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Surrey Virtual School's Engagement Framework - Blank

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Surrey Virtual School's Engagement Framework - Blank

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This is to use with children and young people where there is EBSNA and they are struggling to engage with others and not just school. It is a great resource to show the small steps being taken to reengage them in education.

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Introducing our role for Children with a Social Worker

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Surrey Wellbeing Partnership Brochure (003)

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NEW Surrey Safeguarding Children Partnership Procedures Manual (multi-agency)

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NEW Surrey Safeguarding Children Partnership Procedures Manual (multi-agency)

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Surrey Virtual School's Engagement Framework Example

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Surrey Virtual School's Engagement Framework Example

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This is an example of how the above document could be used to set targets and record progress in engagement.

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The Stages of change questions to use in conjunction with the Engagement Framework

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The Stages of change questions to use in conjunction with the Engagement Framework

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Improving school attendance - the role of Surrey Inclusion Service

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As a result of the reorganisation of Surrey County Council, the Education Welfare Service is now called the Inclusion Service.

The Inclusion Service provides support to schools, parents and young people in providing services on behalf of the Local Education Authority and deals with non-attendance (Truancy), Child Protection and making enquiries about children missing education.

The aim of Inclusion is for every child to have an equal opportunity to access educational provision and to ensure that parents meet their parental responsibilities under various Education Acts on our legal proceedings webpage.

Inclusion Officers

The Inclusion Officer's aim is to help children attend school full-time and support pupils and parents in resolving issues which may be affecting a child's wish to attend school. To bring this about, a plan is agreed in consultation with all the parties involved and the Inclusion Officer will stay involved until it has been achieved. If the aim is not achieved the Inclusion Service may have to consider legal proceedings.

All Surrey schools have an allocated Inclusion Officer to support schools and parents to ensure every child goes to school regularly. Inclusion Officers can accept referrals or enquiries from schools or other agencies, parents and members of the public if a child is not attending school.

Inclusion Officers can provide advice on:

resolving attendance problems

social and family problems

other services and useful resources available.

What we do - our service offering

We fulfil both statutory and non-statutory functions in relation to compulsory school-aged children and young people. The Surrey Inclusion Team offers all schools, including academies and free school, a statutory service as follows:

Investigation of causes for absence for cases meeting the criteria for legal intervention

Case work management for statutory cases

Regular consultation with key personnel to report and plan actions for open cases, including matters relating to safeguarding concerns, carrying out half-termly register checks and monitoring students whose attendance is below 90%

All aspects of legal intervention for school attendance offences

Advice and guidance on all matters relating to legislation and processes underpinning school attendance and pupil registration, including registration coding and off roll procedures

In addition, Surrey maintained schools will also be eligible to receive the following services which may be bought back by academies and free schools:

Regular consultation meetings with key personnel to advise on attendance concerns for pupils who do not yet meet the criteria for legal intervention

Support and casework for pupils with poor attendance who do not yet meet the criteria for legal intervention

Parenting courses and intervention

Strategic guidance and support to improve whole school attendance and reduce persistent absence

Data analysis

Ofsted preparation

Bespoke initiatives to improve attendance including attendance panels and late gates

Bespoke training for attendance managers, officers and NQTs including INSET days

Whole school audit of attendance processes and procedures

Addressing groups of students re attendance for example in assemblies, targeted groups and workshops

Help and contacts

If you need help in ensuring your child attends school regularly please contact the office in whose area your child's school is situated.

North East Inclusion Team

Epsom and Ewell, Elmbridge, Spelthorne Telephone: 01372 833588

South East Inclusion Team

Tandridge, Reigate and Banstead, Mole Valley Telephone: 01737 737777

South West Inclusion Team

Waverley and Guildford Telephone: 01483 517179

North West Inclusion Team

Woking, Surrey Heath and Runnymede Telephone: 01483 518130

If you are concerned that a statutory school age child (who lives in Surrey) is missing from education because they may not have a school place and are not receiving suitable alternative education provision, then please let us know by completing a children missing education form.

You can also send us your comments and compliments or complain about our services.

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Improving school attendance - the role of the Inclusion Service

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As a result of the reorganisation of Surrey County Council, the Education Welfare Service is now called the Inclusion Service. The Inclusion Service provides support to schools, parents and young people in providing services on behalf of the Local Education Authority and deals with non-attendance (Truancy), Child Protection and making enquiries about children missing education.

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How to involve hard to reach parents full report - See pages 24 - 30 for lots of practical strategies 

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How to Teach Kids About the Brain: Laying Strong Foundations for Emotional Intelligence

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How to Teach Kids About the Brain: Laying Strong Foundations for Emotional Intelligence

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How to Teach Kids About the Brain Laying Strong Foundations for Emotional Intelligence 

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Am I a young carer? Identification sheet

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Working together to improve school attendance

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Guidance for schools, academy trusts, governing bodies and local authorities on maintaining high levels of school attendance, including roles and responsibilities.

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Action for Carers | Supporting carers of all ages across Surrey

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Action for Carers Surrey supports carers of all ages across Surrey with free advice and support.

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Signposting to additional resources supporting young carers in schools

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Introduction

In this short report, we look at different aspects of attendance and how schools tackle the challenges they face.

Schools that improve attendance from a low baseline, maintain high levels of attendance and minimise persistent absence all have different starting points and take slightly different approaches. However, these approaches tend to have a number of features in common. They can best be summarised as 'Listen, understand, empathise and support - but do not tolerate'.

In these schools, leaders:

have high expectations for every pupil's attendance at school

communicate these expectations clearly, strongly and consistently to parents and to pupils

set expectations about attendance from the outset - from Nursery onwards

explain to parents and pupils why good attendance is important and how it helps pupils to achieve

listen to parents carefully to find out why their children are not attending well enough so that they can act accordingly

challenge parents who do not make sure that their children attend, but also offer support where needed

have the right people in place to have these conversations with parents

ensure that attendance is always recorded accurately

systematically analyse attendance information so that they can see patterns and trends

use this analysis to target their actions, both for individuals and at a whole-school level

make sure that attendance is 'everyone's business' in school

understand that good attendance does not happen in isolation - there is an interrelationship between attendance and the quality of the school's curriculum, ethos, behaviour and inclusivity

do not stop pushing for whole-school improvement once attendance reaches the national average

see the process of securing good attendance for all pupils as an ongoing process, never something that is 'finished'

Many schools are, of course, experiencing higher-than-average absences because some pupils have COVID-19. Schools also continue to face challenges in tackling absence that is indirectly related to the pandemic, such as parents' and pupils' anxieties. They also face some newer challenges such as parents not understanding the latest rules about isolation, being generally cautious or taking holidays now that they are able to.

However, inspection evidence and discussions with leaders indicate that schools that usually tackle absence well are continuing to do so. Leaders are using the same strategies that they usually do, showing the same persistence and conveying the same high expectations. At the same time, they are asking themselves their usual questions about what, if anything, they need to do differently to remove barriers to pupils' attendance, and are systematically acting to do just that.

The challenges in autumn 2021

Continuing challenges

A Department for Education survey of Her Majesty's Inspectors ( HMI) in the summer term 2021 found that around a fifth of all the schools inspected that term were experiencing more attendance issues than they would normally see. At that time, the 3 most common reasons for absence were that:

pupils were anxious

pupils or parents had specific health needs, including those identified at that time as clinically vulnerable or extremely clinically vulnerable

pupils had disengaged from education during the pandemic

A second survey of HMI was carried out in the autumn term 2021 (see Annex A). COVID-related challenges were clearly continuing for schools. For example, sometimes parents themselves had COVID-19 and could not bring their children to school, particularly if they were lone parents. The survey found that the most common reason for higher-than-normal absences was pupils having COVID-19. However, this was closely followed by parents' anxiety, then pupils' own anxiety.

Pupils' anxieties are often not related directly to school but to their various experiences since the pandemic began. Sources of anxiety for pupils of different ages include:

family members being ill or pupils' concern that this might happen

seeing parents under more stress than usual

experiencing domestic violence

experiencing financial hardship

Older pupils worry about whether their Year 11 examinations might be cancelled and how this might affect their future. Some worry about not being able to come to school if there is another national lockdown. More time spent online over the successive national lockdowns has fuelled social anxiety for some. One secondary school leader described how pupils were much more immersed in social media than they ever had been before, and said that the resulting breakdowns in friendships were 'through the roof'. Although many of these concerns are not directly related to school, they can affect pupils' mental health and then their attendance suffers accordingly.

Sometimes a particular event or news item can raise anxiety levels further. One leader, for example, described how primary-age pupils were very upset by 'anti-vaxxer' protests outside the school, and a great deal of work had to go into alleviating their concerns. Another noted the 'media-fuelled' reactions from families, describing how some families were quickly affected by reports of rising COVID-19 rates in their local area. They then tended to keep their children off school as a result.

New challenges

Schools have found that some new challenges have emerged since the start of the autumn term 2021. These include:

higher-than-usual numbers of pupils with non-COVID-related illnesses

families that went to red-list countries in the summer to visit family then did not return at the start of term because of the cost of isolating in hotels, or could not afford the flights back

families who say that they have not had a holiday for a long time, so take a holiday, or a previously cancelled holiday, in term time (though some schools are reporting fewer than normal term-time holidays)

parents keeping children home unnecessarily because of proximity to COVID - a relative or another child in a separate class testing positive, for example - and finding it hard to move on from the 'bubble-isolation mentality'

families isolating before a family event, such as a wedding or a holiday

pupils attending sporadically because of disaffection following the national lockdowns

Leaders also described situations where 'possible COVID' appears to be used as an excuse by some families whose children are usually poor attenders. In these situations, leaders say that they strongly encourage the family to either take the child for a test at a test centre promptly or get one online if this is impossible. Leaders stated that this does not always happen, meaning that the pupil then stays away from school for 10 days. Some parents think that remote education can be provided for non-COVID-related circumstances, such as being on holiday, which leaders have to explain is not the case.

It appears that the provision of remote education during national lockdowns has negatively affected some pupils' perceptions of the need to be in school, particularly in secondary schools. There is a sense from some pupils, as one leader explained, that 'you weren't fussed when we weren't in school all that time in lockdown and we did our work at home, so why does it matter so much now?' Some schools have continued to make all lessons available online as a matter of course so that they are easy to access for pupils who are ill, but some pupils say that they would rather work at home and do not understand why they cannot just access this work remotely. Where one pupil has COVID-19 and is receiving remote education, this can affect other pupils' perceptions: 'My mate's home, learning online, so the provision must be there, so why can't I have it too?', as one leader put it. Parents quickly learn when another pupil in their child's class is isolating, so can take this view too.

