A safe, positive place to learn: improving attendance and reducing exclusions

Applications have now closed. Thank you to everyone who helped shape the scope for the round, attended one of our workshops and submitted an application. Sign-up to our newsletter to be the first to find out which projects we’ve shortlisted.

Introduction

The Youth Endowment Fund’s mission is to prevent children and young people becoming involved in violence. The Education Endowment Foundation’s (EEF) mission is to break the link between family income and educational achievement. 

We’ve come together to jointly fund two grant rounds to build evidence of what works to improve attendance and reduce exclusions. While this round focuses on programmes, our School choices round will fund projects to find out how school-wide practices and approaches (such as attendance monitoring and response systems or behaviour management policies) can help to improve attendance and reduce exclusions.

Why we’re focusing on this area

We know that school absence – missed attendance, as well as fixed and permanent exclusion – not only impacts on students’ attainment, but also on the likelihood of them becoming involved in violence and crime.

What’s less clear is the evidence on what works to improve attendance and reduce exclusions.

Through this grant round, we’re looking to find, fund, and evaluate programmes and practices in England and Wales that could both keep children safe from involvement in violence and improve academic attainment.

What we’re aiming to invest in

We’re seeking applications from schools, charities or other organisations with promising initiatives that could improve attendance and reduce exclusions, by ensuring children attend, positively engage with, and remain in school/college.

We’re keen to fund trials of approaches in several priority areas, including:

• Anti-bullying programmes
• Classroom behaviour management
• Internal Alternative Provision
• Needs-led attendance interventions
• Parent communication interventions
• Social and emotional learning
• Targeted family engagement.

The full scope for this grant round can be found on the EFF’s website.

Timeline

Applications for funding opened on Wednesday 16 March 2022 and closed on Monday 16 May 2022.

Workshops

If you’re thinking about applying for this round and would like to find out more, please watch the recording of one of our recent application workshops .