Frequently Asked Questions
Request a copy of your child’s attendance record and check the codes that have been used. Refer to the DfE guidance concerning the use of attendance codes - see Chapter 8 If you are unhappy about the codes that are being used, write to the school requesting that they are altered. Remember that you can only be fined or prosecuted for unauthorised absences.
Remind the school in WRITING that according to law absence due to illness is a statutory defence and must be authorised (Education Act 1996 s444 2a) https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1996/56/section/444
The DfE statutory guidance states (Page 86):
Code I: Illness (not medical or dental appointment) should be used when
364. The pupil is unable to attend due to illness (both physical and mental health related).
The register is a legal document and it must be marked correctly as s.434(6) of the Education Act 1996 states:
(6) A person who contravenes or fails to comply with any requirement imposed on him by regulations under this section is guilty of an offence and liable on summary conviction to a fine not exceeding level 1 on the standard scale.
https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1996/56/section/434
The DfE Working together to improve school attendance guidance also states: 31. The law requires all schools including independent schools to have an admission register and, except for schools where all pupils are boarders, an attendance register. These registers must be kept electronically. All pupils (regardless of their age) must be placed on the admission register and have their attendance recorded in the attendance register. The proprietor of a school who fails to comply with these regulations is guilty of an offence and can be fined.
Consider making a formal complaint if the school refuses to authorise the absences following the school's complaints policy. They are being unreasonable by ignoring the law. The register is a legal document and it must be marked correctly.
If applicable, following their response to your complaint, lodge a claim with the SEND Tribunal against the school being discriminatory in the way they're marking the absences as unauthorised using Form SEND4A. https://www.gov.uk/complain-about-school/disability-discrimination
Ensure you're following the school's attendance policy in relation to letting them know about any absences, e.g. phoning/emailing daily. Ensure you clearly state that the reason for absence is because of illness. Do not say they are 'refusing to attend', as that will be interpreted as bad behaviour or weak parenting and will not be authorised. Illness is a legally valid reason to be absent so you need to say they are too unwell or too ill to attend, you can clarify that with the physical and/or mental health related symptoms you have observed, or say due to any relevant condition, or anxiety/mental health, or unmet needs at school.
Keep records of everything you do in relation to attendance and every piece of communication about the absences so that you can evidence your actions in trying to resolve this situation, in case you are fined/prosecuted.
When you are keeping notes in a diary, talking to your GP or reporting absences to the school make observations about the signs and symptoms of both physical and mental ill health - if your child is anxious do they also have physical symptoms such as nausea, vomiting, diarrhoea, headaches, shaking?
Request a TAF and ensure you make it clear that you are asking the "professionals" for help to work positively with you to make reasonable adjustments to accommodate your child’s needs. Emphasise how this intervention should be needs based and does not require a diagnosis
Consider submitting a SAR (subject access request) to try to gather evidence of your child’s difficulties in school and your school’s approach to supporting them/you
Try contacting your local SENDIASS to ask if they can assist you in dealing with the school
Use the DfE Contact form to ask them to confirm if your child's absences/late arrivals should be authorised then hopefully you can use their response as evidence
The DfE advise parents to refer to the following resources when deciding whether your child is too unwell to attend - you might be able to use them as backing that you are doing the right thing
https://www.nhs.uk/live-well/is-my-child-too-ill-for-school/
You could ask the school in writing to explain why they are not authorising the absences or why they were authorising them but have now changed to unauthorising them. Often it is because they say you have not provided satisfactory medical evidence to confirm that your child is unable to attend/too unwell to attend.
Ask the school/local authority in writing to tell you exactly what evidence they require from you to be able to authorise your child’s absence. You could also ask them to explain exactly what they expect you to do each morning to get your child into school (clarify that you wont engage in anything that is a safeguarding concern such as physically dragging your child).
The DfE statutory guidance explains their expectations regarding schools requesting medical evidence (statutory means that schools and LAs MUST follow it):
365. Schools are not expected to routinely request that parents provide medical evidence to support illness absences. Schools should only request reasonable medical evidence in cases where they need clarification to accurately record absence in the attendance register – i.e. making a decision that code I is the absence code that accurately describes the reason the pupil is not in school for the session in question. In the majority of cases a parent’s notification that their child is too ill to attend school will be that evidence and can be accepted without question or concern. Only where the school has genuine and reasonable doubt about the authenticity of the illness should medical evidence be requested to support the absence.
366. Where medical evidence is deemed necessary, school should not be rigid about the form of evidence requested and should speak to the family about what evidence is available. Schools should be mindful that requesting additional medical evidence unnecessarily places pressure on health professionals, their staff and their appointment system, particularly if the illness is one that does not require treatment by a health professional. Where a parent cannot provide evidence in the form requested but can provide other evidence, schools should take this into account. Where a parent cannot provide any written evidence the school should have a conversation with the parent and pupil, if appropriate, which may in itself serve as the necessary evidence to record the absence.