Schools continue to report increased requests from parents for elective home education, as do local authorities. While these may not be as high as they were at the peak of the pandemic, they continue to be higher than usual in some schools. School leaders talked about working closely with parents to explain the implications fully, giving them every chance to change their minds if this was not an informed choice or if the school thought this would not be suitable for the pupil. There is a sense that some parents think that because their children seemed to learn reasonably well through remote education during the pandemic, that this will be straightforward to continue. One leader, for example, explained how the school had 'sold' to parents the benefits of learning using the Oak Academy platform in order to get them to commit to this during the national lockdown. Parents saw the benefits of this and a few now think that this is enough for their children, not necessarily understanding the essential role that staff had played in delivering the materials and helping pupils to learn from them.

The survey of HMI in the autumn term 2021 found that those responsible for governance were not consistently setting a clear direction for leaders on promoting attendance and challenging absence. Only around a quarter of inspectors identified that in most or all of their inspections, those responsible for governance had done this.

Removing barriers

Of course, COVID-19 rates vary considerably from one area to another, which is having an impact on overall attendance in different schools across the country. In some primary schools in particular, attendance is at least as high as it was before the pandemic; others are greatly affected by COVID cases. But regardless of overall attendance figures, some schools are now seeing pupils who were previously poor attenders attending well. Leaders attribute this to the work that they did with vulnerable pupils during the national lockdowns. Some of these pupils attended school when schools were closed to most. During this time, leaders and staff were able to work more intensively than usual with pupils individually and in smaller groups. This led to some 'poor patterns of attendance being cracked'. Many families seem just to want their children to be back at school, following such long periods of time at home.

In schools that are systematically removing barriers to attendance, pupils' anxieties are not dismissed but are sensitively analysed - is this a mental health issue that needs serious action, for example, or a worry that can be alleviated by some discussion or adjustments? These schools also recognise parental anxieties but sensitively challenge them, for example leaders explain to parents all the steps they continue to take to mitigate the risk of COVID spreading in school. In one secondary school, for example, pupils were very concerned about being vaccinated, and take-up rates in the community were also low. Anxiety levels were high as a result. Leaders decided to teach all pupils about the role vaccination has played in public health over time, through their personal, social and health education lessons. This had a positive effect both on vaccination take-up rates among pupils and on them feeling less worried about the issue.

It is clear, from inspection evidence and talking to leaders, that how well schools are dealing with these challenges now is related to the approach, systems and structures that schools already had in place. Where attendance is markedly low, some of this is related to situations pre-pandemic, for example where leaders have not tackled a culture of poor attendance in the past nor had systems in place to monitor what was going on. On occasion, leaders have also held back from challenging pupils and parents about poor attendance in the autumn term. Leaders who have improved attendance in the past, kept levels of attendance high and reduced persistent absence are applying the same principle of 'listen, understand, empathise and support - but do not tolerate' now as they were before the pandemic.

Securing good attendance

Communicating expectations to parents

Communication with parents about the importance of attendance is crucial. For this communication to work effectively, leaders and other staff need to have built positive working relationships with parents, so that parents trust them. At the same time, these relationships need to be built on honesty, so that parents accept tough messages about attendance when they need to. We heard from school leaders about the importance of 'overt messaging', 'straight talking' and 'spelling it out'. We see the effectiveness of this approach time and time again in our inspections.

Leaders who are successful in improving attendance and maintaining high levels of attendance over time have expectations are high for all pupils. They make it clear to parents that parents are responsible for ensuring that their children attend school: 'Sometimes it's about making sure parents understand it's the child's right to attend, not their right to keep their child at home'. They challenge parents who do not make sure that their children attend but also offer support where needed. Expectations are also communicated as soon as the child joins the school. Leaders of successful schools with nurseries, for example, explained that once the child has a place, they are expected to attend. Parents are helped, where necessary, to establish good attendance routines, and challenged if their child is not in school.

Leaders who do this well also challenge parents' misconceptions about what 'good' attendance looks like. They tell parents why they are not going to authorise a holiday in term time. They talk openly to parents about the relationship between attendance and achievement. Often, they exemplify what attendance percentages really mean in terms of learning that the pupil will miss out on - how many phonics sessions or GCSE science lessons will be missed, for example.

Tenacity is very important when schools are trying to improve attendance. As one leader put it: 'It's about parents knowing that we are not going to let go'. Leaders who have to undo a legacy of poor attendance often have to 'ride the storm' before some parents accept the new expectations. Working closely with a family to improve attendance can be seen as 'a personal attack'. As one headteacher said, 'We upset a lot of parents early on'. Parents can become upset and angry when they receive a letter to say their child's attendance is not as good as it should be, for example - particularly if this is the first time anyone has ever told them this. When parents are challenged about taking unauthorised holidays in term time because someone has seen their social media posts so know the child is not ill, they can be defensive.

Yet leaders who have taken their schools through this process of raising expectations describe a point where the culture changes. At this point, parents' pride means that they want to receive a congratulatory letter, for example, rather than one saying that attendance is not good enough. Most families accept that term-time holidays are not going to be authorised. The emphasis shifts to concentrating on celebrating good attendance, improvements in attendance and achievement.

Communicating expectations to pupils

Communicating with parents without paying equal attention to communicating with pupils is unlikely to be successful in securing good attendance at school. This is particularly the case at secondary schools where older pupils are more able to 'vote with their feet'. This came through strongly in our discussions with leaders and in inspection evidence.

Leaders emphasised the importance of the leadership team having a positive 'presence' in school. This meant different things to different people, but in all cases the common element was communicating to pupils that leaders wanted them to be in school - setting the tone - as well as communicating high expectations. Many talked about the start to the day - the importance of leaders being out in the playground or at the front of the school to greet pupils. Some secondary leaders noted how important it is for that greeting to come from the headteacher or the deputy headteacher. They emphasised how this first interaction of the day must be a positive one and not 'someone barking at them about uniform or being late'.

Some leaders talked about noticing when a pupil who was often absent was there - greeting them and mentioning something positive about the following day: 'It's our sticker club tomorrow, remember, looking forward to seeing you there'. In one secondary school, attendance data is shared with the whole senior team, so anyone in the team can praise a pupil for their improved attendance, or comment on a concern as appropriate.

Some leaders set great store by helping the pupils to understand why attendance at school is important. One secondary leader noted that pupils will not necessarily make the link between attendance, achievement and future plans. In this school, leaders explained, overt links are made to the importance of attendance when teaching pupils about careers and about being a good citizen, for example.

Attendance rewards are part of many schools' strategies for communicating the importance of good attendance to pupils, particularly in primary schools and for younger secondary-age pupils. However, no leaders saw this as the most important part of their approach.

Finding out what the problem is

This communication is a 2-way process. It is clear that leaders who have succeeded in raising attendance levels listen to parents properly and ask the right questions in order to find out why their children are not attending well enough. One leader described this as 'remembering that there are families behind those attendance figures'.

The reasons for non-attendance can be many and varied. For example, sometimes:

parents of young children (in Nursery and Reception) do not think it is important for them to attend regularly at that age

parents did not have a good experience of school themselves and do not see the importance of attendance

attendance data is misunderstood by parents - while 90% may be good as a mark in a test, in attendance terms it means one day a fortnight being missed

basic routines are not in place at home, leading to lateness, which can lead to non-attendance through embarrassment or frustration

parents cannot get their secondary-age children to come to school, even though they understand the importance of attendance

older pupils' non-attendance is affecting their younger siblings - the whole family stops attending

the pupil is a young carer

there are financial barriers, for example parents being unable to afford transport to school or school uniform

pupils are anxious about attending school

parents feel generally anxious around other people, or have fallen out with other parents, sometimes on social media, and do not want to encounter them while bringing their child to school

By listening, sometimes problems can be solved easily. Leaders have many examples of how they have 'tackled the simple stuff first'. One headteacher, for example, described how she had found out that sometimes, when parents were running really late, they were too embarrassed to come into school so kept their children off for the whole day. Having discovered this, she was able to convey to them that it is 'better for your child to arrive at 9.30 than to take the whole day off'. Once the parents had stopped keeping their children off for the whole day, then the issue of lateness could be addressed. In another school, a parent was so anxious about waiting with other parents in the playground that she had stopped bringing her children to school. The headteacher allowed the parent to drive into the car park to drop her child off - the problem, in the short term at least, was solved.

Equally, leaders who have got this right listen to pupils in order to find out why they are not attending well. Although the issues are sometimes complex, a simple action can go at least part of the way to solving the problem. One leader, for example, asked a pupil why they were not coming to school. They discovered that the family was not waking up in the morning, and when they did wake up, it was 'too late' to bring the child to school. The leader bought the pupil an alarm clock, to enable them to get up on time and wake up their parents. Many schools use pupil premium funding or help families to claim the benefits to which they are entitled. Some schools find that their breakfast clubs make a great deal of difference to pupils and their families, providing a safe and relaxed start to the day and a meal. And attendance issues can, of course, indicate safeguarding issues, where decisive action needs to be taken.

In secondary schools, it can be more complicated to find out what the problems are and to notice smaller issues before they become larger ones. Comprehensive pastoral support, where staff have roles dedicated to pupils' well-being, including attendance, is often a key factor in improving attendance.

Having 'the right people' in place

Leaders emphasise the importance of identifying 'the right people' to have conversations with parents about attendance, including when issues start to emerge. For example, in primary schools, sometimes the class teacher or teaching assistant may be the most suitable person to have a 'quiet word' with parents about attendance when they are bringing their child to school in the morning. This can be a less threatening and therefore more productive conversation than 'being called into the head's office'.

In secondary schools, depending on how they operate, this point of contact may be the form tutor, head of year or head of house. One leader emphasised the importance of giving staff 'really strong professional development' to enable them to have 'the courageous conversations' about attendance that may quickly become challenging. Unless the conversation is 'incisive enough', it is unlikely that the right questions will be asked in order to work out what the barriers are.

The concept of a 'constant person' to work with a family once attendance issues become more serious was mentioned a number of times by leaders. This person may not be a teaching member of staff - indeed, leaders talked about the valuable skills and knowledge brought to this role by staff who have come from social work, police, mentoring or other backgrounds.

Noticing patterns

All schools record pupils' attendance, but not all use this information well to target their actions. Systematic analysis of attendance information is very important. Where leaders systematically analyse attendance information, they can notice patterns, for example as one leader said, 'you realise that they've missed the past 4 Mondays'. This is particularly important in secondary schools, where pupils do not spend the whole time with one class teacher and patterns can be easily missed, but it is important in all schools.

Absence patterns can be as simple as the pupil missing a week because they are ill, and attending well the rest of the time, or much more complex. When they are less easily explained, close analysis allows leaders to ask the right questions. Is the absence each Monday related to what happens at home at the weekend, for example? Is it because the pupil has a lesson that they really do not like on that day? Is weekend use of social media a factor? As one leader put it, 'acting swiftly when things start to slide' is crucial and can prevent attendance issues for individuals becoming more embedded. This includes, as another put it, 'noticing the odd days off' and doing something about it. Moreover, where schools do this well, they consider attendance issues alongside other factors, such as what bullying or behaviour records show.

