Whilst a pupil may be finding it difficult to attend the school site, it is very important that parents and carers continue to have regular contact with the school. This contact should include:
- Opportunities for parents/carers to be involved in individual support plans. Where possible these should be multidisciplinary and involve external professionals where there has been involvement.
- Regular contact from a key member of staff. This could include passing on information about classwork and school life.
- Regular contact also plays a key role in safeguarding. It will be important that there is staff flexibility to visit the home to ensure pupil welfare. Schools continue to have safeguarding responsibilities even when a pupil is not in school, and should continue to follow statutory guidance such as Keeping Children Safe in Education (2024).
All primary and secondary schools in Devon are being offered training in using the ATTEND framework. For pupils out of school, ATTEND continues to be an important framework for considering all of the difficulties contributing to a young person’s difficulties with attendance.