Written evidence submitted by Dr Caroline Frizell and Mr David Woodger, Department of Social, Therapeutic and Community Studies, Goldsmiths, University of London

The following submission represents the views of Dr Caroline Frizell and Mr David Woodger, Senior Lecturers at the Department of Social, Therapeutic and Community Studies (STaCS) at Goldsmiths, University of London. Dr Frizell and Mr Woodger have decades’ worth of experience working in the fields of psychotherapy and community development respectively and have conducted joint work on inclusive educational environment and school exclusions. They are therefore well placed to respond to this inquiry to provide insight into best practice for supporting disadvantaged pupils.

Question 1: The factors causing persistent and severe absence among different groups of pupils, in particular:

• Disadvantaged pupils,
• Pupils from minority ethnic backgrounds,
• Pupils with SEND and those who are clinically vulnerable to covid-19,
• Pupils in alternative provision.

4. Communication barriers between institutions, pupils and their parents play a large factor in persistent and severe absences. Schools’ lack of engagement with pupils and their parents, tends to result in disengagement on the latter’s side. This phenomenon is especially apparent when it comes to the relationship between majority-white schools and pupils and parents of Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic background.

5. While it is important to be aware of the main factors that cause persistent school absence among different groups, it is also paramount to view each pupil’s family situation on a case-by-case basis and not base the institutional response on presumptions and common stereotypes.

Question 2: How schools and families can be better supported to improve attendance, and how this affects pupils and families who are clinically vulnerable to covid-19?

6. One size policy on school attendance does not fit all families. Schools should work alongside parents to discuss individual situations on a case-by-case basis and discover what difficulties parents face when it comes to maintaining school attendance. Supporting parents and empowering them to respond to the situation is key, while a chastising approach is unlikely to be effective. A commitment is needed from staff to find out the cause of absence, and to work along with other involved agencies, such as social services, but also organisations that have influence on s community level, such as mosques and churches.

7. A focused one-on-one support is needed from schools to sustain children’s motivation and help build desire to be at school and engage with learning processes. This is supported by findings from a study[1] looking at The Complete Education School Solution (TCES), which works with children and young people with co-morbid Social, Emotional and Mental Health needs and/or Autistic Spectrum Conditions. In the past two decades, 90% of their students progressed on to education, employment and training, having entered the organisation as young people who typically would not do so.

8. Students have typically experienced between two and five exclusions prior to entering a TCES school or service. These experiences caused them to feel alienated from an educational system that is unable to tolerate, manage or accommodate this distressing behaviour without excluding. Interviews with graduates from the school highlighted the importance of building relationships with staff to unlocking pupils’ potential. The school’s ‘no permanent exclusions’ policy has been demonstrated as an effective approach towards creating a safe space for pupils to progress educationally, emotionally and socially.

Recommendation: Policy on tackling school absences should move away from punitive approaches, and towards ones that focus on encouraging, praising and supporting pupils.

February 2023