(Page 87)
61. Medical evidence for recording absences should only be needed in a minority of cases (see code I). Where a pupil’s health need means they need reasonable adjustments or support because it is complex or long term, schools can seek medical evidence to better understand the needs of the pupil and identify the most suitable provision in line with the statutory guidance in supporting pupils at school with medical conditions or arranging education for children who cannot attend school because of health needs
(Page 24)
DfE guidance also states 'In instances of long-term or repeated absences for the same reason, however, seeking medical evidence may be appropriate to assist in assessing whether the child requires additional support to help them to attend more regularly, and whether the illness is likely to prevent the child from attending for extended periods.
(page 10)
and in further DfE guidance it states: ' If you are asked to provide evidence this does not need to be a letter from your doctor or consultant, and doctors will not usually provide such letters. It can, instead, be appointment cards, prescriptions, or notes of previous consultations (including from the NHS App).
A lack of written evidence must not prevent the right support being put in place or the absence being authorised if you can demonstrate your child was, or is, unable to attend, or is awaiting treatment. If you are asked for evidence you cannot provide, a conversation between the school, child and parent can help to resolve the issue.' (page 2)
Check your Local Authority’s code of practice for school attendance or your school’s attendance policy and see what medical evidence they state will be accepted, for example Birmingham City Council suggest the following forms of evidence are acceptable:
- Medical appointment card with one appointment entered.
- Letter from a professional such as a hospital Consultant or Psychologist.
- Evidence of a consultation with NHS 111.
- Medication prescribed by a GP.
- Copy of prescription.
- Print screen of medical notes.
- Letters concerning hospital appointments.
- Slip with date, pupils name and surgery stamp, signed by Receptionist.
You need to focus on reporting illness as a reason for absence as that is a legally valid reason/defence for the absences. Many people say that their child is too unwell to attend and you can add that the illness relates to unmet needs, bullying or mental health if you feel that is relevant. You could describe the physical or mental health related symptoms you have observed. Do not say they are 'refusing to attend', as that will be interpreted as bad behaviour or weak parenting and will not be authorised.
When a child or young person is unable to attend school that is happening because something is wrong and most commonly that will be a problem within the school environment. The child or young person is not lazy, disrespectful or manipulating people, they are struggling and parents and professionals need to figure out why. Something is causing the child to be distressed and creating a barrier stopping them from attending and coping within the school environment. Being curious about the situation and having open and honest conversations with the child or young person about their worries and concerns can provide valuable insight into what is triggering their anxiety and distress. Understanding these triggers and fears will help parents and professionals to better address the child or young person’s specific needs.
Some children and young people struggle to talk about their feelings so parents need to choose a time and place when everyone is calm and there is privacy and no time pressure. Parents may need to try a low demand approach such as texting, going for a drive in the car, or walking the dog. Where possible they should use open questions (i.e., questions where the answer is not a simple ‘yes’ or ‘no’). They should try an active listening approach, where they are paying full attention to the child’s words, facial expressions and body language and show that they are listening by confirming their understanding with their child (i.e., repeat back to them, in their own words, what they have understood). Parents should not dismiss or minimise their child’s feelings, they should acknowledge and express empathy for the child’s opinions about school, even if they do not agree with them. Parents should reassure their child that they believe what they are saying and that they will work together to overcome their child’s concerns about school. Parents should keep in mind that sometimes children don’t want to discuss their situation out of fear that they will be made to go to school if they do open up and share their thoughts.
Parents may need to accept that their child may not be able to explain why they cannot attend, as adults we assume that there’s a reason why things happen, and we like to try and problem-solve. The problem with barriers to attendance is that often children can’t identify why they can’t go to school, they just find that they can’t. For adults this is hugely frustrating, but many children can’t explain it and they might feel very guilty or frustrated that they cannot answer your questions. Whilst this won’t help with assessments and diagnoses, if parents can accept that their child doesn’t know why and reassure them that they won’t keep asking, then that might remove some of the stress at home.
