School Attendance
Research shows that children who attend school regularly are likely to be more successful. Missing school, for whatever reason, obviously leads to gaps in their knowledge that become difficult to fill and can lead in turn to behaviour which is not acceptable or productive. Only the school can authorise absence. If a child is missing from school they may be putting themselves at risk of being a victim or a perpetrator of crime. They are also missing out on their educational opportunities.
Although schools are usually the first to note problems with school attendance, they may not always be able to provide an acceptable solution. If, in spite of their efforts, a pattern of irregular attendance is continuing or getting worse, schools may decide that other agencies or professionals need to become involved. We have a great deal of experience dealing with both schools and LEAs in connection with attendance issues. We also have a range of resources, techniques and proven strategies to offer parents, teachers, schools, LEAs and other professionals in this area. We can act as consultants or we can become directly involved with either the school or the pupil concerned, as required. In this type of situation we would recommend certain actions for all parties involved, as well as becoming directly involved in implementing a range of interventions with the student.