Where Different
Is the Starting Point
We don't try to fit young people into a system that wasn't designed for them. We build something new — around their interests, their pace, and their way of learning.
Refer a StudentWho We Support
We work with young people across the SEND and SEMH spectrum. Every approach is unique.
Autism Spectrum (ASD)
Gaming provides predictable, rule-based environments that many autistic young people find comforting. Our mentors understand sensory needs, communication differences, and the importance of routine. Sessions are structured but flexible — we follow the student's lead.
ADHD
Fast-paced, interactive gaming holds attention in a way that worksheets never can. Our mentors break activities into short, achievable chunks with built-in rewards. Movement breaks are encouraged. We work with the ADHD brain, not against it.
Anxiety & School Refusal
Our venues are calm, low-pressure spaces with no bells, no crowds, and no uniform. For students who can't face leaving home, online sessions mean learning happens where they feel safest. We rebuild confidence one session at a time.
Social & Emotional Needs (SEMH)
Gaming creates a shared language that bypasses many social barriers. Co-op games teach teamwork. Building projects develop patience and planning. The mentor relationship becomes a model for healthy social interaction.
Trauma & ACEs
Our trauma-informed approach means we never push, never force, and never make assumptions. Gaming gives students control in a world that often feels chaotic. Our mentors are trained to recognise signs of distress and respond with care.
Learning Difficulties
Dyslexia, dyscalculia, processing disorders — traditional teaching methods often fail these students. Gaming offers visual, kinaesthetic, and interactive ways to learn the same concepts. Maths becomes real when you're calculating build dimensions.
Why Gaming Breaks Barriers
For young people who have struggled in traditional education, gaming offers something different.
Reduces Anxiety
Familiar games create a safe space. Students relax because they're doing something they enjoy, which opens the door to learning and relationship-building.
Builds Communication
Many young people who won't talk face-to-face will chat freely while gaming. The screen provides a comfortable barrier that reduces social pressure.
Develops Executive Function
Planning a Minecraft build, managing resources in a survival game, or debugging code — all exercise working memory, attention, and problem-solving.
Creates Achievement
Completing a build, finishing a game level, or writing their first program. Tangible achievements that rebuild self-esteem after years of feeling like a failure.
Teaches Resilience
Games involve failure — and trying again. In a low-stakes, enjoyable context, students learn that mistakes aren't catastrophic. They just respawn and try differently.
Builds Social Skills
Multiplayer gaming teaches turn-taking, cooperation, negotiation, and conflict resolution. Skills that transfer directly to real-world relationships.
Trauma-Informed Approach
Many of the young people we work with have experienced adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) — abuse, neglect, family breakdown, bereavement, bullying, or the trauma of educational failure itself.
Our mentors are trained in trauma-informed practice. This means we understand that challenging behaviour is often a response to pain, not a choice. We don't punish. We don't escalate. We stay calm, consistent, and present.
Gaming gives traumatised young people something they often lack: control. In a game, they decide what to build, where to go, what to create. That sense of agency — of having power over their own experience — is therapeutic in itself.
We work alongside CAMHS, social workers, and therapeutic teams. We are not therapists, but we provide a stable, positive relationship and a safe space where healing can happen naturally alongside learning.
Our SEN & SEMH Programmes
Structured support designed around each young person's needs, delivered through gaming and technology.
1:1 Mentoring for SEN & SEMH▼
Dedicated 1:1 sessions in Minecraft, Roblox, VR, coding, and more. Each student is matched with a consistent mentor who understands their specific needs — whether that's autism, ADHD, PDA, anxiety, or complex trauma. Sessions are available online (1:1 only, nationwide) and in-person at our venues.
Small Group Sessions with Sensory-Aware Design▼
In-venue group sessions with gentle social goals and sensory-aware design. Maximum 3:1 student-to-mentor ratio ensures every learner gets the attention they need. Groups are designed for positive peer interaction in a safe, low-pressure setting — no bells, no crowds, no uniform.
Self-funded small group sessions are available at £18.75 per hour across all our venues.
Post-16 Pathways for EHCP Learners▼
For learners aged 16-25 with EHCPs or alternative provision plans, we offer NOCN accredited qualifications in Skills for Employment, Training and Personal Development. Portfolio-based assessment means no exams — learners demonstrate skills through practical projects, reflective logs, and mentor observations.
Curriculum Integration & EHCP Alignment▼
All sessions can be mapped to individual EHCP outcomes and targets. We offer optional AQA Unit Award certification (Centre 84612) to provide formal recognition of learning. Half-termly reports track progress against agreed outcomes, and we contribute to annual EHCP reviews.
SEN & SEMH — Frequently Asked Questions
Does my child need a formal diagnosis to access your service?▼
No. We work with children and teens with diagnosed or undiagnosed SEN, learners with EHCPs, SEMH diagnoses, or social difficulties, and EOTAS learners, school refusers, and those struggling in mainstream education. If your child is struggling, we can help — regardless of whether there's a formal diagnosis in place.
How does gaming actually help with SEN and SEMH?▼
Gaming creates a low-anxiety environment where young people can achieve small wins that build motivation, be heard and guided without pressure, learn practical skills in digital creativity, and build trust with supportive mentors. For children with SEN and SEMH needs, gaming is a bridge to learning, confidence, and connection — not an escape from it.
Are your staff trained to work with complex needs?▼
Yes. All our mentors are DBS-checked, safeguarding trained (including Prevent awareness), and experienced in working with autistic, ADHD, PDA, and neurodivergent learners. They use trauma-informed practice to support children with complex SEMH profiles. We also work alongside CAMHS, social workers, and therapeutic teams.
What areas do you cover?▼
In-person sessions are available at our venues in Truro (Cornwall), Plymouth (Devon), Exeter (Devon), Taunton (Somerset), and Portsmouth (Hampshire). Online 1:1 mentoring is available nationwide across the UK. We are approved by over 40 local authorities including Cornwall, Devon, Somerset, Hampshire, Portsmouth, Southampton, Wiltshire, Swindon, Buckinghamshire, Oxfordshire, East Sussex, Gloucestershire, Brighton and Hove, Hertfordshire, and many more.
How is this funded?▼
Our SEN and SEMH provision can be funded through EHCP provision, EOTAS arrangements, Section 19 emergency provision, Direct Payments and Personal Budgets, school-funded placements, or self-funding. Self-funded 1:1 sessions are £40 per hour. In-venue group sessions are £18.75 per hour.
Every Young Person Deserves to Succeed
If mainstream education isn't working, it doesn't mean the child has failed. It means they need a different approach.
Email alternativeprovision@player-ready.co.uk or call 0117 463 3150