Our latest Impact Report ‘Tackling absence well: The case for Whole Family Support through schools’ showcases the success of our whole family support model in addressing the root causes of persistent absence in school, and highlights the impact we have had on the lives of the children and families we worked with.
Official statistics show that around 1.5 million (1 in 5) children are persistently absent from school.
These children are missing at least 10% of their schooling each year and many are missing much more than this, with some at risk of disappearing from education forever.
At School-Home Support, we look beyond the classroom to tackle persistent absence in schools looking at the underlying causes of school absence such as poverty, domestic violence or mental health challenges. We work with the whole family using bespoke support strategies to overcome barriers to learning and ensure children can achieve their full potential.
Access to a good education is vital in raising aspirations and improving life chances for children and young people. Our practitioners provide life changing support to thousands of children, young people and families across England by addressing the root causes of persistent absence in schools.
During the past academic year, our team worked tirelessly to support families and children via whole family support and early intervention strategies and collaborative partnerships contributing to a brighter future for students, schools and communities across England.
Case Study
There has been an important shift in support needs this year. There has been a significant (57.7%) increase in children identifying housing as one of the biggest challenges they face. Although overall housing safeguarding alerts remain relatively low, a 40% increase from the previous year highlights a key dimension of the housing crisis.
And, the number of applications to our Welfare Fund* has increased by a significant 86%, climbing from a total funding value of £29,654 in 2021-2022 to £55,204 in 2022-2023.
*The School-Home Support Welfare Fund gives fast, practical help to struggling families in times of desperate need. Practitioners can apply to the fund on behalf of families for things like emergency food, travel costs and furniture.
