Education

We are an alternative and special education provider, delivering full-time and part-time provision in primary, secondary and College settings for young people with barriers to education.

Our services

Primary / KS1 and KS2

Our primary schools and academies provide alternative and special education to children between the ages of 5-11.

Secondary / KS3 and KS4

Our secondary schools and academies provide alternative and special education to young people between the ages of 11-18.

Post-16

Our post-16 colleges provide progammes for learners aged 16-19 who, for whatever reason, do not want to stay in a traditional academic environment.

In the last year:

+10%

Attendance improved at our schools by 10%

411

411 learners were taught at a Catch22 College

80%

of students went on to positive destinations

Read our latest Annual Review

Frequently asked questions

What approach does Catch22 take towards education services?

Our vast expertise perfectly positions Catch22 to deliver Special and Alternative education, as well as Vocational Training, to children and young people for whom mainstream education is not suitable.

Our programmes and services aim to:

support and engage young people who display a wide range of complex barriers to education, including those who are excluded or at risk of exclusion and those with Social, Emotional and Mental Health (SEMH) needs or Special Educational Needs,
help young people to prepare for and support transition and re-engagement back into either mainstream education or employment and training, and
improve academic attainment, behaviour, self-confidence and self-esteem, enabling young people to realise their full potential.

What is the difference between Catch22's education services?

Catch22’s education services are delivered under two different brands:

Catch22 include provides full-time alternative and special education to primary and secondary young people aged 5 to 16-years-old in England and Wales with an emphasis on transition and re-engagement back into mainstream education or employment.
Catch22 College has been designed for learners aged 16 to 19-years-old and can be tailored to each learner’s individual needs, education and employment goals. We support a significant number of learners with learning difficulties and disabilities.

How does Catch22 manage safeguarding within its schools?

Catch22’s education services are committed to rigorous safeguarding and safer recruitment practices; ensuring that every individual within the organisation has been safely and appropriately checked.

We are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of young people, in line with Keeping Children Safe in Education and Working Together to Safeguard Children. All staff and volunteers are required to share this commitment.

Safeguarding is achieved through sound policies, procedures and practice, good inter-agency cooperation and the recruitment and retention of competent, motivated employees who are suited to and fulfilled in the roles they undertake.

Our schools seek to redress potential power imbalances through active pupil involvement in recruitment processes, and thorough, coordinated working with partners, inclusive of statutory and voluntary organisations, agencies, and contractors.

Our schools ensure that all children receive services free from harm with their individual needs prioritised. This is achieved through a developed, effective safeguarding culture derived from legislation, best practice and aligned with Catch22’s values and principles.

Staff are trained in Level 2 Educare Child Protection in Education and are aware of their responsibility to identify and report children who are at risk.

Every school has a Designated Safeguarding Lead who is trained to provide support to staff, carry out their safeguarding duties and liaise closely with children’s social care teams and other services.

I am so grateful for everything you have done over the years. My son came to you as an angry 4 year old. He was aggressive and violent. I am proud to say that he is now a completely different child thanks to the time and effort you have given him.

Luca, parent of a child at Catch22 include

Catch22 College has helped me to pass my GCSE Maths, and I’ll soon get my English as well! Since being here, my attitude towards learning has changed drastically.

Billy, student at Catch22 College

Staff build positive relationships with pupils, which helps them develop self-esteem. Pupils behave well and show respect to one another, and to staff and visitors.

Ofsted report, 2019

News and resources

Resources are listed chronologically.
Please use these arrows to see more.

9 Jul 2025

How Alternative Provision can shape futures

Blogs,

13 Feb 2025

HRH The Princess Royal visits Catch22’s Include Suffolk School

Announcements,

5 Feb 2025

Catch22 announces new college for 16-19 year olds in Warrington

Three young people in jeans and trainers study with notebooks and a laptop. A blue and green gradient overlay is on top with the title "Catch22 announces new college for 16-19 year olds in Warrington".

Announcements,

17 Jan 2025

Education: a Catch22 overview of our schools and approach

Publications,

6 Sep 2024

Include Suffolk graded “Good” by Ofsted

Gradient overlay over a photo of four children with backpacks raising their hands in a celebratory manner.

Announcements,

4 Sep 2024

How strong really is the link between mental health and unemployment?

Blogs,

28 Aug 2024

The importance of attendance in alternative provision education settings

Blogs,

24 Jul 2024

Links Media College: celebrating the whole person

Blogs,

17 Jun 2024

The prevalence of school exclusions in the UK

Curved bookshelves filled with books stand in a library. Overlaid is text which reads "Justice literature reviews - commissioned rehabilitative services".

