Monitoring data, meeting targets, and following up on absences are no longer just tasks; they’re about understanding why pupils are finding it difficult to engage with school at all.

Current national absence rates are at 6.67% across the 2025/26 academic year. Though this is steadily improving, it’s still higher than pre-pandemic levels of 4.7%. More worryingly, persistent absence is at 18.6%, that’s almost 1 in 5 children who have missed 10% or more of their education.

For many pupils, school provides valuable structure, stability and a sense of connection. But for some pupils, particularly those with SEND, emerging needs or complex social/emotional difficulties, school can become a source of stress. When pupils start avoiding school because it makes them feel anxious, we know there are barriers that need to be addressed.

A story behind every empty chair

Every absence represents a pupil who is facing challenges that may not always be visible on the surface. Particularly for SEND pupils, absence can be an indicator that something needs adjusting rather than a sign that they don’t want to attend and it’s important to share that with wider school teams.

When pupils start missing school regularly, it can be useful to dig a little deeper and try to understand what may be causing the absence.  Emotional difficulties are one key barrier to attendance. For many SEND pupils or those with emerging needs, there may be root causes linked to anxiety, connection and belonging, socialising challenges, school environments or learning challenges and sometimes it can be external factors such as illness, bereavement, finances etc.

When pupils start avoiding school due to emotional reasons, they may be facing emotionally based school non-attendance (EBSNA) or school avoidance (EBSA). In these instances, absence isn’t treated as though it’s a choice or part of a behavioural issue, it’s a response to a child feeling overwhelmed.

Educators will often recognise this. Pupils are more likely to attend school when they feel safe, heard and supported. The majority of pupils who find school difficult to attend want to be there, but they don’t want to feel anxious or incapable.

Expectations vs Empathy

Schools are under pressure. Pressure to increase attendance rates through accountability measures, expectations from leaders and deputies and, in some cases, fines for parents. But when we consider attendance from a SEND and inclusion perspective, we can start to see how these policies may unintentionally cause punishment for families who are already facing challenges.

This leaves schools wanting to do right by their pupils in a difficult position. On one hand, schools have a duty to ensure pupils are attending. But on the other, schools don’t want to exclude pupils who are having genuine difficulties getting through the door. The best way for schools to move forwards is by balancing high expectations with high support.

Asking different questions

Instead of asking “Why isn’t this pupil attending?” it may be useful to consider:

• Are mornings particularly difficult for them?
• Are there certain lessons where they feel more comfortable?
• Could any environmental changes be made to support them?
• What do pupils feel they need to better support them?

Taking the time to speak to pupils and their families about the root cause of absence can help schools identify small, practical solutions to try.

Sometimes simple changes can make all the difference and it doesn’t take a big intervention to improve attendance. Sometimes, it can take SAFE making small adjustments to help the pupil feel more comfortable and reduce overwhelm. Some examples might be:

• Providing a buddy or mentor
• Creating a quiet space to regroup
• Allowing flexibility in start times
• Implementing visual timetables
• Building in breaks between lessons
• Breaking down lessons/task into manageable chunks

I think as schools and policy makers look at SEND and inclusion going forward, it’s a good time to also reflect on the language around attendance.

Asking why a child can’t come to school is far more effective than defaulting to why they aren’t coming.

If we want children in school, first and foremost, we need to make sure school is somewhere children want to be.