The issue of children missing school in England remains an urgent problem. New data shows that in the 2024-25 academic year, 18% of pupils were persistently absent, meaning that they missed 10% of their morning and afternoon sessions at school – around 19 days.

While a slight decrease from the previous year, this is still significantly higher than the rate before the pandemic (11%). And severe absence has risen. Around 176,000 children missed half or more of their school days.

Poor mental health can contribute to school absence. This is otherwise termed “emotionally based school avoidance”. Evidence suggests that UK teenagers’ wellbeing is the lowest in western Europe, with double the number from before the pandemic being referred to NHS support services for anxiety.

Unfortunately, children may also be bullied, and this is particularly true of those with special educational needs and disabilities. This leads many parents, and carers, to choose to keep their children at home – though this is not a legally accepted reason for absence.

Children – with and without special educational needs and disabilities – may find attending school difficult due to a lack of security. A 2022-23 report suggests that only two out of five children feel safe in school all of the time. Children with historical trauma may subsequently have strong attachment needs, meaning they have an intense need to feel emotionally secure – such as by being close to a trusted caregiver. They may feel particularly unsafe, and will need these feelings of safety replicated at school.

Building a sense of safety

But many children can be successfully supported. For such children support – whether from the whole school, a smaller group, or an individual – might improve their experience, with school becoming that secure base substitute. Here, the school provides a supportive environment that allows children to explore, but also to return to safety when they feel vulnerable. A whole-school approach means schools have policies that address attachment school-wide, rather than for particular pupils or in particular settings.

This safety might be a place in the school, such as a nurture room. It could be a person, such as a teaching assistant (not a teacher, as the latter cannot be readily available or responsive). Or it could be a task – an activity they find therapeutic, such as art.

My research sets out strategies that can ensure such children thrive. Understanding – and implementing – the role of the significant adult is paramount: this is an adult who is always available and responsive to the child or young person’s needs.

Pupils do not need to have a clinical diagnosis to benefit from supportive strategies either. Any child, or young person, who needs help to feel safe at school can be helped, and – if need be – their attendance improved.

My research supports the use of a whole-school approach. It’s also important that schools set therapeutic tasks, such as creative arts and crafts, and that they teach social, emotional and behavioural skills. These can include role-play and praising appropriate behaviour.

The environment is particularly important in helping children to feel safe within school. Such frameworks prepare children for what to expect and enable them to plan their engagement within school. Research has linked a whole-school approach to a feeling of safety. Subsequently, this feeling of safety has been shown to reduce anxiety and – potentially – improve school attendance.

This environmental structuring can include quiet rooms, or corners, where students can be sent, or remove themselves to, and which may be supported by a member of staff, or not. The former may be preferable, as a significant adult - see above - can help them regulate themselves. In these areas pupils can also engage in therapeutic activities that reduce anxiety such as a repetitive task like counting, or colouring. These spaces are less formal than traditional nurture groups, but still require: children to know the layout of the school; what the spaces are used for, and signage that is clear and accessible. Visual timetables and transition work at key points in the academic year, such as progression to a new class, can also help.

Formal nurture groups can also be beneficial. These groups, which may follow principles established by the charity Nurture UK, are focused, short term interventions with two members of staff – one qualified teacher and one teaching assistant, or a similar role – that contains up to 12 pupils. Traditional nurture groups are registered with Nurture UK, which promotes social, emotional and behavioural learning in the classroom.

If staff lack the training to establish a nurture group, they can start a “nurturing group”. This can mirror the nurture group approach, but does not require the school to register with Nurture UK. Support is provided to the children – usually in the morning – to work on any behavioural needs.

Staff can also work with families to help them take part in activities that help build relationships, most importantly, between parents, carers and their children, but also the school. These activities could be such as art, design, music or drama projects.

Finally, partnership working (a multi-agency approach) is vital where all services work together with schools to meet the needs of children whose attendance could be improved. These services are often linked to education – particularly attendance officers, health or social care – but also can include the police, youth offending teams and fire officers.

Overall, absence issues should be dealt with on an individual basis and decisions should be made by carefully balancing everyone’s needs.