Helping students stay engaged, connected and ready for their future
Playing for the Future provides targeted support for students who are beginning to disengage, as well as those already experiencing challenges with attendance, behaviour, confidence or motivation.
By providing the right support at the right time, we help schools address these challenges before they escalate further – giving young people the trusted relationships, skills and opportunities they need to reconnect with education and move forward.
OUR SERVICES FOR SECONDARY SCHOOLS HAVE BEEN PROVEN TO INCREASE ATTAINMENT, ATTENDANCE, POSITIVE BEHAVIOUR, ENGAGEMENT AND ASPIRATIONS
Early intervention that rebuilds connection
Students don’t disengage overnight. They disconnect over time.
Changes in attendance, behaviour, confidence or motivation can all signal that a young person needs additional support. Playing for the Future gives schools the capacity to intervene at the right time – whether a student is beginning to disengage or already experiencing more established challenges.
Through consistent relationships, structured support and opportunities beyond the classroom, we help young people rebuild their connection with education and see a positive future for themselves.
The programme also supports schools across key Ofsted priorities including behaviour and attitudes, student attendance and personal development.
Who is Playing for the Future for?
Playing for the Future is designed for secondary school students who would benefit from additional support to engage positively with school and prepare for their future.
This could include students experiencing poor or declining attendance, behavioural or engagement challenges, low confidence or motivation, difficulties with relationships or wellbeing, or those at risk of suspension, exclusion or further disengagement.
Our support can be tailored around the needs of your students and school, helping you intervene at the right point and provide consistent support before challenges escalate further.
Embedded support that fits around your school
Playing for the Future is designed to complement the support already available within your school, providing additional capacity and specialist intervention where it is needed most.
Rather than delivering isolated activities, our approach connects trusted relationships, personal development and opportunities for progression into one structured journey.
Connect – Trusted Adult Guarantee
Every student works with one consistent mentor throughout the programme.
A dedicated Sport 4 Life mentor is embedded in school for one day each week, delivering up to six one-to-one mentoring sessions focused around each student’s individual needs, challenges and goals.
Regular goal reviews, parent and carer communication and progression planning help ensure support remains joined-up and responsive.
Develop – Pitch to Profession
Structured personal development helps students build the skills and confidence they need both inside and outside the classroom.
Through mentoring and targeted group workshops, students can develop confidence, decision-making and relationship skills while preparing for life beyond school.
Progress – Bridge to Industry
We help students connect what they are learning today with where it could take them tomorrow.
Practical experiences can include employer encounters, workplace visits, work experience, college taster days, careers insight, mock interviews and CV and application support – helping students develop aspirations and understand the pathways available to them.
Award-winning services
Sport 4 Life UK have been awarded a Skills Builder Impact Level 4, or “Progressing in essential skills,” which is the highest accreditation awarded by the Skills Builder Partnership, signifying that a program successfully helps participants to reflect on and grow in their essential skills.
To achieve this level, programs must provide structured opportunities for skill reflection, incorporate content that targets specific steps of progress within the Skills Builder Universal Framework, and demonstrate measurable skill development in participants.
What does Playing for the Future give your school?
Playing for the Future strengthens the support already available within your school rather than replacing it.
By embedding consistent, targeted support, we can provide additional pastoral capacity for students who need more time and individual attention. Our team works alongside school staff to provide a trusted adult relationship, structured intervention, communication with families where appropriate, and regular reviews of a young person’s progress.
Through our wider employer and community networks, students can also access experiences and pathways beyond the classroom, helping schools connect personal development with longer-term progression.
The result is additional capacity for your team and a structured intervention that keeps the needs and progress of each young person at its centre.
Proven impact: Helping students & schools succeed
Playing for the Future is built around measurable change.
We work with schools to understand the progress young people make throughout their support, helping demonstrate the difference targeted intervention can make to engagement, behaviour, attendance, confidence and wider personal development.
- 19% of students improved attainment
- 57% of students improved their attendance
- 78% of students improved their behaviour and engagement in lessons
- 68% of pupils demonstrated significant improvement in their life skills
- 3 in 4 improved engagement through school-based mentoring
Additional School Services
Mentoring sits at the heart of Playing for the Future, but schools can also access additional programmes that respond to specific student needs and priorities.
These can complement your wider Playing for the Future provision or provide targeted opportunities for larger groups of students.
Employability Skills
Our practical employability workshops help prepare students for the world of work, building confidence and essential skills through areas such as:
- CV writing
- Interview techniques and mock interviews
- Workplace communication and professionalism
- Financial education and budgeting
Sports & Dance Leadership Qualifications
Students can also work towards recognised Sports or Dance Leadership Qualifications, developing valuable leadership, communication, teamwork and organisational skills.
Through practical learning, students build confidence and experience that can support their progression into further education, apprenticeships and employment.
GIVING YOUNG PEOPLE THE CONFIDENCE AND SKILLS NEEDED TO MOVE INTO SUSTAINED EDUCATION, EMPLOYMENT OR TRAINING
Support packages and pricing
Every school is different, so Playing for the Future can be shaped around your priorities, the needs of your students and the level of support required.
Explore our packages and pricing to understand the different ways we can work with your school, or speak to our team about what would work best for your students.
Ready to support your students?
Whether you are looking to strengthen your pastoral provision, support students experiencing disengagement or create more opportunities for young people to develop the skills they need for their future, we’d love to talk.
Register your school
How we help
Mentoring
Our mentors work on a one-to-one basis to provide support, assistance, encouragement and inspiration during and following our programmes.
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Employability skills
Get job ready! Get support with CV writing, interview techniques and tips, career pathway advice, and mock interviews.
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Qualifications
Level up and improve your chances of moving into further education and employment with the help of our online and in-person courses and qualifications.
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Sports sessions
Our sports sessions support young people to stay active, develop life skills and meet new people.
learn moreLatest success stories
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Sebastian’s story
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We want to give every young person we work with the chance to make a positive change in their lives
“I’m really glad that Sport 4 Life UK didn't give up on me. I really appreciate the support they gave me. It has motivated me to do better and be a better person.”
Hazel Robinson, aged 13
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