NFER’s Matt Walker shares the latest findings on why we need to rebuild connections with parents and rethink how we discuss mental health to effectively address student absence.

Improving attendance

School attendance is a key factor in supporting positive academic and social outcomes for students. However, overall and persistent absence remains significantly above pre-pandemic levels, despite ongoing efforts from schools and policymakers to improve attendance (see tinyurl.com/mp3wr8es). 

To explore this issue, we looked at how schools are currently supporting students returning after absence, and how effective staff and students feel these approaches have been. Our aim is to share insights that support schools in reflecting on and developing their own approaches. In this article, we outline key messages drawn from our research, along with examples of steps some schools have found helpful in improving attendance. 

Our research involved conversations with school staff and 85 students across nine mainstream secondary schools, as well as responses from more than 600 secondary teachers to the National Foundation for Educational Research’s (NFER’s) Teacher Voice Survey (see tinyurl.com/nhew53jm). 

While staff are working hard to improve attendance, this challenge cannot be solved alone. The evolving barriers to attendance, such as anxiety and inconsistent access to mental health services, demand a collaborative, systemic approach. Solutions must begin with listening to and supporting students, parents, and staff, while acknowledging the constraints of workload and limited resources. 

Understanding the reality on the ground 

School leaders are navigating a perfect storm. Alongside the academic and emotional recovery from Covid-19, they’re facing funding pressures, stretched pastoral teams, and a rising tide of need. 

Students’ mental health is a recurring concern. School staff reported that long wait times for Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) and limited external support leave them managing complex issues without the necessary expertise or time. More children are absent due to low-level illness or anxiety, and there is a noticeable rise in term-time holiday requests – all while schools remain under constant pressure to demonstrate improvement in academic outcomes and attendance rates. Despite these challenges, schools continue to do remarkable things – innovating, supporting, and adapting. 

Mental health and attendance: reframing the conversation 

One of the key themes emerging from our research is the need for a more nuanced conversation about mental health. School leaders and teachers report a wide range of student needs, from clinical anxiety to everyday challenges like friendship issues and stress. Students themselves find returning to school after absence stressful, with concerns about social integration, academic catch-up, and how their absence will be perceived. 

Confidentiality is crucial; publicly addressing absence can inadvertently lead to feelings of embarrassment or exposure. Staff should ensure conversations respect student privacy while offering the necessary support. 

Supporting students effectively requires compassion, but also time, skill, and a coordinated approach. School leaders and staff want to help their students develop resilience and coping strategies but also need access to specialist services when challenges go beyond what schools can safely support in-house. 

Rebuilding trust with parents 

The pandemic altered how many parents view school attendance. Understandably, many are more cautious about illness, and some are more willing to keep their children at home for colds or coughs than before. 

This calls for a recalibration of messaging and support – not through punishment or fear, but through relationship-building. Schools that engage parents as partners, with clarity and consistency, are seeing more positive outcomes. Again, this relational work needs time, something that is often in short supply in schools already managing multiple demands. 

What appears to work: structured support, not sanctions alone 

When students shared what helped them return to school, the message was clear: structure matters. They valued having a clear, manageable way to catch up on missed learning and appreciated being treated with empathy and understanding about their absence. In contrast, sanction-heavy approaches were often seen as unfair or discouraging, particularly by those who had been absent due to health issues or family challenges. 

Many schools are working hard to build welcoming and supportive reintegration systems – assigning dedicated staff, using online platforms to aid catch-up, and offering private conversations instead of public questioning. However, these approaches are labour-intensive and given the rising number of students requiring attendance support, the reality is that many schools simply lack the capacity to implement them consistently. 

Considerations for policymakers 

To support schools and ensure no student is left behind, we need a coordinated policy response that recognises the systemic nature of this issue. 

Over the past decade, cuts to local authority budgets and wider public services, including early help, youth services, welfare officers, and mental health support, have reduced the support available to children and families. This erosion of early intervention has contributed to rising levels of absence, with schools often left to manage complex needs without additional resources. 

Schools urgently need additional funding to meet their expanded role, which includes building and sustaining attendance teams, such as attendance officers, pastoral leads, and staff who can carry out home visits or run targeted re-engagement programmes. Many schools are currently absorbing these roles into already stretched teams. Without additional capacity, personalised support is difficult to sustain. Policymakers need to:

• prioritise increased funding for school-based pastoral support and external mental health services
• strengthen multi-agency collaboration to ensure that schools are not left managing complex mental health needs without adequate support 

Final thoughts 

Our research highlights that reducing student absence requires a thoughtful, multifaceted approach that combines high expectations with personalised support. Schools play a crucial role in building a positive culture of attendance, but they cannot do it alone. They need strong partnerships with parents, better access to external services, and adequate resources to help students overcome barriers. Supportive and inclusive environments, along with structured re-engagement strategies, can make a real difference in helping all students attend and thrive. 

SUPPORTIVE SOLUTIONS:

Many schools are working hard to build welcoming and supportive reintegration systems – assigning dedicated staff, using online platforms to aid catch-up, and offering private conversations instead of public questioning.

Matt Walker
Senior Research Manager at the National Foundation for Educational Research (NFER)
@thenfer.bsky.social

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