Children facing difficulties at home are not able to learn effectively in school and often play truant, struggle in class, have behaviour issues and are more likely to get excluded from school. Children on free school meals (a reliable indicator of poverty) are 4 times more likely to be excluded from school than their better-off peers. 33% of women and 49% of men in prison were excluded from school as children and 17% of kids leave school semi-illiterate.

Providing expert support to work with vulnerable children in school and at home, SHS tackles issues at an early age before they become bigger problems. Very often, issues such as truancy, behaviour problems, low attainment and lack of concentration in class can be signs of deeper problems at home such as domestic violence, caring for a sick adult or not having a bed to sleep in. We are able to identify and tackle these issues to keep children in school and learning effectively.