The importance of ambition

Many schools that are successful in securing high levels of attendance adopt a similar approach to attendance as they do to safeguarding. They make it 'everyone's business, all the time'. Leaders of schools where attendance had previously been too low had challenged their staff to understand that noticing absence, following this up and promoting good attendance are 'everyone's job'. One leader of a secondary school, for example, described how 'the receptionist, the lunchtime supervisor, the person out on duty - they'll all talk to pupils about the importance of good attendance'.

In schools with high expectations for attendance, leaders seem to see it as 'the bedrock of all that the school does', as one put it. A high level of attendance, for all pupils, is part of the school's overall ambition. These leaders are clear that if pupils are not in school, they cannot be learning, however good the curriculum is or the opportunities for personal development are. One leader explained how they had worked with staff to change thinking about the interrelationship between attendance and achievement from 'this child is not achieving because they are not attending' to 'what do we need to do to improve their attendance so that they can achieve?'

Those leaders who have improved attendance have seldom focused on attendance in isolation. Leaders emphasised the importance of making school a safe place where pupils really want to be, with the right ethos, a curriculum worth studying and lessons that are worth attending. Making sure that pupils feel that learning is worthwhile is important. A primary school leader noted that in their school, 'pupils don't want to miss out - the curriculum is so exciting that they know they'll miss things if they're not here'. The curriculum and overall provision for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities ( SEND) are important so that these pupils - too many of whom often have poor attendance - have a positive experience of school. Many leaders in these schools have also worked on behaviour in lessons, anti-bullying measures and the wider school culture as part of this. As one primary school leader put it: 'Kids should feel safe and happy when they come to school'.

One leader described how in their school, which is in an area of high deprivation, celebrating pupils' successes with both the pupils themselves and with the parents was a key part of improving attendance. Overtly demonstrating to parents that the children are learning and want to come to school had a positive impact. Once the pupils in this school really wanted to be there, they started to put pressure on their parents to take them each day. At the same time, some leaders had also worked on breaking down preconceptions about education, for example through supportive workshops for parents.

Attendance in these schools becomes much broader than just being in school - it is also about being punctual to school, being present in all lessons, all year groups having high attendance, including the sixth form, and being part of clubs and enrichment activities. So, when leaders think about attendance, they are thinking about much more than simply being present in school, important though that is. It is also about all pupils attending, including, and often especially, those who are disadvantaged, those who have SEND and those who attend some alternative provision.

The role of governors

How well those responsible for governance consider attendance practices and challenge attendance figures varies widely. It is not uncommon for governors to look only at the overall attendance figure for a school to consider where this sits in relation to national averages. But that figure can disguise variations in the attendance of groups, and sometimes real issues. Some leaders who have improved attendance in their schools spoke about how they worked with their governing body to change mindsets and raise expectations. Some had had to move governors away from what one leader described as a 'well, what can you expect here?' attitude to one of high expectations and challenge.

This shared understanding of the importance of attendance for all can be particularly important when it comes to taking a firm stance against families taking holidays during term time. Where leaders are trying to change ingrained local patterns of absence, for example pupils always taking time off related to seaside seasonal work or during harvest, governors can be influential, especially if they are members of the local community.

Weaknesses in schools' practices

It does not always follow that schools that are judged to be inadequate have poor attendance or weak processes for promoting or monitoring attendance. In some schools, particularly primary schools, pupils still attend well, even if they are not getting an adequate quality of education. But there are inadequate schools where weak systems to shape, monitor and evaluate the school's work in general are also evident in their work around attendance. Common factors include:

an inaccurate recording of attendance, sometimes including inaccurate coding of absence

a lack of analysis leading to lack of ability to see patterns - sometimes an over-reliance on a 'knowing all pupils as individuals' approach instead; sometimes no analysis at all

a lack of a coherent strategy - the school is doing different things to try to improve attendance but without being clear how everything ties together and what it is seeking to achieve

using part-time timetables, usually for pupils with SEND or behavioural difficulties, which are not well planned, not tracked and/or not time-limited

a lack of urgency about when to intervene or challenge, for example not contacting parents about attendance concerns until attendance drops below 90%

individual staff working hard to try to improve pupils' attendance but with negligible impact because of some of the factors above

Tackling persistent absence

Getting beneath the surface

Schools that tackle persistent absence successfully tend to have all the basics in place to promote good attendance generally. They are then really analytical about what is stopping individuals from attending. Particularly where persistent absence appears to be intransigent, there are often complex factors at play. These factors can be related to family circumstances, and often involve some of the most vulnerable pupils. As one leader put it: 'It's about working out what is needed to break down the barriers'. The most effective schools go out of their way to make sure that they notice the pupils who are often not there and persist with them. 'Hard to reach' families become reconceptualised as 'too easy to ignore', and therefore the ones who need the most attention.

Primary and secondary school leaders working together can be powerful in finding out why issues are arising when pupils from the same family have poor attendance. Passing on key information when pupils move from one school to the next is important too when attendance is an issue. Leaders in the receiving school need to know, for example, what the issue was, what the patterns were, what solutions had worked at the feeder school and what had failed.

Working with each individual

The attention that some schools give to detail, and the lengths they go to to analyse the barriers, is striking. Many schools had examples of how they had successfully adapted approaches for individuals, which have led to huge improvements in attendance. One school, for example, let a pupil spend time in school once the school was closed for the day, to overcome her anxiety about being in the building. Another had a staff member meet the pupil in the morning with the school dog. Once the pupil had walked the dog for a short while, they felt able to come in.

Schools have given families a wake-up phone call every day, given pupils special responsibilities in school to motivate them to be there, arranged transport and made home visits. They have also stepped back from assuming that 'the basics' are in place. For example, when needed, staff have taught pupils how to have routines in place in the morning - alarm set, shoes ready, bag packed - rather than assuming that they know what a good routine looks like. There is, of course, a balance to be found so that parents do not come to rely too much on the intensive support from the school.

Schools that work well with persistently absent pupils recognise the small improvements that pupils make. For example, if a pupil who is seldom in school is not there on Monday but is present on Tuesday, or arrives but is late, staff praise the success. But at the same time, they convey what needs to happen next. Expectations are not lowered but are broken down to become more achievable.

When pupils come back to school after absence, particularly if they have been away for a long time, it is important that this return is carefully managed. Without this, they will go back into lessons where they will feel, and be, very behind in their learning. The right support being put in place, including to help the pupil catch up where practical, can make or break the return to school.

The issues that lead to deeply ingrained patterns of persistent absence are often much wider than the school alone can deal with. Working with other professionals and agencies, such as social care, local authority attendance officers and virtual school headteachers, then becomes crucial.

Notes

We have based this report on evidence from the following sources:

focus groups with HMI

focus groups with primary school leaders (headteachers and trust chief executive officers)

conversations with secondary school leaders

inspection evidence from schools with high deprivation and with persistent low absence rates over time, inspected under the education inspection framework (mainly in the autumn term)

inspection evidence from schools that have been judged to be inadequate in the autumn term

survey of schools HMI about challenges in the autumn term

Annex A: HMI survey question - autumn term 2021

How often have you heard from leaders that the following are contributory factors to higher-than-normal absences this term?

Based on 69 responses
COVID-19 cases - staff: for example, class or school closures
COVID-19 cases - parents: for example, not being able to bring children in
Headteachers feeling uncertain/unhappy about challenging absence: for example, in the light of experiences of COVID-19 in the school community
Confusing or conflicting advice on who should be in school and when: for example, around isolation
Lack of support from external services: for example, education welfare officer
Holidays in term time: for example, when travel restrictions are lifted/altered

Response data in accessible table format

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Securing good attendance and tackling persistent absence

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In this short report, we look at different aspects of attendance and how schools tackle the challenges they face. Schools that improve attendance from a low baseline, maintain high levels of attendance and minimise persistent absence all have different starting points and take slightly different approaches.

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Parental engagement refers to teachers and schools involving parents in supporting their children’s academic learning.

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Supporting children experiencing domestic abuse

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Designated Teacher CPD - Emotion Coaching

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Ideas for Showing Up & Being Present using the 4 Ss

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This blog post is looking at the 4 Ss outlined in the most recent book from Dr Dan Siegel and Dr Tina Payne Bryson – “The Power of Showing Up”. This is a really lovely book for parents and professionals alike. Dan and Tina provide four essential ingredients for being truly present with children and…

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I’ve always loved the model of the “downstairs” and “upstairs” brain, outlined in “The Whole-Brain Child” by Dan Siegel and Tina Payne Bryson. Most children and adults experience their downstairs brain switching on, during times of substantial stress or moments when they feel personally threatened.…

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A new blog for a new year! I decided to start with a piece on reframing traditional views of behaviour in school. As we strive to meet the increasingly complex needs of children and young people in the classroom, the resulting stress can diminish our compassion and lead to ever-quicker use of sanctions and exclusions. Here are just SIX typical statements and how they might be reframed in the context of trauma, loss and associated difficulties with attachment.

When a child behaves in a way which seems to seek attention, it is easy to associate this with negative connotations; "He's trying to disrupt my lesson"; "She's holding other people back from their work"; "He's trying to be the class clown".

When we think of attention-seeking as an attempt to make or maintain connection, we can be more flexible in showing the child that they are kept in mind and remembered. This might involve checking in with how they're feeling on a more regular basis, being explicit about when you'll see them again after a separation or using a transitional object to represent your enduring relationship.

It can really grind our gears when a child acts in a way which is disrespectful - this might include rudeness, sarcasm, mockery, name-calling or being ignored. We can feel our muscles tensing, the beating of our heart and a sense of panic setting in. These feelings can make us want to take control and reassert our own authority, especially if the behaviour occurs as other children or adults are watching.

We can gradually build trust by focusing on playful, caring and empathetic interactions. Try asking about their weekend, spending a few minutes talking about their interests, sharing a joke or acknowledging that they're trying really hard in a task which must be frustrating or daunting for them.

It can be very easy to perceive undesirable behaviour as deliberate, targeted and planned. After yet another stressful and frustrating incident in the classroom or playground, our "hot cognition" can be that the child knows what he or she is doing. The idea that they have gone out of their way to interrupt, antagonise or embarrass us can be devastating and infuriating.

We can mitigate this tendency by building in opportunities for them to exert control (such as letting them choose materials or where to start in a task), establishing a routine which allows them to take a break and giving them responsibilities which help them feel valued and competent. To regularly convey a sense of safety and predictability, we may need to refer to pictures of the daily schedule and use curious and descriptive commenting about what is happening now and next.

