1. Introduction: Reimagining Support for Vulnerable Learners
In every classroom, there are children who carry more than just their school bags. They carry invisible weights – of trauma, unmet needs, missed milestones, and misunderstood behaviours.
Often, these are the pupils with untapped potential:
- Bright minds clouded by chaos
- High energy mistaken for defiance
- Quiet withdrawal misread as disengagement.
They are not low ability – they are low access.
These are the pupils most at risk of exclusion, chronic absence, and falling through the cracks. Many sit at the intersection of behavioural challenges and SEND, navigating a school system not always built to flex around their needs.
The result?
- A widening wellbeing gap
- Rising pressure on staff
- A cycle of frustration for schools, families, and the wider system alike.
But change is not only possible – it’s already happening.
Across the West Midlands, London, and now the North West, forward-thinking headteachers and inclusive schools are adopting a new model of support.
One that doesn’t just manage behaviour but transforms it. One that recognises that executive function, emotional literacy, and character strength are as vital as curriculum coverage.
One that sees the child first.
LEAP is this model in action – blending evidence-based mentoring with structured pastoral intervention to unlock cognition, control and character in our most vulnerable pupils.
So… welcome to a new way of thinking about behaviour and SEND with Evolve.
2. The Thinking: A Fresh Philosophy for Inclusion and Growth
At the heart of LEAP lies a simple but profound belief: every child can grow, when given the right conditions.
Growth in thinking. Growth in self-control. Growth in character.
We call this the LEAP trio – cognition, control, and character – and it forms the foundation of everything we do.
When a child learns how to think clearly, manage their emotions, and live with purpose, their behaviour changes – not through compliance, but through confidence.
Traditional approaches to behaviour and SEND often focus on surface-level symptoms.
Systems are built around managing incidents, applying sanctions, or firefighting crises.
But for children facing deep-rooted challenges – trauma, unmet emotional needs, social disadvantage – this approach rarely results in meaningful change. It asks them to behave before teaching them how to.
LEAP does things differently. We start from the inside out. Rather than reacting to poor behaviour, we invest in developing the internal capacities that make good behaviour possible. And we do it with consistency, compassion, and a long-term vision.
This is where the Health Mentor makes all the difference.
They are the calm in the chaos. The challenger of limits. The champion of what’s possible.
- In a system often stretched and overwhelmed, Health Mentors bring presence.
- In a curriculum driven by outcomes, they bring process.
- In a culture where some children feel invisible, they make sure every child is seen.
Because with the right person, in the right moment, anything can change.
3. The Structure: Inside LEAP
A powerful philosophy needs a robust structure to bring it to life. LEAP doesn’t rely on chance or charisma – it’s a carefully engineered programme, designed to deliver impact where it’s needed most.
Health Mentors: The Heart of the Model
At the centre of LEAP are our Health Mentors – dedicated professionals chosen not just for what they know, but for who they are. Recruited for their emotional intelligence, communication skills, and commitment to young people, Health Mentors are trained to be more than support staff. They are consistent role models, relational anchors, and agents of change.
Each mentor completes an intensive induction and earns a Level 4 qualification in Health Mentoring, accredited by Birmingham Newman University. This is not a bolt-on role – it’s a professional pathway, rooted in evidence and guided by purpose. Health Mentors work full-time in schools, embedded in the culture, visible in the corridors, and available when it matters most.
The Weekly Programme: Tailored, Timetabled, Transformational
The LEAP timetable isn’t one-size-fits-all. It’s designed around the specific needs of each school and the 30 identified pupils, carefully selected through a data-informed, wellbeing-driven process. These pupils typically face barriers in behaviour, attendance, or SEND – and are often those at risk of being left behind.
The programme combines:
- 1:1 mentoring sessions to build trust and address personal challenges
- Small group work focused on executive function, emotional literacy, and social skills
- Enrichment activities that uncover hidden talents and build confidence
- Classroom support that transfers personal gains into academic settings
It’s a rhythm of support that ensures regular touchpoints, responsive guidance, and long-term progress – not short-term fixes.
Leadership and Oversight: Quality You Can Trust
Every LEAP programme is overseen by a Programme Manager. Staff performance is also supported by a Mentor Performance Coach, responsible for implementation, coaching, and continuous improvement. This layer of supervision ensures that schools receive a high-quality, consistent service – and that Health Mentors are supported to succeed.
