We use the concept of time–space paths (Gordon, Holland and Lahelma 2000) to explore how young people negotiate manageable educational pathways and experience educational engagement in alternative educational settings. For many young people in alternative settings, tight time–space paths (e.g. attending school on time) led to their disengagement from mainstream school settings, as mainstream schools did not accommodate the lives and needs of these young people. We draw on interviews with young people in alternative educational settings in Finland and Australia. We extend the discussion to two alternative time–space paths to explore how young people in alternative educational settings, while expressing a like and need for looser time–space paths to accommodate their difficult life circumstances, still need aspects of tight time–space paths to engage with education. We discuss strategies used in the alternative educational settings that enable the young people to develop a rhythm within their own time–space paths and a sense of agency and control in their learning environment. These strategies enabled communication and the development of positive relationships with teachers that led to a sense of belonging and their engagement with education.We use the concept of time–space paths (Gordon, Holland and Lahelma 2000) to explore how young people negotiate manageable educational pathways and experience educational engagement in alternative educational settings. For many young people in alternative settings, tight time–space paths (e.g. attending school on time) led to their disengagement from mainstream school settings, as mainstream schools did not accommodate the lives and needs of these young people. We draw on interviews with young people in alternative educational settings in Finland and Australia. We extend the discussion to two alternative time–space paths to explore how young people in alternative educational settings, while expressing a like and need for looser time–space paths to accommodate their difficult life circumstances, still need aspects of tight time–space paths to engage with education. We discuss strategies used in the alternative educational settings that enable the young people to develop a rhythm within their own time–space paths and a sense of agency and control in their learning environment. These strategies enabled communication and the development of positive relationships with teachers that led to a sense of belonging and their engagement with education.