09/04/2026
: The Community Impact Policy Institute has published the first chapter of Spotlight on Breaking Britain's Barriers today.
Victoria Aarons and Ania Mendrek's research finds that the path to economic inactivity begins in childhood, long before a young person becomes disengaged from work. The report draws on national data and two case studies from our Fedcap UK network: Big Picture Learning Doncaster and The New School UK in Croydon, to examine how belonging, attendance, and attainment accumulate and reinforce one another years before showing up in labor market data.
Around 485k children aged 10-15 report feeling lonely, persistent absence affects more than 1.6 million students, and fewer than half reach expected standards in English and Math by age 16.
The paper outlines five changes to intervene earlier: embedding mental health support within education, more flexible and relational approaches to teaching, funded support during reintegration and transitions, and greater integration of education, health, family, and employment services around the whole child.
Read the paper: https://bit.ly/46HLJ2E
Learn more: https://bit.ly/4cVOIbm