A parents response will be guided by whether they believe their child can't do something or won't do something. Parents need to decide whether they believe that their child’s absence from school is driven by their response to overwhelming difficulties (unmet needs, stressors or skills deficits) preventing them from attending, or whether they believe their child is making a choice to be disobedient or defiant and choosing not to attend. If the answer is that the child is responding to overwhelming difficulties, the appropriate response will be to identify and understand what the overwhelming difficulties are (i.e the barriers) and to try to resolve or remove those barriers. There is a range of tools and resources designed to help you do this and some examples are:
- How to Get to the Heart of Your Child's Issues https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1nS33IzrdzQ
- Getting to Why Ideas https://www.pookyknightsmith.com/guide-getting-to-why-ideas-for-asking-and-listening/
- School Anxiety Journal Prompts https://www.pookyknightsmith.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/School-Anxiety-Journal-Prompts.pdf
- Feelings Trigger Tracker https://www.pookyknightsmith.com/download-feelings-trigger-tracker
- School stress survey: https://img1.wsimg.com/blobby/go/a41082e1-5561-438b-a6a2-16176f7570e9/downloads/School%20Stress%20Survey.pdf?ver=1657641132397
- Children’s Anxiety & Depression Scale https://www.corc.uk.net/outcome-experience-measures/revised-childrens-anxiety-and-depression-scale-rcads/
- TWINKL Anxiety & Stress Activity Pack https://www.twinkl.co.uk/resource/anxiety-and-stress-activity-pack-t2-p-628
- School Refusal Assessment Scale https://schoolavoidance.org/school-avoidance-101/#assessment-scale
- Lancashire EBSA Guidance Toolkit – Appendix D Card Sort; Appendix E Mapping the Landscape of Your School https://www.lancashire.gov.uk/media/930428/september-2022-ebsa-guidance-toolkit.pdf
- Strengths & Difficulties Questionnaire https://www.sdqinfo.org/py/sdqinfo/b3.py?language=Englishqz(UK)
- ELSA Support EBSA resources https://www.elsa-support.co.uk/ebsa-emotionally-based-school-avoidance/
- Be Happy ‘School and Me toolkit https://www.behappyresources.co.uk/school-and-me
- My School by Elemental Health https://www.canva.com/design/DAF_H9k1eK0/IhVbhmU9-o-pCLtisbq6hg/view?utm_content=DAF_H9k1eK0&utm_campaign=designshare&utm_medium=link&utm_source=editor#1
- School Anxiety Triggers by Autism NI
- https://autismni.org/assets/resources/education-resources/school-anxiety-triggers-PDF.pdf
- Angels EBSA Tool https://angelssupportgroup.org.uk/emotionally-based-school-absence-tool/
- Mapping the Landscape - Secondary https://lbhflearningpartnership.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Document-4.D-Mapping-the-Landscape-Secondary.pdf
- Mapping the Landscape - Primary https://westfieldsjuniorschool.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/Landscape-of-Fear-Primary.pdf
These tools offer opportunities to reflect upon the child’s strengths and difficulties in 3 key aspects of school
- The Environment (sensory impact, safety, belonging)
- The People (relationships, friendships, bullying, acceptance, knowledge, attitudes)
- The Education/School work (ability, understanding, learning needs, relevance, interest)
It could be helpful to consider the child’s experiences, strengths and difficulties and needs in the four areas of Special Educational Needs (SEND Code of Practice DfE/DoH, 2015)
- Communicating and interacting – for example, where children and young people have speech, language and communication difficulties which make it difficult for them to make sense of language or to understand how to communicate effectively and appropriately with others
- Cognition and learning – for example, where children and young people learn at a slower pace than others their age, have difficulty in understanding parts of the curriculum, have difficulties with organisation and memory skills, or have a specific difficulty affecting one particular part of their learning performance such as in literacy or numeracy
- Social, emotional and mental health difficulties – for example, where children and young people have difficulty in managing their relationships with other people, are withdrawn or isolated, as well as displaying challenging, disruptive or disturbing behaviour, These behaviours may reflect underlying mental health difficulties such as anxiety or depression, self-harming, substance misuse, eating disorders or physical symptoms that are medically unexplained.
- Sensory and/or physical needs – for example, children and young people with visual and/or hearing impairments, or a physical need that means they must have additional ongoing support and equipment.
Some Questions to reflect upon:
- Why is my child so unhappy in school?
- Why doesn’t my child feel safe in school?
- Why doesn’t my child feel like they belong in their school?
- What does my child’s behaviour tell me about their experiences at school?
- What are the negative aspects of school for my child?
- What are the positive aspects of school for my child?
- When my child was happy in school what was different to now?
- How does my child react/cope in environments outside of school? - what is different in those environments?
- What have I observed about my child’s development that might be impacting upon them in school?
- What factors trigger my child’s emotional responses (anger, anxiety, frustration, sadness, joy)?
- What factors could be influencing my child’s response to the school environment? (e.g. puberty, sleep, feeling safe, friendships, social media, neurodivergence, autistic burnout, academic pressure, performance expectations related to future plans, bullying, sensorial difficulties, executive functioning, travelling, trauma, uniform, behaviour policies and sanctions, poverty related issues, issues with school staff, reactions/questions about absence, sense of belonging, physical illness/discomfort, subject/curriculum related issues, separation anxiety, homework pressure, SEND/learning difficulties, caring responsibilities)
- Improve the support your child is receiving at their current school
Asking your current school to provide SEND/Pastoral Support or alternative provision & make reasonable adjustments including a part time timetable or uniform/behaviour policy adjustments. Check the school is following their own policies and DfE guidance/legislation.
