Could rolling dice, creating fantasy characters and going on imaginary adventures help children feel happier and behave better at school? A new evaluation of Young Dragons, a school-based tabletop role-playing programme, suggests that games could have a bigger role in education than you might expect!
A different kind of classroom
Young Dragons is inspired by Dungeons & Dragons, the legendary tabletop role-playing game where players create characters, explore imaginary worlds and work together to overcome challenges. But this isn't just a gaming club for pupils who already love fantasy. The programme was designed to support children who may be struggling with confidence, relationships, behaviour or their connection with school. Pupils aged between nine and 16 took part in small, consistent groups across 10 primary, secondary and alternative-provision schools in Westminster and Kensington and Chelsea. Sessions ran for one hour each week over six to eight weeks, with trained storytellers guiding the adventures.
The idea is pretty straightforward. Give children a safe space to play, create stories and work together, and see whether those experiences can help them in everyday school life.
More than just a game
If you've ever played D&D, you'll know that a session can involve much more than rolling a few dice. Players need to listen to each other, explain their ideas, make decisions, and deal with the consequences of their choices. Sometimes the best plan falls apart because someone rolls a one. Other times, a completely unexpected idea saves the day! Young Dragons uses these moments to help children practise skills that matter outside the game. A pupil might have to negotiate with another character, work out how to solve a problem, or support a teammate who has made a mistake. Through their character, they can also explore different ways of behaving, whether that's being brave, thoughtful or more confident. The evaluation found that imaginative play could create a psychologically safe environment where children practise social skills and perspective-taking. In other words, they can try things out without feeling like every mistake is a disaster.
One pupil said the programme helped them use their imagination when writing stories, showing how the benefits of play could extend into the classroom.
The numbers are promising!
The evaluation looked at pupil surveys, attendance records, staff observations and interviews to understand what happened during the pilot. Among 30 pupils with matched school records, average suspensions fell from 0.7 before the programme to zero afterwards. Average attendance also increased from 90.6% to 92.7%. That's a small but encouraging improvement, especially for a group of pupils who were already facing challenges at school. Staff reported that some children became more confident, collaborative, and better at managing themselves and their relationships. Some also noticed improvements in classroom behaviour and engagement.
For certain pupils, the weekly sessions became the highlight of their week. Not a bad result for a game involving imaginary monsters and suspiciously dangerous dice rolls!
There's learning in the dice.
One of the more interesting aspects of tabletop role-playing games is how much learning happens without players necessarily noticing. D&D involves reading, storytelling, problem-solving, and numeracy. Players might calculate dice results, compare different options,s or work out whether a risky action is worth attempting. The game also encourages strategic thinking. A player needs to consider what their character can do, what their teammates are planning and how to respond when things don't go according to plan. One Young Dragons participant said that using dice to add and subtract was helping with their SATs. Of course, playing D&D isn't going to magically turn every pupil into a maths genius. But it can provide another way to practise skills that might otherwise feel like a worksheet exercise.
And unlike a worksheet, the answer to a problem might involve escaping a dragon.
Not every roll is a six.
While the findings are encouraging, the evaluation also highlights why more research is needed. Only 22 pupils had matched pre- and post-programme survey responses, and there was no control group. That means researchers can't confidently say that Young Dragons alone caused the improvements. Some children reported better mood, anger regulation and confidence, but a small group experienced greater disengagement. The sessions also faced practical challenges, including school timetables and the unpredictability of everyday school life. The pilot was relatively short, too. We don't yet know how long the benefits might last or whether similar results would appear across a much larger group of pupils.
So, while the programme offers plenty of promise, it's too early to call it a proven solution for school behaviour or wellbeing.
Why tabletop gaming matters
What makes Young Dragons particularly interesting is the way it uses play to help children develop skills without making every session feel like a lesson. The pupils aren't just sitting around listening to instructions. They're creating stories, making decisions, and working towards a shared goal. That can be especially valuable for children who don't always respond well to traditional classroom support. A game gives them a reason to participate, and the group setting creates opportunities to build relationships with other pupils. It also highlights something that tabletop gamers have known for years: games can bring people together. Whether you're playing D&D, a cooperative board game, or a competitive game of CATAN, you're often practising communication, patience and problem-solving along the way.
The difference with Young Dragons is that these experiences are being used deliberately to support children who may need a little extra help.
The adventure continues!
Young Dragons is still in its early stages, but the evaluation gives us plenty to think about. The findings suggest that imaginative, collaborative games could help support pupil behaviour, confidence and wellbeing. They also show that more research is needed before we can understand the full impact of the programme. For schools, it's an interesting reminder that learning doesn't always have to begin with a worksheet or a screen. Sometimes it can start with a story, a group of friends and a handful of dice! And for the tabletop gaming community, it's another example of how games can offer more than just entertainment.
Could D&D become a bigger part of education in the future? It's certainly an adventure worth keeping an eye on!
