School Engagement Support Program
The School Engagement Support Program (SESP) is a targeted, structured support for students in Years 8-10 who are showing early signs of disengaging from school and their learning.
Program Aim
The School Engagement Support Program (SESP) aims to support these students so that they feel stronger connections to school and learning and are supported to build on personal and social capabilities.
Research tells us that increased school engagement can lead to increased student attendance and fewer days lost to suspension in the short to medium term, and improved mental health and economic prospects in the long term.
Through the School Engagement Support Program we want to see:
ongoing improvements to student attendance and reduced suspension rates
students building positive relationships with others; and
students reporting a greater sense of belonging to their school, culture and community.
The School Engagement Support Program has been designed to help us measure the impact of engagement programs, in line with the NSW Plan for Public Education and Closing the Gap targets.
Program Description
Under the School Engagement Support Program, the department contracts external providers to work with eligible schools over one to two terms to deliver tailored support to students. The department has assessed and approved the provider programs and activities offered but schools and providers can tailor these pre-approved programs to meet the skills, capabilities and interests of the participating students through a co-design process.
The School Engagement Support Program has a strong focus on outcomes for students, including improving short, medium, and long-term behavioural, emotional and/or cognitive outcomes for students.
Students identify goals that they want to achieve during their time in the program, with a strong focus on building their personal and social capabilities.
Outcomes and Impact
The School Engagement Support Program contributes to Our Plan for NSW Public Education, connecting students with the support they need for wellbeing and development, so they are better motivated to attend school and are better equipped to learn.
The program is also directly linked to outcome 5 of Closing the Gap to increase the proportion of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people attaining year 12 or equivalent qualifications to 96%.
The department, schools and providers use the program’s Outcomes Measurement Framework to monitor and evaluate the impact of the School Engagement Support Program.
Implementation information for Term 2, 2026
The program is currently operating under the following arrangements for the remainder of Term 2, 2026.
Students participating in the program must be in years 8, 9 or 10 and either have:
an attendance rate between 70-90% and/or
between 2 and 4 suspensions.
System level attendance and suspension data has been used to identify eligible schools within select principal networks, that have high levels of student disengagement.
A list of schools currently eligible to implement the program is available at Eligible schools - SESP (PDF 155 KB).
Term 3, 2026 - Program information
From Term 3, 2026 the School Engagement Support Program is being expanded to increase the number of eligible schools and available providers. The program will operate under the following arrangements from Term 3, 2026 onward:
Students participating in the program must be in years 8, 9 or 10 and either have:
an attendance rate between 70-90%, and/or
between 2 and 4 suspensions received since Year 7.
We have used system‑level attendance and equity data to identify 53 principal networks where this program is most likely to make a significant impact. Schools within these networks that have students in the target cohort are able to opt-in to the program.
A full list of eligible schools and networks is available at School Engagement Support Program - Eligible Schools from Term 3 2026.
Contact
Please contact the School Engagement Support Program team for more information or support, via SESP@det.nsw.edu.au.