Help attending school

“Every child should leave school being able to read and write, and to have received any additional support they need to thrive into their adult lives.”  - Children’s Commissioner 2022

Good attendance at school is really important for all children and young people. It has been shown that there is a clear link between high attendance and educational outcomes, leading to better life opportunities and the best results that an individual can achieve. 

There are also other benefits to young people’s wellbeing such as

• nurturing long-lasting friendships
• engaging in new activities
• enabling young people to be able to develop in a supportive environment

Sometimes children can be reluctant to attend school. Talk to your child’s school if this happens. They can offer practical ideas and will work with you and your child to improve attendance. The school can also help to signpost you to other services that can help your child.

If you believe that your child has any additional needs, you may want to speak to the SENDCO at the school and see if they can offer help and support.

Tell the school when your child is too unwell to attend. You will also be required to provide a note explaining the absence when your child returns.

If your child is anxious about attending

If your child has any worries or concerns, speak to the school as they can refer to other agencies to help your child. 

Some of the resources on the Children's Commissioner website can help.

There might be times when you or your child would benefit from extra help and support. 

You can find out about the early help offer in North Somerset on our dedicated webpage. For some services you can self refer, or you can ask the school to make a referral on your behalf.

In Keeping with the Department for Education’s statutory guidance, “Working Together to improve school attendance”, we take a “support first” approach. This is to ensure that children are given the right support at the right time. 

We expect all parties to engage proactively to address attendance concerns before we will consider legal sanctions.