Parent/carer views on support for children's school non‐attendance: ‘How can they support you when they are the ones who report you?’

Abstract

AbstractThis article presents findings from research focusing on parent/carer views of support received for school non‐attendance. Research has consistently demonstrated poor short‐term and long‐term outcomes for children who experience school non‐attendance and there is growing concern in the UK, and across the world, for children who miss education. School non‐attendance is a challenging and long‐standing phenomenon for schools, professionals, and families alike, yet there is limited existing research that explores what support is provided for children who struggle to attend school. In this study, an online questionnaire was used to gather views from parent/carers (n = 289) who have a child(ren) who experiences difficulties attending school. Parent/carer views were elicited on what support they had received. Views on how this support could be improved were also gathered. The findings demonstrate that school non‐attendance represents a challenging, complex and at times desperate situation for many parent/carers. Parent/carer views on the support received varied, reflecting the complex and individualised nature of attendance difficulties. Parent/carers valued home‐school partnerships that encompassed kindness and removed parent/carer blame for their child's non‐attendance. The findings contribute to an understanding of school non‐attendance from the view of parent/carers and highlights implications for the practice of school staff and external professionals. These implications are discussed within an exploration of possible future actions for addressing the complex and challenging nature of school non‐attendance. Context and implicationsRationale for this studySchool non‐attendance is recognised as a complex problem with few straightforward solutions. This research places parents at the forefront of this issue and explores their views and experiences of the support that they are offered by school staff and educational practitioners.Why the new findings matterThe findings matter because improving knowledge of parent/carer views and first‐hand experiences of support for school non‐attendance is key to addressing the complex problem and to improving outcomes for children.ImplicationsSchool attendance difficulties is an issue for all who are involved in education. The findings from this study contribute to an understanding of school non‐attendance from the view of parents and highlights the importance of home‐school partnerships in not only addressing the problem of non‐attendance, but also in preventing it. Implications for practice include the need for greater understanding of the complex problem amongst school staff that adopts a more ecological, systemic view. Building positive relationships, hearing the voice of the child and adopting individualised approaches to support are key to improving support for parents. Implications for policy makers include the need to shift away from punitive prosecution tactics because this has been unhelpful or in some circumstances, detrimental to addressing the complex problem of school non‐attendance.