Disrupted education shouldn’t stop a bright future. Exploring the data behind our Missing Out theme and what we’re looking for in projects working to make a difference.
Every young person deserves an education that feels relevant, supportive and attainable. But for thousands of young people in London, navigating the school system comes with hurdles that make staying engaged a real challenge.
During the 2024-5 school year, 17% of London pupils were persistently absent. Students managing social, emotional or mental health difficulties – as well as care-experienced children – are more than twice as likely to miss significant periods of mainstream school compared to their peers.
Additionally, last year, only 3.7% of pupils finishing Key Stage 4 in Alternative Provision (AP) settings achieved a grade 4 or above in English and Maths GCSEs, compared to nearly 66% of the general population.
This also affects long-term outcomes, with 63.9% of AP pupils not known to be in sustained education, apprenticeships, or employment three years after leaving. And the reality can be even more stark for those in the justice system.
Our Missing Out theme is all about addressing these challenges. Instead of waiting for young people to disconnect entirely, we want to support programmes that offer fresh approaches to learning, opening new doors that keep them motivated and excited about their futures.
We believe that difficult circumstances – whether that’s school exclusion, mental health struggles, time in the care or justice system, homelessness or tough family situations – shouldn’t stop a young person from having a rich, inspiring learning experience.
We want to see improved attendance, greater support for groups who are often overlooked, and meaningful opportunities for young people in pupil referral units or young offender institutions. It’s about ensuring a tough start doesn’t define a young person’s future, giving them the right support they need to feel empowered.
A great example of this theme in action is our recent £64,000 grant to Read for Good for their Inspiring Stories programme.
Read for Good is a charity dedicated to helping young people discover the joy of reading. Led by the belief that reading for pleasure can enhance a child’s life chances, they bring books and imagination into mainstream schools, alternative education settings and hospital schools across the UK.
The Inspiring Stories project focuses directly on children in hospitals, particularly those with chronic or long-term conditions. Being in hospital can be really isolating, but missing months of school can make returning feel incredibly daunting. This project is here to improve literacy, confidence and wellbeing, keeping these young people connected to the world of learning while they recover.
They do this through live storytelling sessions, small oral story-making workshops for children most at-risk of falling behind, and providing ‘Brilliant Boxes of Books’ for local communities. Our funding will mean that Read for Good can offer more storytelling time within their partner hospitals.
These activities are great for tackling isolation by getting kids talking and using their imagination. Not only does it make going back to school a lot easier, but it keeps their minds active and keeps them motivated to learn while they’re unwell or recovering.
These are the kinds of changes we look for in applications to our Missing Out funding theme. We love to hear about projects which tackle exclusion and disengagement head-on, meeting young people where they are and using the power of activities such as reading to remove barriers and open opportunity.
Do you run a project or organisation that supports young people at risk of missing out on education? Learn more about this theme, our funding criteria, and how to apply on our Funding page.