IPSEA - How should your nursery school or college help
- Applying for an EHCP/EOTAS
IPSEA -Education Health and Care Plans
- Deregistering and Home Educating
EDUCATION OTHERWISE
- Explore options offered at local colleges for 14-16 year olds (if appropriate)
HE EXAMS - College for 14-16 year olds
Search for courses in your local area
- Requesting alternative provision under Section 19 of the Education Act 1996
(Explore the Alternative Provision directory and/or Local Offer on your local authority website to find out about local provision)
IPSEA - Asking the LA to arrange alternative education
- Moving to a different school in your local area (arranging it yourself or through a Managed Move)
CONTACT - FINDING THE RIGHT SCHOOL
CHILD LAW ADVICE - MANAGED MOVES
- A Private/Independent School setting/provision
- Online school (self-funded or as Alternative Provision)
- Self-directed Learning
PROGRESSIVE EDUCATION - SELF DIRECTED LEARNING
- Flexischooling
PROGRESSIVE EDUCATION - FLEXISCHOOLING
Remember
If your child is unable to access a school-based education you can provide an education/educational opportunities at home using:
Online resources (websites, online schools, courses, mentoring, Youtube, education platforms)
Paper-based resources (books, magazines, workbooks)
Life experience (e.g. shopping, cooking, gardening, trips out and travel, conversations, practical experiences, play)
Hobbies and interests (projects, self-directed learning)
Tutors (face-to-face and online)
It is recommended that you read the EHE guidelines for your UK country, to understand your rights and responsibilities:
Explore these websites:
Education can be linked to everyday life and activities - reading books, discussing a film/documentary/the news, going for a walk and taking photos of flora and fauna and learning about that, looking at family and local history, going out on visits to places of interest, learning about weights and measures whilst cooking, learning about banking, budgeting, money handling, best supermarket deals, helping with a DIY project, gardening. There is education in all those things. Over time, your provision will develop as you learn to recognise the educational value in all activities.
Talk to your child -- what do THEY want to learn, try, what direction do they want to go in (and over time in HE this can often change). This is THEIR education. Most home educators see themselves as facilitators rather than teachers. Many home educators will find themselves learning alongside their child(ren).
Facebook support groups such as Home Education For All (H.E.F.A) UK are there to support (knowledgeable admin, extensive guides to get you started and refer back to, links to local HE groups, resource lists and much more).
Once you deregister the LA will be in contact at some point - the important thing is to understand your rights and responsibilities. You do not have to have visits, calls, zooms, show your child’s work. It is recommended that you keep to contact in writing with the LA
You don’t have to:
Replicate school
Use tutors
Follow the National Curriculum
Have specific programmes of work
Have plans
Have timetables
Take exams
Most local areas have thriving home ed communities and we strongly recommend you search them out. Your local groups will be invaluable sources of support.
If your child is close to taking exams, we strongly advise you to speak with the school. Exams in HE work differently and you may not be able to take the same exams or get registered at an exam centre in time. It's important to understand that there is no financial support or access to tutoring, you are responsible for all costs, sourcing resources etc.
England/Wales - mainstream school, you need to send a letter of instruction to the Head of the school.
SEND schools (via an EHCP) and Scottish schools - you need to request the consent of your local authority. Consent should not be unreasonably withheld.
Template letters are available from home education websites such as Education Otherwise and Educational Freedom
Schools are expected to have a process that provides a safeguarding response to children who are absent from school, particularly on repeat occasions and/or for prolonged periods so you need to try to facilitate their request to see your child. The school or local authority staff will be following a policy or procedure set out by the local authority in response to DfE guidance about keeping children safe. This can include turning up at your home without prior arrangement or notification although some local policies do state that this is not considered to be 'good practice'.
You do not have to let school or local authority staff into your home. You need to say that you want to work with them but you also need to protect your child's welfare and they need to recognise that the way they manage the visit will have an impact upon your child.
You could ask them to explain why they think a visit to your home is necessary - do they have any specific concerns about your child’s safety or welfare? If you have been in regular contact with the school, remind them of that with the details of who you have spoken to.
You could suggest that they see your child in a way that they can cope with and that will respect your child’s need for their home to remain a safe space, so that might involve the child looking out of the window while the staff are outside, it may mean meeting them in a place away from the home or meeting online via Teams or Zoom.
If your child has seen another professional (e.g., GP, nurse, consultant, therapist, tutor) recently you can suggest that the professional confirms that your child is well and safe instead of having the school do the visit.
So much of the problem for parents in locating appropriate support in school is around a lack of awareness, recognition and understanding about barriers to education. In addition schools and teaching staff are facing huge pressures from funding cuts, increasing admin, attainment targets and there is a real spotlight on managing attendance from the DfE and Ofsted. Building a good working relationship between family and school as soon as possible has to be helpful if attendance barriers are to be removed or resolved effectively.
It can be helpful if parents find an ally in the system- someone who clearly empathises with their child and understands school absence not as bad behaviour but an expression that something is wrong that needs to be resolved, not ignored, or undermined through the use of punishment or reward. This needs to be someone who has the power to make decisions and arrange interventions that will be followed by other members of staff.
WORKING RELATIONSHIPS – Parents generally need to aim to be more professional than the professionals (yes, frustrating we know) - Calm, respectful and responsive to other people’s ideas, Parents will need to try to develop a good working relationship with others – to aim for honesty, respect, openness – share concerns, hopes and aspirations – aim for realistic goals and removing barriers. If the working relationship goes wrong, then an informal mediation-style approach might work, perhaps with a third party helping to find a way through.
EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATION
To identify specific concerns or challenges their child is facing, parents will need to request a meeting at school and share observations and discuss possible influences/barriers such as friendship issues, learning difficulties, sensorial issues, bullying, travel to/from school and how they can be addressed. Parents will need to:
- Gather information – notes, letters, reports
- Set clear goals for your conversation with the school staff member– what do you hope to achieve from the meeting?
- Listen to the school staff member’s opinions and observations
- Highlight strategies that have worked at home or in other environments
- Expect to be recognised and valued as the expert on your child – coproduction is the aim
- Discuss support options - offer suggestions and ask what the school staff member’s thoughts are
- Expect to create a Collaborative Personalised Action Plan
- ‘Think outside the box’, be open minded,
- Expect the school to adopt a ‘doing with’ not ‘doing to’ approach
- Try to use positive, constructive language, avoiding blame and anger
- Expect to set realistic, achievable and measurable goals for your child's progress, don’t make goals fixed or rigid
- Agree on regular check-ins and updates on your child's progress
- Agree how you and the school staff member will keep in touch –
- home/school books
- online apps
- face-to-face meetings
- Zoom/Teams meetings
- Telephone calls
- If you do not hear back from the school staff member as agreed, talk to the next people in the chain of command – head of year, SENCO, deputy head, headteacher – follow the school’s policy for making complaints if necessary.
- Follow up any verbal conversations with an email summarising the main points discussed.
- Don’t assume that something will happen because someone said it, be prepared to chase it up and make it happen
- Copy additional people into emails
NAVIGATING MEETINGS & CONVERSATIONS
- Read up on the relevant government guidance documents that schools should be referring to and refer to them as necessary.
- Parents might find it helpful to contact IPSEA / SOSSEN / Contact helplines for advice before the meeting.
- Read the school’s policies for SEND, ATTENDANCE, BEHAVIOUR, BULLYING, SUPPORTING PUPILS WITH MEDICAL NEEDS and any other relevant topics, check that they are following their own policies in the way they are responding to your child's needs.
- Make a list of items that need to be covered, consider emailing this prior to the meeting.
- Listen to your own instincts and think about what you want to achieve from the meeting.
- Provide evidence for all your points.
- Consider negotiating an agenda with timings for items before the meeting
- Keep in mind that a child’s anxiety must be treated/reduced and that is a health issue. The school needs to put educational (social, emotional and mental health) support in place. Only then will things improve. Don't let them try to put all the responsibility for improvement or action on you.
- Arrange to take an advocate / representative so that there is a witness, they will also help everyone stay calm. This could be a friend or family member or a representative from SENDIASS or similar service/charity.
- Write down, or ask your child to write down, their feelings and opinions - to represent their voice during the meeting
- Smile and be assertive
- Talk clearly and calmly - Lower your voice and breathe, talk from your core
- Try to avoid becoming emotional (but do take some tissues)
- Be honest, genuine and be yourself – as a parent you have a valid contribution to make as an equal partner in the meeting
- No swearing or aggressive behaviour
- Maintain your professionalism – keep your cool
- Ask people to call you by your name if they refer to you as ‘mum’ or ‘dad’
- Be realistic about what can be achieved in the meeting
- Ensure that you have clearly understood what is being said to you, if not, ask for points to be repeated and clarified.
- Make notes or take someone with you to take notes.
- Remember, the school won’t have all the answers, they may not know what to do either, let them admit this.
- Agree an action plan with responsibilities for all parties.
- Do not agree to anything you are unsure about/feel is unachievable. ask for time to consider and seek advice on any points of concern.
- Don’t blame yourself, it's not a problem you have caused. Don’t feel stupid if the school makes each solution they present sound so easy to achieve. It really can be hard, and those solutions might not suit your child so be brave and say no.
- You may find it helpful to ask why? when told that something cannot be done or told that you have to do something that feels wrong - ask for references to the relevant research, theory, or literature that have been consulted, or policies, guidance or legislation that has been followed by the professional who is recommending a course of action, so that you can understand the thinking behind it.
- Explore all options – Do you need to apply for an EHCP or EOTAS or alternative provision? Have the school involved the Educational Psychologist & consulted the Local Authority Attendance Support Team & local offer for options.
- At the end of the meeting check that everyone is clear about what has been agreed – confirm your understanding, ‘So, let me just clarify, we have agreed to……’
- Ask for minutes of the meeting and challenge any inaccuracies if necessary / alternatively write your own to reflect what was agreed
The feedback from parents tells us that the involvement of Early Help can be either a positive or negative experience which largely depends upon the early help worker you are allocated and their approach, attitudes, experience, knowledge and training. It really will be 'pot luck' for you whether your involvement with early help is beneficial or problematic. Remember that Early Help is provided on a voluntary basis so if things do not work out you can decline their involvement. Further information can be found here Family Rights Group
The DfE guidance sets out the principles of part-time timetables.
A part-time timetable might refer to an agreed period of time where the child is allowed to be away from school for part of the school week.
