Attendance, school avoidance, exclusions and education transitions
Help with repeated lateness or absence, difficult school mornings, suspensions and permanent exclusion, and moves between schools or phases.
What you can find here
- What has changed when my child starts missing school or cannot get through the gate?
- How do we make a plan for difficult mornings and the longer attendance pattern?
- What should a temporary part-time timetable record and review?
- What happens after a suspension or permanent exclusion, and what support or adjustments should be considered?
- How can we prepare for the practical parts of a move to secondary school or a new setting?
Begin with the main Library article
Main Library article
When my child cannot get through the school gate
A calm, practical route from a difficult school morning to a specific attendance plan that addresses the barrier rather than blaming the child.
More from the Library
What is emotionally based school avoidance?
What EBSA means, what it does not establish, and how to investigate a child's difficulty attending school without reducing it to a label.
Written June 2026
What is a reduced timetable?
What a temporary reduced or part-time school timetable should contain, the questions to ask, and why it is not a substitute for suitable support.
Written June 2026
What happens after a suspension or exclusion?
The documents, education arrangements, return planning and review questions families need after a school suspension or permanent exclusion.
Written June 2026
Suspension and exclusion linked to SEND
Questions to ask when SEND, disability or unmet need may have contributed to behaviour leading to suspension or permanent exclusion.
Written June 2026
Planning a move to a new school or setting
A practical transition plan for changing school or setting, including information sharing, visits, support, first-day routes and review.
Written June 2026
Attendance letters, meetings and penalty notices
How to respond to school attendance correspondence, prepare for a meeting and understand when support may move into formal action.
Written June 2026
How a school reintegration plan works
How to plan a return after absence, suspension or disrupted attendance by changing the conditions, not only increasing the hours.
Written June 2026
Attendance and exclusion rules across the UK nations
The correct attendance, reduced-hours and exclusion starting points for England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland.
Written June 2026
Anxiety, burnout or unmet need at school?
How to compare possible explanations for school distress without turning anxiety, burnout or unmet need into an unsupported conclusion.
Written June 2026
Quick answers from the Blog
What to say to school when my child cannot attend
A clear same-day message for school, plus the facts and questions that help turn a missed morning into a practical attendance plan.
Written June 2026
The best ways to prepare an autistic child for starting secondary school
Prepare for secondary school by answering your child's practical questions, sharing useful support information and checking the first weeks.
Written November 2025
My child refuses to go to school, what can I do?
What to do when your child cannot get into school, how to look for the reason, and how to build a practical attendance plan with the school.
Written November 2025