Absence from school can happen for many reasons – and often for reasons that aren’t immediately obvious.

At just 13, Jane* was already carrying more than most. She lives with mild hearing loss in both ears, and constant ringing in one. She struggles to concentrate in class, leaving her feeling anxious, isolated, and increasingly absent from school.

Both her Assistant Head and Head of Year teachers referred her to the School Of Hard Knocks (SOHK) programme as they could see her potential and the barriers that were standing in her way. Noise, group settings, and unfamiliar environments can quickly become overwhelming for her, so Jane would often stay quiet and withdraw, keeping herself out of sight.

When she joined SOHK, she was unsure about how rugby would work with her hearing aid, or whether she would fit in at all. In our first session, we sat down with her to discuss her concerns and see what adjustments she needed. And then something amazing happened: Jane bravely stepped straight into the activities! Despite her fears and having no experience with rugby she threw herself into every drill with energy and eagerness – it was as if a light had been switched on and she was shining.

Since then, Jane has shown up to every single session. Her confidence has grown in all of our 3Cs - confidence, control, and connection. Though she may be quiet, Jane shows up consistently and works hard, even winning Player of the Day multiple times, in recognition of her effort and progress.

Anyone who has ever witnessed a SOHK session will know they can be loud and high energy, and yet Jane has never let the environment hold her back. She listens, participates, adapts, and pushes herself further week-after-week.

As one of our coaches observes, “Jane is so much more comfortable in the group now and gets involved in every aspect of the sessions. The best part? We’ve seen far fewer unauthorised absences. Way to go Jane!”

Jane’s journey with us has only just begun. Alongside rugby, we will continue to work with her through 1-2-1 mentoring and group personal development classroom sessions. This will in turn help her to build confidence, communication, and engagement with school.

We are very proud of Jane and can’t wait to see what the future holds for her as she comes to realise her own potential.

*Name and image have been changed to protect the identity of our beneficiary