Education attendance: barriers to attendance

Common challenges:

mental health and anxiety
special educational needs and disabilities (SEND)
family issues
school refusal

Support strategies

Early support services

West Berkshire offers a comprehensive range of early support services designed to help families and children address challenges before they escalate. These services aim to provide timely, coordinated support that promotes resilience and positive outcomes for children and young people.

The Early Response Hub

At the heart of West Berkshire's early support offer is the Early Response Hub. This multi-agency team works with families who may not require social care intervention but do need help with issues such as emotional wellbeing, parenting, financial hardship, housing, or school attendance. The Hub brings together professionals from a range of services (including education safeguarding, emotional health, disability support, and family support) to create tailored support plans in collaboration with families.

You may also find the information for families on the Educafe website useful.

How it works

The Early Response Hub operates on a voluntary basis and is built around the needs of each family. Referrals can be made by schools, early years settings, health professionals, or directly by families themselves. Once a referral is received, the Hub coordinates a response by identifying the most appropriate services and support. This may include short-term interventions, signposting to community resources, or more structured support plans involving multiple agencies.

Accessing support

Families can access early support by speaking to their child's school, health visitor, or another professional who knows them. Alternatively, they can contact the Early Response Hub directly through the West Berkshire Council website. The aim is to ensure that help is accessible, respectful, and effective, offering the right support at the right time.

Find out more about early support on our early help and child protection pages, or the Berkshire West Safeguarding Partnership website.

Multi-agency working

Multi-agency working means that schools, local authorities, health services, social care, and other professionals work together to support children and families facing complex challenges that affect school attendance. This approach recognises that barriers to attendance (such as mental health issues, SEND, family breakdown or housing instability) often require more than one service to resolve.

Through Targeting Support Meetings and Vulnerable Pupil Panels, professionals share information, coordinate interventions, and agree on joint actions. This ensures that families receive the right help at the right time, reducing duplication and improving outcomes for children.

Attendance support plans

An Attendance Support Plan (ASP) is a structured, formal agreement between a school, the parent or carer, and sometimes the pupil, aimed at improving a child's school attendance. It is used when a pupil's attendance is a concern and earlier voluntary support has not been effective or appropriate.

The plan outlines the specific barriers to attendance, sets clear expectations, and identifies the support that will be provided to help the pupil attend regularly. This might include mentoring, adjustments to the school day, or referrals to external services. Although not legally binding, the ASP is a collaborative tool that helps everyone stay accountable and focused on solutions. It is reviewed regularly to track progress and adjust support as needed.