Three Thousand Voices: Growing Up in South East London
This is the beginning of a growing body of work that will guide our programmes, strengthen our partnerships and help to influence policy at a local, regional and national level.
Three Thousand Voices is the first major research report published by Elevare Civic Education Group, conducted on behalf of the LASER Education Foundation. It captures the views and experiences of 3,000 children and young people across our schools and college — from primary age through to further education — using the same methodology developed by the Children's Commissioner, allowing us to compare our findings against the national picture.
The findings are both encouraging and thought-provoking. Around half of our learners report high wellbeing, feeling loved, safe and optimistic about their futures. Three-quarters value their teachers and lecturers, and the majority feel they have someone supportive to talk to. But the research also reveals areas of real concern. Wellbeing drops significantly during the transition from primary to secondary school, with the proportion of learners who feel they have someone supportive to talk to falling by 30% between the ages of 11 and 12–13. Almost one in five learners fall into groups with low overall wellbeing, and those in Alternative Provision and SEND settings, Looked After Children, and learners who identify as LGBTQ+ or outside the male/female binary are consistently less likely to report positive outcomes across a range of indicators.
The research also highlights the impact of loneliness, financial hardship, online safety, and a widespread sense among young people that those in power are not listening to them — fewer than one in five agreed that the people running the country listen to their views.
These findings will directly shape the programmes and priorities of the LASER Education Foundation, ensuring that the voices of our young people drive real, lasting change.