When a child presents with so-called "meltdowns" - comprised of shouting, screaming, throwing objects, tipping over furniture and lashing out at others - this can be extremely hard to watch. The staff supporting this child can feel on edge, anticipating that it will happen again sooner rather than later. It's understandable to think that the child needs time away from the classroom or even that they are in the wrong type of school.

They may need a settling routine in the morning where they can scan the environment and talk through the daily schedule. Changes in activity and transitions may need to be communicated in advance through countdowns and timers. They may also need a sensory diet, with dedicated breaks for movement, play and relaxation. When the child becomes significantly dysregulated, it's important that we reduce demands, limit our use of language and follow consistent routines for going to a safe space with a key adult.

It can be so frustrating when a lot of time and effort has been spent on a reward system, only for the child to rarely meet the targets for accessing the reward. They may have a great morning and then suddenly their behaviour goes severely downhill after break time. And no matter how often we "catch them being good", they continue to break the rules or engage in undesirable behaviour at other times of the day.

For these children, it may be safer to initially focus on non-verbal communication - a smile, a nod, a laugh or a thumbs up. We may need to explain a task or give positive feedback to the group of children at their table, if they are sensitive to praise on an individual basis. As for rewards, are they sufficiently motivating for the child? This is where good home-school communication is essential in understanding which toys or objects are genuinely comforting and relaxing. There may need to be scheduled times with these items as part of a preventative approach to emotional regulation, as it is unrealistic for a child with fluctuating emotions and impulses to consistently earn this time.

When managing the various needs of a large mainstream class, it can feel overwhelming to contemplate having to do so much for one child. So when that child can't organise their belongings, take out their books and materials when asked or get started to a task on their own, this can be exhausting. It can be easy to see this as laziness or even deliberate time-wasting.

These children need a key adult in school who can get alongside them to reinforce messages of safety and encouragement. Organisational skills will need to be actively modelled. Visual checklists or schedules may serve as a concrete reminder of what they have to do. They may feel more confident when a task is broken down into small steps, with their progress being checked periodically.

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"What if?" - Using a trauma-informed lens to reframe behaviour in the classroom.

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A new blog for a new year! I decided to start with a piece on reframing traditional views of behaviour in school. As we strive to meet the increasingly complex needs of children and young people in the classroom, the resulting stress can diminish our compassion and lead to ever-quicker use of sanctions and exclusions.

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This blog is going to be written from the perspective of a child or young person who has experienced trauma, loss and/or significant change. Of course we can never truly understand their inner experience without listening to them and eliciting their own voice. But it's important that we try to put ourselves in the shoes of these young people and think about the fundamental ingredients of trauma-sensitive education. What are the desirable qualities for the adults who are building relationships with these young people? Here are just some of the possible responses they might give, if we were to ask " What do you need from me? ".

It might sound strange, but I feel like I've never truly been seen. Sure, people have been in the same room as me or gone to other places with me. But I didn't feel like I had their full attention. It's so hard for me when I think that I'm being ignored. I just want to be remembered. So I might get in your face with a hundred questions or maybe just one question a hundred times! It may seem like a good idea to break the rules or do something unexpected, just to get your attention. I need you to help me feel noticed - chat to me, show an interest in my interests and tell me that you've been thinking about me when you've been elsewhere.

When I've had really big feelings in the past, people have given me the impression that it's not ok. Sometimes they've ignored me. Other times, they've said or done the wrong thing and I felt even worse. I need you to let me know that it's ok to feel the way I do. That my feelings make sense and won't last forever. It's hard for me to know when others "get me"; when they understand what I'm going through. You have no idea how powerful it is to hear the words "I know this is tough for you". People haven't always been brave enough to take a walk in my shoes and open themselves up to what's going on inside me.

I need you to...BE CURIOUS

I don't always know how I'm feeling. When you tell me that play time is over, I start to scream and shout. It probably seems like I'm really angry. But really, I'm sad that it's come to an end and worried that we'll not be able to play again for a long time. When I'm not working on a task, it might look as if I'm bored or being defiant. Actually, I'm so scared of making a mistake that I don't have the confidence to try the task. Since I find it hard to put my feelings into words, you need to stay open-minded. When you wonder out loud about what I'm going through, I feel understood and start to learn why I feel the way I do in different situations.

I need you to...BE ANIMATED

I've seen lots of faces on adults. Some have looked angry or upset. Some looked like they were frozen and I couldn't tell what they were feeling. I've also seen lots of different postures. Some adults have turned away from me, as if I'm too much. Others have looked really tense, as if they're going to shout at me or hurt me. When I can't tell what your face or body are showing, I panic. it's so easy for me to think I've done something to annoy or disappoint you. When you're happy to see me or proud of what I did, I need to see it in your eyes, your smile, your tone of voice and the way you stand.

I need you to...HELP ME FEEL SAFE

Part of my brain is always going to be on the look-out for danger and I'm so used to looking after myself. With so many thoughts and feelings popping up, it's hard for me to focus on what we're doing or take in information. I see things that are scary, react to them and then feel so ashamed by what I've done or said. A big part of your job is helping me feel safe. Check in with me first thing in the morning, so we can talk through my feelings and prepare for the day ahead. Show me what I have to do in a task and tell me how long it will take. Look calm when I'm having a tough moment, so I know you can deal with it. Come with me to a quiet place when I need time to relax and de-stress.

I need you to...MAKE THINGS PREDICTABLE

Life for me has been a roller-coaster. I've met lots of adults in my time. I've even lived in different places and not really understood how I got to some of them. The school day can remind me of these times. One minute we're doing this, then suddenly we're doing that. It's hard for me to keep track of time. I can be sad or cross when it's time to leave my favourite activities. When we're tidying up or coming to and from the classroom, I can feel so anxious. So many people moving around and making noise! I need you to tell me what's happening throughout the day and help me to organise myself. I also need to know in advance when the normal routine is changing, why it's changing and what's happening instead.

I need you to...BE RESPONSIVE

There have been so many up and down days in my life. So much change. So much stress. My mind can be mixed up at times. I might have had a great day in your classroom yesterday, but today the corridor feels really scary. The other kids in the room are annoying me by being so loud. I can't bear the thought of going to assembly or coping with the playground. I know this might be annoying or unpredictable, but I can't help it. When I have a day like this, I need you to slow things down. I might need more breaks from my work. I might need you to stay closer to me than normal. One thing is for sure - I'll need you to remind me more often that things are ok and you're not going anywhere.

I need you to...BE FLEXIBLE

There have been times in the past where I've not been given a choice in things. I might need you to make choices for me and talk me through what to do. On other days, I will want more control - you can help me by giving me choices; like how to start a task, where to sit or who to work with. When I've needed help in the past, I've been ignored, rejected or let down. There are going to be days in the classroom when I'm desperate for help, but part of me can't bear to be disappointed again. Try asking if I need help. If I am sensitive to this, you may have to tell the other kids nearby what to do so I can hear it.

I need you to...MAKE ME LAUGH

I look at the other kids in my class and it seems so easy for them to have fun. They giggle over the slightest thing and find the funny side of things when they're working together. I can find it really hard to relax. My body feels tense or shaky when I'm stressed. Worries are always swirling around my head. This is where you come in. Tell me a joke. Put on a funny voice. Be silly. Make a mistake. Arrange time to play games with me, even if they are games you would normally play with someone younger than me. I need you to help me be more positive and laugh more often. Even if I find it a bit strange or unsettling at first, I can start to forget about my stress for a while.

I need you to...GIVE ME HOPE

When I look back on yesterday, last month or last year, I get caught up in the bad stuff. Times where I failed. Times where I gave up. Times where I could have worked harder. It's easy for me to focus on the negatives because there have been so many in the past. I need you to go out of your way to give me encouragement. You can be the positive and optimistic voice in my head, drowning out my stress voice. Tell me when I've tried my best. Show me examples of my achievements and my strengths. Let me know that I'm getting better at something, so I can keep trying even when it's tough.

I need you to...HANG IN THERE

There will be days when I don't seem to like you. Days when I don't want to talk to you. Days I tell you that I hate you or call you some bad words. I need you to hang in there and ride out these moments. The reason I can do this with you is because I know I'm safe with you. I haven't been able to do this with other people. I've tried it in the past and ended up feeling worse when the person got angry or left me on my own. I have no experience of an adult keeping a lid on my big feelings. You have the honour of being one of the first to try this. Sorry! You might have to take time to talk to someone or look after yourself when it's been a tough day, just like you look after me when I have my tough days.

The above qualities are not an exhaustive list. There will be many more, some of which are unique to the young person's past and present experiences. But in any trauma-sensitive classroom, relationships must be the starting point. We need to show the young person that they are seen, heard, respected and loved regardless of what they say or do.

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"I need you to...": Stepping into the shoes of a child who has experienced trauma, loss & change

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This blog is going to be written from the perspective of a child or young person who has experienced trauma, loss and/or significant change. Of course we can never truly understand their inner experience without listening to them and eliciting their own voice.

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The power of everyday heroes | Jaz Ampaw-Farr | TEDxNorwichED

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Voluntary and Surrey and Borders Partnership Services

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alternative support and resources for clinicians

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Welcome to Surrey's Local Offer!

Our Local Offer website is for children and young people with additional needs, their families and the practitioners who help them. On it you will find helpful information and the details of support services in your area.

Use our feedback page to tell us how helpful you have found the Local Offer and ways we can improve it.

Share your feedback and get involved

Search our directory

Find registered childcare, family activities, holiday clubs and support groups near you.

Find information by category

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Our Local Offer website is for children and young people with additional needs, their families and the practitioners who help them. On it you will find helpful information and the details of support services in your area. Use our feedback page to tell us how helpful you have found the Local Offer and ways we can improve it.

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We offer a free impartial information and signposting service on all aspects of family life for parents.

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Page contents:

Family Learning courses are free for parents and carers to help you give your child a positive start in life, and to help support your child's learning and development at home and school.

Don't worry if you think you don't know enough about how children are taught or if you didn't do well at school yourself, or you don't understand the English education system.

You are who these courses are for!

We offer a wide range of online courses and workshops which can help you with:

parenting

wellbeing and managing anxiety

understanding your child's behaviour

getting to grips with maths and phonics

healthy eating

enjoying learning with your child through activities

understanding education in England

English as an additional language (EAL).

Enrol on a Family Learning Course
Our tutors are supportive and knowledgeable and classes are relaxed and informal. Currently, all classes are delivered online.

Join one of our friendly groups, and together we can share a whole range of resources and ideas about how children learn at school and at home.

Learning together is fun and right now it couldn't be more important!

You can explore the courses by subject in the sections below and enrol by clicking on the relevant 'Enrol on a course today' button. Or you can get in touch by emailing family.learning@surreycc.gov.uk.

If the course you are interested in is full, let us know and we can put you on a waiting list. We can add additional classes throughout the term if there is demand.