Publications,

22 May 2024

Include Suffolk receives funding for new technology

A child sits at a table using a tablet computer for learning. Only the bottom half of their face can be seen.

Announcements,

18 Mar 2024

Catch On expands free educational resource

A male teacher stands at the front of his classroom, in front of the whiteboard, smiling at the camera.

Announcements,

13 Mar 2024

The urgent need for training to safeguard vulnerable youth from exploitation

Pupil raises hand to ask a question while the teacher is presenting.

Blogs,

21 Feb 2024

A forgotten generation

A young woman browses on a large computer tablet. She looks pensively at the screen.

Blogs,

19 Jan 2024

Catch22 MAT: Financial statements

Policies,

15 Dec 2023

HRH The Princess Royal visits Include London

HRH The Princess Royal holds a painting by a student from Include London school.

Announcements,

5 Dec 2023

Catch22 MAT: Governance documents

Policies,

1 Nov 2023

Education and nutrition – the catch-22 in Catch22

A child sits at the table eating a bowl of cereal. The photograph is taken from above, looking down at the bowl.

Blogs,

1 Aug 2023

Education complaints, compliments and feedback policy

Overhead close-up of a person reviewing a formal-looking document. They are holding a pen to make notes. A laptop is on the table in front of them. Overlaid is text that reads: "Policy Library".

Policies,

30 Jun 2023

Include Norfolk celebrates “Good” Ofsted rating

A group of students and teachers hold up letters spelling "good" in front of Include Norfolk school.

Announcements,

27 Jun 2023

The importance of careers advice and guidance in schools

A young woman points with a pen at a computer screen as another young woman looks on.

Blogs,

24 Apr 2023

Vogue and Tilting the Lens visit Include London

A group of young people, teachers, and staff from Catch22 are photographed with representatives from British Vogue and Tilting the Lens.

Announcements,

15 Feb 2023

Mental health and wellbeing support in alternative provision

Blogs,

9 Nov 2022

Links Studios: Catch22’s (not so) hidden gem

A man operates recording studio software, whilst a young person records audio within a sound booth.

Announcements,

26 Oct 2022

The importance of extracurriculars in building career aspiration

Case studies,

1 Sep 2022

Catch22 College: Financial support

Two students smile as they work together at a computer. They are sat in a library and other computers can be seen in a row. One is sat in a chair, and the other is leaning over pointing to something on the screen. Overlaid is text that reads: "Catch22 College".

Posters and downloads,

25 Aug 2022

GCSE Results Day: Options and advice from Catch22

Three students walk down a school corridor. They each hold notebooks in their hands. They are having a conversation and smiling together.

Blogs,

22 Jul 2022

Catch22 responds to the SEND and Alternative Provision green paper

The Houses of Parliament and Big Ben, taken from across the River Thames. Overlaid is text that reads: "Consultation Response".

Consultations,

22 Jun 2022

Included: how to support young people who face disadvantage to thrive online

A young girl leans over her notebook to type something on a laptop in front of her.

Publications,

29 Mar 2022

Catch22 comments on the publication of the SEND green paper

Portrait of smiling young woman working with children drawing in art class.

Responses,

26 Jan 2022

Catch22 College: Maidstone prospectus

Publications,

26 Jan 2022

Catch22 College: Peterlee prospectus

Publications,

26 Jan 2022

Catch22 College: Thetford timetable

Close-up of a person making notes in a notebook. Overlaid is text that reads "Timetables".

Publications,

26 Jan 2022

Catch22 College: Maidstone timetable

Publications,

26 Jan 2022

Catch22 College: Bishop Auckland timetable

Publications,

26 Jan 2022

Catch22 College: Thetford prospectus

Publications,

26 Jan 2022

Catch22 College: Peterlee timetable

Publications,

13 Jan 2022

Catch22 Include Wales celebrates latest Estyn report

Announcements,

16 Dec 2021

Catch22 Colleges: 16-19 Tuition Funding statement

Policies,

24 Sep 2021

Catch22 praised in Estyn Spring and Summer Engagement Report

Announcements,

16 Sep 2021

Catch22 responds to today’s Timpson Review debate

A young girl stands outside in a hoodie with the hood up.

Responses,

3 Aug 2021

Rolling Stones and Community Links open new recording studio

Ronnie Wood and Sally Humphries pose with young people at the launch of the new Links Studios.

Announcements,

12 Mar 2021

Education: Annual review 2019-2020

A young girl smiles while working in a classroom. Pots of pens and papers can be seen on the table in front of her.

