Secondary Setting
Re-engaging With Education
The Situation
A secondary-age pupil was experiencing persistent absence, low motivation and increasingly challenging behaviour in school. The school’s behaviour policy was being used regularly, and the young person was frequently testing boundaries and becoming harder to engage.
The concern was that behaviour, attendance and wellbeing were all beginning to affect one another, with the risk of the pupil becoming further disconnected from education.
What BYND Did
BYND began regular one-to-one mentoring focused initially on trust, behaviour, emotional regulation and understanding what was sitting behind the repeated boundary-pushing.
As the relationship developed, it became clear that there had also been significant changes at home which were contributing to the young person’s stress.
The family were keen to work with BYND and invited support to take place both in school and at home. This allowed the work to become more joined-up, with practical advice, consistent expectations and mentoring across both environments.
Rather than treating behaviour as the problem in isolation, the intervention focused on reducing stress, strengthening coping strategies, improving communication and helping the young person feel more secure and understood.
What Changed
The impact was noticeable quickly.
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The young person became calmer, less reactive and more able to cope with situations that had previously led to confrontation or escalation. Home reported improved communication and a more settled atmosphere, while school saw a clear reduction in challenging behaviour and less frequent need to rely on the behaviour policy.
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As things became more stable at home, that progress carried through into school. The pupil’s wellbeing improved, resilience increased and engagement with adults became more positive.
Reduced behavioural escalation.
Improved wellbeing.
Stronger engagement at home and school.
The Result
A significant reduction in behavioural escalation, improved emotional wellbeing and a more resilient young person who was better able to manage both home and school.
This case study has been anonymised and some identifying details have been changed to protect confidentiality.