This one-day masterclass has been designed by experts to explore the complex issue of school refusal to support you to improve attendance within your school. Learners who refuse to attend school present complex and demanding issues for schools, the learners themselves and for people at home.
This workshop will explore the drivers to school refusal and the barriers that school refusers face. Barriers often relate to unmet Special Educational Needs & Disabilities (diagnosed or suspected), physical or mental illness, bullying & assault, trauma, excessive academic pressure, overly strict behaviour policies, a missing sense of belonging, and an irrelevant curriculum. School attendance barriers are poorly understood, incorrectly managed, & are compounded by current challenges within education, health & local government systems. This problematic response often has severe consequences for both child and family.
This workshop will provide practical, evidence-based strategies to help schools work with school refusers to overcome these barriers and engage with learning again.
Key Learning Objectives:
- Better understand the drivers behind school refusal and common barriers
- Improve your understanding of emotionally based school refusal
- Implement practical strategies to support improved attendance for students with emotional based school refusal
- Explore the reasons why school refusal is common for children with SEND and your legal responsibilities
- Ensure your setting is working towards becoming more inclusive to support children with SEND to improve attendance
- Understand the impact parent anxiety can have on school attendance
- Improving parental relationships to drive increased attendance
- Support anxious and anti-school parents
- Recognise safeguarding concerns related to non-attendance and school refusal