Family Learning courses are government funded and we want as many parents and carers to access them as possible.
Please consider the following when you enrol:

book on a maximum of three courses in a half term (that's usually a 6 week period)

read the course description to check the course you have chosen is right for you

make sure you can commit to the time and date of the course before you book

make every effort to attend the course you have booked, as no-shows prevent another parent from attending

let us know if you need to cancel by emailing family.learning@surreycc.gov.uk.

Read how one parent's journey with Family Learning courses led to a new career.

Maths courses

Family Learning maths courses will help you better understand the methods used to teach maths in schools and build up your own confidence and skills too. Choose from either fun workshops about a specific topic or, if you can commit to a regular weekly course, choose a longer Family Maths course. Enrol on a workshop or course, then talk to your tutor about what you can do next.
Enrol on a maths course
English for EAL parents - English as an Additional Language

English for EAL parents courses are specifically for parents who speak English as an additional language. Courses help you to understand the education system in England and how to support your child with schoolwork. You can practise your English language skills too.

Choose from either fun workshops to learn about a specific topic or if you can commit to a regular weekly course, choose a longer EAL course.

Enrol on a workshop or course, then talk to your tutor about what you can do next.

When you enrol, look out for (EAL) in the course title.
Enrol on an English course
Parenting and wellbeing courses

We offer a range of courses and workshops that support positive parenting. Your tutor will also be able to talk to you about what you may like to do next.

Try one of our fun storytelling workshops. We offer the following:

Elmer storytelling

Rainbowfish storytelling

Gruffalo storytelling

The koala who could storytelling

The very hungry caterpillar storytelling

We also provide courses to help you understand your child's behaviour, explore strategies, and manage their anxiety.
Enrol on a parenting and wellbeing course
Cookery courses

Take part in an interactive cookery workshop or course and create healthy and fun meals and snacks for all the family. Your tutor will also be able to talk to you about what you may like to do next.
Enrol on a cookery course
Family wellbeing information booklet

This booklet provides useful information and resources to support you and your family during these uncertain times.

Topics covered include:

self-care for Parents and Carers

mindfulness

grounding exercise

tips for supporting children

helping children to understand and express their feelings

helping children through an unsettled time

returning to school

You can download the PDF document at the foot of this page.

Get ready for school information booklet

We know that starting school can be a worrying time for parents and, this year especially, there may be increased anxiety around this with children in and out of school due to COVID-19. Family Learning has produced a guide to help you support your child. Get Ready for School offers hints and tips which are relevant beyond the first term and includes how to:

help to develop your child's confidence and self-belief

support your child to be independent

develop your child's interpersonal and cognitive skills

introduce them to literacy and numeracy skills

help their first day to be successful and settle into school life

give support with home learning

use Family Learning to help your child.

You can download the PDF document at the foot of this page.

Downloads are available in accessible formats. If you would like a full coloured copy with graphics, please contact: Family. Learning@surreycc.gov.uk requesting a printed version (providing your full name and address) or we can provide a copy electronically.

Next Steps and continue your learning

When you have completed your course, you may wish to consider taking more Family Learning courses to support you. Talk to your tutor about the opportunities available or look at the courses above for maths, English, parenting and wellbeing.

There are also many other courses available from Surrey Adult Learning that may be of interest.
Take a look at our latest programme of courses and workshops
There are other providers you can contact to help build your knowledge and skills too.
Find out about other adult learning opportunities
Files available to download

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Family Learning courses are free for parents and carers to help you give your child a positive start in life, and to help support your child's learning and development at home and school. Don't worry if you think you don't know enough about how children are taught or if you didn't do well at school yourself, or you don't understand the English education system.

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Although parenting can be very rewarding there may be times when you feel in need of support. There are options available to help during these times, which include parenting courses and services offering parents information, support and advice.

Parenting courses

These can help your relationship with your child by helping you understand or communicate with them better. This can help improve confidence in your parenting and create a happier home environment.

There are a wide range of parenting courses for parents and carers of children of different ages, including those who have Special Educational Needs and Disability (SEND) such as Autism and ADHD.

Courses can take place face to face in local venues such as family centres and schools, though some may be offered online. Courses vary in length; they may be one off sessions or last for a few weeks. There will usually be a small cost, though sometimes support can be given with this.

You can find details of parenting courses and other support services for families on our Family Information Directory. We have also provided the details of some courses below:

Parenting Puzzle Workshops are courses which encourage parents and carers to enjoy bringing up children and get the best out of family life. They offer positive, practical ways of guiding children, so they learn to handle both their feelings and their behaviour.

Talking Teens are courses which help with some of the challenges that come with Parenting teenagers. They help parents to understand teenagers better so that family life is calmer and happier.

Relate offer a range of counselling from trained counsellors, including various aspects of family life and parenting. This includes support with Parenting teenagers and advice on how to deal with the challenges parenting teenagers can bring.

Courses for parent/carers of Children and Young People with SEND

Barnardo's Surrey Positive Parenting Service - ADHD is a programme offering advice and support for parents of children aged 6 to 18 years old who have been diagnosed with, or are awaiting a diagnosis of, ADHD.

Cygnet 5-16 programme is a parenting support programme for parents and carers of children and young people aged 5 to 16 with autistic spectrum condition.

Stepping up for autism is an 8-week course for parents and carers in Surrey of children and young people who are autistic or have similar needs.

Additional courses can be found in the Surrey Local Offer directory or on the Course and training for parents page of the Local Offer website.

Online parenting courses

If you are a Surrey resident, you will be able to have free access to the online parenting guides on the Ourplace website. These include top tips from childcare, education and NHS health experts. Further suggestions for online courses and advice can be found below:

Family Lives Parents Channel TV contains a large amount of videos, which answer parents questions and concerns regarding topics like wellbeing, behaviour and learning.

Family Links Parents Webinars offer 60-minute webinars for parents of children aged 0 to 19, they aim to improve family relationships and wellbeing.

Talking Teenagers contains interviews with experts, who offer advice to help parents of teenagers with some of the issues they might face.

Family learning courses

Family Learning offer courses for parents and carers to help give children a positive start in life and support their learning and development at home and school.

A wide range of free courses are offered online, from parenting and wellbeing to Maths and English for parents who speak English as an additional language.

Full details, including how to sign up, are available on the Family Learning web page. You may also like to find out more about Family learning in the video below.

View on YouTube

Family helplines

These are usually free and offer confidential information and advice about any concerns you may have about your children or family. You can talk to them about any aspect of family life including children's behaviour, teenagers, adult relationships, separation and divorce, grandchildren and step parenting issues.

You can find details of some popular helplines for families on this shortlist of services from our Family Information Service Directory.

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Parenting courses and advice - Surrey County Council

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Details of parenting classes and family helplines in Surrey

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Contents

What is a family centre?

Family centres support families to find solutions to the parenting and relationships challenges they face and to grow in confidence to manage future difficulties. The aim of the family centres is to help families build their own resilience and self-reliance.

Family centres are based as near as possible to our most disadvantaged communities, but families needing help anywhere across Surrey will be able to benefit from their services.

What support is available at my local family centre?

All centres offer parenting programmes and group activities about common issues, for example, strategies to help with family routines or keeping your children safe.

The type of services available at family centres include:

parenting courses, workshops and signposting to online parenting resources

support for parents to have healthy relationships

family learning sessions to help support children's learning at home

advice and support on mental health and wellbeing

advice and information about helping families eat better and move more

signposting to services that can help with financial advice

help for families to find clothes, equipment, books and toys for their children

Healthy Start vitamin collection points for families who have vouchers

support for families to access food vouchers, food parcels and hygiene packs.

Individual family centre websites have a list of the services they offer and how to access them.

These services are for families who need a little extra help and have met the criteria for support at level 2. The criteria are set out in the Effective Family Resilience levels of need document.

To access these services, both families and professionals can go direct to the family centre. You can find contact details for your local centre on our family centre locations page.

One-to-one family support

The family centres provide one-to-one family support where the family situation is having a significant impact on the health, development or wellbeing of the child/children. Families and practitioners working with families, for example, GPs, health visitors, schools, early years settings, can request support for families who need some extra help.

Family support workers will offer support in the family home as well as at local community venues or the centre itself. Support will take place where the needs of the family are best met at that time.

Family Centres will not be operating on their own, they will work closely with other services that support families. For example, health, schools, early years settings, local charities and other local services to make sure that families get the support they need.

You can find out more about how help is offered, in our One-minute guide to family centres (targeted help at level 3) guide.

What can I expect if I get one-to-one family support?

Meeting your family support worker

A family support worker will meet you in your home or another place that works for you. They will listen and hear how you would like things to change from the way they are now.

They will help you to identify your strengths and help you to think about how you might build on these to make your family stronger and your life better. They will listen to your concerns and worries and help you think about when they started and how they might be overcome in the future.

This information will inform an Early Help Assessment to find out what support you need.

Meeting your team around the family

If the support you need requires a number of services to work together, your family support worker may set up a meeting between you and staff from other services.

You may have been working with some of these services in the past, and new ones may also be invited. These people will form a team around the family (TAF) providing different expertise and resources, so we can work together to meet your goals.

Working with you, the people in the TAF will choose someone who can be a champion for your child and be the point of contact for you. This person is called a child's champion.

Regular meetings

You can work with your family support worker to agree the frequency of meetings and the amount of time you will put aside to meet. Your worker will help you set goals for you and your family and create an action plan to help you along the way.

What commitment will the team give me and my family?

Our commitment is to work with your whole family, actively involving you all in the decisions that will affect your life.

What's expected from me and my family?

We need to understand what's important for you and your family, we would like you to agree to make a family action plan. It will set out where you are now, what you are aiming for and the support you will be offered to help you and your family.

How do I get one to one family support?

You can ask for help through the Surrey Children's Single Point of Access (C-SPA). Or ask a professional working with your family to complete a request for support form. They may complete an Early Help Assessment to attach to the request.

The C-SPA will review the request and allocate your family to the most appropriate service. For a professional to request support from another service, you should have agreed that you would welcome the extra help and given consent to share your information.

Professionals can refer to the Effective Family Resilience level of need document to find out if a family would meet the criteria for one-to-one support from a family centre.

Following a request for support, the family centre will be in touch directly when it has been confirmed that you and your family would welcome the extra support.

How do I find out about local services in my area?

The Family Information Service provides a directory of services and activities for families with children 0 to 19 years (up to 25 for those with special educational needs or disabilities).

In this section

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Where to find details for local family centres

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What is a child protection conference?

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Share your videos with friends, family, and the world

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What is EBSNA?

Emotionally Based School Non-Attendance (EBSNA) is a term used to describe the difficulty children and young people experience in attending school due to emotional reasons, such as stress, anxiety and/ or feeling overwhelmed. This can result in prolonged periods of absence from school.