The Evolve Development Tracker, our proprietary assessment platform, provides a clear picture of pupil growth, ensuring accountability, transparency, and alignment with school priorities. In real time.
Focused Impact: Why 30 Pupils?
LEAP targets the pivotal few – those pupils who, if supported well, can shift the culture of a classroom, reduce the pressure on staff, and unlock ripple effects across a whole school. Supporting 30 pupils ensures the depth of intervention required to create lasting change, without diluting the quality of support.
It’s a model that values precision over scale.
4. The Impact Pyramid: Benefits Across Every Layer of Society
By supporting the child at the centre, LEAP uplifts society.
a. For Pupils: Growth That Lasts a Lifetime
For the young people, the transformation is profound. They gain more than better grades – they gain belief.
- Improved Behaviour and Mindset
LEAP helps pupils develop the mental tools they need to focus, plan, and follow through – skills that unlock learning and reduce conflict. - Emotional Regulation and Wellbeing
Through safe relationships and structured support, children learn to understand and manage their emotions. Over time, stress becomes resilience, and volatility becomes stability. - Discovering Talents and Hobbies That Build Purpose
Enrichment activities give children new identities – artist, athlete, leader, maker. These moments of discovery become the reason they get out of bed in the morning. The reason they want to go to school. They light the path to future aspiration.
b. For Schools: Relief, Renewal, and Results
When children grow, classrooms change. When pressure eases, teachers thrive.
- Better Attendance, Engagement, and Academic Performance
With strengthened relationships and a renewed sense of purpose, previously disengaged pupils begin to show up – and show up ready. - Reduction in Classroom Disruption and Behaviour Incidents
Health Mentors act as buffers and bridges, diffusing tension before it erupts and embedding positive habits that last beyond the school gates. - A More Inclusive Culture for SEND and Vulnerable Pupils
LEAP helps schools live out their inclusion values – ensuring that every child, regardless of challenge, is seen, supported, and set up to succeed.
c. For Families: Confidence and Connection
Families are often the silent sufferers in the story of unmet need. LEAP brings them back into the circle of care – with hope.
- Increased Parental Confidence and Reduced Anxiety
Knowing their child is supported by a consistent, trusted adult helps parents breathe again. Stress is replaced with trust. - Regular Feedback and Transparent Communication
Parents aren’t left guessing. They’re kept informed, involved, and empowered – with honest insights and shared goals. - Support Network for Holistic Child Development
LEAP creates an ecosystem around each child – where families, mentors, and schools move in partnership, not in parallel.
d. For the Wider System: Strategic Solutions to Systemic Challenges
Wellbeing + Mindset = Performance. That’s our logic model, and it’s been proven time and again in classrooms across the country. But LEAP’s impact doesn’t stop at the school gate – it resonates throughout the entire system.
Thanks to our proven track record, each sector is engaging with us in different ways – because they see how our approach meets their most pressing needs while aligning with their strategic priorities.
- Local Education Authorities
LEAP helps address key pressure points: SEND backlogs, attendance dips, and inclusion gaps – reducing long-term strain on teams and budgets. - NHS and Health Services
By embedding early intervention and wellbeing monitoring, LEAP contributes meaningfully to EHCPs, lowers mental health risk, and limits the escalation to crisis care. - Police and Youth Justice
When children have positive influences, purposeful outlets, and stronger impulse control, they’re less likely to fall into harm. LEAP diverts risk before it becomes reality. - Employers and the Future Workforce
Executive function, resilience, emotional intelligence – these are the new workplace essentials. LEAP nurtures them early, preparing young people with future-ready skills so they thrive in their future jobs.
5. The Evidence: Why It Works
The Science Behind the Strategy
The foundation of LEAP is aligned with leading research on three key developmental pillars:
- Executive Function: Studies show that a child’s ability to manage attention, memory, and self-control is a stronger predictor of academic success than IQ. LEAP builds these skills through structured mentoring and purposeful practice.
- Wellbeing: Emotional, behavioural, and social wellbeing is directly linked to school engagement and attainment. LEAP creates the conditions for pupils to feel safe, seen, and supported – leading to better outcomes inside and outside the classroom.
- Character Education: Resilience, empathy, and purpose are not innate – they’re teachable. LEAP develops character by offering real opportunities for growth, challenge, and contribution.
Independent Validation
We don’t ask schools to take our word for it.
LEAP is underpinned by an independent, university-accredited training programme and backed by research partnerships that continually assess its impact.
