Not back-to-school: Dunstable social enterprise tackles pupil mental health crisis

With pupil absence and anxiety at record levels, The Regulation Station in Dunstable is providing therapeutic and educational support for children who struggle in mainstream classrooms.

In 2022/23, more than 1.6 million pupils in England were persistently absent from school, over one in five. National estimates suggest up to 400,000 children may now be missing from education entirely. For many, anxiety is the barrier: nearly three in ten secondary pupils avoid school because of it.

In Bedfordshire, The Regulation Station CIC, is stepping into the gap. It works with children aged six to eighteen who have been excluded or cannot cope in mainstream education.

Founded by Jackie Brooks, the service offers trauma-aware, DBT-informed support alongside English, maths, life skills and therapeutic interventions.

“Everything starts with a connection. Connect before you correct,” says Jackie. “A big thing for us is reaching people where they are. Every day that they choose to walk through our doors is a victory.”

A parent of a Year 6 child, who The Regulation Station worked with last year, said: “He is a different child. He is happier in himself, he is more settled and less lonely, his anxiety levels have reduced significantly and he looks forward to attending his sessions.

“Prior to coming to The Regulation Station, it was difficult to get him to leave the house. He now enjoys being out and is more willing to try and engage in things that are more socially challenging and can cope with a low level of unexpected outcomes. In short, they have brought him back!"

The boy has since successfully transitioned to a specialist school.

Jackie said: “Family wellbeing is part of the ripple effect. A parent who is no longer stressed communicates better with their child. There are so many implications of the work that we do.”

And when pupils transition back, The Regulation Station offers six weeks of in-school support to reinforce strategies.

“Small things make a real difference - someone who can say, ‘Remember what helps when you feel like this’,” Jackie added.

Caroline Doolan, former Deputy Principal of All Saints Academy, Dunstable said: “We have been very impressed with The Regulation Station. The work they are doing with our students is making a difference. They combine academic work with mindfulness sessions as well as working closely with parents and ourselves. This triangulation means that it has an optimum impact.”

Jackie credits UnLtd, the UK foundation for social entrepreneurs, with helping her turn the vision into reality.

“The support from UnLtd gave us hope,” she says. “It bolstered my confidence that there are organisations that get what we are doing.”

UnLtd’s start-up funding allowed The Regulation Station to get the ball rolling while a top-up award enabled outreach to younger children.

As part of their package, Jackie was allocated an UnLtd support manager and external mentor with experience in the sector, in addition to access to pro bono legal advice and CPD.

But there are challenges. Many schools recognise the impact of the work done by The Regulation Station yet struggle to afford it. The Regulation Station has seen around three-quarters of enquiries not progress, with cost cited as the main reason.

Jackie said: “Alternative provision needs to be pulled into the system because we are making a difference. But because we sit on the outside and schools have to buy us in, it is a real challenge.”

With mental health now cited as the top concern by almost three-quarters of schools and Dame Rachel de Souza, the children’s commissioner for England, says vulnerable pupils need more support.

As Jackie puts it: “We have had students go back to school who have not been in school for months or years and suddenly they are thinking, ‘Maybe school is something that I can do. Maybe I do have a future’.”