Publications,

28 Jan 2021

Employability and Skills: Annual review 2019-2020

A man wearing a hardhat operates a forklift in a warehouse.

Publications,

21 Jan 2021

Urgent need to reach the digitally excluded

A teenage boy browses his phone whilst laying on the sofa. He is wearing a hoodie with the hood up.

Blogs,

15 Jan 2021

Catch22 College: Blended learning policy

Policies,

27 Nov 2020

Circle time at Include Wales

Three children sit on cushions on the floor with a teacher. The teacher has a box which she is preparing to open to engage the children with what is inside. One of the children is holding a teddy bear.

Blogs,

22 Oct 2020

Catch22 praised for adapting learning in light of COVID-19

Announcements,

24 Sep 2020

Catch22 College: Nottingham prospectus

Publications,

22 Sep 2020

College students receive computers from Raspberry Pi Foundation

Close-up of two young adults wearing sweatshirts. They each hold Raspberry Pi boxes in front of their chests. Neither of their faces can be seen.

Announcements,

29 Jun 2020

Catch22 responds to call for evidence on "Public Services: Lessons from coronavirus"

Consultations,

27 May 2020

Catch22 responds to call for evidence on “The impact of COVID-19 on education and children’s services”

Consultations,

24 May 2020

Alternative provision schools: life in lockdown

A teacher, wearing glasses and a Catch22 hoody, sits at a laptop computer with a child who is navigating the touchpad and resting his head on one hand.

Blogs,

13 May 2020

Billy’s experience in alternative provision

A portrait of a young boy, looking at the camera in front of a white background.

Case studies,

19 Feb 2020

Catch22 responds to UK immigration plans

A waitress takes the order of a woman working on her laptop in a coffee shop.

Responses,

26 Jan 2020

Catch22 College: Nottingham timetable

Publications,

7 May 2019

Catch22 responds to Timpson Review

Close-up of a hand making notes with a pencil.

Responses,

3 Apr 2019

Catch22 College: Privacy notice

Policies,

25 Mar 2019

Catch22 Include Suffolk rated ‘Good’ by Ofsted

Announcements,

14 Mar 2019

Good people around you

Two men sit in front of a computer. One is making notes in a notebook, while the other explains what they need to do.

Blogs,

20 Nov 2018

Why rebuilding positive relationships could be life saving for our pupils

Smiling teacher sitting at the table with laptop and sculpting from play clay together with pupils.

Blogs,

20 Nov 2018

Can exclusion be the diversion from, not the track to, prison?

A portrait of a young man wearing a blue hoodie with the hood up, and wireless headphones round his neck.

Blogs,

25 Jul 2018

Catch22 sponsor report into school exclusions and alternative provision

A young boy sits at a table. In front of him are two closed notebooks and a closed laptop. He rests his arms on top of the pile, and places his head on top of his hands.

Publications,

2 May 2018

It takes a village to raise a child

Paper cut-outs of three people - two adults and a child - are held up to the sky. The three paper figures are holding hands.

Blogs,

9 May 2017

Slippers, artwork, and advocates: how alternative education teachers focus on emotional wellbeing

Four children sit around a table eating lunch from trays. In the foreground, the closest child is holding a sandwich. None of their faces can be seen.

Blogs,

2 Mar 2017

Catch22 welcomes proposals to make sex and relationship education compulsory

Responses,

1 Mar 2013

Whole school approaches to tackling gang violence

A teenage boy and a teenage girl stand in a graffiti-covered underpass. He shows her something on his phone.

Publications,

Contact our education teams

Lisa Smitherman

Strategic Director for Justice and Education

Victoria Head

Strategic Director for Employability and Skills

Talk to us about how together, we can support young people to progress and sustain in education.

We would love to hear from you if you are looking to:

re-engage a young person at risk of low attendance or social exclusion,
support learners who can benefit from small, supportive alternative and special education provision, or
make school participation inclusive.

Email Address

education@catch-22.org.uk
employability@catch-22.org.uk

Privacy notice

How we manage your data

Catch22 Charity Ltd. manages the data you provide in accordance with the EU General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).

The Data Controller (the organisation that determines how your data is managed) is Catch22. Contact us if you have a query about how your data is managed.
The Data Processor (the organisation that does data processing on behalf of Catch22) is Totally.Tech.
We are committed to giving you (the Data Subject in legal terms) an easy way to exercise your eight rights under the GDPR.
We retain your data for as long as you allow us to do so. You can exercise your right to erasure at any time however, there may be some instances where we need to retain your information for a longer duration for legal reasons, such as when applying for a job with Catch22.
Catch22 uses Click4Asistance as an online chat tool. By providing information, you consent to Click4Assistance collecting and processing this information according to their privacy policy.