All children of compulsory school age are entitled by law to an efficient, full-time education suitable to their age, aptitude and any special educational need they may have. It is the legal responsibility of all parents/carers to ensure their child receives that education by full-time attendance at school or otherwise.
In very exceptional circumstances, however, where it is in a pupil’s best interests, a plan to help a child to attend well may involve the use of a temporary part-time timetable to meet their individual needs. For example, where a medical condition (including a mental health condition) prevents a pupil from attending school full-time and a part-time timetable is considered as part of a re-integration package.
A medical condition might include a mental health condition, however schools should keep in mind the nature of the challenge, and whether it can instead be managed by implementing reasonable adjustments to support attendance, as outlined above.
Any part-time timetable should seek to maximise face-to-face school time as much as possible. Schools should consider providing remote education to help pupils stay on track with the education they would normally receive. Any remote education should only be considered if the pupil is well enough and able to learn and should be given in line with the guidance providing remote education: guidance for schools.
Any part-time timetable arrangements should be designed with the specific barrier to attendance in mind, have a time limit by which point the pupil is expected to attend fulltime, (either at school or at an alternative provision setting), and have formal arrangements in place for regularly reviewing the timetable with the pupil and their parents/carers.
The effective practice examples demonstrate how utilisation of a temporary part-time timetable can help to improve a pupil’s attendance over time.
In agreeing to a part-time timetable, the school, parents/carers and pupil have agreed to the pupil being absent from school for part of the week or day, and therefore must treat absence as “absence with leave” (a type of authorised absence).
A part-time timetable must not be used to manage a pupil’s behaviour. Guidance and further support with managing mental health and pupil behaviour is also available.
A part-time timetable may also refer to full attendance at school, but with different arrangements for the attendance of lessons. This is also a valid option and example of a reasonable adjustment (see the effective practice examples for more detail). We would encourage school staff to consider the same principles outlined in this section for this type of arrangement (i.e. for it to be regularly reviewed, agreed by all parties, building back up to full time spent in classes, etc.). ‘ (page 11) https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/1136965/Summary_of_responsibilities_where_a_mental_health_issue_is_affecting_attendance.pdf
The new DfE statutory guidance which came into effect on August 19th 2024 states:
66. A part-time timetable should:
• Have the agreement of both the school and the parent the pupil normally lives with.
• Have a clear ambition and be part of the pupil’s wider support, health care or reintegration plan.
• Have regular review dates which include the pupil and their parents to ensure it is only in place for the shortest time necessary.
• Have a proposed end date that takes into account the circumstances of the pupil, after which the pupil is expected to attend full-time, either at school or alternative provision. It can, however, be extended as part of the regular review process. In some limited cases, a pupil with a long-term health condition may require a part-time timetable for a prolonged period. (page 25)
If you encounter any difficulties with negotiating for a part-time timetable
You could ask the school to read this article about part-time timetables
You could try using the DfE Contact form to ask them to confirm their position on part-time timetables then hopefully you can use their response as evidence when discussing things with the school.
Your school can also implement a flexi schooling arrangement with you if that feels appropriate. https://www.progressiveeducation.org/flexischooling-a-case-for-enabling-more-children-to-go-to-school-less-often-by-sarah-sudea/
The DfE does not insist part-time timetables are time limited and they can be ongoing if the child is managing and the arrangement is appropriate and working for them.
You may need to respond by asking the school staff to consider how they are evaluating your child’s wellbeing and what signs they are seeing and interpreting to determine whether your child is ‘fine’.
Ask them to reflect upon the reasons why your child’s behaviour and reactions might be different in school compared to at home and accept the possibility that your child is masking their distress while in school.
Ask whether they would reflect upon the possibility they are making assumptions about your child and consider whether those assumptions are justified and valid.
It seems relevant to highlight that DfE guidance states: ‘School staff are not expected to diagnose mental health conditions or perform mental health interventions’ (page 4) https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/1136965/Summary_of_responsibilities_where_a_mental_health_issue_is_affecting_attendance.pdf
The SEND Code of Practice also states:
‘All those who work with children and young people should be alert to emerging difficulties and respond early. In particular, parents know their children best and it is important that all professionals listen and understand when parents express concerns about their child’s development. They should also listen to and address any concerns raised by children and young people themselves.’ (page 95) https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/5a7dcb85ed915d2ac884d995/SEND_Code_of_Practice_January_2015.pdf
According to the DfE guidance schools are expected to consider a range of support options that are applicable whether or not your child is in school, including meeting with you to explore and understand the reasons why your child struggles with attending, then arranging appropriate SEND, medical or pastoral assessments and support; making reasonable adjustments to their expectations, policies and provision (including the use of part time timetables); applying for an EHCP if applicable; making or supporting referrals to local alternative provisions or educational/therapeutic services including educational psychologists, speech and language therapists, school nurses and specialist teaching services; referring your child for alternative provision arranged by the local authority under section 19 of the education act 1996 (check out your Local Offer on the local authority website to see what is available)
Also look at
Also check and consider whether the school is following their own policies in regard to anything relevant such as attendance, bullying, SEND support and supporting pupils with medical needs.
