For some children, Back to School signals the end of summer freedom. For others, it’s a relief, and school is a sanctuary where a hot meal is guaranteed, and teachers notice if a child arrives hungry, tired, or in unwashed clothes.
St Giles highlighted the increased risks children face when the safety net of school is removed. Without its protective structure, many are left vulnerable to exploitation and violence.
The truth is, these risks exist year-round. During term time, school masks them by providing six and a half hours of daily stability, monitoring, and care. Its absence over the holidays exposes cracks in the system.
That’s why it is vital to build children’s resilience while they are in school – a space free from many of the distractions and dangers they face outside the gates. Thanks to generous supporters, including the Youth Endowment Fund, St Giles works in schools across five regions, delivering one-to-one mentoring for children most at risk, as well as group sessions raising awareness across whole schools.
Young people’s vulnerabilities are complex and interconnected. Poverty, trauma, neurodivergence, and pressures from peers and social media all play a role. Our schools-based mentors bring lived experience and cultural understanding, helping them connect with children in ways others can’t. They see when high risk activities and potentially harmful behaviours are really a cry for help – and step in before things escalate.
As schools re-open, our mentors are reconnecting with the young people they supported before the summer break. Intensive work was done by our teams to keep them safe over the holidays, but we know some will have faced challenges. We’ll be there to help them get back on track.
It shouldn’t be like this. Every child deserves a safe summer break – regardless of whether they were lucky enough to go on holiday or hung out at their local park with their mates. But until the structures and systems are in place to keep children safe all year round, schools will be the safest space for those in vulnerable circumstances outside of them.