What information do we collect?

Catch22 may collect, store and use the following kinds of personal data:

information about your computer and your visits to and use of this website, including your IP address, geographical location, browser type, referral source, length of visit and number of page views (cookies),
information that you provide to us for the purpose of applying for a job or receiving job alerts (job applications / job alerts),
subscribing to email newsletters including your name and email address (email newsletter),
If using our online chat service Click4Assistance, information such as IP addresses, and chat transcripts will be collected. If you choose to provide them, personal data such as names, email addresses will be collected, or
information that you submit that relates to a complaint, service feedback or enquiry (complaints / feedback and enquiries).

Specific detail of each processing activity is provided below.

Cookies

Cookies are text files that are stored on your web browser by a website’s server. Each cookie is unique to your browser, and will contain some anonymous information such as a unique identifier and the website domain name. This information is sent back to the server each time your browser requests a page from it. This enables the website server to identify and track your web browser via your unique, anonymous, identifier.

Catch22 only uses cookies on its website where they will support the functioning of its website and to improve the experience of its website visitors. These cookies may be created by Catch22’s website, or by third-party services that Catch22 uses, to enable its website to be run effectively.

Some, ‘necessary’ cookies are essential to the running of our website and are exempt from the requirement of consent as per the GDPR and PECR. Functional, analytical and advertising cookies are all optional, and we will only store these cookies on your browser where we have received your freely-given, specific, informed, and unambiguous consent.

Any information that is collected by Catch22 via cookies is processed in a way which does not, and cannot, identify an individual person. We do not make any attempt to find out the identities of those visiting the Catch22 website.

You can find out more about Catch22’s use of cookies, and how to opt-out of or delete cookies from your browser via our Cookies Statement.

Job applications

If you apply for a job with Catch22 using our hosted online job application system, this service will be provided by a data processor on our behalf (SmartRecruiters).

To process your application, we ask for your personal details including name and contact details. We will ask you about your previous experience, education, referees and for answers to questions relevant to the role you have applied for. The hiring managers for the role, along with our Recruitment and HR teams will have access to all of this information.

Catch22 processes your job application data for the purpose of its legitimate interest to process your HR information.

If you are successful, the information you provide during the application process will be retained by us as part of your employee file for the duration of your employment plus six years following the end of your employment.
If you are unsuccessful at any stage of the process, the information you have provided until that point will be retained for six months from the closure of the campaign.
Equal opportunities information is retained for six months following the closure of the campaign whether you are successful or not.

For more information, please see the SmartRecruiters privacy notice.

Job alerts

Through the SmartRecruiters job application system, it is also possible to sign up for job alerts, which will let you know when new jobs that meet your criteria have been posted.

These alerts are managed by the data processor (SmartRecruiters) on our behalf, and will only be processed using your freely-given, specific, informed and unambiguous consent.

If at any point you wish to unsubscribe from SmartRecruiters job alerts, this can be done by clicking the unsubscribe link on the latest email. You can also log into your SmartRecruiters candidate profile to modify or withdraw your details.

For more information, please see the SmartRecruiters privacy notice.

If you subscribe to Catch22’s newsletter and/or event mailing lists, you will receive regular communications relating to our work. These mailings will be facilitated by a third-party provider, such as Mailchimp or Salesforce (marketing platforms), and your data will be processed by a third-party client relationship management platform, Salesforce.

Catch22 will only process your contact details and send you newsletters following your freely-given, specific, informed and unambiguous consent.

You have the right to unsubscribe from any of our email mailing lists at any time. If you wish to unsubscribe from a Catch22 mailing list please click the unsubscribe link on the latest email or contact dpo@catch-22.org.uk to ensure that you do not continue to receive email newsletters from us. We will need to continue to hold your details after you have unsubscribed to ensure that we do not send you further communications.

For more information, please see the Mailchimp or Salesforce privacy notices as appropriate.

Feedback and enquiries

Catch22 processes the data submitted through any of our website contact forms for the purpose of receiving your message and responding to it under the lawful basis of consent, which you give when submitting the form.

We will only use the information supplied to us to deal with the enquiry and any subsequent issues, and to check on the level of service we provide.

These contact forms are processed using the WordPress plugin, Gravity Forms. When these forms are submitted to us, notification emails are automatically generated to send your enquiry to the appropriate team within Catch22 who will store your email for as long as is required to deal with your enquiry and any subsequent issues.

