The BUSY Group (BUSY) is changing the lives of young people in Australia with new ways of learning. Their mission is to promote educational change in the UK, New Zealand, and Canada, by developing innovative approaches based on evidence.

BUSY understands that young people who struggle with traditional education can thrive with alternative methods and achieve success in their careers. Helping marginalized groups is a key focus, and BUSY’s approach connects education with job opportunities, aiming to break the cycle of poverty for families and communities worldwide.

BUSY collaborates with commissioners in the UK to create solutions that address the issues faced by the increasing number of students who feel disconnected from education and need support to finish school and transition into work.

The challenges facing education in the UK

  • In the school year 2023/24, permanent exclusions in primary schools in England rose by 35% to more than 500, while in secondary schools, they also increased by 35% to over 4,000.
  • During the same time, 1.6 million children (19.2% of all students) were marked as persistently absent from school, missing 10% or more of their classes.
  • The Sutton Trust reports that, ‘In 2023, just over 25% of disadvantaged pupils received grades of 5 or above in their English and Maths GCSEs, which is less than half of what students from financially stable families achieved.’
  • Across the UK, 36% of students have been diagnosed with anxiety, 28% with depression, and over 97,000 children are now being homeschooled because their parents believe mainstream education cannot meet their needs.
  • The difficulties young people face in regular education often continue after school. More than half a million young people aged 16-24 are not in education, employment, or training, an increase of 77,000 from the previous year, and the Sutton Trust finds that children receiving Free School Meals are twice as likely to fall into this NEET group.
Two smiling individuals dressed in navy and white uniforms stand side by side. One has headphones around their neck. The background features yellow panels with faint black-and-white images of people, with support by The BUSY Group.
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