& Tamsin Ford (2020) Secondary school practitioners’ beliefs about risk factors for school 

attendance problems: a qualitative study, Emotional and Behavioural Difficulties, 25:1, 15-28, To link to this article: https://doi.org/10.1080/13632752.2019.1647684 

Reflection of existing academic research exploring interplay of risk factor, including the results of quantitative studies around the beliefs of primary teachers and other primary school staff. It also covers the terminology around ‘school refusal’ and ‘truancy’. Recommend similar study for secondary staff. 

Data collection – focus groups, sampling from 16 secondary staff in 3 schools in England.  

2017/18 – 8.7% primary and 13.9% secondary learners had persistent absences (missing 10%) 

Risk factors for attendance problems but there are complex interplays. Successful interventions will involve interdisciplinary collaboration between professionals in education and healthcare and our families: 

Individual – poor physical health, mental health problem, ASN, drug or alcohol use. 

Family – neglectful parenting, lack of parental involvement in school, unemployment, family conflict, family history of attendance problems. 

School – poor school climate, poor pupil-teacher relationships, school transition periods 

Peers – social isolation, lack of peer support, peer conflict, bullying and pressure from peers to skip school  

Findings suggest a perceived lack of agency by school practitioners in terms of their ability to influence risk factors for attendance problems. 

Findings suggest that secondary school practitioners are aware of many of the most common 

causes of attendance problems, but in general factors related to the individual and their family were 

highlighted, while school factors were de-emphasised. 

Recommendations:  

Schools implement anti-bullying policies, supplemented with the use of evidence-based bullying interventions  

Schools should take steps to encourage pupils to develop healthy relationships with peers and engage in positive activities, for example through peer mentoring schemes or links to voluntary sector activities. 

Schools should address academic stress and look at providing additional support  

Schools should look at supporting mental health and at their impact on ‘behavioural difficulties’.  

Schools should look at pupils with caring responsibilities  

Schools could support resilience through PSE lesson 

How are ACES impacting on our learners’ attendance? 

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