By Lucy (Communications Manager) and Jonno (Alternative Learning Manager)
The headlines say it all: school absence is rising, behaviour is worsening, teachers are burning out, and families are struggling to cope. Everyone agrees something isn’t working — but not everyone agrees on why.
That’s what this blog series is all about.
At Bath Rugby Foundation’s Alternative Learning Hub, we work with young people who’ve disengaged from education — not because they don’t care, but because they’ve been let down by a system that no longer fits the world they live in.
In this series, we’ve explored what lies beneath absenteeism: the pressure of modern childhood, the mental health crisis, the rigidity of mainstream education, and a curriculum that often fails to connect with real life. From reflections on Estonia’s education system to our thoughts on AI, to personal insights from frontline experience, we’ve looked at what’s going wrong — and what we’re doing differently.
Because we’re not just talking about the problem.We’re building the solution.
At the Alternative Learning Hub, we offer young people another way. For those who’ve been excluded, overwhelmed or written off, we create a space where they can:
Rebuild confidence
Develop real-life skills
Find purpose, belonging, and direction
Take steps towards independence
We’ve stopped asking, “Why won’t they engage?” and started asking, “What’s getting in the way?” From locking away phones to teaching construction skills, from trusting students to take the lead in their learning to making space for mental health and emotional wellbeing, we’re showing that change is possible — and it’s already happening.
This series is a collaboration between both of us — Jonno, who leads the learning, and Lucy, who tells the story — to bring real experiences and honest reflections together. We hope it challenges assumptions, sparks conversations, and most importantly, helps people see that absenteeism isn’t about apathy. It’s about systems that need to evolve.
If you're serious about change, we’d love you to read on.
Because every 1 matters.And we’re changing young lives.
Tackling the attendance crisis: ALH Manager addresses what needs to change Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson made a stark statement: “There’s an attendance crisis in the UK.” At Bath Rugby Foundation, we couldn’t agree more. The figures are alarming—3.3 million children attempted to miss school last academic year, with 330,000 of them absent for two weeks or more. The long-term implications of this are serious, particularly in terms of young people’s future prospects in the labour market. Read more
The Crisis of Isolation: Are we listening to our teens? Something is wrong. If you’re a parent or teacher, you can feel it. Our teens are struggling. School attendance is plummeting, mental health issues are skyrocketing, and young people are reporting record levels of unhappiness. The signs are flashing in red—but are we paying attention? Read more
“They just don’t want to learn” — or do they? Why modern childhood no longer fits the school model — and what we’re doing instead. From social media to survival logic, this article explores the pressures shaping how students see education today — and how the system must evolve. Read more
Why more young people are missing school — and why it’s not what you think. This article unpacks the core idea behind the series: that absenteeism is a signal, not a behaviour problem — and the real issue lies deeper. Read more
Dame Rachel de Souza was right to raise concerns about the safety and quality of Alternative Provision (AP). But we must be honest: if our education system worked for everyone, unregistered AP wouldn’t be needed at all. Read more
What Cardiff West did wasn’t extreme. What we do at BOOST isn’t a miracle. It’s just what happens when young people are treated with the consistency, compassion, and belief they deserve. When the environment works for them — not against them. Read more