# Stay Together — Pilot Brief

## Purpose
Stay Together is a strengths-based digital check-in designed to help schools understand what may be affecting a pupil's connection with school, attendance and engagement — and what might help next.

It is not intended to diagnose, predict risk, replace professional judgement, or act as a standalone attendance system.

## Pilot question
Can a short, accessible check-in help pupils communicate barriers and strengths earlier, and help staff start better conversations?

## Suggested pilot group
- One primary and/or one secondary setting
- A clearly defined cohort or year group
- 4–6 weeks
- Named pilot lead
- Named safeguarding reviewer
- Small pupil co-design group before launch

## Before the pilot
1. Agree the purpose and target cohort.
2. Review every prompt with the Designated Safeguarding Lead / safeguarding team.
3. Agree what happens when a pupil selects a safety-related response.
4. Agree what information is recorded, where it is stored, who can access it and how long it is retained.
5. Agree accessibility adaptations and communication options.
6. Explain the tool to pupils and staff in plain language.
7. Run a short co-design session with pupils and refine wording.

## During the pilot
- Keep the check-in short.
- Do not treat a score as a diagnosis or label.
- Encourage staff to use responses as a prompt for supportive conversation.
- Record implementation issues as well as outcomes.
- Check whether pupils understand what happens after they submit.

## What to measure
### Pupil experience
- Was it easy to understand?
- Did it feel relevant and respectful?
- Did it make it easier to say what was going on?
- Did pupils know what would happen next?

### Staff experience
- Did it reveal useful information earlier?
- Did it improve conversations?
- Was the response process manageable?
- Were safeguarding routes clear?

### Early impact signals
- Increased identification of practical barriers
- More pupil-led support conversations
- Improved staff understanding of attendance/engagement barriers
- Evidence that agreed support actions are followed through

## End-of-pilot decision
Use the evidence to decide whether to: stop, refine and retest, expand to another cohort, or move towards a wider school/trust pilot.