Through collaborations with trusted academic institutions and local authorities, LEAP’s model, methods and results have been independently reviewed – and consistently show statistically significant improvements across key indicators of behaviour, attendance, and wellbeing.
The data is striking:
- Baseline Gaps: At the start of each programme, LEAP Mentees consistently score well below their peers across wellbeing, self-regulation, and school readiness metrics. These are the children most at risk of exclusion, isolation, or academic failure.
- Catch-Up Curve: By the end of three terms, these same pupils almost entirely close the gap, outperforming matched control groups who received no LEAP intervention. Improvements are particularly strong in emotional literacy, impulse control, and goal setting.
- Sustained Progress: Longitudinal data shows that gains made during the LEAP programme are not short-lived – they last, especially when schools embed the model as part of a whole-school pastoral strategy.
“Before LEAP, this student was on a reduced timetable and at risk of permanent exclusion. By term three, they were attending full-time, engaging in lessons, and even mentoring younger pupils.”
— Headteacher, Partner School
“We finally found something that works—not just for our pupils, but for our staff and families too.”
— SENDCo, Primary School
6. Why It Matters Now More Than Ever
The case for Project LEAP has never been clearer – or more urgent.
Schools today are not only places of learning – they are frontline services. They are where mental health crises are spotted, where social inequality shows up in behaviour, and where the first signs of disengagement can quickly spiral into exclusion. And the pressures are only growing.
A Rising Tide of Need
Since the pandemic, the wellbeing gap has widened. Pupils are arriving in classrooms with more complex emotional needs, higher anxiety levels, and a greater struggle to self-regulate. At the same time, SEND referrals are surging, and local authorities are stretched to breaking point.
Meanwhile, attendance is in crisis. Persistent absence has become the new norm for too many vulnerable pupils – those who can least afford to miss school are the ones missing most.
This isn’t just a school problem. It’s a national one.
- 1 in 5 children now experiences a probable mental health disorder.
- 1 in 8 children aged 16 to 24 are NEET
- Recruitment and retention in education is at critical levels, with exhausted staff managing needs they were never trained to meet.
- Youth crime and exploitation are rising, especially among those excluded from mainstream settings or without positive adult role models.
We are witnessing the effects of systemic fragmentation – and our most vulnerable children are paying the price.
The Time for Reactive Models Is Over
For too long, support has been reactive. Interventions arrive late, when children are already in crisis.
Funding is patchy. Support is inconsistent.
And the result is a cycle of missed potential, frustrated schools, and overwhelmed services.
LEAP offers a better way.
It’s proactive. Preventative. Personalised.
It meets children before the crisis point.
It provides consistent adult relationships, before exclusions are on the table.
It strengthens executive function and wellbeing before mental health deteriorates.
And it does all of this with structure, supervision, and evidence.
In short: it works – and it’s needed now more than ever.
Because every year we wait is another year lost for the pupils who need us most.
7. LEAP into the Future
The future of education won’t be shaped by tweaks to the status quo – it will be shaped by those bold enough to rethink what support truly looks like.
For School Leaders: Rethink Pastoral, Reclaim Potential
If you’re leading a school today, you’re not just managing data – you’re managing need, complexity, and pressure from every angle. LEAP offers you a way to lift that load.
- A structured, evidence-based approach to behaviour and wellbeing
- A professional Health Mentor embedded in your team
- Measurable impact on attendance, engagement, and learning
This is your invitation to innovate pastoral care, without reinventing your entire school. With LEAP, you don’t have to choose between academic outcomes and emotional development – you can deliver both.
Be the school that leads where others follow.
For Policymakers: Scale What Works
The problems facing children today are systemic. Our solutions must be too.
LEAP addresses multiple national priorities – SEND capacity, inclusion, mental health, youth justice, workforce retention – and it does so without creating new burdens on schools. It complements what already exists. It strengthens what already works.
This is a model ready to scale.
- Proven in diverse settings
- Independently evaluated
- Cost-effective, preventative, and community-minded
If we’re serious about narrowing the gap, we need to invest in what makes the gap close.
For All of Us: Reimagine What School Can Be
The future of inclusive education is not punitive – it’s preventative.
It’s not about fixing children – it’s about supporting them to flourish.
It’s not about managing behaviour – it’s about developing minds, hearts, and character.
With Project LEAP, we are building that future now:
- One pupil at a time.
- One class at a time.
- One school at a time.
The model is ready. The need is clear. The time is now.