The SEND Code of Practice states that when a school identifies an emerging issue, including mental health issues, they should not delay putting support in place and that support should be provided from an early stage, whether or not the child has a specific diagnosis.
If a child has SEN, their school needs to use its best endeavours – that means to do its very best – to give the child the support they need. That could include getting advice and support from specialists outside the school.
A school should always involve a specialist where a child continues to make little or no progress or where they continue to work at levels substantially below those expected of pupils of a similar age despite evidence-based SEN support delivered by appropriately trained staff. Such specialist services include, but are not limited to:
- Educational psychologists
- Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS)
- Specialist teachers or support services, including specialist teachers with a mandatory qualification for children with hearing and vision impairment , including multi-sensory impairment, and for those with a physical disability.
- Therapists (including speech and language therapists, occupational therapists and physiotherapists),
Since the DfE guidance was updated in 2024 schools have a legal duty to submit certain data to the local authority and this includes:
‘Sickness returns: providing the local authority with the full name and address of all pupils of compulsory school age who have been recorded with code I (illness) and who the school has reasonable grounds to believe will miss 15 days consecutively or cumulatively because of sickness. Only one sickness return is required for a continuous period of sickness in a school year. This is to help the school and local authority to agree any provision needed to ensure continuity of education for pupils who cannot attend because of health needs, in line with the statutory guidance on arranging education for children who cannot attend school because of health needs.’
What support has the school provided for your child?
You will need to keep a record and paper trail of all the times you have asked school staff for help and the responses you received. Relevant questions are:
- Has the school SENCO been involved?
- Has the school conducted a Graduated Response or written a SEN support record, an Individual Education Plan or Individual Healthcare Plan
- Has the school offered a reduced timetable/amended curriculum/alternative provision/SEND assessments/counselling/pastoral support/reasonable adjustments?
- How did the school respond to any letters from your GP/Consultant/CAMHS?
- How did the school respond to your reports of concerns about your child?
- How did the school respond to your child’s actions, requests, or opinions?
- Is your child seeing any other professionals through referrals made by the school?
- Is the school complying with the details of your child’s EHCP?
- Has the school informed the local authority about your child’s absence and requested alternative provision under section 19 of the Education Act 1996?
Forcing a child to attend school will often result in trauma and long-term damage, particularly if the underlying causes of the child’s anxiety have not been identified. Many parents experience the default systemic response which is expectation and pressure to force attendance in the hope that the child will learn that he/she can cope with school. This is connected to a range of often-held beliefs within society, such as anxiety is a ‘normal’ experience and that building resilience is part of growing up and children must learn to face their fears in order to be able to deal with life’s difficulties. There can also be an assumption that parents of children who struggle to attend school need to have firmer boundaries, or that parents who do not insist on their child’s attendance at school do not value their education. There can also be a belief that children need to learn that in life we will all need to do things we don’t like. In some cases, these beliefs and approaches can be relevant, especially if anxiety is mild and is related to a one-off event or temporary difficulty. However, any assumption that a child’s fear is irrational fails to acknowledge that it is the environment that is the issue - not the child and some fears are rational and could become a reality (e.g., experiences of bullying, academic failure, or sensorial discomfort).
Many children are being described as being ‘fine in school', when in reality they are not ‘fine’, as they often mask or internalise their distress while in school and only appear fine to those that fail to recognise the true nature of their response. Most children do WANT to attend school however their difficulties and anxiety have become overwhelming. They and their parents care about their education and want to succeed; however, they need understanding and support at home and at school. Children may need adjustments to their daily routines, timetables, or even their school environment and educational provision.
Pressures to focus on attendance rather than the child’s needs can make things even harder to fix in the longer-term. Almost half (45.5%) of the 1,661 respondents in the NFIS Attendance Difficulties survey (May 2018) stated that they had forced their child to attend school as they felt under pressure to do so; in addition, 21.2% felt under this pressure but refused to force attendance. When asked if the use of force was helpful in resolving their child’s anxiety, 36% of parents said ‘no’, and 59.1% said it had made things much worse. Only 0.4% of parents thought force helped and 4.5% thought it might have helped.
This approach fails to identify the underlying triggers for the child which should then be addressed to support the child.
It assumes the problem is within-child, rather than within the school environment.
It places all of the blame and pressure on the child and their family, which is why it is the ‘go to’ resolution for schools as they do not have to take any responsibility or spend any money.
The desensitisation process needs to be carefully set up and monitored by someone who is professionally trained to know how to do it in a safe and child-led way. Without this expertise it is likely the child will not get the support they need to cope with the desensitisation process.
It is common for parents to be told that when a child stops going to school they should make life at home less fun, that they should remove access to the things the child enjoys and to stop them doing activities they enjoy or going out to meet friends. Parents often find themselves under pressure from professionals, family members and friends when they are criticised for ‘being too soft’ or for ‘not enforcing appropriate boundaries’. There might be the expectation that parents attend parenting courses to learn how to manage their child’s behaviour because they are not conforming with the expectations of our society. These responses can trigger feelings of shame, guilt, embarrassment, frustration and anger for children and parents who feel judged and trapped between ‘a rock and a hard place’.
