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Evidence Guide
13 min read

School Attendance

When getting to school becomes the hardest part of the day. What can sit underneath attendance difficulties, how families and schools can work on it together, and what the guidance actually expects.

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Reading time
13 min read
Age range
All primary (EYFS–KS2)
Evidence level
Moderate
An adult's hand gently holding a young child's hand in soft natural light.
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Framing the need

Attendance difficulty is a symptom, not a category of need. The task is to understand what lies underneath — anxiety, sensory experience, unmet learning or communication needs, relationships, health, or circumstances at home — and to respond to that.

DfE statutory attendance guidance asks schools to be particularly mindful of pupils absent because of mental or physical ill health or SEND, and to provide them with additional support. That sits alongside, not instead of, the SEND Code of Practice.

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Assess

  • Attendance and punctuality patterns: days, times, lessons, staff, events.
  • The child's own view, gathered in a way that suits them — drawing, scaling, choosing statements.
  • The parents' view, including what mornings are like and what the child says at home.
  • Staff observations of the school day, including unstructured times.
  • Learning, language and sensory profile: is anything going unmet?
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Plan and do

One named key adult

Someone the child trusts, who greets them, checks in and holds the plan.

Graded, agreed steps

Small, achievable steps back into school, agreed with the child and family, with a clear review date. Part-time timetables must be temporary and reviewed — DfE guidance is explicit on this.

Reasonable adjustments

Arrival arrangements, safe spaces, adjusted unstructured times, sensory adjustments, access to work pitched appropriately.

Joint plan with family

Written, shared and owned together — the EEF's evidence on parental partnership supports this kind of joint, specific approach.

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Review and escalation

Review against more than attendance percentage: time in school, distress levels, participation, and the child's and family's view. Where progress stalls, consider educational psychology, mental health support teams, school nursing, early help or CAMHS according to local pathways.

Keep the record

Clear records of the support offered, the child's views and the family's engagement protect everyone — and are what the statutory guidance expects before any formal attendance measures are considered.

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Evidence & sources

How confident is this evidence?

The legal and statutory framework is clear. The research on which specific approaches work best for emotionally based school avoidance is much thinner, and mostly comes from small studies and practice reports. What is consistent across DfE guidance, NICE and UK practice is the direction: early, relational, joined-up support rather than pressure alone. 'Emotionally based school avoidance' (EBSA) is a descriptive term used by schools and local authorities, not a diagnosis.

  1. Department for EducationStatutory guidance
    Working together to improve school attendance (Current edition)

    Statutory for schools, trusts and local authorities. Sets the expectation of a 'support first' approach: listen, understand barriers and work in partnership with families — with particular care for pupils absent because of mental or physical ill health or SEND.

  2. Department for EducationProfessional guidance
    Mental health issues affecting a pupil's attendance: guidance for schools (2023)

    Non-statutory summary of responsibilities and examples of effective practice where social, emotional or mental health issues are affecting attendance. Written for schools and for parents.

  3. Department for EducationStatutory guidance
    SEND Code of Practice: 0 to 25 years (2015)

    Sets out the graduated approach — assess, plan, do, review — which applies when a pupil's attendance difficulty reflects an underlying special educational need.

  4. National Institute for Health and Care ExcellenceProfessional guidance
    Social, emotional and mental wellbeing in primary and secondary education (NG223) (2022)

    Recommends a whole-school approach built on trusted relationships, and targeted support for children who need more.

  5. Education Endowment FoundationResearch summary
    Working with Parents to Support Children's Learning — guidance report

    Evidence on building effective, respectful partnerships with families — relevant because attendance difficulties are almost always solved jointly.

  6. NHSProfessional guidance
    Children and young people's mental health — advice for parents

    Plain-English advice for families, including anxiety and how to seek help through a GP or local mental health services.

  7. Anna FreudProfessional guidance
    Resources for schools and colleges

    Free UK materials on whole-school approaches to mental health, including attendance and anxiety.

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Supporting Families
Looking for a parent-friendly version of School Attendance?

The Kind Learner Space has this guide in plain English for families — the same evidence, translated for home.

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Where to go next.

A calm handful of next steps — not a checklist. Follow whichever thread is most useful right now.

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A plain-English version parents and carers can read at home — same evidence, warmer language.

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Emotional wellbeing, relationships, regulation, anxiety, trauma and belonging.

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