Attendance and transitions

Find the difficult part

Explore the journey, arrival, particular lessons, relationships, sensory demands and recovery after school. Listen to the pupil and family without turning absence into a single explanation. Bullying, health, transport and anxiety require different responses. Follow attendance and safeguarding procedures alongside support.

Make the next step concrete

Agree who will meet the pupil, where they go first and what happens if the plan becomes difficult. Rehearse relevant transitions where helpful. Ensure adults know the same plan. Any reduced timetable requires appropriate agreement, review and compliance with current guidance; it should not drift into indefinite loss of education.

A transition example

Before moving to secondary school, practise a realistic route between two rooms and show where to request help. Include the pupil’s questions about lunch, peers and belongings, rather than only giving a building tour. Share specific successful supports with receiving staff and check them after transfer.

Review access as well as attendance

Record participation, time in learning, recovery and the pupil’s experience. Improved attendance with sustained distress may require a change in support. Revisit the explanation when a plan does not help, and coordinate with relevant professionals where barriers remain substantial.

Further reading

EEF: Special Educational Needs in Mainstream Schools · SEND Code of Practice

General guidance for school staff. Apply professional judgement, current school policies and advice based on the individual pupil’s circumstances.