School-Based Anxiety and Attendance
Sometimes it feels like the only thing that matters to politicians and education leaders is school attendance. And when they declare that the best place for children to be is in school, it makes me feel like my school experience doesn’t matter, and makes me feel angry for all the children…
The Truth Behind the ‘Attendance Crisis’ and Stories From Those Who Have Been There. #NotASchoolSkiver
On the 8th of January, the UK government launched its attendance campaign ‘Moments Matter, Attendance Counts’. The same day, Good Morning Britain hosted a news segment titled ‘School Skivers: whose fault - teachers or parents?’. In response, I wrote‘I Was Not a “School…
I Was Not a “School Skiver”
Dear Good Morning Britain (and the government),
Following your news segment yesterday, I would like you to know that I was not a “school skiver”.
I was a child traumatised by school and exhausted from…
Challenges Autistic and ADHD Children Face at School and What Can Help
There is a reason why 92.1% of children with school attendance difficulties are neurodivergent, with 83.5% being autistic (according to one sample by Connolly & Mullally, 2022). And why children with Special Educational Needs are 50% more likely to struggle with school attendance (Office for National Statistics, 2021). And why…