Other terms EBSNA is known by include:

Emotionally Based School Refusal (EBSR)

Anxiety Related Non-Attendance (ARNA)

Emotional Based School Avoidance (EBSA)

School refusal

In Surrey we use the term Emotionally Based School Non-Attendance (EBSNA) to include children who are unable to attend school, rather than choosing not to attend, because of increased feelings of fear and anxiety that may make school feel unsafe.

If you are looking for support for your child or for someone you care for or support, please know that you are not on your own. We hope this webpage will provide you with the information you need.

What are the signs of EBSNA?

Spotting the signs of EBSNA and taking action quickly can enable a child or young person to remain in education and achieve their aspirations.

Children and young people can display a range of behaviours, which on their own may not be a sign of EBSNA. However, Parents/ Carers of children and young people with EBSNA have reported the following behaviours:

Frequently feeling unwell

Separation anxiety

Frequent minor absences

Tearfulness and general irritability

Sleep difficulties

Emotional volatility

Lack of appetite

Friendship issues

Changes in personality

Poor academic attainment

Autistic young people are also described as experiencing 'Autistic Burnout'.

What is the impact of EBSNA on children?

The impact of EBSNA on children is far reaching and can include:

poor academic attainment

reduced social opportunities

limited employment opportunities

an association with poor mental health in adulthood

EBSNA absence can often lead to long periods of time away from school. EBSNA is different from absence for physical illness and truancy. Most young people experiencing EBSNA can be highly anxious and show significant distress about attending school. In many instances, they remain engaged with education and want to return to school even though they feel unable to do so. Often, the young person's anxiety will reduce during weekends or school holidays.

EBSNA is complex and the issues are specific to each individual so there is not one way to resolve the situation for all children and young people. It is likely to be a gradual process to support a child to return to school particularly when it may feel that the EBSNA is well established, but there are many avenues of support available. This webpage offers information, advice, and a range of strategies gained from Surrey families' lived experiences.

How can EBSNA impact families?

Supporting your child with EBSNA can impact on families in different ways, we've listed some of these below, along with potential sources of support.

Parent Carer mental health and wellbeing

Caring for a child with EBSNA might impact on your mental health and wellbeing. You may feel lonely or isolated, but please know that you are not to blame, and you are not on your own. Family Voice Surrey have created a School Anxiety group for parents and carers.

It is important to look after yourself. If you find that your mental health and emotional wellbeing is poor, there are services that can offer advice or emotional support:

The Child Mind Institute offer information on why Self-Care is essential to parenting on their website

Mindworks Surrey information for Parents/Carers - Every child or young person is different and may require different services. Mindworks Surrey will guide you through each step you need to take as a parent or carer, from your initial concerns to being introduced to the Mindworks service

Healthy Surrey Wheel of Well-being - The Wheel of Well-being is a handy way to think about things you can do to help improve your mood, reduce the risk of depression, strengthen your relationships, and even add up to seven years to your life

Relate - services include relationship counselling, family counselling, mediation and children's and young people's counselling

Parent and Carers Group - The Hope Service - The Hope Service is a multi-agency service for young people aged 11-18 who are experiencing complex mental health, emotional, social and behavioural needs.

Barnardo's Parent Wellbeing Service - The Parent Wellbeing Service offers support to parents or carers whose children are experiencing poor mental health and wellbeing such as anxiety, depression, stress, self-harm and eating disorders. The service will enable parents and carers to be a protective factor for their child/young person in their wellbeing recovery. Increasing their confidence to support their child/young person

This shortlist of Helplines and online support services for parents has the details of further services who may be helpful to refer to.

Parenting support and advice:

For more general parenting support and advice, the following may be helpful.

Family Lives - provides targeted early intervention and crisis support to families who are struggling. The issues they support families with include family breakdown, challenging relationships and behaviour, debt, and emotional and mental wellbeing

Surrey Family Information Service's parenting courses and advice web page

Surrey Family Learning offer a wide range of free courses which are offered online, from parenting and wellbeing to Maths and English for parents who speak English as an additional language

The Free online parenting guides which are available to all Surrey residents that include top tips from childcare, education and NHS health experts.

Finances:

Supporting a child experiencing EBSNA can also have a financial impact on families if for instance, parents have given up work or reduced their working hours to support their child or have paid privately for education provision, counselling, therapy and assessments. There is a range of financial assistance that may be available to you.

Siblings:

EBSNA may also have an impact on siblings, if for instance they are often late for school or mirror their sibling's behaviour. The Local Offer Support for sibling and young carers web page, provides details of activities that siblings can do together, help for young carers and financial assistance.

Ways you can support your child

Unfortunately, there are many children and young people across the UK struggling with school-based anxiety and other difficulties that can impact on school attendance.

Such difficulties should not be viewed as a behavioural or parenting problem. There are many different things that can trigger anxiety and attendance difficulties including bullying, academic pressure and sensory issues in the school environment.

It is common for children to pretend or hold in their distress until they get home from school - this is called "masking". This can lead to misunderstandings and differences in opinion between home and school. It is important that professionals work in partnership with parents and listen to the voices of children and young people.

What you can do if your child is struggling to go to their education setting?

Believe your child's distress is real, listen to what they say and trust your instincts as a parent

One of the most important ways you can support your child is to calmly listen to them and acknowledge that their fears are real to them. Remind them how important it is to access education and reassure them that you and the education setting will try and make it a happier place for them.

Listen to and talk with your child

Consider when and where you will talk. Think about what communication method might be easiest for your child e.g. text messaging, letters, brainstorming key words and feelings. You may find ' mapping the landscape visuals', to be a useful method of communication for your young person. Your young person can 'drag and drop' their thoughts.

Agree an appropriate time and place with your child, e.g., this could be in the time after school and before dinner if your child is attending school. For children who are not attending, agree with them the best time to talk for instance, in the middle part of the day or after they have had breakfast. Try to avoid first thing in the morning before they are fully awake or just before bed as they may be tired or it might disrupt sleep.

When you speak to your child, try to remove any distractions (such as family members, TV or electronic devices) and also set a limit on how long you speak to them for.

You may like to refer to the NHS Talking to your child about feelings web page for support in approaching this conversation.

Focus on listening

If your child has opened up to you, it is because they trust you and feel a need to share their difficulties. Let them talk and try to ask open questions that encourage a fuller response than 'yes' or 'no'.

Examples of open conversation starters:

What is going well for you at the moment?

What would you be doing differently if it wasn't for these difficulties?

What is going well in school?

If things get better, how would that look?

How are things with friends?

If you woke up tomorrow and knew it was better, what would have changed?

What do you want to change?

When things where better than they are now, what was happening then to make it better?

When did this start?

What ideas do you have about what you need to feel better at the moment?

How does it affect you?

What kind of support would help you?

What is this stopping you doing......?

Are there things or people that help?

Let them know if you do not understand or need clarity

Answers can get muddled as children try to explain feelings they may not understand, asking clarifying questions shows you are listening and trying to understand.

Examples of ways of clarifying might include:

"Did I understand you when you said?"

"Did I hear you correctly when you said?"

"Let me check [...] you feel angry/ frustrated/ sad because [...]"

At the end of your conversation validate their feelings, acknowledge their strength and clarify priorities.

Examples of how to do so:

"I can see that things are difficult at the moment. However, you managed to share/ talk about a lot of things today. So, let us recap/ see where we've got to..."

Empathise and acknowledge how hard it is

It is important to let your child know that overcoming anxiety is hard, and that you are proud of their efforts. Let them know you are trying to understand their experience, are listening to what they have to say and want to help. Try not to validate their fears. The message you want to send is, "I know you're scared, and that's okay, and I'm here, and I'm going to help you get through this."

Make yourself available to talk again if needed

It can be a relief to talk, but ongoing anxiety is not solved with just one conversation. Let them know they can speak to you again. Explain that you will look at how you can help them. Never leave this kind of conversation without agreeing next steps, this will help the child to realise that you are working with them to move things forward.

A support plan can be used to support your child/young person think through how support can be individualised to support their own needs. This can be completed independently, with a parent/carer, trusted adult or with friends. This plan can be shared with school/college to help create a package of ongoing support.

It is crucial that all adults, at home and in school, work together to understand the reasons for EBSNA and find solutions together. As soon as signs are spotted parent/carers should tell the school there is a problem and request a meeting.

If you have a younger child who is experiencing anxiety with accessing a pre-school environment you may find the NHS Learning to talk resources following resource helpful to support the development of language.

Activities outside of an education setting

You may like to look at encouraging participation in activities outside of an education setting to support social interaction and reduce isolation. Some suggestions of how to do so include:

The Local Offer Directory contains details of both one off and ongoing leisure and social activities.

Club 4 holiday activities run during the longer school holidays and offer healthy food and fun activities for eligible children aged 5 to 16. The Club 4 website also includes a number of holiday ideas for children.

The video below aims to support parents and carers to develop plans to manage the anxiety of getting into school.

Who can you contact for support?

There are a number of services who can offer support if and when you feel you need it.

Support from School or education setting

It is important to communicate any concerns regarding EBSNA with your child's school/setting. They can help to find out what's worrying your child and what you and they can do to help. A support plan can be created that could include:

Home-school meeting to understand the reasons for the non-attendance.

An allocated named key adult who can maintain daily communication, to include a wellbeing check and ensure work is set, if not in class

Meeting with the pupil to gain their views around the non-attendance or participation

Jointly creating a support plan with you, your child and the school/setting.

Making reasonable adjustments according to your child's needs and the reasons for their non-attendance/participation.

Schools in Surrey can take a Surrey Healthy Schools approach to wellbeing and health and can access a range of resources and services to support your child. Support can include mental health support, counselling, and access to a School Nurse, they can also ask Specialist Teachers for Inclusive Practice (STIPs) to assess your child's difficulties.

Children and Young People with Additional Needs

An underlying Additional Need or Disability can contribute to anxiety levels; this can include Autistic Spectrum Conditions, ADHD, Sensory Processing Disorder or Dyslexia. These can make school feel like a difficult place to be for a child, even if they do want to attend school. It is worth noting that additional needs includes Social, Emotional or Mental Health Difficulties. These can affect a child's ability to make friendships and cope with strong emotion.

You may therefore also wish to discuss with the school if they feel an assessment of your child for any relevant additional needs is required.

If you need a bit more help

There are times when the challenges of family life become more difficult, and families may need some personalised support for a period of time. Targeted help focuses on the specific needs of the family to help them make positive changes. Requests for support (we used to call these referrals) can be made by all health, education and social care practitioners. Parent/carers can also request support via the Children's Single Point of Access (CSPA).

Helpful resources and services

You may also find the information and support offered by these services is helpful to you. The details of further services can be found on our Local Offer Directory.

Define Fine
A small UK parent led organisation that support families affected by EBSNA.

