what we do
girls who are NEET
Girls who are not in education, employment or training (known as 'NEET') are likely to have performed poorly in school and have a history of persistent truancy. They are vulnerable to alcohol and drug abuse and at risk of becoming teenage mums. Girls who have been in care, bullied or who suffer from physical or mental disabilities are susceptible to opt-out of school.
In 2006, about 94,000 girls in England and Wales were NEET.
Opting out of school
Girls who experience physical and emotional problems become withdrawn and often opt out of school. Teachers find it hard to spot vulnerable girls and the problem remains invisible.
Girls represent just 21%t of permanent exclusions from school nationally, but many more are removed from class informally or for fixed periods. 
This means they often don’t appear on exclusion statistics and their needs are overlooked.
Some young women do not have family support and have complex emotional needs. Girls like these can find any change in their lives difficult to cope with. Transitions such as moving from schools, moving from being in care to independent living, changing from child and adolescent services to adult services can cause some young women to drop out of education.
Bullying
Many girls skip school regularly because they are bullied. Bullying includes name-calling, teasing, physical abuse, having things stolen, slander, intimidating looks, isolation from peers and sometimes sexual abuse. Bullied girls sometimes deliberately get themselves expelled.
Young women who are perceived as 'different' are most at risk of being bullied. This includes lesbian and bisexual young women, girls from black and ethnic minorities and those from gypsy and traveller communities.
Support services designed to prevent exclusion are usually dominated by boys. This means that girls are less willing to accept help and schools and support services are less likely to refer girls in the first place.
This film tells the stories of three girls who have struggled or failed at school because they were bullied:
What we think
Girls have the right to an education that includes flexible learning and support for when they face barriers or difficulties to education. School doesn’t suit everyone and so there should be alternative informal education options, like those run by Platform 51.
Girls need early interventions to prevent them from dropping out. And they need clear and well designed anti-bullying policies that give young women safe places to go and someone to report bullying to.
We work hard with to help young women overcome the trauma of bullying and being NEET. We encourage them rebuild thier lives and aspire to go to college or get a job.
quote
"I want to tell people just how much coming to Platform 51 has meant to me. Coming here has changed my life."
Louise
who we help
Every woman has her own story to tell. Their opinions form the foundations of everything we do.
who we help
Sherelle stopped talking to people, she says: “there was no point. No one listened.”
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