Some thoughts to consider:
There's a reason the child or young person can't attend school and punishment won't change that.
Parents should not punish a child or young person for something they have no control over, instead they need to respond to difficult behaviour with love, patience, compassion and empathy.
Parents can take everything away but the child still won't be able to go to school because something about school is still troubling them and influencing their ability to attend. The adults need to focus on resolving or removing that something troubling about school.
Punishment for something the child or young person cannot control will cause trauma and damage relationships between child and parents and other family members.
A more appropriate approach is to believe that the child is doing their best during a really tough time. To celebrate their successes with them, show them how loved they are, help them find joy in life and do fun things that help to repair their confidence and rebuild their self-esteem.
There is an expectation that 16 - 18 year olds remain in education, training or employment however as they are over compulsory school age there are no fines/penalties if they do not do any of those things, the only things that happen are that the local authority might get in touch to ask what they are doing and the young person will be classed as NEET if they are not in employment, education or training, and you could lose any benefits that are linked to your child being in full time education.
Other options are home education, self directed learning, volunteering, self-employment, supported internships, alternative qualifications https://he-exams.fandom.com/wiki/Category:Alternative_Qualifications
Your local authority should have a careers support advisor, either in house or traded service, they probably have a NEET team that could be worth contacting if you want support. The Prince’s Trust is worth looking at to see if there’s anything suitable and available near you.
Your feelings might be influenced by a range of experiences and emotions including:
Coping with the uncertainty of the ‘will they go to school?’ or ‘will the support they need be provided?” concerns each day.
Navigating the barriers - the frustration, stress and the worry, the admin and the tricky interactions, understanding the processes and requirements, contending with waiting lists, delays and problems.
Navigating the blame and judgement of others
Isolation (Understanding that it is not only your child or family that are experiencing these difficulties and making contact with others who understand what it is like).
Recognising the help you need is not available within the systems (knowing when to step away and to try something else) https://itmustbemum.wordpress.com/2017/05/27/know-when-to-stop-flogging-the-dead-horse/
Trauma: https://www.mobiliseonline.co.uk/coping-with-trauma-as-a-carer
Frustration if your child is reluctant to engage with help and support, refuses to try things you suggest, is reluctant to talk about their difficulties or refuses to attend meetings or appointments.
HOW TO COPE:
Ask for Help - Reach out to trusted adults/friends or mental health professionals when you need support.
Charities and services that could help:
Parenting Mental Health https://www.parentingmentalhealth.org
Samaritans https://www.samaritans.org
Contact’s Listening Ear https://contact.org.uk/help-for-families/listening-ear/
Young Minds https://www.youngminds.org.uk
Hub of Hope https://hubofhope.co.uk
Kooth https://www.kooth.com
Qwell https://www.qwell.io
Affinity Hub https://www.affinityhub.uk
Family Hubs https://www.gov.uk/find-family-hub-local-area
Social Prescribing https://services.thejoyapp.com/
Choose your battles wisely - identify your priorities
Recognition of your efforts - be proud of what you have achieved in supporting your child.
Being a good enough parent is ok - Don’t stress about being a ‘perfect parent’ you don't have to get everything right and you don’t have to raise perfect children. Parents often think they have failed if their children don’t go to school but blaming yourself is not helpful and you haven’t failed if you are listening to your child and trying to understand and support their feelings and difficulties.
Try not to take things personally when things go wrong or there is criticism of your child, family or parenting (easier said than done!). Don't be surprised when/if you are lied to, blamed, gaslit and manipulated -. Unfortunately these are common experiences when navigating systemic responses for a variety of reasons including the imbalance of power between parents and professionals https://itmustbemum.wordpress.com/2017/04/12/the-imbalance-of-power/
Learn Coping Skills: to manage stress and regulate emotions. This may include engaging in creative activities., deep breathing exercises, mindfulness, journaling, listening to music or singing
Encourage your child to engage in self care activities - that promote relaxation and emotional well-being, such as mindfulness, exercise and being outside in nature, sport, gaming or other hobbies.
Engage in self care activities yourself- schedule ‘Me Time’ and stick to it, focus on healthy eating, good sleep, dancing, exercise, mindfulness, being outside/in nature, reading, arrange meet-ups with friends, hobbies,
Can you and your child do some wellbeing activities together? - Use these times to talk about how your child feels, how their day has gone or what they would like to do differently tomorrow. Try to remain in the present in these conversations, only focusing day by day. Looking too many days ahead can be overwhelming which can add to their anxiety.
Speak to your GP if your own health and wellbeing is a concern, they might prescribe medication or refer you for therapy or counselling
Social Prescribing https://services.thejoyapp.com/
Try Counselling/Therapy to help you process your emotions and the impact of navigating your child’s difficulties
https://www.youngminds.org.uk/parent/parents-a-z-mental-health-guide/counselling-and-therapy/
https://www.counselling-directory.org.uk/
https://neurodivergentpractitioners.org/