School & Alternative Provision
Helping young people feel safe enough to engage, learn and belong.
SORT works alongside schools, alternative provisions, commissioners and families when a young person is struggling to access education, relationships or their wider community. We bring a neuroaffirming, relationship-centred and trauma-aware perspective, helping the adults around a young person develop a shared understanding of what may be happening and what might help.
Look beyond behaviour
When a young person is struggling to attend, learn or engage, the behaviour we see is only one part of the picture. We explore the interaction between regulation, neurodivergence, sensory needs, relationships, identity, family context and the educational environment.
Our SORT Belonging Framework™ helps bring these parts together so families, schools and professionals can have a holistic 360° understanding of a young person’s needs, strengths and wider context.
Support for your school community
We offer a flexible and compassionate approach, working alongside your team to meet the unique needs of th young person in your service.
1
Build the 360° formulation
Understanding the whole picture.
We bring together the young person’s voice, family knowledge, professional perspectives, strengths, barriers and the wider context to develop a shared systemic holistic understanding.
2
Co-produce the support plans
Create the conditions for engagement.
Co-produce recommendations around regulation, communication, learning, relationships, predictability, environment and support to meet needs.
3
Tailored Support
Stay alongside the system
Where needed, we can provide ongoing multi-disciplinary therapeutic work, family support, staff consultation and review of progress together.
SORT may be helpful when a young person is experiencing:
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emotionally based difficulties with school attendance or engagement
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distress that looks different at home and school
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repeated overwhelm, shutdown or dysregulation
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neurodivergent or sensory needs not yet fully understood
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repeated changes in school, placement or support without a lasting improvement in engagement or wellbeing
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complex needs involving anxiety, trauma, communication, identity or family stress
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situations where professionals are asking: “What are we missing?”
Outcomes we aim to support
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Increased engagement with learning
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Improved sense of safety and regulation
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Clearer shared understanding across the network
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More joined-up support between home and school
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A stronger sense of belonging
Our aim is not simply attendance. It is belonging.
We want young people to experience education as somewhere they can be understood, participate meaningfully and increasingly feel that they have a place.
Because when belonging increases, engagement often has a better chance to grow.
Lets work together
We would love to hear from you and discuss how we can support your school or setting.
Schools
Mainstream, SEND and specialist schools.
Commissioners /Local Authorities
Complex individual cases and multi-agency formulation.
Families
Parents, carers and the wider family network
Alternative Provisions
AP settings, PRUs and bespoke provisions.