This module draws on the DfE's statutory guidance Working together to improve school attendance, which distinguishes disengagement- and circumstance-driven absence from emotionally based school avoidance (covered separately in Anxiety and avoidance, Module 6) and calls for schools to understand the specific reason behind each pupil's absence rather than applying a single standard response. It also reflects Ofsted's inspection framework, under which attendance sits alongside behaviour in a single evaluation area, reinforcing that improving attendance is inseparable from a pupil's wider sense of belonging and engagement, not just a compliance matter. Where Module 6 addresses fear- and anxiety-driven non-attendance, this module is for pupils who are absent through disengagement, competing priorities or drift, and is designed to run alongside the school's attendance team and, where relevant, the Education Welfare Officer.
Objective: Pupil can describe, in the pupil's own words, the main reasons behind the pattern of absence, without judgement.
Check-in: 1. Rapport chat first, about anything other than attendance. 2. Then say clearly: this course is about working out what is making school hard, not about being in trouble. 3. Say who will and will not see what is discussed. Attendance work usually involves other adults, so be honest about that. 4. Say what happens to what they tell you: you keep notes, and the plan at the end goes to staff they agree to. If something worries you about their safety you have to pass it on, and you would tell them who to.
Input: 1. Say that attendance patterns almost always have real reasons behind them. 2. Ask: 'do you think I'm going to say it's laziness?' Say plainly you are not assuming that, and not assuming it is simple either. 3. Say you will map it out together, starting from a recent day they did not come in. 4. Explain that you will ask what the morning was like, hour by hour, rather than why they did not come.
Activity: 1. Ask: 'when did coming in start getting harder?' Pupil marks that point on the attendance story. 2. Ask: 'what was going on around then?' Fill in the timeline together, in their words. 3. Do not correct their version, even if the register says otherwise. 4. Ask: 'has it been the same reason all the way through, or has it changed?'
Reflect: 1. Ask: 'what's the single biggest reason it's been hard to come in?' 2. Pupil picks one thing to notice this week that makes attending harder.
Watch for: Watch for signs the underlying driver is actually anxiety rather than disengagement, if so, consider Module 6 instead or alongside. Also stay alert to safeguarding indicators such as neglect, caring responsibilities or an unsafe home routine, and follow school procedure.
Parent/carer take-home: Try to understand rather than immediately correct, ask what is making mornings hard this week, and listen before responding.
You're seeing week 1 in full. The remaining 5 sessions, along with the printable resource packs, are available once you have an account.
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