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By Andrea .
~15 October 2026
Too much of the national attendance conversation begins with: “Why isn't this child attending school?”
Too much of the national attendance conversation begins with: “Why isn't this child attending school?”
Absence is rising again and the government’s own data makes one thing painfully clear: children with SEND are still being failed. Not because families don’t value education, not because parents aren’t “prioritising attendance”, but because the system designed to support their children simply isn’t functioning and hasn't for a long time!
The Department for Education has released a major update to how schools must communicate with parents about attendance. This new guidance replaces the older 2024 version and introduces a completely new, research‑based approach one that focuses on understanding, belonging, and support, not blame.
If you’re a parent of an autistic or ADHD child, you may already know the nightly battle: bedtime stretches late into the night, mornings feel impossible, and school attendance becomes a constant source of stress. What’s important to understand is that this isn’t just “bad sleep habits” UK research shows that disrupted or nocturnal circadian rhythms...
So, your child’s absence has just been referred to the Education Welfare Officer (EWO). The school has marked those absences as unauthorised. You’re staring down the barrel of potential fines, threats of prosecution, and a system that seems to have forgotten its own statutory duties. We hear you! Let’s be clear: this isn’t just about missed...
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