Not Fine In School
A UK based organisation set up to support parents, young people and professionals impacted by EBSNA: They also have a family support group on Facebook.

Young Minds
Have a parent's guide to School Anxiety and Refusal.

Every Mind Matters- Children's Mental Health
This is important for children of all ages, but in particular if the child is transitioning from one school to another, or to another class, which may make them more anxious about school.

SEND Advice Surrey
Offer impartial, confidential, free advice and support to parents/carers of children and young people with special educational needs and/or disabilities.

Family Voice Surrey
Champions the needs and rights of SEND families in Surrey: families with children or young adults up to the age of 25 who have special educational needs, chronic illnesses, including mental health conditions, or disabilities.

The National Autistic Society Surrey Branch
Is a volunteer-run support group founded by parents to support other parents. Volunteers offer a variety of local support group meetings, talks, parent programmes and activities for families that include autistic children or adults.

Are safe spaces for young people to drop into to talk about worries and mental health confidentially. There is also a phone service and virtual workshops operating alongside the face-to-face sessions. The opening times and phone number are listed on their website. They also offer two daytime projects for young people who aren't in school called 'Slow Grow' and 'Forests Skills'.

Children and Family Health Surrey

Have a number of sensory video workshops, on their website.

Your Child's GP can offer support which might include a referral to a Paediatrician or Mindworks who provide advice, help and support to children, young people and their families through a wide range of emotional wellbeing and mental health service,

You can also speak to your child's school nurse. The video below describes what a school nurse does and how they can help.

EBSNA information for young people

Everyone feels anxious or worried about school or college sometimes. This is normal, Anxieties are part of life and learning to deal with them is part of growing up However, sometimes anxiety or constant worrying can become a problem especially when it stops us doing what we want or need to do. If you have high levels of anxiety and worry about attending school, you may be experiencing Emotionally Based School Non-Attendance (EBSNA).

You most definitely are not alone and there is lots of useful information which can help you to find the best ways to help support yourself with this.

Some signs of EBSNA

Getting head or stomach aches

Feeling unsure

Feeling bad tempered

Worrying about relationships

Struggling to sleep

Feeling scared

Feeling depressed

'Autistic Burnout'

Remember you are not alone many children and young people feel this way.

We understand that it can be hard to start a conversation about how you are feeling sometimes as you may be worried about the reaction you will get. You may be surprised to know that your parent/carer or teacher may already have an idea that you are finding things difficult and it may be an easy conversation to have. It's important to tell your family and school how you feel so they can support you. There is no wrong way to do so and you might like to write a letter or send a text to say how you are feeling.

You may wish to complete a support plan which can be used to support you think through how support can be individualised to support your needs. This can be completed independently, with a parent/carer, trusted adult or with friends. This plan can be shared with school/college to help create a package of ongoing support.

You can also let them know about this webpage so they can come and look at the resources for parent/carers and schools.

Some of these services might also be able to help you:
Please remember, in the case of an emergency, call 999 or 112 from a mobile.
How can you support a child with EBSNA you are working with?

EBSNA is a complex issue, staying curious, feeling confident to try a different approach, remembering that no one is to blame for the situation, along with a culture that promotes staff and student well-being, can all support a successful reintegration.

It is important to remember most school-anxiety/ school refusing children do WANT to attend school however their difficulties and anxiety are overwhelming. They care about their education and want to succeed; however, they need understanding and support at home and at school to do so. They may need adjustments to their daily routines, timetables, or their school environment. Pressures to focus on attendance rather than the child's needs can make things even harder to 'fix'. As soon as concerns are raised, a designated member of school staff should reach out and connect with the parents/ carers. Preferably staff with a trusting relationship.

Many of the factors associated with positive outcomes will already be present within your education settings existing good practice and include:

Developing a Surrey Healthy Schools approach to wellbeing, health, inclusion and achievement

Early Intervention

Working with parents and staff as well as the child or young person

Working flexibly with a focus on understanding the function of the child or young person's avoidance behaviour

A focus on a rapid return to an education setting alongside intervention, support and adaptations within the school and home environment (be mindful that a focus on rapid return will not be appropriate for all children and young people).

Implementation of the 'Assess, Plan, Do, Review' Four part cycle:

Assess

As part of the 'Assess' phase you can identify EBSNA signs and risk factors, education setting push and pull factors to gather information to build a rich picture of the situation. You can use Surrey's Early Help Assessment form and Early Help Assessment practitioner guidance.

Plan

As part of the 'Plan' you can bring together all the information gathered and use it to inform a co-authored action and support plan.

Do

The 'Do' strand should describe strategies and interventions that have been effective in supporting the reintegration of a child or young person who is experiencing difficulties coming to an education setting. Carry out additional High Quality Teaching strategies and note differences made. Refine delivery of strategies to maximise the effect they have. Ensure that additional provision is delivered as it is meant to be. Think about what you need to adjust considering initial observations and feedback.

Review

Using assessment measures to monitor the progress of an intervention and adjust the plan for next steps will be part of your 'Review.'

Where can I receive advice or support with EBSNA?

Training and Webinars

Surrey Educational Psychologist Service and Mindworks School Based Needs Services are continually delivering training. The training is underpinned by research and provides extensive resources. Training for schools/settings can be booked on the training section of the Surrey Education Services. Third sector and wider partner EBSNA webinars have been uploaded to the Surrey Youth Focus webpage.

There is a progressive programme of training and support for schools to assist in the development and maintenance of a supportive and inclusive school culture. For more information visit Surrey Healthy Schools

Effective Family Resilience incorporating Early Help Assessment training is bookable through the Surrey Children's Services Academy: Training covers how to use the Family Resilience Windscreen and identify the range of services available to support families.

Resources

Individual support for children and young people

A Profile of Risk of EBSNA has been developed that looks at 5 key risk areas for EBSNA. The checklist is for use alongside the usual attendance monitoring systems in education settings, e.g., SIMS and consideration of patterns of attendance, to screen for possible EBSNA in relation to non-attendance. If the resultant profile suggests to you that the pupil is at risk of emotionally based school non-attendance, the next step is to obtain the views of the pupil, parent/carers and other staff within a setting. A support plan should be co-produced with the pupil, parent/carers and education setting using the EBSNA support guide for settings and the EBSNA Support Plan template provided by Surrey County Council and partners.

If the family need resources to be made accessible e.g., no access to technology or are not confident using it, are visually impaired or have English as an additional language you must ensure the resources available to families can be made accessible and families are supported to use them.

As part of any plan to support the child to attend well, education settings should facilitate relevant pastoral support. This should be done with the clear aim of improving attendance as much as possible while supporting the underlying EBSNA issue. The Department for Education have published examples of effective reasonable adjustments.

You may also like to refer to the Department for Education's summary of responsibilities where a mental health issue is affecting attendance.

Additional Support Services

The Inclusion Service provides support to schools, parents and young people in providing services on behalf of the Local Education Authority and deals with non-attendance, child Protection and making enquiries about children missing education.

Surrey's Education Psychology Service offer a weekly helpline for education settings that operates in every quadrant every Wednesday from 1-4pm (including school holidays).

Surrey County Council are developing a new support pathway for EBSNA via our Learners Single Point of Access (L-SPA), this will allow referrals for support to be made direct to our multi-professional team. More information COMING SOON

Whole School best practice

By asking "can we create an environment where EBSNA doesn't exists?" schools are already employing many strategies that support CYP who may experience school related anxiety. We suggest that schools develop a Surrey Healthy Schools approach to wellbeing, health, inclusion and achievement and use the Self-Evaluation Tool and training to assist the leadership and management of these areas. This can help to foster a compassionate, respectful and anxiety friendly environment.

Surrey Healthy Schools presents an opportunity for schools to actively promote physical, emotional and mental health and wellbeing. It is a commitment to encouraging personal, social and health development and supports the links between health, behaviour and achievement. It is not aimed merely at pupils' health or school curriculum development but centres around the whole school environment and all aspects of school life.

By looking at the systems already in place and creating opportunity for open discussion, you will develop a solid foundation that works for your school.

Where can you find support and advice?

This EBSNA Padlet website has an EBSNA resource bank designed for professionals.

Surrey Educational Psychology Service EBSNA Whole School Initial Audit Tool for Schools is a useful tool to gain a whole school understanding of EBSNA awareness and will help to identify areas of development.

Graduated Response Early Years information and documents to help special educational needs coordinators (SENCOs), early years practitioners, home-based childcarers and playworkers support children with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) and their families.

Surrey Inclusion & Additional Needs service schools a document designed to schools and settings understand Surrey County Council service offers available to support schools to meet pupils needs as they emerge.

Ordinarily available provision (schools) this guidance aims to support settings, practitioners, families, and carers to work together to ensure that children's additional needs are met at the earliest opportunity.

Surrey Wellbeing Partnership (SWP) is a formal joint venture of local and national charities of various sizes with a common goal: to work with children and young people in the community to improve wellbeing and mental health so that they can live full, fun and confident lives.

Mindworks School Based Needs Team: offers advice and signposting for children, young people, parents and school staff, 1-1 support and group work for children, young people and parents (both within school and out of school settings).

Mindworks - Complex Mental Health Needs Teams (Community Teams)- work across Surrey and are made up of health and social care professionals. These multi-disciplinary teams promote good mental health and provide assessment and treatment to children and young people up to the age of 18 with a mental health condition. The teams assess and treat children and young people who are struggling with difficulties associated with neurodevelopment conditions where these are having a significant impact on the child's development and quality of life and causing them and/or their carers distress.

Mindworks - Mental Health Support Team for Specialist Schools in Surrey - a school-based service, which supports the mental health of children and young people in specialist schools across Surrey. The team offer support and advice to key people (teacher and or parent/ carer) around the child or young person to enable them to identify any concerns, understand what has happened for that child or young person and support any developing mental health needs.

The Mindworks 24/7 mental health crisis line, is available for children and young people who are worried about themself, a friend, or for parents worried about their child or young person. It can be contacted on 0800 915 4644, is open all day and all night, seven days a week.

Transitioning from primary to secondary school or changing schools in-year is a particularly significant change for children. Learning about change and how to cope with it will help them with transition and prepare them for many other changes and challenges they will face in life. Young Minds have a section of resources related to supporting school transitions.

Youth Engagement Scheme (YES) - is an early intervention for young people, between the ages of 13 and 16, who are struggling with one or more of: school attendance, low self-esteem, lack of self-confidence and/or are at risk of becoming involved in anti-social behaviour and the criminal justice system.YES is an early intervention for young people, between the ages of 13 and 16, who are struggling with one or more of: school attendance, low self-esteem, lack of self-confidence and/or are at risk of becoming involved in anti-social behaviour and the criminal justice system. You can email yes@surreycc.gov.uk for more information.

You may also find the details of further services who offer information and support on our Local Offer Directory.

