Yes He Can! Closing the Attainment Gap for Boys at Secondary School

By Mike Bell

This book reveals how six schools, serving very different communities, successfully tackled their boys' attainment gap by focusing on whole-school culture change. It explores the reasons why boys are underachieving and dispels common myths about engaging boys.

Offering a wide range of tried-and-tested strategies, the book provides detailed guidance on creating a safe, respectful school community that enables boys and girls to thrive. Chapters outline how key interventions were implemented across each school and the impact they had including:

- Celebrating diverse achievements

- Building strong relationships and supporting home links

- Role-modelling and peer mentoring

- Enrichment and extra-curricular activities

- Literacy support and oracy development

- Consistent discipline

- Internal observation and staff training

Full of practical advice to help make boys' underachievement a thing of the past, this is essential reading for all teachers and school leaders interested in boys' attainment and behaviour.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1041242158
• ISBN13: 9781041242154
• Release Date: August 2026
• Publisher: Routledge
• Length: 144 Pages