Form submissions are also stored within the Catch22 WordPress database for a period of 90 days. This allows us to identify if there are any issues with forms being received by our teams. After this time, forms and all accompanying personal data are automatically deleted from the system. Gravity Forms does not receive copies of any of forms, or any accompanying personal data, that are submitted via the Catch22 website.

If using our online chat service, Click4Assitance, data collected through the chat service may be shared internally within Catch22  to provide support and improve services.

You have the right to withdraw consent for us to contact you at any time by contacting dpo@catch-22.org.uk. You also have the right to lodge a complaint with a supervisory authority, which in the United Kingdom is the Information Commissioner’s Office.

For more information, please see the Gravity Forms privacy notice.

Complaints

Complaints can be submitted using our online feedback form, by emailing feedback@catch-22.org.uk, or by post. Catch22 undertakes the processing of your complaints data as part of its legitimate interests.

When we receive a complaint from a person we make up a file containing the details of the complaint. This normally contains the identity of the complainant and any other individuals involved in the complaint.

We will only use the personal information we collect to process the complaint and to check on the level of service we provide.

We usually have to disclose the complainant’s identity to whoever the complaint is about. This is inevitable where, for example, the accuracy of a person’s record is in dispute. If a complainant doesn’t want information identifying him or her to be disclosed, we will try to respect that. However, it may not be possible to handle a complaint on an anonymous basis.

We will keep personal information contained in complaint files in line with our retention policy. This means that information relating to a complaint will be retained for six years from closure. It will be retained in a secure environment and access to it will be restricted according to the ‘data minimisation’ principle.

For more information, please see the Complaints, Compliments and Feedback policy.

Use of data processors

The Data Processor (the organisation that does data processing on behalf of Catch22) is Totally.Tech.

Catch22 also works with third-party data processors to provide our:

content management system (WordPress),
website analytics (Google Analytics),
marketing platform (Mailchimp),
client relationship management platform (Salesforce),
social media advertising campaigns (Meta Pixel, Twitter Pixel, LinkedIn Insight Tag, TikTok Pixel),
online chat service (Click4Assitance), and
recruitment service (SmartRecruiters).

We have contracts in place with our data processors. This means that they cannot do anything with your personal information unless we have instructed them to do it. They will not share your personal information with any organisation apart from us. They will hold it and retain it for the period we instruct.

Individual Catch22 services may work with additional third-party data processors in line with their contractual requirements. For more information, please see the relevant Service Privacy Notice, which can be downloaded from their service page on this website, or found by searching for the service by name in our Policy Library.

Disclosures

Catch22 may disclose information about you to any of our employees, officers, agents, suppliers or data processors insofar as reasonably necessary for the purposes as set out in this privacy notice.

In addition, we may disclose information about you:

to the extent that we are required to do so by law,
in connection with any legal proceedings or prospective legal proceedings, or
in order to establish, exercise or defend our legal rights (including providing information to others for the purposes of fraud prevention and reducing credit risk).

Except as provided in this privacy notice, Catch22 will not provide your information to third parties without your consent.

Security of your personal data

Catch22 will take reasonable technical and organisational precautions to prevent the loss, misuse or alteration of your personal information.

We will store all the personal information you provide on our secure, encrypted password and firewall protected servers. As data transmission over the internet is inherently insecure, we cannot guarantee the security of data sent over the internet.

Where information is held on our behalf by data processors, we will ensure, to the best of our ability, that they hold your information securely and in line with data protection legislation. We hold contracts with all data processors to make sure that they cannot do anything with your data unless we have instructed them to do so.

Notice amendments

We may update this privacy notice from time-to-time. Check this page occasionally to ensure you are happy with any changes.

Your rights

Please contact the Data Protection Officer if you have any queries regarding this Privacy Notice or if you would like to exercise or query any of the following rights afforded to you under the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR):

right to access

right to erasure

right to object

right to rectification

right to be informed

right to restrict processing

right to data portability

rights in relation to automated decision making and profiling

right to lodge a complaint with the Information Commissioners Office (ICO) – via the Complaints page on the ICO website or by calling 0303 123 1113

For further information on your rights, please visit the Individual Rights page on the ICO website.

Contact

If you have any questions about this privacy notice or of our treatment of your personal data, please email dpo@catch-22.org.uk or write to:

Data Protection Officer

Catch22
27 Pear Tree Street
London
EC1V 3AG

Data controller

Catch22’s data protection registration number is Z1473239