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Emotionally Based School Non-Attendance (EBSNA)

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Emotionally Based School Non-Attendance (EBSNA) refers to children who are unable to attend school, rather than choosing not to attend because of increased feelings of fear and anxiety that may make school feel unsafe. Support for EBSNA is available.

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The Continuum of Support - Replaces Effective Family Resilience

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The Continuum of Support - Replaces Effective Family Resilience

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The Surrey Safeguarding Children's Partnership has developed new guidance working with a range of partners from across the statutory and voluntary sectors in Surrey to replace Effective Family Resilience.

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'Why I am rude' - a poem about the potential feelings and circumstances behind behaviour

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Cambridgeshire County Council SEND Service 0-25

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Cambridgeshire County Council's video 'Why I am rude' - a poem about our perception of 'behaviour'.

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Overview of family experiences of EBSNA - Surrey Youth Focus

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Training around the Continuum of Support

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Training around the Continuum of Support

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Who are these sessions for?

These sessions are for everyone who works with children and their families in Surrey, whether in a statutory or voluntary capacity to support the use of this guidance document in their work. - Please share with all professionals

What are the benefits?

These sessions will support clarity and guidance to partners working with children and Families to help consider who is best to be leading on early support to meet the child and family's needs and the type of support available below the threshold for statutory children's safeguarding services.

The Surrey Safeguarding Children's Partnership developed the Continuum of support guidance with partners to reflect the changing landscape of children's social care policy, alongside families, and partners' feedback.

What will I learn?

You will hear how to use the new Continuum of Support when making decisions on the appropriate response to children's needs, from those children who are thriving to those who need statutory intervention.

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The Surrey Safeguarding Children's Partnership has developed new guidance working with a range of partners from across the statutory and voluntary sectors in Surrey to replace Effective Family

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Surrey Virtual School CPD Brochure - 2025 to 2026 Academic Year

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Guidance for What is a Social Worker introduction leaflets - all ages

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Full booklet guidance - Key Stage 1 version

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KS1 Why do I have a Social Worker booklet

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Full Booklet Guidance - Key Stage 2 version

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KS2 Why do I have a Social Worker booklet

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Full Booklet Guidance - Key Stage 3-5 version

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KS3-5 Why do I have a Social Worker booklet

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The Duties we work under.

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Virtual school head role extension to children with a social worker

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How local authorities should extend the virtual school head role to champion children with a social worker and promote their education.

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Our full document with behaviours that are seen to indicate need, questions to ask children and young people, schools and parent/carers, strategies that could be used and signposting about attendance, suspensions and exclusions, social, emotional and mental health and more.

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Promoting the Education of CWSW in their plans

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Our resource for on the go.

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At a Glance ‘Promoting the Education of CWSW in their plans’

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The form to book a Curious Conversation (consultation) with SVS for children with a social worker or those who have had a social worker in the last 6 years.

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Our UK Cost of the School Day programme, carried out in partnership with Children North East, has been transformative for schools and pupils. An independent evaluation of the project between 2019-22 highlights its impact on families, schools, local authorities and the wider education system.

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SIGNPOSTING Community partners services overview for practitioners

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We are currently replying to contacts within 10 working days. Sorry for any convenience.
SEND Advice Surrey staff update can be found on the hot topics page below.
Our hot topics page has information on the most talked about topics for SEND Advice Surrey at the moment

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SEND Advice Surrey is Surrey's Special Educational Needs and/or Disabilities information, advice and support (SENDIAS) service.

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Family Voice Surrey's vision is clear: cultivate a diverse and inclusive society where parent carers feel valued and listened to and all children and young adults with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) are supported to reach their full potential.

We provide independent guidance to parent carers of children and young people with additional needs aged 0-25 in Surrey, shining a light on the challenges that SEND families regularly face.

Together we're stronger; together, we can make a difference.

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Family Voice Surrey's vision is clear: cultivate a diverse and inclusive society where parent carers feel valued and listened to and all children and young adults with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) are supported to reach their full potential.

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Information and resources for parents and carers of children and young people with special educational needs and disability (SEND).

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At Barnardo’s Surrey Positive Parenting, we support parents/carers of children (6 to 18 years old) who have a diagnosis of ADHD or are in the process of getting a diagnosis of ADHD. We give parents and carers strategies to manage challenging behaviour whilst gaining support from parents or carers in a similar situation.

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Service Description

We are a proud alliance partner of Mindworks. At Barnardo's Surrey Positive Parenting, we support parents/carers of children (6 to 18 years old) who have a diagnosis of ADHD or are in the process of getting a diagnosis of ADHD. We give parents and carers strategies to manage challenging behaviour whilst gaining support from parents or carers in a similar situation.

We have groups all over Surrey that run during the day and evening, online and face-to-face. This support and advice is delivered in an eight-week programme.
We empower parents by helping them to:

gain confidence and skills as parents when living with a child with ADHD

exploring how positive parenting is beneficial to the family as a whole

discuss strategies for effective behaviour management

have the opportunity to meet with other parents

understanding the importance of clear communication for a child with ADHD

We have two skills building programmes:

The Parent Factor in ADHD is for parents/carers of children that have an ADHD diagnosis (8 week skills building programme).

The Nurturing Programme, delivered with ADHD as a clear focus, is for those parents/carers awaiting a diagnosis for their child. (8 week skills building programme).

For further information please visit Barnardo's - Surrey Positive Parenting Service.

Areas covered:

Contact Details

Name of partner: Barnardos
Email: surreypositiveparenting@barnardos.org.uk

Service manager: Michaela Hussey
Opening hours:

9am to 5pm, Monday to Thursday

9am to 4:30pm, Friday

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We are a proud alliance partner of Mindworks. At Barnardo's Surrey Positive Parenting, we support parents/carers of children (6 to 18 years old) who have a diagnosis of ADHD or are in the process of getting a diagnosis of ADHD.

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Happy in School Project offer educator training and workshops, consultancy and support for families as well as school visits. The services are suitable for children with undiagnosed neurodiverse condition such as dyslexia, autism or ADHD or if they stress in the evening or in the morning about going to school.

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Making sure your kids are #happyinschool is every parent's dream. It's tough if they don't seem happy, especially if they come home anxious, angry or upset. If you suspect your child has as an undiagnosed neurodiverse condition such as dyslexia, autism or ADHD or if they stress in the evening or in the morning about going to school, you've come to the right place. The #happyinschoolproject provides compassionate, evidence-based training, education and support for parents and educators, every step of the way.

#happyinschool is the the way forward! Our parent & educator sessions Who's the Adult in the classroom? The Parent Teacher Conundrum, Autism & ADHD Together, Classroom Politics, Cracking the Friendship Code, 'Getting the Best from NeuroDiververgent Kids' are uplifting and transformational. If you need deeper insight into these neurological conditions, whilst learning techniques to successfully implement change in the educational setting and at home, sign up for FREE downloads below.

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Happy in School Homepage - Happy in School Project

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Making sure your kids are #happyinschool is every parent's dream. It's tough if they don't seem happy, especially if they come home anxious, angry or upset. If you suspect your child has as an undiagnosed neurodiverse condition such as dyslexia, autism or ADHD or if they stress in the evening or in the morning about going to school, you've come to the right place.

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The NAS Surrey Branch email forum is a moderated online support group for families of autistic people, which enables members to ask other people questions via email.

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NAS Surrey Branch | Moderated Email Forum

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The NAS Surrey Branch email forum lets you ask questions, receive information and share knowledge with hundreds of parents and professionals in and around Surrey via moderated email.

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SOS! SEN is a national charity which aims to empower parents and carers of children with SEN.

One of the free, impartial services they provide is monthly drop-in advice centres in Thornton Heath, Aldershot, Manchester, Kent, Oxford, and Hampton Court (East Molesey), and twice a month in central London near Waterloo station.

No appointment is necessary, you can just turn up.

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Find out more about our JR Initiative, The PAP Project!

SOS!SEN is an independent registered charity started in 2002 by a small group who had spent much of their lives in education or related services. We help parents secure the right educational support for children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND).

We now have a team of over 70 volunteers advising parents, many of whom have been in your shoes, seeking to get the right provision for their children.

We are able to fund the important lifeline we provide to parents through your donations for our services and our Surrey-based charity shop.

We provide a range of information, advice and support to help parents find their way through the daunting legal and bureaucratic maze of securing SEN support for their children.

Parents are not always aware of their children's entitlement to SEN provision; we help them navigate the process, with advice underpinned by current legislation and best practice.

I would like to say thank you to everyone at SOS!SEN for their direction and invaluable expertise, which helped me work through an appeal... Your workshops [webinars] on appealing against the contents of EHCP and SEND Tribunal video hearings gave me the confidence to represent myself, and succeed at a SEND Tribunal hearing, to secure needed provisions for my son...

I just wanted to write a huge and heartfelt thank you to SOSSEN. I attended the walk in session in Thornton Heath...and spoke to Sarah who was truly wonderful! I have been feeling very overwhelmed...and my head has felt like a tangled ball of wool. Sarah calmly untangled it all and gave me lots of brilliant advice and next steps to work towards...

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Find out more about our JR Initiative, The PAP Project! SOS!SEN is an independent registered charity started in 2002 by a small group who had spent much of their lives in education or related services. We help parents secure the right educational support for children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND).

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A guide to the difference between each Key Stage of education and how parents can support their child's education.

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A short guide to attendance and the new responsibility for professionals.

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The Surrey Virtual School - Information for Social Workers 

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The Surrey Virtual School - Information for Social Workers 

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A brief overview of who and what the Surrey Virtual School is and does.

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SVS's quick guide to what Elective Home Education including contact information for the Inclusion Team (Surrey Attendance Service).

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Flipping your Lid - Info from Dan Siegel's hand model of the brain

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Flipping your Lid - Info from Dan Siegel's hand model of the brain

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PACE: A trauma-informed approach to  supporting children and young people from NHS Wales

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PACE: A trauma-informed approach to  supporting children and young people from NHS Wales

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supporting children and young people

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5 School Counseling Activities Using String (American)

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5 School Counseling Activities Using String (American)

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5 School Counseling Activities Using String

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For children and young people with speech, language and communication needs, or other complex needs, who can find it difficult to notice, understand and put words on how they are feeling

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14 ways to enhance self esteem - Checklist

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14 ways to enhance self esteem - Checklist

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A Speech, Language and Communication Needs (SLCN) 

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A Speech, Language and Communication Needs (SLCN) 

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SLCN Resource Toolkit for Practitioners  July 2024

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The Resilient Classroom A Resource Pack for Tutor Groups 
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Pastoral School Staf

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SHARED DECISION-MAKING MEETINGS PROGRAMME THEORY Children and young people involvement

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SHARED DECISION-MAKING MEETINGS PROGRAMME THEORY Children and young people involvement