The Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson recently said that schools must create welcoming, engaging and inclusive spaces for pupils to tackle the school absenteeism epidemic.
By Nicola Baldwin, Family Support Engagement Lead at Spurgeons charity
In my experience of working closely with children who are persistently absent from school, sanctions are rarely effective and it’s a supportive approach that works best. Teachers are stretched to the limit, so we need to look at not only what works, but also what is easy to implement.
It has been a revelation to me over the years, that it is often only very small tweaks to the school routine that can transform the mindset of a child and make them feel happier in school. This can quickly take them from being severely absent to attending school regularly.
Here are five effective strategies to help reluctant children return to school:
- Start slowly
After a prolonged period of absence, getting back into school full-time can seem too daunting for a child, so progress needs to be slow. Just get them through the doors, no matter how short a time, to start to break down the barriers – a friendly chat with a teacher in the office can be a great first step.
A 14-year-old boy I supported hadn’t been to school for 100 days when I first visited him. We chatted through the issues and he agreed to visit the school for half an hour with me to see a teacher he was happy to speak to. This was enough of a breakthrough for him to agree to go into lessons for an hour twice a week. We gradually built up his attendance, and he is now back studying full time for his GCSEs and doing really well.
- Routine is king
Children thrive on routine, it gives structure and stability. Anxiety about school at primary level can often stem from not knowing what is going to happen and when, and a child with SEND can feel additionally stressed if they are unsure about what is expected of them.
I work with schools to create a visual timetable for the weekly school routine which helps hugely with anxious children. They can put the timetable on the fridge at home and get a copy from the teacher in the morning at school. It sets expectations about the day ahead and calms worries about the unknown.
- Trusted people
Identifying teachers that children are comfortable talking to is important. A 10-year-old girl I was supporting felt very isolated at school and was unsure who she could talk to about how she was feeling. We worked with the school to identify a couple of teachers she could speak to when needed, which really improved her confidence about going in.
Friendships can also be complicated and she found the nuances of friendship groups difficult to navigate. We worked together to identify three friends she trusted and could seek out during playtime. Knowing who her ‘go-to’ people were before she went to school in the morning reduced her anxiety – and her attendance improved considerably.
- Relax the rules
Rules are important but relaxing them for children with issues that prevent attendance can really help to get them back into the classroom. I’m not talking about anything that’s going to cause widespread disruption, but rules around things like uniform can create unnecessary barriers.
Some children I’ve worked with have sensory issues and just need to be able to wear PE kit instead of uniform to feel comfortable enough to attend school. It seems a small price to pay to get them learning again.
- Normalise adjustments
Teenagers will not do anything that makes them seem different. Many secondary schools are willing to make changes, such as providing ‘exit cards’ for pupils that need to take a break during lessons, but they often don’t get used as it makes them stand out. One of the biggest differences we’ve seen with this cohort is to normalise school adjustments.
One 15-year-old boy who needed regular movement breaks was nominated to give out books in lessons and deliver messages to other teachers. This gave him the movement breaks he needed to make school more accessible, without it seeming unusual.
Many of these tweaks are so simple to implement, yet I have seen incredible transformations of children, who now attend school regularly because of them. A supportive ear and small changes can make school feel more inclusive and welcoming for those children that find attending such a challenge.
When we work together with children, parents and schools, we can make school a more welcoming place for those children that find attending really difficult.
