (p. 11).

“Creative subjects were repeatedly described as fostering a love of learning… helping more children experience competence and pride” (p. 12)

The report also hits home on diversity and representation:

“A lack of diversity in the current curriculum can make it difficult for young people from a diverse range of backgrounds to feel represented and included” (p. 12)

And curriculum standardisation? Yes, it supports consistency—but:

“Over one-third of primary teachers said they have little or no influence over the content of individual lessons in their own classroom” (p. 13)

It doesn’t have to be this way. The report praises schools offering “wiggle room to take risks… to go a little off-piste” (p. 13). That’s what lights the fire.

Module 3: Assessment Practices and Their Impact on Engagement

Pages 17–19

This section should be a wake-up call to policymakers—and it’ll validate a lot of what you already know.

SATs dominate spring in Year 6. But the pressure isn’t equally shared:

“Only 13% of schools in the most affluent areas spent over 6 hours a week on SATs prep… but in the most disadvantaged schools, that figure was 40%.” (p. 17)

And the effects?

“More than 60% of Year 6 pupils said they were worried about taking SATs… and 1 in 10 said they were losing sleep.” (p. 17)

It’s not just about children feeling anxious—it’s about time and trust. How much learning is lost to cramming? How many moments of discovery are skipped for drills?

The report goes further, questioning whether the high-stakes, terminal exam culture is fuelling disengagement, especially for SEND pupils or those with chaotic home lives (p. 17–18).

“Students effectively learn that learning itself ‘has no joy unless it’s validated by a mark scheme.’” (p. 18)

And while no one is suggesting we abandon accountability altogether, the report says we must “ask: Are we measuring what truly matters?” (p. 18)

Module 4: Supporting Teachers in the Love of Learning

Pages 20–23

If you’re a headteacher trying to hold staff morale together, this module will feel like it was written for you.

“Full-time teachers regularly work around 52 hours per week… near or above the 55-hour threshold identified by the WHO as a serious health risk.” (p. 20)

And too much of that is “empty work”—the kind that feeds audit trails, not children’s curiosity.

“Teachers feel compelled to produce data and evidence for inspectors, sometimes to the detriment of spontaneity in the classroom.” (p. 20)

But it’s not just the pressure. It’s the lack of voice. The lack of space to do what they came into the profession to do.

“When teachers spend their evenings and weekends doing paperwork or marking for tests… their job satisfaction plummets.” (p. 20)
“Happy teachers teach better.” (p. 22)

The loss of teaching assistants makes it worse. Behaviour, SEND, mental health referrals—more of it lands on the class teacher’s desk, stretching them thinner and thinner (p. 20–21).

The report argues for listening to teachers—really listening—as we redesign systems, curricula, and accountability.

What’s In It for Heads?

This report doesn’t fix the problem. But it names it. And for once, it does so with humanity, nuance, and a commitment to long-term change.

Use it:

• To inform your curriculum and enrichment strategy

• To shape CPD and staff wellbeing conversations

• To evidence your next budget or pupil premium bid

• To talk to governors about what’s really happening in schools

And if you need a one-line quote to open your next staff meeting, try this:

“Happy teachers teach better.” (p. 22)

As we reflect on the findings of The Loss of the Love of Learning, one thing is clear: we are not imagining the challenges—we are living them. But within these pages is also hope, clarity, and a reminder that change is possible when we listen to the voices that matter most. So let’s start there. What does “love of learning” mean to you? Where are the sparks still alive in your classroom—and where are they fading? What would it take to bring more joy, curiosity, and meaning into our daily practice? And crucially, what do we need to let go of to make space for that to happen?