The aim of this rapid response research study is to engage marginalised young people (aged 12-18 years) and their parents through the co-design and co-development of coping, wellbeing and support strategies in the context of coping with COVID-19, front-loading a fast-tracked range of solutions to facilitate timely educational engagement. Following the abrupt closure of all schools, some families are struggling to cope with the unprecedented requirement to engage in homeschooling. Young people from marginalised groups, already at significant risk of early school leaving and under-achievement are now at much greater risk of being severely educationally disadvantaged. Families are differentially socio-economically positioned in providing a context conducive to home learning; those from marginalised communities are far less likely to have adequate access to necessary technological hardware, broadband, or appropriate study spaces, and to be able to provide the necessary level of educational support to their children. In spite of instructions from the Department of Education and Skills that schools are to ensure the provision of specific and customised supports for students at risk of educational disadvantage, analysis already undertaken by our team through direct engagement and consultation with on-the-ground education and welfare professionals in the last three weeks has confirmed the highly variable approach taken to distance/online educational provision and student support by schools around the country. Evidence is emerging that the most marginalised are becoming increasingly educationally disengaged and disenfranchised. As an active response to these issues, this innovative project – a multi-phasal, sequential, mixed-methods research design consisting of five interconnected phases, organised into eleven work packages (WPs) – will provide youth advocacy based, co-created, targeted support for the young people and families concerned and creates timely evidence-based outcomes to change policy and practice for this range of stakeholders i.e. post-primary school pupils, parents, teachers and school leaders, DES.