6: Complex and Hidden Lives

The children and young people (CYP) we encounter in the classroom bring with them a range of experiences and stories about their lives outside of school. This chapter starts by considering a theoretical perspective using an ecological systems theory (Bronfenbrenner, 1979) so we can understand and locate the child or young person at the heart of the different social worlds they encounter. It then uses a fictionalised narrative approach (Clough, 2002) to discuss the life of one child. This narrative is then explored using the ecological systems theory and discusses how the complex social world of one child can impact upon their time in school. Finally, the chapter concludes by suggesting ways in which the child's experiences of school could have had different outcomes if their life had been understood in a more holistic way. The chapter also sets the context for the rest of the section: Enhancing Pupil Engagement and Teaching Practice through the child's narrative as a means of highlighting the impact of the topics in the section on an individual's life story.