Schools Navigators

The Schools Navigators intervention was first launched in 2022 and is being delivered in four schools in Milton Keynes by our commissioned delivery partner, SOFEA, a local community sector organisation which provides support to young people.

The intervention seeks to test the effectiveness of youth worker mentors working with young people who are at risk of further exclusion from school, referred to them at the point of the child’s first suspension from school.

SOFEA has four trained youth workers who work across four secondary schools, which were identified by the local authority as having the greatest need for additional support with suspension rates.

The mentors offer up to six weekly mentoring sessions, held in school outside of the normal curriculum. They offer a non-judgemental conversation about what is happening for that young person in school and outside and work with them to build self-esteem, address behaviours, help to deal with other issues outside of school and aim to support them re-engaging positively with education.

A randomised control trial evaluation is being run as part of the intervention in order to monitor the impact of the scheme.