Empowering alternative education for disengaged youth through structured gameplay and creative learning. Explore our unique approach to education that prioritises communication, emotional regulation, and social skills development.
At The Odyssey Hub, we offer an innovative approach to education designed specifically for young people facing challenges in traditional settings. Our structured, supportive environment fosters learning through gameplay and narrative-driven scenarios, helping students regain confidence and re-engage with their education.
We provide an inclusive range of services tailored to support the needs of disengaged students through structured gameplay, emotional support, and life skills training.
Integrating structured gameplay into our curriculum enables participants to develop critical communication, emotional regulation, and social skills in an engaging yet purposeful manner.
Each lesson is designed around a narrative that captivates students, making learning relevant and relatable while promoting problem-solving and decision-making.
We prioritise a safe atmosphere where students can express themselves and grow without judgment, fostering confidence and resilience.
We offer personalised 1:1 sessions to address individual student challenges and create a trusting relationship with our educators. This ensures a therapeutically-informed pathway can be developed for the learner.
Our pathway includes stages of progression that facilitate smooth transitions from one-on-one learning to group settings, and possible school re-integration or preparing students for future endeavours.
At The Odyssey Hub, we understand that every student's pathway is unique, and we wholeheartedly encourage each individual to take the next step in their personal and educational development whenever they feel ready.
Throughout this journey, we serve as dedicated mentors, standing by our students' sides to provide valuable guidance and assistance every step of the way. Our commitment is to empower them as they navigate their educational paths, helping them to overcome challenges and celebrate achievements along the way. We carefully set engaging challenges that align with our students' abilities, interests, and individual goals, ensuring that they stay motivated and inspired throughout their learning experience.
We also recognise that students may choose to step in and out of different components of the journey as it feels most appropriate for them. This flexibility allows for a personalised approach, ensuring that each student can tailor their experience to fit their personal needs and aspirations.
Our one-on-one mentorship program typically marks the beginning of each young person's journey with us. Our educators can visit the family home or meet in the community to build a trusting and constructive relationship, empowering them to take the next step in their journey.
Students, who feel ready to step out with support of their mentor, will be given the opportunity to build their confidence by pairing with other students and collaborate creatively. This step-by-step approach allows gradual exposure and prevent overload for students who might struggle in group environments initially.
Participants come together at a venue to take part in group sessions that foster creative, narrative-driven gameplay and social interactions, allowing them to learn dynamically while making new friends. The gameplay-focused activities effectively integrate academic outcomes in a playful way, while emphasizing the advantages of collaborative learning and shared achievements.
As part of our offering, students get the opportunity to follow a creative curriculum leading to a recognised Arts Award certification from Trinity College London. This helps build engagement with structured learning, academic goal setting and gaining qualifications. We have helped dozens of students achieve this qualification as part of a flexible learning program.
Our after-school activities programs serve as a crucial bridge for re-engaging students with their schools and promoting wellbeing, especially for those at risk. Our 6-week school program includes enriching after-school activities and offers the opportunity to train school staff in implementing the gameplay elements once the program concludes.
For students graduating from our program and engaging with their continued educational journey, we offer opportunities to join weekly community sessions at one of our partner venues. These sessions do not have any therapeutic or educational focus, but are just for social connections and enjoyment.
The Odyssey Hub is not a destination.
It is a bridge.
Our aim is to help young people move from isolation and disengagement towards confidence, participation, and meaningful next steps — equipped with skills they can carry forward.
The Odyssey Hub is led by practitioners with extensive experience across education, alternative provision, and programme delivery. We have a significant track record of re-engaging students who have been out of education for a significant length of time, helping them build their self-esteem, grow social relationships and re-discover their love of learning. Our combined expertise ensures that creative, narrative-led approaches are delivered within a structured, safe, and accountable framework.
All delivery staff hold teaching qualifications, completed training in safeguarding and have current, enhanced DBS checks.
The Odyssey Hub provides an alternative educational provision for young people who are disengaged from mainstream education. We specialise in gradual re-engagement through structured, supportive, and creative learning environments, particularly for students who struggle with traditional classroom-based approaches.
Our approach uses structured, adult-facilitated gameplay and narrative-led scenarios as a learning medium, not as free play or entertainment. These carefully designed activities support the development of communication, emotional regulation, problem-solving, confidence, and social skills.
In many sessions, students work within imaginative, rule-based scenarios drawn from tabletop roleplaying frameworks (such as Dungeons & Dragons). These provide a safe, low-pressure environment in which young people can practise decision-making, explore values, and rehearse real-world social situations within clear boundaries and expectations.
The Odyssey Hub is designed for young people experiencing school refusal, anxiety, or social communication difficulties who require a personalised approach to education.
We have extensive experience supporting students with autism, demand-avoidant profiles, social anxiety, and related needs that impact engagement with education, training, or wider social participation.
Our progression pathway is flexible and staged. Most students begin with one-to-one sessions focused on trust, regulation, and engagement. As confidence develops, students may move into paired and small-group sessions, where communication and collaboration skills are practised.
Where appropriate, students can work towards accredited outcomes (such as Arts Award) and are supported to transition back into education, training, or community settings. Ongoing after-school groups allow students to remain connected while moving on.
The Odyssey Hub currently operates in Ipswich and the surrounding area, working with partner venues as part of our provision. During our launch phase, we are focused on delivering high-quality support locally, with plans to extend our reach across Suffolk as demand and partnerships develop.
If you are a parent or local authority seeking provision outside our current areas, please get in touch to discuss availability and suitability.
We work closely with parents and local authorities, maintaining regular communication and transparency around student engagement, progress, and suitability. Our approach is collaborative, and we ensure that all placements are well-matched and regularly reviewed.
Referrals can be made by parents, carers, or local authority representatives. We encourage initial discussions to ensure our approach is suitable for the young person before placement.
Please contact us directly for more information on the referral process.
No. Our provision is designed for young people who benefit from experiential, collaborative learning approaches. It may not be suitable for students who require a primarily worksheet-based or exam-focused curriculum.
Yes. All sessions are facilitated by trained staff, with clear rules, boundaries, and safeguarding procedures in place. Gameplay is structured, purposeful, and adapted to individual needs.
No. Gameplay provides a context for learning and skill development. Where appropriate, literacy, communication, and functional skills are embedded within activities and accredited pathways.
