Workshop: Rethinking School Engagement

What’s not working when you address “school refusal”- and what does

School refusal (or our preferred term, “school can’t”) can feel overwhelming, frustrating, and impossibly complex.

But what if the issue isn’t about needing more effort - what if it just requires a different approach?

This workshop is designed to help you move beyond reactive strategies into clear, effective and affirming action when supporting young people who are disengaged from, or unable to attend, mainstream school.

The Workshop

Rethinking School Engagement is a full-day, immersive, in-person professional learning workshop created for educators who want practical, proven ways to support young people who are struggling to attend school.

The Social Confidence Collective have joined forces with the team at Can’t Face School to share their proven and practical strategies for addressing school engagement concerns. Based on their extensive experience in youth mental health and schooling, this day blends big-picture thinking with hands-on, immediately applicable strategies to helkp you increase your efficiency and effectiveness when navigating school attendance concerns.

Who It’s For

This workshop is designed for workers in education settings, including teachers, school leaders and team managers, wellbeing and student support leaders and learning support officers.

What You’ll Learn:

• School can’t: a problem or a symptom? A clear understanding of “school can’t” and why early prioritisation matters

• Common misconceptions that could lead you down the wrong path

• A framework for unpacking and addressing what’s really going on

• What we know actually works to reconnect students with education

• Practical strategies for working with families who are struggling with school attendance

• How addressing school can’t properly can reduce stress and workload: for you, your staff and the students affected

Your Workshop Facilitators

Can’t Face School is led by experienced former education managers, school principals and current teachers who have worked across primary, secondary, mainstream and specialist settings. The team brings deep, practical knowledge of what actually works when supporting students back into education successfully- and how to partner meaningfully with families throughout that journey.

The Social Confidence Collective is a team of senior occupational therapists with over 50 years of combined experience in youth mental health, passionate about supporting young people to feel better, both within themselves and with others. They are deeply attuened to the intersection of emotional wellbeing, school systems, family dynamics and identity- and how these factors shape engagement in learning.

Together, both teams share a strong belief: collaboration, not criticism, creates real change and successful outcomes for students, their families and their schools. This workshop brings that philosophy to life.