Whilst a pupil may be attending very infrequently or may have stopped attending at all, it is important that there is still an active plan to support their education. The pupil’s stepped support plan should continue to be implemented, regularly reviewed and adjusted.
To support the pupil’s reintegration this should focus on the small steps and support that the pupil needs in order to start attending school again. This should aim to reconnect the pupil with the school environment by enhancing their involvement in social and educational activities, which might initially occur outside the school premises. Over time, it will also explore how they can gradually spend short periods within the school, such as entering the building at the end of the day and using a classroom for their studies.
It’s important that this phased return to school life takes place at a pace that doesn’t overwhelm or compromise any steps of progress. This could include creating a step-by-step incremental exposure to situations in school which they are finding anxiety provoking. A scaling or laddering approach could be used with the pupil to help them to identify situations in school which they find challenging.